JPMorgan Opens FinTech Forward Accelerator Program to UK Startups

JPMorganChase has begun accepting applications for a FinTech accelerator program for U.K. startups.

As American Banker reported Monday (June 9), the Fintech Forward Accelerator is a 12-week, in-person and virtual program for FinTech founders who want to employ technology to develop scalable financial services solutions.

The program, developed by the banking giant and the consulting firm EY, will take applications until June 27, with plans to run from September to November of this year.

“At J.P. Morgan Payments, our north star is to improve the payments ecosystem and transform the movement of information, money and assets,” said Veronique Steiner, head of EMEA innovation economy at J.P. Morgan Payments.

“We’re actively encouraging applications from founders or business leaders who are overcoming obstacles to growing a business, including a lack of proximity to funding and networks, and are addressing the needs of underserved consumers, businesses or communities.”

Successful applicants will get mentorship from bank executives, a two-day offsite session at JPMorganChase’s technology center in Glasgow and the chance to showcase their business to potential investors and commercial partners.

According to the report, the accelerator is targeting U.K. FinTechs with a “live product demonstrating market traction” and yearly revenues that don’t exceed £1 million.

The program comes at a time when U.K. startups are having trouble finding funding, leaving some of them to seek help from the U.S.

According to an April Financial Times (FT) report, British startups took in just £16.2 billion ($21.1 billion) last year, the lowest figure since 2020. Meanwhile, American tech startups raised more than £65 billion in 2024, a 71% increase over the previous year.

“Recognizing that most venture funding comes from the U.S., we set up as a Delaware corporation — the preferred and familiar structure for U.S. investors,” Mati Staniszewski, co-founder of artificial intelligence (AI) company ElevenLabs, told the FT.

Meanwhile, PYMNTS wrote last week about renewed enthusiasm for FinTechs following Circle’s initial public offering (IPO).

“There are other signs of investors putting their dollars to work (while reaping some rewards via equity stakes, of course) to help hasten the tech-driven transformation of money movement,” that report said. “Recent funding rounds have touched on everything from infrastructure to B2B to platform-based lending.”