FinTech West and S&W strengthen their partnership, connecting regional businesses with national FinTech advisory and growth opportunities
BRISTOL, 20 October 2026: S&W, the fast-growing professional services group working with over 260 FinTech businesses and 12 unicorns, is strengthening its strategic partnership with FinTech West, bringing its national advisory expertise and experience supporting some of the UK's fastest-growing financial technology businesses to the South West's thriving FinTech community.
The partnership addresses a gap that South West founders consistently report: that access to senior advisory firepower, across audit, tax, consulting and corporate finance, has historically meant going to London. The West of England has the second highest density of financial services employment in England outside London, while FinTech West has a community of over 5,000 members across the FinTech ecosystem. Yet the advisory relationships founders need have not always been available on the ground.
S&W reinforced its growth ambitions in the South West by relocating its Bristol office to larger premises in the EQ building last year. The firm provides a comprehensive range of services to individuals and businesses, including audit, accountancy, corporate finance, consulting, outsourcing, and personal and business tax advice. Building on its existing partnership with FinTech West, S&W continues to connect its Bristol presence and national expertise with the region's growing FinTech and financial services community.
As part of the partnership, S&W will sponsor the AI in financial services panel at the FinTech West Annual Conference on 6 November 2026 at We The Curious, Bristol. The session, “From AI ambition to accountable adoption,” will explore how financial services firms move from AI experimentation to responsible, governed deployment in regulated environments. Over 300 delegates are expected, drawn from across financial services, FinTech, professional services, policy and academia. The South West is home to 193 FinTech firms, which collectively contribute more than £1bn annually to the regional economy and supporting nearly 19,000 jobs. The wider financial and related professional services sector contributes £14.8bn in annual GVA and supports approximately 157,000 jobs across the South West⁽⁴⁾.
Stuart Harrison, Founder and CEO, FinTech West said: “Too often, ambitious South West businesses feel they have to go to London to access the advice and relationships that help them scale. S&W turns that on its head. Their Bristol office combines national reach with genuine local commitment, giving founders access to the expertise they need without leaving the region.”
Sophie Long, Partner, S&W said: “The South West has a financial services and FinTech sector that people outside it consistently underestimate. The numbers are there, the talent, the firms, the growth rate. What FinTech West has built is the connective tissue that turns that into a community with a voice. We want to be part of that.”
To attend the FinTech West Annual Conference on 6 November, free to attend, register here.