10th Annual FinTech & Banking Awards 2025 – Now open for submissions!
Australia’s first and oldest FinTech & Banking Awards, the 10th Annual FinTech & Banking Awards 2025, are now open for submissions.
There are many new categories to reflect the changing nature of technology and the finance sector.
Award Categories
1. BEST DIGITAL SAVINGS or TRANSACTION ACCOUNT
This category is for a Bank or FinTech offering a service over and above the competition; Judges are looking for product and tech innovation within the Savings and/or Transaction Account category.
2. BEST DIGITAL HOME LOAN INNOVATION
This award recognises a home loan that offers a new or significantly improved service that implements technology to bring benefits to either lenders and/or borrowers, or lending marketplaces. Examples could include an innovative use of credit modelling, data elements and/or an improved user experience, or innovation in the distribution channel (eg brokers).
3. BEST DIGITAL BANKING FOR BUSINESS
This award recognises a new or significantly improved service that implements technology to bring benefits to business banking customers. This covers all areas of business banking; accounts, treasury, lending, FX, credit/debit cards, spend management services, products such as bank guarantees, cyber/fraud protection, e-commerce/merchant services, as well as asset / portfolio management.
4. BEST USE OF TECH IN COMBATTING FRAUD
This award category recognises the role that technology plays in combatting fraud in banking and finance. Submissions should clearly state the area of focus, the success achieved as well as a ‘plain-English’ description of the technology solution.
5. BEST USE OF Ai in FINTECH & BANKING
The Judges are looking for the best use of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) in a fintech and banking; Ai can offer machine-learning human-like services at scale, and can include accurate and faster decision making, intelligent customer support, fraud detections, financial advice, and claims management, and more.
6. BEST YOUTH FINANCE APP or SERVICE (PFM, saving, investment, payments)
The fintech or bank provider offering the best mix of services (savings accounts, investment accounts, information), discounts, education, premium services/pricing and other attractions for the youth market. This award category can also include submissions for services designed for children (generally 10-18) as well as young people (generally 18-30).
7. BEST INNOVATION IN PAYMENTS
This award category recognises innovation in payments, including online payments (merchants and consumers), mobile payments, in-store terminals, embedded payment services, best use of Ai for fraud, international payments, and use of Open Banking & CDR services.
8. BEST INVESTMENT PLATFORM/APP
The award recognises Australian’s thirst for trading shares, ETFs, FX, bonds, digital currencies and more. The Judges are looking for innovation with tools, user experience, fees, customer service (eg live chat), app sign up time, biometric sign in, stock alerts and growth metrics. User ratings on the Apple and Google Play Stores are also considered.
9. BEST CORE BANKING SYSTEM
This Award category recognises the platform of choice for banks to manage all aspects of product creation and distribution, rapid deployment, regulatory compliance, stability, ‘Five 9s’ availability, letting the bank focus on operational excellence and state-of-the-art customer experience. This could be a core banking system for a new / neo-bank, or a digital banking transformation.
10. BEST FINTECH-BANK PARTNERSHIP
The Judges are looking for partnerships, specific projects, or products, that showcase how a bank (listed banks, ADIs, Customer Owned Banks) and a fintech firm are working together. Banks can include non-Banks involved in financial services and regulated by ASIC (or APRA). One party in the submission must be an ADI.
11. YOUNG LEADER OF THE YEAR (Under 35)
The Judges are looking for an outstanding individual under 35 years of age who has consistently contributed to the advancement of the fintech and banking sectors.
12. FEMALE LEADER OF THE YEAR
The Judges are looking for an outstanding female individual who has consistently contributed to the advancement of the fintech and baking sectors.
13. LEADER OF THE YEAR
The Award Judges are looking for an outstanding individual who has consistently contributed to the advancement of the fintech and banking sectors.
14. BEST GROWTH STORY
This Award celebrates a fintech or neo-Bank that’s going gangbusters! This category is open to any Australian fintech/ADI that can demonstrate they are achieving great things in Australia and/or around the world (metrics could include new market growth, client growth, revenue, downloads etc).
15. ASHURST STARTUP OF THE YEAR
The Judges are seeking a FinTech &/or neo-Bank start-up that has made a huge impression in the financial services sector with new and innovative services, creating competition and transforming the way we experience financial services.
Submissions now open via the website: www.fintechawards.net
KEY DATES:
Submissions Open: NOW OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS
Submissions Close: Thursday 10th July 2025
Finalists Notified: Thursday 24th July 2025
Awards Night: Thursday 31st July 2025
There is no charge to enter. Max 6 entries per company. Finalists in each category are invited to the event with free ticket.
Submitting for the first time? A ‘tip sheet’ on what makes a winning submission is available on the website (see point 10 in the T&Cs section).
The 10th Annual FinTech & Banking Awards 2025 will be held in Sydney on Thursday 31st July 2025 in the Ashurst Offices at 39 Martin Place, Sydney.
Award category sponsorships available.
Contact: Glen Frost, Organiser/Founder, FinTech & Banking Awards: [email protected]
