NYC Fintech Week 2025: Key Takeaways from Vested

NYC Fintech Week 2025 was a packed and energizing few days, bringing together leaders across the global fintech space. Vested was thrilled to be part of the momentum, attending standout panels, connecting with peers across the industry, and hosting our own event in partnership with Investment NSW.

Across the week, one major theme stood out: the strength and evolution of the fintech ecosystem, driven by authentic leadership, strategic partnerships, and a deepening commitment to innovation and intentional growth. We’ve outlined takeaways from the week, organized by the events we attended.

How Fintechs Can Use Events to Build Powerful Brands and Engaged Communities

For fintech marketers and brand leaders, The Fintech Marketing Hub hosted their spring meetup at Adyen’s office with a session focused on how strategic event planning drives real impact when aligned with broader business objectives. Some key lessons we came away with:

• Sales and marketing alignment is non-negotiable for event success. Everyone involved should understand the goals, target audience, and intended outcomes.
  
• Smaller, curated events often outperform large sponsorships in terms of authentic engagement and brand storytelling.
  
• Internal clarity matters. Before committing to a conference or activation, teams should understand how the event fits into their overall marketing and business strategy.
  
• Swag rethink: If it’s not thoughtful, skip it. Options like virtual gifting or handwritten notes can often leave a stronger impression than branded tchotchkes.
  
• Prove ROI: Events should be tied to specific outcomes, with a clear plan for follow-up, especially for key accounts or pipeline movement.
• Reframe the question of presence. When leadership asks, “Why aren’t we at X?”, shift the conversation to “Where is our audience actually showing up, and how are we showing up for them?”

This perspective was reinforced by companies like Middesk, Adyen, and Codat, who shared how they’re weighing big conference investments versus hosting their own events. It’s a helpful reminder: event strategy isn’t just logistics. It’s brand strategy.

Accelerating Bank-Fintech Partnerships: Improving Discovery and Discoverability

One of the most insightful panels of NYC Fintech Week 2025 focused on what makes a strong bank-fintech partnership, and what causes them to walk away. Hosted by American Banker and NayaOne, this event brought together top executives from banks, fintechs, and investment firms to explore the evolving dynamics of fintech discovery and partnerships.

The discussion highlighted the challenges banks face in identifying suitable fintech partners and the hurdles fintechs encounter in improving their visibility in a crowded market. Banks are seeking fintech partners who can provide clear points of contact, address pressing problems with well-defined solutions, and demonstrate credibility through strong data governance and existing client relationships. Red flags for banks include poor data practices, lack of significant clients, and ambiguous value propositions.

For fintechs aiming to partner with banks, the panel emphasized the importance of having a clear proof of concept, presenting tailored case studies that showcase return on investment, and maintaining transparency throughout the partnership process. Fintechs should be prepared to work with complex data environments, offer secure proof-of-concept demonstrations, and provide synthetic data that accurately represents potential outcomes.

This session underscored the need for fintechs to sharpen their value propositions and strengthen their brands to stand out in a competitive market. By focusing on clarity, credibility, and compliance, fintechs can improve their discoverability and build successful partnerships with banks.

Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit

The Fintech Is Femme Summit was one of the most energizing events of the week, bringing together more than 400 founders, operators, investors, and industry leaders to connect, share stories, and elevate the voices of women shaping the future of fintech.

What made this event so impactful was its intentional focus on authentic leadership and inclusive innovation. Across panels and fireside chats, a few key themes emerged:

• The continued rise of women in fintech: The summit celebrated the increasing influence of women founders, investors, and executives who are driving innovation and breaking new ground across the industry.
• Authenticity as leadership: Many speakers shared personal stories of failure, growth, and self-discovery, reinforcing that vulnerability, empathy, and transparency are not weaknesses, but strengths teams look for in their leaders.
• The power of storytelling and connection: From boardrooms to pitch decks, storytelling was positioned as a strategic asset. Authentic, mission-driven narratives help humanize fintech brands and foster community.
• Inclusivity is non-negotiable: Creating an inclusive environment isn’t a side effort – it’s foundational to building resilient, future-ready companies in a sector where trust and access are central.
• Your network is your superpower: Several sessions emphasized the importance of building and maintaining strong networks, both within your company and across the broader ecosystem.
• Wellness and sustainability matter: The day ended with a dedicated wellness hour, reminding everyone that leadership in fintech is as much about longevity and mental health as it is about disruption.

It was a refreshing, powerful reminder that fintech’s future must be built on not just innovation, but intentional culture and community.

Capital Connect: Vested x Investment NSW

To cap off the week, Vested partnered with Investment NSW, an incubator for Australian fintechs, to host Capital Connect, an invite-only networking event for 75 leaders across venture capital, private equity, and fintech.

The evening opened with a spotlight presentation on how AI is redefining brand reputation, a timely topic as firms grapple with the risks and opportunities AI brings to communications, marketing, and trust-building.

More importantly, the event proved the power of smaller, curated gatherings. The conversations were intentional, the energy was high, and the connections felt authentic. This is exactly the kind of value we advocate for in our event strategy work: create the space for the right people to come together, and real business outcomes will follow.

The Future of Fintech

NYC Fintech Week 2025 reminded us that the most successful fintech brands aren’t just showing up – they’re showing up with purpose. Whether through large-scale sponsorships or high-touch private events, the companies that win are those who treat events as a strategic investment in brand, community, and growth.