From AI to Open Banking: Fintech Innovations Headline Viaduct Event

Auckland’s Viaduct will play host to 30 of the country’s most promising fintech startups later this month, as the Auckland Fintech Expo brings AI tools, blockchain platforms, and embedded banking innovations to GridAKL—a hub of tech activity near the Sealink ferry terminal and fish markets.

New Zealand’s fintech scene is set to take centre stage on Friday 25 July at the Auckland Fintech Expo 2025, a high-energy, half-day event bringing together the brains, builders, and backers of the country’s rapidly growing financial technology sector.

The expo will feature 30 startups offering a glimpse into the future of banking, payments, and personal finance. From artificial intelligence and blockchain to embedded financial services, the event will cover a wide swathe of technologies currently reshaping the financial landscape in New Zealand and abroad.

New Zealand’s fintech sector has quietly become one of the country’s fastest-growing tech verticals. In the past decade, the industry has grown at four times the pace of the broader tech sector. Revenue rose from just $160 million in 2013 to $2.64 billion in 2023, according to the Technology Investment Network’s 2024 Fintech Report. That represents a compound annual growth rate of 32 percent—comparable to the early boom years of the SaaS sector.

Much of the current excitement surrounds the introduction of New Zealand’s open banking regulations, due to take effect from 2026. These changes are expected to open up access to consumer financial data and accelerate competition in everything from home loans to budgeting tools.

Far from a formal conference, the Auckland Fintech Expo has been designed as an open, market-style event. Attendance is free, and the organisers are expecting more than 300 people through the door. The aim is to demystify the sector and make new financial tools more accessible to founders, students, developers, investors, and the broader public.

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Auckland Fintech Expo 2025
GridAKL, 101 Pakenham Street
Friday 25 July 2025, 1pm–5pm

events.humanitix.com/fintech-expo

rampup.co.nz/fintechexpo

“This is where New Zealand’s fintech ecosystem comes alive,” says organiser Lucas Grossi. “It’s not about hype but more about connection, innovation, and action.”

That sentiment is echoed by Auckland Council’s Economic Development Office, which is backing the event.

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“We’re proud to support events like this that shine a light on the innovators doing the mahi in the trenches,” says Nick Larsen. “It’s awesome to be celebrating the people building the future of finance from the ground up.”

Among the exhibitors will be startups working on everything from digital wallets and real-time cross-border payments to tools for automating compliance and risk management. Globally, many of these sub-sectors remain investor favourites, even amid the current tech downturn, with fintech continuing to account for a significant share of global venture funding.

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The full list of exhibitors is available at rampup.co.nz/fintechexpo. Entry is free, but registration is required via events.humanitix.com/fintech-expo.

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