London Fintech Week brings together fintech leaders, investors, policymakers and innovators at an important moment for the UK industry.

Britain remains one of the world’s leading fintech centres. But competition for capital, companies and talent is intensifying. AI is rapidly changing financial services and other markets are working hard to attract the next generation of fintech businesses.

So what do the people running those businesses think?

Our new Fintech 100 Leadership Survey, conducted by Censuswide, asked 100 fintech leaders about their plans for the UK, where Britain risks falling behind and what they want government to prioritise as we head towards the Autumn Budget.

The headline message is encouraging: fintech leaders are ready to back Britain.

Nine in ten (90%) say their businesses are likely to increase investment and hiring in the UK over the next three years, while 78% are confident the new Prime Minister will create a supportive environment for the sector.

But that confidence comes with some important caveats.

Almost half (46%) believe Britain risks falling behind competing fintech hubs on AI and digital infrastructure, while 43% point to regulatory clarity and speed. Access to specialist talent, tax competitiveness, public markets and growth capital also feature prominently.

When we asked fintech leaders to choose the single government action that would have the greatest positive impact on the industry, investing in AI and digital infrastructure came out on top.

Dig a little deeper and some interesting differences emerge across the fintech C-suite.

CTOs are focused on AI and infrastructure. CEOs want faster, clearer regulation. CFOs are looking closely at AI, regulation and tax competitiveness.

Company size matters too. Larger fintechs are particularly concerned about the operating and regulatory environment, while mid-sized companies are more worried about public markets and access to the capital they need to scale.

Nick Murray-Leslie, Principal at Chatsworth, said:

“There is a remarkably clear message from the fintech leaders we’ve surveyed. They want to invest in Britain, but they don’t believe Britain’s position at the top table is guaranteed.

“That makes the timing of London Fintech Week particularly interesting. As the global industry gathers in London, we should be confident about what the UK has built, but equally clear-eyed about the competition we now face.

“CTOs are sounding the alarm on AI infrastructure, CEOs want faster and clearer regulation, and CFOs are worried about tax and competitiveness. These are the issues that will determine where fintech businesses invest, hire and scale.

“The good news is that fintech is ready to back Britain. The challenge for government as we head towards the Autumn Budget is to give the industry every reason to keep doing so.”

There is much more in the research, including what different members of the C-suite want from government, how priorities change according to company size and where fintech leaders believe the UK is most vulnerable to international competition.

You can download survey highlights here: Fintech 100 Leadership Survey: Britain’s next chapter: Investment, innovation and the race for global leadership.