2026 FinTech Predictions: Insights from Sacha Herrmann of Soldo

We spoke with Sacha Herrmann, CFO at Soldo, about the shifts reshaping financial services as we move into 2026.

Over to you Sacha - my questions are in bold.

What's the biggest shift you expect across financial services in 2026?

In 2026, we'll see finance leaders becoming far more confident in how they use AI, moving beyond cautious trials to more intentional adoption that delivers real, day-to-day impact. CFOs have traditionally been careful when it comes to new technology, which makes sense given the level of risk they manage. But many are not realising that legacy systems simply can't keep up with the pace of modern finance and that AI has a real role to play in helping teams work more efficiently and productively. Just as importantly, it's creating new opportunities to upskill finance professionals and focus their time on higher-value work.

Fraud detection is a good example of this shift in action. AI allows finance teams to spot issues faster and act with greater confidence, without slowing the business down. That's increasingly important when 74% of UK finance leaders say they're concerned about employees using AI to create fraudulent financial documents and receipts. Addressing AI-driven expense fraud requires a modern, transparent approach, where every digital payment is automatically linked to expense reports are traceable and visible. Used the right way, AI helps finance teams stay in control while giving employees the clarity and reassurance they need, ensuring productivity and growth aren't held back by fear or excessive caution.

Which emerging technology will have the most practical impact on banks and the FinTechs that support them?

AI tools will continue to practically demonstrate impact in reshaping financial operations, and in many cases, deliver impressive ROI. Automation will absorb time-consuming manual tasks, significantly reducing the administrative burden on banks and finance teams. At the same time, AI-driven data insights and spend visibility will give CFOs a real-time overview of company spend, to ensure both financial drains and growth opportunities can be identified and acted on.

As a result, finance teams will be able to focus on the final and most critical piece of the puzzle: action. With greater capacity and intelligence at their disposal, teams will be positioned to address existing spend inefficiencies faster than ever before and ensure that periods of rapid spend growth close gaps rather than introduce new ones.

What customer behaviours or expectations will most challenge banks and financial service providers?

I would say the expectation that customers expect ongoing support and education around banking and financial tools – the concept of onboarding being a 'one and done' is a myth in today's context, and strategies must be adapted to reflect this. To foster long-term customer relationships, banks and financial services must place customer experience high on the priority list.

Those who invest in readily available learning programmes for their product, a high-quality customer response service, and evidentially action feedback, will be those that maintain and build their customer base steadily in 2026 and beyond.

What risks or blind spots do you think the industry is underestimating as we move into 2026?

Many finance leaders underestimate how complex financial systems and policies can hinder business growth. Remaining competitive depends in part on building and maintaining strong relationships with both existing and prospective clients, which often involves lunches and other social engagements. However, this is frequently undermined by expense systems and policies that make it difficult for employees to spend responsibly, leaving them feeling unempowered to do what is needed.

A number of businesses are still operating on unclear policies, and complex systems which are tricky to navigate. Recent data shows that although 69% of UK finance leaders believe their expense policies are clear, this sentiment isn't shared by employees and is a deterrent for many to spend on behalf of the business. 41% of UK employees never submit their expenses, and 38% avoid spending on behalf of the company, even if it could lead to business growth. The result? Missed growth opportunities and an inaccurate overview of company spending.

Heading into 2026, CFOs and finance leader mustn't underestimate the impact of fragmented systems, and unclear policies on spend visibility and business growth. Centralised spend management tools, will be key for providing finance teams with real-time insights, and democratise company spending so growth opportunities aren't missed.

If you were advising a bank's leadership team today, what strategic priority should they focus on to stay competitive in 2026 and beyond?

Without question, the priority should be making sure finance teams are working on a modern, fit for purpose tech stack. Responsible, strategic AI adoption will be central to this, helping streamline financial admin, close gaps in company spending data, improve day-to-day efficiency and spot fraudulent activity more quickly.

Success will depend on choosing the right tools to support clear business objectives and ensuring those systems are powered by clean, high-quality data. Without that foundation, even the most advanced technology will fall short.

Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, AI won't be a 'nice to have' for finance teams, it will be a competitive necessity. Banks that delay modernising their technology risk falling behind, operating at a slower pace than more agile competitors.

Many thanks to Sacha Herrmann for sharing these insights. To learn more about Soldo, visit their website.