Finance and Investment Wales

Female founders, ethnic minority-led businesses and founders who may have encountered challenging circumstances continue to face significant barriers when it comes to accessing finance.Host Gemma Casey is joined by Jill Jones of Women Angels of Wales, Akmal Hanuk of Assadaqaat Community Finance and Emma Musgrave of Purple Shoots to discuss the organisations working to support these businesses, and why inclusive finance is not just a social priority but also an economic opportunity.

Succession planning is a crucial step for business continuity, ensuring that companies remain stable, sustainable and competitive when leadership transitions occur. In this episode Carwyn Jones is joined by Frank Holmes of Gambit Corporate Finance , Bethan Cousins of Development Bank of Wales and Robert Lloyd Griffiths of ICAEW to discuss successful succession planning and options including employee ownership, management buyouts and M&A. 

Host Carwyn Jones is joined by Sarah Kocianski of FinTech Wales, Haydn Thomas of Cornerstone Finance Group and Richard Theo of Zero to discuss business confidence in the current economic climate; the importance of raising Wales’ profile to investors based elsewhere; and the approach of the financial services sector to cryptocurrency. 

Host Carwyn Jones is joined by Prof Arman Eshraghi of Cardiff Business School; Sara Boltman, Founder and CEO of Butterfly Data; and Phil Sampson, Head of Deals Wales with PwC, to discuss the key market conditions likely to drive investment and potential significant developments within the financial services industry in 2025. 

Wales has built itself a strong reputation as a base for emerging and growing fintechs. How does it capitalise on this and ensure it continues to provide everything the sector needs to thrive? Host Carwyn Jones is joined by Sarah Kocianski, CEO of Fintech Wales; Leanne Waring, Business Development Manager at Cardiff and Vale College; and Dan Mines, co-founder at Menna.

Host Carwyn Jones discusses the challenges of raising growth finance for scaling businesses in Wales with Haydn Thomas, CEO of Cornerstone Finance Group; Leanna Davies, Portfolio Development Manager at Development Bank of Wales; Sam Farrell, Director of Gambit Corporate Finance; and Jessica Phillips-Harris, Senior Manager at British Business Bank. They explore the availability of funding options including high street banks, alternative lenders, government-backed funds and equity investments, as well as offering insights on when and why growing businesses should access finance and how best to prepare.   

In our inaugural episode of Finance and Investment Wales, join Business News Wales editor Gemma Casey as she delves into the current and future potential of the financial services sector in Wales. Topics include the strengths of South Wales as a finance hub, the significance of the fintech sector, local ecosystems, and strategies for recruiting and retaining skilled graduates. This episode features insights from Haydn Thomas (CEO of Cornerstone Finance Group), Oliver Phillips (Director at Gambit Corporate Finance), and Rhian Elston (Investment Director at Development Bank of Wales).

Just a taste of our upcoming inaugural State of the Sector episode. Join us monthly for more insightful deep-dives into the Finance and Investment sector in Wales.