ipopba - stock.adobe.com News Maturing UK fintechs increase tech and cyber security hiring Increased hiring reflects that fintechs are maturing and now require more cyber security and compliance experts By Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA Published: 27 May 2025 16:23 The UK’s financial technology sector, or fintech as it is widely known, will see a 32% increase in professional hiring this year, with cyber security and technology roles the most in demand. As the fintech sector matures, and companies underpinned by tech seek to expand product ranges, increased demand for tech-related roles is inevitable. According to a report from recruitment services firm Morgan McKinley and labour market data company Vacancysoft, the increase comes as many UK fintechs move beyond the startup phase, add products and scale their operations. Technology-related hiring will see the fastest growth at 39%, driven by the need for engineering, cyber security, and IT management and development professionals. “London continues to dominate hiring in this space, buoyed by the upcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill. As fintechs replace legacy systems and meet rising compliance expectations, system resilience and threat mitigation skills are in high demand,” said the report. Risk and compliance professionals are also in increasing demand. Hiring in this area is projected to rise by 29% in 2025, according to Morgan McKinley and Vacancysoft, with financial crime professionals and fraud-related roles most in demand. This increase is due to growing regulatory scrutiny and operational complexity. “As regulatory expectations shift from minimum standards to active governance, fintechs are investing accordingly, seeking experienced professionals to strengthen internal control frameworks and support future authorisations or licensing requirements,” said the report. Fintechs are prioritising strategic hiring, investment in high-impact roles in compliance, product engineering and IT security, according to the report. Meanwhile, hiring for generalist functions remains flat or subject to cost review, it said. Mark Astbury, director at Morgan McKinley in the UK, said despite the uncertain economic climate, the UK fintech sector will see “one of its strongest hiring outlooks in recent years”. He said the rise in professional vacancies is led by London, but is echoed nationwide. “The data tells a clear story: despite subdued venture capital flows, demand for specialist talent remains robust. This isn’t a hype-driven rebound, it’s a grounded response to real-world pressures. Fintech firms are hiring to meet rising regulatory expectations as they grow, to counter increasingly sophisticated financial threats, and to build more resilient digital infrastructure,” added Astbury. “The surge in fraud risk and compliance roles, alongside double-digit growth in IT security and engineering, reflects an industry maturing in response to both opportunity and obligation,” he said. The increased recruitment of professionals comes with the backdrop of sector investment falling by over a quarter to $9.9bn, down 27% from $13.6bn in 2023, according to KPMG’s Pulse of fintech report. In the report, KPMG said geopolitical uncertainty, high levels of inflation and higher interest rates all contributed to “more subdued levels of UK fintech investment”. KPMG’s figures mirror those published by Innovative Finance last month, which reported a 37% fall in investment in 2024 compared with 2023. Innovate Finance, the industry body for fintech in the UK, blamed tough market conditions that included “rising interest rates, geopolitical instability, as well as a recalibration in venture capital fundraising”. The UK’s fintech sector attracted $3.6bn investment last year, which was only bettered by the US. Read more about fintech In The Current Issue: UK government outlines plan to surveil migrants with eVisa data Why we must reform the Computer Misuse Act: A cyber pro speaks out Download Current Issue SAP Sapphire 2025: Developers take centre stage as AI integration deepens – CW Developer Network Microsoft entices developers to build more Windows AI apps – Cliff Saran's Enterprise blog View All Blogs