A testament to the strength of Irish Fintech
Celebrating fintech innovation at the inaugural national fintech awards 2023
The inaugural National Fintech Awards in association with GRID Foundation were held at the Round Room in the Mansion House, Dublin on Thursday, 14th September.
Hosted by well-known fintech leader and founder of Fintech Ireland Peter Oakes, the awards were launched this year to celebrate the innovation and success of home grown Irish Fintechs.
Attended by over 300 guests, the awards recognised those who have been invested in building a better financial system in Ireland, across 15 categories. The awards provided a much-needed platform to highlight the very best in bank technology transformation, public policy, fintech advisory and game-changing financial technology. The evening concluded with three pinnacle awards for Fintech Pioneer of the Year, Fintech Company of the Year and the Outstanding Achievement Award.
The awards were judged by a panel of industry experts including:
Lesley Tully, founder/chief executive, Penny FS
Brid O’Connell, chief executive, Guaranteed Irish
Charlie Taylor, Technology and Innovation editor, Business Post
Derek Foley Butler, chief executive of GRID Finance and chairman of the GRID Foundation
Michael Browne, senior development adviser, Financial Services, Enterprise Ireland
Patricia Callan, director of Financial Services Ireland (FSI) Group and head of sectors, IBEC
Sarah-Jane Larkin, director general, Irish Venture Capital Association
The event was organised by iQuest & Business Post and sponsored by William Fry, Taxback, Fidelity Investments and GRID Finance.
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Best Digital Banking Solution Award: Brendan McCann, communications & marketing manager, Guaranteed Irish, presenting Feargal Brady, founder and chief executive of NoFrixion with the award for Best Digital Banking Solution Photo by MAURA HICKEYImage 2 of 7
Best Insurance Technology Award: Hilary Moran, chief executive, The Fintech Corridor (centre), presenting Aidan O’Neill, chief executive of DOCOsoft, and colleagues with the Best Insurance Technology Award Photo by MAURA HICKEYImage 3 of 7
Regional Fintech Company of the Year Award: Michael Browne, senior development adviser (financial services), Enterprise Ireland, presenting Fidelma McGuirk, founder and chief executive, Payslip, and her leadership team with the award for Regional Fintech Company of the Year Photo by MAURA HICKEYImage 4 of 7
Fintech Investor of the Year: Joanna Murphy, chief executive of Taxback, presenting Ellen McCance Pinschmidt, venture partner, and Patrick Pinschmidt, general partner of MiddleGame Ventures, with their award Photo by MAURA HICKEYImage 5 of 7
Best Wealth Management Solution Award: Niall Faherty, policy and economic analyst with Banking & Payments Federation Ireland presenting the Nazaré Point Team with the award for Best Wealth Management Solution Photo by MAURA HICKEYImage 6 of 7
Best Crypto, Blockchain or Digital Asset Offering: Defactor Labs’ Team celebrating their award for Best Crypto, Blockchain or Digital Asset Offering Photo by MAURA HICKEYImage 7 of 7
Best Fintech Lending Solution Award: The Linked Finance team with their award for Best Fintech Lending SolutionThe Outstanding Achievement Award was presented to Colm Lyon, chief executive and founder, Fire. Colm, a seasoned expert with over three decades of experience in the financial services and technology sectors, has been a driving force in shaping the landscape of fintech in Ireland. As the founder and chief executive of Realex, and subsequently Fire Financial Services, his visionary approach and commitment to innovation have not only propelled his own businesses but have also played a crucial role in the broader fintech ecosystem in Ireland and abroad.
Chair of the GRID Foundation and of the Awards Derek Foley Butler noted: “The judging panel were delighted to recognise Colm, not just for achievement in Fintech but also for his contribution to policy, thought leadership and helping the next generation of founders and startups. His leadership truly deserved the recognition received last night by the Fintech Community.”
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Fintech Professional Adviser of the Year: Billy Kelly, Kilcullen Capital, presenting William Fry’s fintech group with their award Photo by MAURA HICKEYImage 2 of 6
Best Regtech Solution Award: Laura Dunlop, director of the National Fintech Awards, presenting team CalQRisk with their award Photo by MAURA HICKEYImage 3 of 6
Public Servant of the Year Award: Winner Mai Santamaria of the Department of Finance with Lesley Tully, chief executive and founder, Penny FS Photo by MAURA HICKEYImage 4 of 6
Fintech Company of the Year: Gary Conroy, chief product officer, and Sinead Fitzmaurice, chief executive of TransferMate Global Payments, with their award presented by John Ruane, Ireland regional leader and vice-president operations & services group at Fidelity Investments Photo by MAURA HICKEYImage 5 of 6
Outstanding Achievement Award: Derek Foley Butler, chief executive and chairman of the Grid Foundation, presenting the Outstanding Achievement Award to Colm Lyon, chief executive and founder, Fire Photo by MAURA HICKEYImage 6 of 6
Fintech Pioneer of the Year Award: John O’Connor, partner, William Fry’s Technology Group, presenting Joe Morley, vice -president & general manager Europe, TrueLayer, with his awardNational Fintech Awards and Summit director Laura Dunlop was pleased with how the awards ceremony went. “The Business Post & iQuest are honoured to be facilitating an event that supports and acknowledges the achievements of innovators in the fintech sector and provides a platform for these incredible Irish leaders to celebrate their hard work and successes,” Dunlop said. “It is in this same vein that we will be holding the Fintech Summit in April 2024 to continue to drive the dialogue around growth, scale and investment for the Irish fintech sector.”
Winners announced on the night included:
Best Payment Solution Award
Strikepay
Best Digital Banking Solution Award
NoFrixion
Best Insurance Technology Award
DOCOsoft
Regional Fintech Company of the Year
Payslip
Fintech Investor of the Year – sponsored by Taxback
Middlegame Ventures
Best Wealth Management Solution Award
Nazaré Point
Best Crypto, Blockchain or Digital Asset Offering
Defactor Labs
Best Fintech Lending Solution Award sponsored by GRID Finance
Linked Finance
Fintech Diversity Champion of the Year
Mo Harvey, founder and chief executive, TRIBE Fintech
Fintech Professional Advisor of the Year
William Fry
Best Regtech Solution Award
CalQRisk
Public Servant of the Year Award
Mai Santamaria – Department of Finance
Fintech Pioneer of the Year – sponsored by William Fry
Joe Morley – TrueLayer
Fintech Company of the Year – sponsored by Fidelity Investments
TransferMate
Outstanding Achievement Award
Colm Lyon, founder and chief executive, Fire
