Fintech Forward Program supports innovation in the United Kingdom
30 January 2026
J.P. Morgan’s long-term investment in UK fintech innovation
When J.P. Morgan announced its plans for a new London office, the news held a quiet sense of optimism. It signalled long term confidence in the United Kingdom, a country the firm has partnered with for more than 200 years. Today, more than 23,000 colleagues across the UK help keep daily financial life moving. Their work supports families, businesses, and communities, often in ways that are felt more than seen.
But the firm’s impact stretches far beyond its physical footprint. Over the past decade, J.P. Morgan has invested $35 million in careers and skills programming across the UK. This support helped more than 9,800 people step into jobs or apprenticeships, enabled over 4,300 individuals to earn new credentials, and saw employees contribute more than 32,000 volunteer hours to local projects. [1]
These investments are not just numbers. They represent resilience, confidence and new beginnings. The firm helps advance this progress by encouraging early-stage innovators who want to build something better for the people around them. That is the purpose behind the Fintech Forward Program, a 12-week in-person and virtual accelerator designed to foster and promote emerging innovations.
Supporting the next wave of fintech talent
Fintech Forward brought together a group of founders working on challenges they understood deeply. Some were trying to make everyday payments more meaningful. Others were reimagining sustainability, identity or financial wellbeing. All were driven by the same instinct, to make systems feel simpler, safer and more supportive of real life.
Across 12 weeks, the cohort worked with J.P. Morgan teams across engineering, risk, compliance, operations and strategy. They refined their products, strengthened their models and learned how to build for scale while keeping people at the center.
The program blended structure with inspiration. Sessions in London and Glasgow gave the companies time to learn and reflect. A supported trip to Slush, a founder-focused startup event in Helsinki brought global perspectives and new connections. At Slush, the fintechs recorded videos sharing their stories and met partners interested in solutions that feel intuitive, reliable, and adaptable. [2][3]
The 2025 cohort included:
Cheqd, Gemba, Tuck, Husky, Inicio.ai, Kinvault, Oiyaa, mmob, KUTANA, Recirculate Systems , shape, Trudenty, Glyde, tunic pay, and wyzr.
Below are two examples that show the range of ideas and the thoughtfulness behind them.
Spotlight: Oiyaa
Transforming the everyday payment moment
Most payments are over in a heartbeat. You tap, you move on, and the moment disappears. Oiyaa looked at this familiar routine and imagined something better. What if that moment could be a point of connection rather than just a confirmation?
Their platform adds intelligence directly into the payment flow, offering personalised rewards or offers instantly. The experience feels seamless because it works on the rails people already trust. There are no apps to download, no codes to scan, no friction added.
This small shift creates wide impact.
- Customers can feel recognised in a moment that is usually transactional
- Merchants gain more insight and more repeat activity with almost no operational lift
- PSPs and acquirers benefit from richer transaction data and new billable events
- Banks gain a fresh loyalty surface that integrates smoothly into existing systems
During Fintech Forward, Oiyaa spent time refining the mechanics behind this experience. Working with engineers, risk specialists and product mentors helped them design a model that can grow safely and smoothly at scale. At Slush, their approach resonated with partners who want technology that feels intuitive rather than intrusive.
Oiyaa left the program with clearer pathways to collaboration and a sharper sense of how intelligent engagement can quietly elevate everyday commerce.
Spotlight: Recirculate Systems
Making reuse effortless for everyone
Sustainability works best when it fits naturally into people’s routines. Recirculate Systems built on that idea by creating a reuse model that lives inside the payment journey. Customers pay a small deposit at checkout and receive their refund automatically when the item is returned.
The beauty of the model is its simplicity. There are no QR codes, no kiosks, no extra steps. The customer does not have to learn anything new. The system adapts to them, not the other way around.
This simplicity unlocks meaningful change:
- Customers feel empowered to participate because the system feels easy
- Merchants can introduce reuse without new hardware or complex workflows
- PSPs and acquirers see additional revenue events through deposits and returns
- Sustainability goals become more achievable because participation increases naturally
During Fintech Forward, Recirculate pressure tested its model with support from engineering, compliance, and commercial specialists. The team strengthened its business case and explored how reuse could scale securely across different sectors. At Slush, the concept resonated with retailers and payment providers looking for sustainability solutions that work quietly in the background but deliver real impact.
The company left the program with a clearer growth strategy and new partnerships forming around circularity empowered by payments.
Building the future of UK financial innovation
The UK’s strength has always been its people, from those building the financial systems that keep households and businesses moving to those creating new technologies that help those systems evolve. JPMC’s role is to help create the conditions where this progress continues.
Announcing a new office is one part of that. Investing in careers and skills is another. Supporting early-stage innovators through programs like Fintech Forward adds yet another layer. Together, these commitments help build a future that feels more connected, more resilient, and rich with possibility.
And the stories do not end here. The founders shared reflections, insights, and behind-the-scenes moments throughout the program. You can connect with them and explore their highlights on LinkedIn, where they speak in their own words about what they built, what they learned, and where they want to go next.
Neeta (Kotecha) Dhorajiwala, CEO, Oiyaa
Alesdair Hood, CEO, Recirculate Systems
Resources
- J. P. Morgan United Kingdom Communities and Careers Impact: https://www.jpmorganchase.com/communities/united-kingdom
- Fintech Forward Program overview: https://digital.jpmorgan.com/fintech-forward-programme/index.html
- Program announcement: https://www.jpmorgan.com/payments/newsroom/fintech-forward-programme-uk