1871 Fintech Innovation Summit: The Next Financial System

FinTech Innovation Summit 2026

Join 1871 for a one-day FinTech Innovation Summit that brings together executives, founders, investors, financial institutions, and innovators to explore the technologies, business models, and ideas reshaping the future of financial services.

Hosted at UBS Tower in Chicago, this immersive event will feature thought-provoking industry conversations, interactive “Short Series” discussions, the 1871 x BMO WMNfintech Pitch Competition, and meaningful networking opportunities designed to spark collaboration across the FinTech ecosystem.

At the WMNfintech Pitch Competition, by 1871 and BMO, Chicago-based fintech finalists will pitch live to investors, lenders, and corporate leaders, then take questions from our judges. They’re competing for $25,000 in cash awards, granted by the Coleman Foundation, across the top three, and every finalist receives a six-month 1871 scholarship and 1:1 access to 1871's fintech advisors. The winner also gets a fast track into the final round of the 2027 WMNfintech accelerator and a pitch to BMO’s executive team.

The day closes with a keynote fireside conversation exploring innovation, entrepreneurship, and what it takes to repeatedly challenge the way people interact with financial markets. Through the lens of a founder who has spent decades building at the edge of financial innovation, the conversation will bring the day’s central question into focus: What will the next financial system look like — and who will build it?

Whether you’re building the next generation of FinTech, leading innovation inside a financial institution, investing in emerging technologies, or simply looking to stay ahead of the industry’s rapid evolution, this summit offers actionable insights and valuable connections with the people driving what’s next across the ecosystem.

What to Expect

State of the Industry conversation

Fast-paced “Short Series” conversations exploring AI and control, the future money stack, and the evolution of trust

1871 x BMO WMNfintech Pitch Competition, with Chicago-based fintech finalists pitching live for $25,000 in cash awards

Closing keynote fireside on decades of building at the edge of financial innovation

Networking with FinTech founders, financial services executives, investors, technologists, and innovators

Startup Alley featuring companies from 1871’s FinTech startup ecosystem, plus a happy hour to keep the conversations going

The future of finance will be more intelligent, more connected, and built on entirely new ways of moving money, creating value, and establishing trust.

Join us at the 1871 FinTech Innovation Summit and be part of the conversation shaping what’s next.