FinTech’s Diversity Imperative and How Companies Are Responding

Financial technology sits at the intersection of two industries that have historically struggled with gender diversity: finance and technology. Yet FinTech also represents an opportunity to build something different—companies that from their founding commit to inclusive hiring and diverse teams. WomenHack has partnered with FinTech leaders across the globe who are seizing this opportunity.

The FinTech Diversity Challenge

The numbers tell a stark story. Women hold only about 30% of positions in FinTech globally, a figure that drops at senior levels. In engineering and technical roles specifically, the percentage falls further. This underrepresentation isn’t just a fairness issue—it’s a business problem.

FinTech products serve everyone. Payments, lending, investing, and insurance touch people across all demographics. Products built by homogeneous teams risk missing the needs of underserved populations—often the same populations that stand to benefit most from financial innovation.

Companies Leading the Way

Checkout.com (London): The payments processor sponsored WomenHack London at BBC Broadcasting House, signaling that major FinTech players take diversity seriously. Processing 150+ currencies for clients like Samsung and Adidas, Checkout.com recognized that building global products requires global perspectives.

Advanon (Zurich): This Swiss FinTech hosted WomenHack on International Women’s Day, making a symbolic statement about their values. The “speed dating the future employer” format connected 15-20 candidates with potential employers in focused conversations.

Ledgy (Zurich): The equity management platform drew over 100 female technologists to their WomenHack event. For a company helping startups manage cap tables, building a diverse team models the practices they encourage in their customers.

Why FinTech Companies Partner with WomenHack

FinTech companies face intense competition for tech talent. They compete not just with other FinTech firms but with big tech companies, traditional banks investing in technology, and startups across all sectors. Differentiation matters.

WomenHack offers several advantages:

• Access to overlooked talent: Qualified women who might not respond to conventional recruiting engage with WomenHack
• Employer branding: Participation demonstrates commitment to diversity in a visible way
• Efficiency: Meeting many candidates in focused conversations saves time versus scattered recruiting
• Community connection: Ongoing relationship with WomenHack community extends beyond single events

The FinTech Advantage

FinTech companies have some advantages in diversity recruiting that traditional finance lacks:

• Startup culture: Flat hierarchies and informal environments can feel more welcoming
• Mission orientation: Many FinTech companies frame their work as democratizing finance, which resonates with purpose-driven candidates
• Technical centrality: Engineers and technologists are core to the business, not support functions
• Fresh start: Younger companies aren’t burdened by decades of homogeneous hiring patterns

Building for the Future

Financial technology will reshape how the world handles money. The companies building this future have a choice: replicate the demographics of traditional finance, or intentionally build something different.

The FinTech companies partnering with WomenHack are choosing differently. They’re investing in diverse recruiting not as a side project but as a core strategic priority. The result will be products and services that work better for everyone.

We’re proud to partner with FinTech leaders who understand that diverse teams build better financial products.