Author

Luke Trayfoot

Published

30 July 2026

Estimated Read time

5Mins

Luke Trayfoot, Global Head of Strategic Partnerships at YouLend, on how embedded finance can help create a more resilient and inclusive lending ecosystem for SMEs

Bank‑to‑business lending growth is expected to halve to just 3.5% this year, driven by global tensions, higher funding costs and ongoing economic uncertainty. For many small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs), this means tighter credit conditions and a growing risk of a funding gap. And at a time when fast, flexible capital is essential.

Traditional lenders will remain central to SME finance, but slower lending growth naturally limits how quickly banks can meet demand. SMEs often need capital at short notice to manage cash flow, invest in stock or respond to new opportunities. When bank lending slows, the pressure on these businesses increases. This is where alternative lenders and embedded finance providers are stepping in, offering models that work alongside the traditional system to ensure SMEs still have access to funding when they need it most.

A New Reality for SME Embedded Finance?

The slowdown in bank lending does not mean traditional finance is stepping back from the SME sector. UK Finance data shows that while gross SME lending rose for the second consecutive year in 2025, approval volumes have begun to flatten. Meanwhile, average loan sizes are trending downward, which signals that traditional lending capacity is tightening. What this really highlights is the need for a more diversified and resilient lending ecosystem. Alternative lenders, from online credit platforms to embedded finance providers, are becoming an important part of that shift by offering additional, data‑driven routes to capital.

These lenders are not here to replace banks. They are absorbing the demand that banks cannot meet quickly enough. Especially for SMEs that need fast decisions or more flexible repayment options. By using real‑time business performance data, alternative lenders can assess risk in a more dynamic way and offer funding that reflects how SMEs actually trade, rather than relying solely on historical, static credit files.

This becomes particularly valuable during periods of economic uncertainty. When traditional credit conditions tighten, SMEs with strong underlying performance can still access the capital they need, which helps prevent stalled growth or operational disruption.

Platforms as Distribution Hubs

E‑commerce marketplaces, payment providers and business software platforms are quickly becoming some of the most important channels for SME finance. A trend reflected in the scale of the market, with global embedded finance transactions projected to exceed $7 trillion by the end of 2026. These platforms sit at the centre of day‑to‑day business activity, which gives them a clear view of trading patterns, cash flow and overall performance. Because of that, they are in a strong position to offer funding at the exact moment a business needs it, whether that is during checkout, inside a dashboard or alongside a payment settlement.

For SMEs, this creates a much smoother path to capital. They can access funding without the paperwork or delays that often come with traditional loan applications. For platforms, it deepens customer relationships and opens the door to new value‑added services that support long‑term loyalty.

The Infrastructure Powering Embedded SME Finance

Behind the scenes, specialised FinTech providers supply the underwriting, risk modelling and compliance infrastructure that allows capital to move responsibly through non-financial channels. This infrastructure layer is what enables these business platforms to offer financing without becoming lenders themselves, while ensuring SMEs receive funding that is both fast and sustainable. It’s also creating a more standardised, interoperable foundation for SME credit delivery across the digital economy.

Government data shows that late payments continue to impact the UK economy to the tune of £11 billion annually, which creates a significant cash‑flow friction. By combining platform‑level insights with advanced risk analytics, embedded finance providers can tailor funding to real‑time business performance. This reduces default risk, improves capital efficiency and strengthens the resilience of the wider SME lending ecosystem, ultimately leading to better outcomes for both SMEs and the capital providers supporting them.

Smarter Underwriting is Becoming the Backbone of SME Finance

Real‑time performance data and AI‑enabled underwriting are reshaping SME finance by making funding decisions more accurate, more inclusive and more responsive to how businesses actually operate. Instead of relying solely on traditional credit scores, lenders can assess SMEs based on real trading activity such as sales patterns, seasonality and customer behaviour. This moves underwriting closer to the operational reality of a business, rather than a backwards-looking snapshot.

This approach opens the door for more businesses to access capital, including those that may be underserved by conventional credit models. It also helps ensure funding decisions remain stable even when market conditions are volatile, supporting business continuity and long‑term resilience. As these models continue to mature, they are becoming a core part of how lenders manage risk, price capital and build a more adaptive SME finance ecosystem.

Where SME Finance Goes from Here

As traditional lending growth slows, there is a real opportunity to build stronger partnerships between banks, FinTechs and digital platforms so SMEs can continue to access the capital they need. Embedded finance is becoming a mainstream, complementary channel that broadens access, speeds up decision‑making and supports day‑to‑day business growth.

The priority now is scaling these models responsibly. That means keeping transparency front and centre, maintaining strong risk frameworks and ensuring long‑term stability as more capital flows through embedded channels. If the industry can combine the strengths of traditional finance with the agility of modern FinTech infrastructure, we can create a more resilient and inclusive lending ecosystem for the SMEs that drive economic growth.

Learn more at youlend.com

  • Embedded Finance
  • Fintech & Insurtech

Author

Jean-Philippe Avelange

Published

24 June 2026

Estimated Read time

4Mins

Jean-Philippe Avelange, CIO at Expereo, on why network resilience must be front of mind to drive digital transformation

Digital transformation has become fluent in the language of applications. Boards are asking for AI, cloud migration, automation, better customer experiences and more real-time data. Teams are being asked to modernise faster, operate more efficiently, and make digital investment show measurable returns. But what many enterprises are still learning is that the bottleneck is not always the application, the data, or the platform team. It is often the network underneath them.

For years, connectivity has been treated as little more than plumbing. Something to procure, renew and occasionally upgrade when a site opens or a contract ends. That assumption held up reasonably well when enterprise technology was slower, more centralised and more predictable. But it has become harder to defend now that applications are distributed, users are everywhere, data moves constantly between environments, and businesses expect digital services to perform in real time.

Expereo’s Enterprise Horizons 2025 research found that only half of organisations believe their networks are ready to support new technology initiatives. This is an issue for any organisation expecting transformation to move from a programme plan to something employees and customers can depend on every day. Once new tools scale across sites, providers, clouds and regions, the network either becomes an enabler of change or the place where momentum starts to slow.

The same research found that more than half of companies had experienced financial impact from network downtime or poor performance in the previous 12 months. That is lost productivity, lost revenue and lost confidence in the digital services that a business is trying to build around.

Resilience is not the same everywhere

The instinct, when faced with a fragile network, is often to add more – more bandwidth, more redundancy, another circuit. This creates the appearance of resilience while driving up costs and doing little to improve the experience where it actually matters. At the same time, most organisations still treat every location as equally important. But a headquarters, a manufacturing site, a contact centre and a small regional office are fundamentally different in how they operate and the risk they carry. Yet they are often supported by similar connectivity models.

Resilience needs to reflect that reality. The network should be designed around the role each site plays in the business. Some locations need diverse fibre paths or wireless failover to maintain continuous operations. Others need strong performance guarantees and rapid remediation. Others require a simpler, reliable and cost-appropriate baseline.

The goal is not to make every site identical – it is to make every site fit for purpose.

Standardisation still plays a role, but not in forcing every location into the same architecture. The more effective approach is to define clear site categories, each with a pre-defined level of resilience. That turns expansion into a repeatable process, rather than a constant redesign exercise.

Seeing where failures actually happen

Another gap sits in visibility. Most IT teams monitor applications closely, but far fewer have a clear view of the network paths on which those applications depend. When issues arise, teams are often troubleshooting without knowing whether the problem sits with the user, the site, the provider or the cloud environment. By the time the cause is identified, the impact has already been felt.

Failures rarely occur in isolation. They happen across the path between users, sites, providers and cloud platforms. Without visibility into those paths, problems are misdiagnosed, escalated slowly or incorrectly attributed to the application itself. Network observability changes this dynamic. It provides early warning rather than post-incident analysis, showing where performance is degrading, where traffic is being routed inefficiently and where user experience is being shaped by infrastructure rather than software. This visibility is also critical for data sovereignty. As organisations adopt cloud, AI and third-party services, understanding how data moves becomes as important as knowing where it is stored. In many cases, the network is the only place where the view exists.

From network to advantage

As digital transformation becomes embedded in day-to-day operations, connectivity moves from a background concern to a business-critical capability. The question is no longer whether the network matters, but whether investment in it is aligned with business risk. Adding more bandwidth or blanket resilience does not solve the problem – being more precise does. Resilience needs to be applied where it matters most, observability needs to be built into the network layer and design decisions need to reflect how each part of the organisation actually operates.

Connectivity has long been treated as plumbing, but in reality, it underpins digital transformation. It determines whether applications perform consistently, whether users trust the tools they are given, and whether organisations can adapt without repeatedly rebuilding their foundations. The organisations pulling ahead are not treating the network as an afterthought. They are designing resilience into the transformation from the start.

Learn more at expereo.com

  • Data & AI
  • Digital Strategy
  • Infrastructure & Cloud

Author

Vincent Guillevic

Published

16 April 2026

Estimated Read time

5Mins

Vincent Guillevic, Director of Fraud Labs at Entrust, argues companies that treat identity as a continuous thread rather than a single checkpoint will be better positioned to reduce losses and protect customers

Identity verification and tackling fraud began as a face-to-face process, built on human trust. Opening a bank account involved meeting a banker in person and from there, trust was established because both parties could see and interact with each other directly in branch.

Fast forward to the digital age and a lot of services have moved online. Identity verification has therefore shifted from in-person checks to remote identity verification. Today, we’re in an era where identity is now central to every interaction we have online.

Fraud has followed the same trajectory. Much like a burglar would test every possible entry point rather than just the front door, fraudsters probe every stage of the customer journey. They look for weaknesses at onboarding, during login, and throughout ongoing transactions and data requests.

That challenge has intensified in recent years. AI has given fraudsters faster, sophisticated and scalable tools. Deepfakes can bypass checks, AI‑generated documents can appear real, and phishing and impersonation attacks can now be automated at scale.

Once a fraudster gains access to a legitimate account, the damage escalates quickly. Global losses from account takeover (ATO) fraud were projected to reach $17 billion in 2025, up from $13 billion in 2024. While the underlying intent of fraudsters seeking the weakest point of entry, the breadth, speed and sophistication of modern attacks have.

Identity Fraud Patterns Across the Customer Lifecycle

Fraud can occur at any stage of the customer journey. From verifying identity at onboarding to securing connections and fighting fraud in everyday transactions. Each stage introduces its own risks, and attackers adapt their tactics based on where value can be extracted most efficiently.

In 2025, patterns showed a clear distinction between industries targeted for new account fraud and those targeted for account takeover fraud. Businesses that offer immediate incentives such as promotional offers or sign-up bonuses are primarily targeted for new account fraud. In contrast, businesses where accounts accumulate long-term financial or data value face higher levels of ATO.

Industries built around sign-up incentives or instance access experience most fraud at onboarding. For instance, in crypto, 67% of fraud attempts occur during account creation, largely driven by sign-up incentives. Vehicle rental follows a similar pattern, with 67% of fraud taking place at onboarding as attackers use fake identities to gain short-term access to high-value assets. In these sectors, low-friction onboarding creates opportunities to harvest incentives or establish accounts that later become avenues for future money laundering.

Account takeover fraud reflects a different strategy. Rather than creating fake accounts, attackers focus on compromising established accounts using tactics such as stolen credentials, phishing, malware, or social engineering. Entrust data shows this is most common in industries where accounts hold enduring value. In payments, 82% of fraud attempts occur after onboarding, while in professional services the figure is 62%. High-value, long-standing accounts are attractive because they enable fund transfers, loans, and access to identity-rich data, making them more valuable than newly created accounts.

These patterns highlight two critical realities. First, organisations can no longer optimise for one type of risk at the expense of another. Defending a single point in the journey inevitably leaves gaps elsewhere. Second, fraud has become highly professionalised. Modern fraud operations are organised, strategic, and adaptive, moving toward the highest rewards and the weakest controls.

Prevention Must Span the Entire Journey

If fraud can occur at any stage, prevention must operate at every stage. Organisations that implement robust, lifecycle-wide identity strategies save an average of $8 million per year in fraud-related costs. These savings come from detecting threats earlier, more accurately, and beyond a single checkpoint.

There are three areas where that lifecycle approach needs to be strongest.

Get onboarding right

Onboarding is the first opportunity to establish genuine trust. Strong Know Your Customer (KYC) or Know Your Employee (KYE) processes combine document verification with biometric checks such as face recognition or fingerprint scanning to confirm that the person applying is who they claim to be. Liveness detection adds a further layer by distinguishing real users from synthetic identities and deepfakes, which are linked to approximately one in five biometric fraud attempts.

With strong identity verification at onboarding not only reduces immediate fraud, but also limits the downstream damage caused with fraudulent accounts.

Secure existing accounts with continuous authentication

Verifying identity once is no longer sufficient. Continuous authentication, combining multi-factor authentication with biometric re-verification like facial recognition, allows businesses to protect established accounts without creating unnecessary friction for legitimate users.

Crucially, it enables authentication requirements to adapt dynamically as risk levels change, rather than applying the same static check regardless of context. In payments businesses, where most fraud targets the authentication process itself, this adaptability is key to mitigating attacks before losses occur.

Monitor behaviour in real time, not just identity

Device intelligence and behavioural signals make it possible to assess risk based on how users interact with services, flagging unusual login patterns, device anomalies, or out-of-character transactions.

As AI-driven fraud becomes more sophisticated and convincing, behavioural indicators provide another layer of ongoing fraud detection. Focusing monitoring on high-risk actions, rather than only high-risk identities closes a critical gap in traditional defences.

The Window of Opportunity

Fraud has always followed the customer journey. What has changed is the availability of advanced technology capable of tracking, analysing, and responding to threats at every stage. The key question for organisations is whether these capabilities are deployed as a connected strategy or left as isolated controls with gaps in between.

Companies that treat identity as a continuous thread rather than a single checkpoint will be better positioned to reduce losses and protect customers, and preserve the trust that underpins long-term digital relationships.

Learn more at entrust.com and meet the team at IFGS in London on April 21

  • Artificial Intelligence in FinTech
  • Cybersecurity
  • Cybersecurity in FinTech
  • Fintech & Insurtech

Author

Dan Brightmore

Published

12 August 2025

Estimated Read time

8Mins

Read in brochure format

FinTech Strategy meets Eastern Horizon Founder & CEO Christine Le to discuss client expectations and the changing landscape of wealth management

Financial Transformation Summit 2025 EXCLUSIVE

At Financial Transformation Summit, Christine Le, a Chartered Financial Planner and Founder & CEO of Eastern Horizon Wealth Management, spoke on an investment panel – “Generational Wealth Transfer: Meeting the Expectation of Younger Clients”. Appearing with industry colleagued representing Citi Global Wealth, HFMC Wealth and Lightbox Wealth, Le considered: What trends and technologies are shaping NextGen investment decisions, and how can WMs stay ahead? Can digital wealth platforms meet the demand for hyper-personalised, user-friendly experiences? How does social responsibility & ESG investing influence younger investors, and how can advisors align with these priorities? How can wealth managers build and maintain trust with NextGen investors?

Following the panel, we spoke with Christine to find out more…

Hi Christine, tell us about your role at Eastern Horizon?

“I’m a Chartered Financial Planner and the Founder & CEO of Eastern Horizon Wealth Management. We are a financial advisory firm and also a partner practice of St. James’s Place. They are among the biggest wealth management firms in the UK based on assets under management. We get a lot of support from St. James’s Place in terms of technology compliance and investment solutions. At my practice, we focus on a diverse range of clients including ethnic minorities, especially British Asians in the UK. I’m also the president of the Vietnam Investment and Finance Association in the United Kingdom (VIFA). We aim to provide useful financial information for Vietnamese people in the UK and become a bridge between Vietnam and the UK.”

You were part of a panel at this Summit focused on Generational Wealth Transfer. Can you give us an overview of your thoughts?

‘’Having worked in the financial services industry for over 15 years, I’ve observed a persistent gap in how the industry serves diverse client segments – particularly ethnic minority communities in the UK. This gap is especially pronounced when it comes to financial education and long-term planning, including wealth transfer across generations. When I speak to members of my own Vietnamese community, I often find that there’s a limited understanding of how to navigate financial systems effectively – from managing investments and pensions to planning for intergenerational wealth. It’s not due to a lack of interest or ambition, but rather a lack of access to culturally relevant and accessible financial advice.

“This is where I believe I can make a meaningful difference. I not only bring professional expertise and technical knowledge to the table, but also a deep understanding of the cultural values, family dynamics, and communication styles that shape financial decision-making in the community. That cultural insight is key to building trust, something that is essential when discussing personal finances and planning for the future. My goal is to help bridge that gap – to empower families with the knowledge and tools they need to make informed financial decisions, preserve their wealth, and pass it on confidently to the next generation.’’

Why is this an exciting time for the business?

“At the moment the world is so integrated, and many people can benefit. A lot of people want to go to the UK, invest into the UK. I think with that in mind this is an exciting time to run my business and to be able to bridge that gap, providing sufficient knowledge for people as a trusted source when they come to the UK and need to understand the financial regulations. We can give people solid support to understand the financial processes of settling and building wealth in the UK.”

“Right now, everyone is talking about AI, and for good reason. In my business, we rely heavily on digital tools to streamline administrative tasks. It’s truly a game-changer. Compared to starting a business 15 years ago, when I would have needed a full-time assistant just to take meeting notes and summarise action points, many of those processes can now be automated, saving both time and cost. Another advantage is in how we communicate. Many of my clients are British Vietnamese. While they understand and speak English, they often feel more comfortable communicating in Vietnamese. We use AI-powered translation tools to make this process faster and more seamless. These technologies are allowing us to broaden the range of services we offer and tailor our support to each client’s needs.”

What pain points are your clients experiencing that you need to address?  How are you meeting the challenge?

“It’s about meeting the client’s highest priority. When people come to me, they maybe want to support their children to get onto the property ladder or plan for their retirement. They might be looking to buy a new car or move home. So, as a regulated financial advisor, I can sit with a client and talk them through key priorities and tailor the solutions best for them and help them overcome the pain points of decision-making.

“Additionally, the UK’s financial regulations are complex and changing all the time. It’s very difficult for people to follow. It’s my job as a financial advisor to follow up those changes and stay up to date with the regulations to assess how it can impact our clients and then give them the best recommendations. Allied to this, many of our clients will need support with cross-border services as they move freely between different countries they need somebody they can trust, an expert that knows what they’re doing and who can provide the right financial services for them.”

Tell us about a recent success story…

“Success for Eastern Horizon is to know that our clients feel they have somebody to rely on. For example, I have an old friend who came to me as a client. She was based in Vietnam but wanted to relocate to the UK. She had assets across Europe and in Vietnam and needed to understand the big picture of financial planning in the UK. We examined her assets across different countries to bring them into the UK and find the best solution for her to utilise tax efficient savings, pensions and investments to support her family and her business in the long term.”

What’s next for Eastern Horizon when it comes to wealth management? What future launches and initiatives are you particularly excited about?

“Over the next few months, we are keen to collaborate with different associations and communities across the UK – whether that’s related to Vietnam or British Asian communities and offer useful information and workshops and webinars tailored to different audiences. Also, with my work for the Vietnam Investment and Finance Association I want to organise workshops for those keen to invest in the UK but don’t know where to start. They often don’t have anyone to support them so I would like to focus on building a network to offer that bridge to investment in the UK.”

Why do you think the evolution of collaboration between traditional institutions and FinTechs is set to continue? What are you excited about?

“I spent five years working at the intersection of FinTech and WealthTech – where wealth management meets technology. During that time, I witnessed firsthand how the financial services landscape is evolving. Large incumbent banks bring undeniable strengths: scale, regulatory rigour, and long-standing client trust. However, they often struggle with agility. Their legacy infrastructures, many of which still aren’t cloud-based, make digital transformation slow and complex. On the other hand, FinTechs are born digital. They’re nimble, innovative, and quick to adapt to changing customer needs. But without the reputation and stability that traditional institutions have built over decades, they can face challenges in gaining consumer trust or navigating regulatory environments alone. What became clear to me is that banks and FinTechs cannot operate in silos.

“Collaboration is not just beneficial, it’s essential. When they work together, they combine the best of both worlds: the reliability and compliance of traditional finance with the innovation and customer-centric design of new technology. With my own practice, we apply this mindset. We actively look for ways to streamline administrative processes using digital tools – reducing costs, improving efficiency, and freeing up more time to focus on what matters most: building strong, human relationships with our clients. The goal is to use technology not to replace that human connection, but to enhance it. By doing so, we can deliver modern, efficient, and deeply personalised financial services that clients trust.”

Why Financial Transformation Summit? What is it about this particular event that makes it the perfect place to embrace innovation? What’s the response been like for Eastern Horizon?

“I’ve attended several events this year, and this has truly been one of the most enjoyable and well-organised in the UK. What stood out was the impressive mix of voices – from established financial institutions to bold, forward-thinking startups. Engaging with such a diverse group of speakers has been both insightful and thought-provoking. I’ve come away with fresh perspectives, challenged some of my own assumptions, and found new ideas to explore as we continue building meaningful partnerships for Eastern Horizon Wealth Management.”

Find out more at easternhorizonwealth.co.uk

About Christine Le and Eastern Horizon Wealth Management

As an Appointed Representative of St. James’s Place, Practice Lead, and business owner, Christine leverages over 15 years of experience in financial services and wealth tech to serve our clients, acquired through extensive work in multinational financial services firms in the UK. This rich background has equipped Christine with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively oversee the business, ensuring that every facet is managed with the highest level of professionalism.

Christine founded and built this Practice to help clients prosper, build financial security, and attain peace of mind while overcoming financial obstacles. 

Her primary focus is on nurturing enduring relationships with her clients, offering them trusted guidance as their financial requirements evolve over time. Throughout her advisory process, clarity remains paramount. By closely collaborating with her clients, Christine strives to identify the most efficient and tax-effective strategies to help them achieve their objectives. Specialising in tailored solutions, Christine is dedicated to understanding her clients’ financial goals and crafting strategies that align with their vision for the future.

  • Artificial Intelligence in FinTech
  • Events
  • Together in Events