In Oceania, Australia and New Zealand represent the largest fintech markets in the region, boasting the greatest number of fintech ventures, attracting the most funding, and hosting the region’s biggest and most successful companies in the space.
Australia is by far Oceania’s biggest fintech market, with more than 800 ventures in 2025. Notable companies include Afterpay, a buy now, pay later (BNPL) firm acquired by Block in 2021 for US$29 billion, and Zip Co, a publicly-traded BNPL company valued at AUD 2 billion (US$1.4 billion). According to research by Cut Through Venture and Folklore Ventures, fintech was the third biggest tech sector by funding in 2025, securing AUD 868 million (US$597 million) out of the AUD 5.4 billion raised by Australian startups that year.
New Zealand boasts a smaller fintech landscape, with about 120 active companies. Notable companies include Xero, a leading accounting software, and Harmoney, a peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform that has expanded to the UK and the US. In New Zealand, fintech has been the most funded industry, securing NZD 967 million (US$553 million) in cumulative venture capital (VC) investment since 2024, according to data by Dealroom.co and New Zealand Growth Capital Partners (NZGCP).
As fintech in Australia and New Zealand continues to expand and evolve, several events are being hosted in these countries to showcase the landscape and allow industry stakeholders to meet, explore opportunities and address emerging challenges.
The following 13 events stand out as the most significant fintech gatherings in H2 2026. These events are set to convene leading decision-makers, regulators, and innovators to shape the future of the fintech industry.
Top Fintech Events in Australia and New Zealand in H2 2026
LendCon 2026
May 20, 2026
Stone & Chalk, Tech Central, Sydney Australia
LendCon is Australia’s premier lending conference and innovation event, bringing together lending executives, fintech leaders, regulators, brokers, and technology providers for a day of expert panels, insights, and networking. Hosted by NMC Consulting Services and sponsored by Cloudcase, LendCon is designed to equip attendees with practical insights and strategies they can implement immediately upon returning to their organizations.
The 2026 edition will be held on May 20, 2026 at Stone & Chalk, Tech Central in Sydney, and will cover key lending industry topics including digital lending transformation, risk and regulatory compliance, the current market environment, housing affordability, mutual banking innovation, and fintech-driven automation. Each session will feature expert panelists from leading Australian financial institutions.
Attendees can expect to connect with senior lending executives and decision-makers, engage with expert-led sessions on the future of lending, build relationships with peers across the lending ecosystem, and walk away with actionable strategies for immediate implementation.
Evolution of Advice Summit 2026
May 29
Shangri-La Sydney, Sydney, Australia
The Evolution of Advice Summit 2026 will take place on May 29, 2026 at the Shangri-La Sydney in Sydney, Australia. The event aims to bring together leading advisers, practice leaders, and industry experts to unpack real-world challenges and opportunities, equipping attendees with insights to evolve their practices with confidence while navigating issues ranging from cybersecurity and data integrity to the growing influence of artificial intelligence.
This event will focus on shaping the next era of financial advice by addressing rapid technological advances, rising regulatory scrutiny, and ongoing structural changes that are reshaping how advice is delivered and scaled. The day-long agenda will feature expert panels and keynotes, covering topics such as balancing personal advice with scalable service, regulatory navigation, revitalizing life insurance through partnerships, building compliant social media profiles, self-licensing considerations, mergers and acquisitions trends, AI integration in financial advice, retirement expertise evolution, and strategies for granular growth.
Speakers will include:
- Andrew Inwood, Founder, CoreData
- Simon O’Keefe, Founder and CEO, Alcova
- Sarah Abood, CEO, Financial Advice Association of Australia
- Nathan Fradley, Specialist Adviser, Nathan Fradley Specialist Financial Advice
- Natallia Smith, Director and Principal Adviser, TruWealth Advice
- Ben Nash, Founder & Adviser, Pivot Wealth
- Dr Katherine Hunt, Coach, MoneyMind
- Eugene Ardino, Executive Chef Officer, Lifespan
Digital Banking Summit NSW 2026
June 25, 2026
International Convention & Exhibition Centre (ICC Sydney), Sydney, Australia
The Digital Banking Summit NSW 2026 will take place on June 25, 2026, at the International Convention & Exhibition Centre in Sydney. The event will bring together senior banking leaders to explore the future of the industry across two dedicated streams focused on Customer Experience and Banking Technology, focusing on digital innovation, customer engagement, and next-generation banking.
The Digital Banking Summit NSW 2026 is expected to be attended by over 300 delegates who will come to network with peers and gain actionable insights to elevate their digital banking journeys. The program will feature more than 20 speakers delivering over 13 sessions designed to address critical challenges and opportunities in the sector.
Key topics will include leading the next chapter of banking through productivity and meaningful innovation while preserving the human touch, building inclusive and connected digital experiences at scale, scaling artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to drive real impact, and ensuring banking technology remains resilient, trusted, and ready for future demands.
FSC26 Conference: Amplify
August 12-13, 2026
New Zealand International Convention Centre, Auckland
The FSC26 Conference: Amplify will take place on August 12 and 13, 2026, at the New Zealand International Convention Centre in Auckland. This edition will mark the tenth FSC Conference and celebrate a decade of success in bringing together the financial services sector, government officials, politicians, and regulators to shape the future of financial services in Aotearoa.
The event aims to provide a platform for industry stakeholders to engage in panels, roundtables, and collaborative sessions designed to shape policy and regulation, connect directly with peers and decision-makers, and gain expertise. Key objectives include driving action to address sector issues, strengthening financial literacy, inclusion, and trust, and amplifying the impact of organizations on New Zealanders’ lives.
The conference will also feature the FSC Awards 2026, recognizing excellence in the industry.
CryptoWinter26
August 25-27, 2026
QT Queenstown, Queenstown, New Zealand
CryptoWinter26 will take place from August 25 to 27, 2027, at QT Queenstown in Queenstown, New Zealand, bringing together Aotearoa’s full crypto and digital assets ecosystem, including regulators, builders, investors, and enterprises, to move from ideas to implementation and deliver real‑world outcomes. Created by BlockchainNZ and Tech New Zealand, the event aims to serve as New Zealand’s premier gathering for the crypto community, providing the industry with a platform to share insights, spark collaboration, and shape a safer, smarter digital asset economy.
Day one will include the main summit, starting with a regulatory keynote on building a safer, smarter crypto ecosystem, an international keynote surveying global signals across policy, markets, and institutional adoption, and a “Meet the Government” panel with key agencies including the FMA, RBNZ, MBIE, and DIA/AML representatives.
Throughout the say, masterclasses will cover compliance advantages, tokenized markets, security and custody, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), stablecoins and payments, and AI combined with crypto. The day will conclude with a keynote on Aotearoa’s role in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) crypto economy and networking drinks with the expo.
Day two will open with invite‑only policy and regulator roundtables focused on AML/CFT, the “Travel Rule”, and the licensing roadmap. Midday will shift to the builders track with sessions on security by design, audits, wallet standards, and zero‑knowledge privacy.
In the afternoon, the lens will widen to capital and growth with deep dives into tokenization and real-world assets (RWAs), institutional custody, and enterprise adoption. Evening activities will include a welcome reception and sponsor‑hosted gatherings, with venues in or near Queenstown’s CBD prioritized for easy access.
Intersekt 2026
September 02-03, 2026
The Crown Promenade Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
Intersekt is the largest gathering of Australian fintech startups, hubs, accelerators, policymakers, regulators, investors and advisors, devoted to examining, discussing and unlocking the potential of Australia’s fintech market.
The 2026 edition will take place on September 02 and 03, 2026, at the Crown Promenade Melbourne in Australia, marking the ninth edition of the event. It will bring together leading international and national speakers with roundtables, workshops, satellite events, and extensive networking opportunities.
Attendees will get to hear from industry leaders shaping the future of fintech, gain insights into emerging technology, market trends, and policy reform, and engage in practical, outcome-focused discussions through roundtables and thought-provoking panels. They will also get to network with industry stakeholders and build meaningful business connections through curated networking and satellite events, while being part of the national conversation driving the next phase of fintech growth.
The 2025 edition of Intersekt attracted more than 1,000 attendees, featured 168 speakers, and included over 60 sessions and 12 roundtables.
Aotearoa AI Summit 2026
September 08-09, 2026
Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wellington, New Zealand
The Aotearoa AI Summit 2026 will take place on September 08 and 09, 2026, at the Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, in New Zealand. The event aims to serve as a New Zealand’s essential AI gathering, uniting industry leaders, researchers, policymakers, and innovators to explore cutting-edge advancements and real-world applications of AI.
While detailed information for the 2026 is still being finalized, the event will build on the success of the 2025 summit, which featured keynotes, panels, and workshops spanning AI ethics, innovation, business, and emerging technologies, and showcased how AI is transforming sectors like healthcare, finance, agriculture, and government.
Notable highlights from 2025 included a government announcement of a national AI platform with up to NZD 70 million (US$40 million) funding to accelerate research-to-market, along with the Auckland Bioengineering Institute-Oden Institute collaboration on AI-powered virtual human models.
Melbourne Finance Transformation & Technology Summit 2026
September 17, 2026
Colins Square Events Centre, Melbourne, Australia
The Melbourne Finance Transformation & Technology Summit 2026 will take place on September 17, 2026, at the Colins Square Events Centre in Melbourne. Designed exclusively for CFOs and senior finance leaders, the summit will explore how emerging tools in automation, AI, and analytics are transforming finance functions, from compliance and risk to planning and performance, and provide practical insights on what worked in 2025 and how to future-proof finance organization.
Through interactive sessions, peer-to-peer (P2P) exchanges, and real-world case studies, attendees will discover how leading finance teams leverage digital tools to strengthen resilience, improve decision-making, and drive growth.
Key themes will include finance transformation in 2025, the integration of AI and automation in finance functions, data-driven decision-making for CFOs, modernizing risk and compliance with technology, streamlining reporting and forecasting, balancing efficiency with control, and building a future-ready finance organization.
The full speaker lineup is scheduled for release in June 2026. The agenda promises a mix of keynotes, panels, and interactive workshops.
NZ Tech Expo 2026
September 18, 2026
Shed10, Auckland, New Zealand
The NZ Tech Expo 2026 is scheduled for September 18, 2026, at Shed 10 in Auckland. Positioned as a landmark event for a nation of innovators, this event aims to unite the country’s brightest minds to celebrate local innovation, commerce, and community, serving as a movement to place New Zealand technology on the global map.
The NZ Tech Expo 2026 is expected to attract over 3,000 attendees, representing the largest and most concentrated gathering of tech talent, leaders, and decision-makers in Aotearoa. The event will feature more than 80 exhibitors spanning key sectors including fintech, software-as-a-service (SaaS), agritech, medtech, and edtech.
The NZ Tech Expo 2026 will also include a focused conference day for thought leadership, an exclusive networking evening, as well as satellite events. Activities will include product launches, live demonstrations, lightning talks, and showcases of the latest innovations.
Melbourne AI in FSI Summit 2026
October 07, 2026
Colins Square Events Centre, Melbourne, Australia
The Melbourne AI in FSI Summit 2026 will take place on October 07, 2026, at the Colins Square Events Centre in Melbourne. The summit will bring together leaders from banking, superannuation, and insurance to examine how AI is reshaping the financial services industry, with a specific focus on moving beyond pilot projects to deliver measurable business outcomes in risk management, compliance, and customer engagement.
The event will showcase best practices for embedding AI into core finance processes, strengthening fraud detection, and creating personalized experiences for customers and members. Participants will get to engage in interactive sessions, real-world case studies, panel discussions, and debates to stay ahead of the trends driving AI adoption across financial services.
Key themes will include:
- The future of AI in financial services
- AI for risk, compliance, and fraud detection
- Personalization and customer engagement with AI
- Automating core finance and operations workflows
- Responsible AI: governance, ethics, and regulation
- Leveraging data and analytics for AI at scale
- Moving from pilots to enterprise-wide adoption
Fintech and Banking Summit 2026
October 29, 2026
Sydney NSW, Australia
The Fintech and Banking Summit 2026 will take place on October 29, 2026, in Sydney, bringing together influential, disruptive, and innovative technology companies that are redefining financial services across the banking and fintech sectors. The event aims to connect leaders driving change in financial services, fostering dialogue on how technology is reshaping traditional banking models and creating new opportunities for growth and innovation.
The summit’s key theme for 2026 will revolve around the “four pillars of fintech and banking”, namely challenger banking, bank-fintech collaboration, AI in banking and finance, and funding the unicorns and disruptors.
While the full program and speaker lineup are yet to be announced, the event is expected to feature discussions and presentations centered on these critical pillars that are defining the landscape of the sector.
The Business Show Australia 2026
November 25-26, 2026
ICC Sydney, Sydney, Australia
The Business Show Australia 2026 will take place on November 25 and 26, 2026, returning to the ICC Sydney following its successful Sydney debut in 2025. Known globally for empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), startups, and entrepreneurs, the Business Show Australia 2026 will mark over 25 years as a dynamic platform for business growth.
The 2026 edition is expected to attract over 8,000 entrepreneurs and SME owners alongside more than 300 exhibitors, including major brands like Uber, Aussie Broadband, and Odoo. It will feature an agenda of 150 seminars and masterclasses covering critical topics such as financing, trademark setup, property, marketing, HR, recruitment, and employee wellbeing, keynote sessions tackling everything from the trends driving the industry to building brands online, speed networking sessions allowing for one-minute mini-meetings to pitch products, and panel discussions where experts will debate current and future challenges.
39th Australasian Finance and Banking Conference (AFBC)
December 10-12, 2026
UNSW Business School, Sydney, Australia
The 39th Australasian Finance and Banking Conference (AFBC) will take place from December 10 to 12, 2026, at the UNSW Business School in Sydney. Organized by the Institute of Global Finance at UNSW Business School, this event is recognized as one of the most significant and prestigious finance conferences in the Asia-Pacific region, convening the world’s foremost thought leaders from international institutions, governments, and the business community. It’s designed to offer a platform for industry stakeholders to meet and share their policy research and interests in finance-related fields.
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Australia, based on images by anankkml and Frolopiaton Palm via Freepik
