National accountancy group Smith & Williamson, which has a Bristol office, is to partner with fintech group Innovate Finance to provide its members with professional and financial services insights to help them grow and develop their businesses.
Under the year-long tie-up, the two will collaborate on a series of events and thought-leadership insights for members, including findings from a survey on key fintech themes in areas such as collaboration between start-ups and institutions. 
Innovate Finance is an independent industry body that represents and advances the global fintech community in the UK.
Its mission is to accelerate the UK’s leading role in the financial services sector by directly supporting the next generation of technology-led innovators.
The partnership will build on Smith & Williamson’s existing work with a wide range of fast-growth fintech businesses and their founders through to maturity, exit and beyond.
The firm’s offering combines investment management and professional services, which means it is well placed to develop deep relationships with businesses and their founders. 
Smith & Williamson head of fintech Tom Shave said: “We passionately support fintech’s drive for stellar growth, to disrupt established players and ultimately to change the face of finance.
“The partnership we have agreed with Innovate Finance will enable us to work with even more fintech firms and their founders.
“Innovate Finance has an unrivalled position in the fintech community and we look forward to working closely with the team and its members over the year ahead.”
Innovate Finance ecosystem director Parveen Dhanda added: “We are delighted to welcome Smith & Williamson into our membership community, and look forward to working with them to support our Fintech members on their scaling and partnership journeys.”
Bristol and the wider West of England region has the highest density of fintech start-ups and scale-ups outside of London.
Last December Brazilian cloud banking and payments platform Pismo chose Bristol as the location for its European headquarters after considering numerous cities across Europe and the UK.
Smith & Williamson is part of leading wealth management and professional services group Tilney Smith & Williamson.
