Taking a collaborative view when it comes to finance

Manchester-based AccessPay is one of the North West’s FinTech success stories. And it has more success in its sights, driven by a collaborative approach to the future.

In recent times it has been named one of the 50 fastest growing tech companies in the UK and the fastest growing FinTech outside the capital.

Earlier this year the business secured a £1m investment from NPIF – Maven Equity Finance, part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund – as it looked to line up plans for further growth.

It said the cash would be used to significantly increase the size of its workforce at its central Manchester offices.

The business is a world leader in payments and cash management for companies of any size.

Marketing director Dan Greenall says increased R&D and growth through products are high on its priority list. So too is collaboration.

The business moved to Manchester more than 12 months ago. The city’s talent pool and the large financial and professional services community proved major pulls.

Greenall says: “There is a very strong community of banks in Manchester that we work closely with, and actually that is true nationally as well.

“We want to improve their corporate banking experience and we can only do that if we work closely with them to make that happen.

“We want to help finance professionals understand the kind of technical solutions that are available to them that will ultimately make their roles easier and help them to prosper in their roles.”

He adds: “We are also working closely with the academic community on some data science projects. There is an incredibly vibrant academic community here in the North West.”

Collaboration isn’t all about research and development, Greenall says. It is also about raising the profile of the region’s FinTech sector.

“We are very well connected with the financial service and the investor community. Collectively it is about pioneering FinTech.”