The Singapore Fintech Festival (SFF) is returning this year from November 12 to 14, to celebrate its 10th anniversary and a decade of growth and innovation in fintech. This year’s festival is expected to once again bring together thousands of global leaders in finance, technology, and policy to explore the future of finance, focusing particularly on the key themes of artificial intelligence (AI), tokenization, and quantum computing.

Beyond the main conference, SFF 2025 will offer a rich lineup of networking sessions, masterclasses, and matchmaking opportunities. These events will provide participants with valuable avenues to connect, collaborate, and build partnerships.

Investors and mentors sessions

SFF 2025 will feature specially curated lounges where investors and mentors will dedicate their time for one-on-one meetings. Participants will get to gain guidance and advice on startup ideas, funding, business growth, product-market fit, sales strategies, marketing strategies, careers advice and professional development.

From November 12 to 14, the festival’s Investor Lounge will host a series of expert-led masterclasses and matchmaking sessions. On November 12, the Charting Your Next Exit, an Investor & Founder Workshop, organized by the Singapore Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SVCA), will take place from 11:30am to 12:30pm, equipping venture capitalists (VCs) and growth investors with actionable insights on timing, structuring, and executing exits, from trade sales to initial public offerings (IPOs). Participants will hear from seasoned investors representing Quona Capital, Teja Ventures, Eurazeo, and CXA Group, who have navigated successful deals and gain practical perspectives on maximizing value.

At 1:00 pm, the Turning Bad to Good: Navigating Down Rounds, an Investor Masterclass will address how investors and founders can handle challenging funding scenarios through effective dilution management and restructuring. This session will equip participants with actionable insights managing down rounds, common challenges and solutions, and secondary sales.

On November 13, AWS and Endowus will host the Building and Scaling Modern Data Architectures for Fintechs in the AI Era session from 11:30am to 12:30pm. This session will share practical frameworks for designing and operating AI-enabled data platforms that support rapid innovation, resilience, and compliance in today’s competitive financial markets.

The presentation will reveal considerations for AI-ready data architecture and using AWS to build a unified data and AI platform, enabling fast deployment of intelligent financial solutions and empowering their teams to deliver global products while maintaining local regulatory compliance. Attendees will gain actionable insights on leveraging AWS services to drive data quality, accelerate development, and support cost-efficient scaling, essential for fintech navigating both local and international expansion.

They will also explore key architectural, operational, and strategic decisions behind scaling a leading wealthtech firm worldwide with an AI-ready data foundation.

From 1:00 to 2:00 pm, the Mastering the Fundraise: From Term Sheets to Closing, a Startup Masterclass, hosted by Carta, will walk founders and investors through the entire fundraising journey, from valuation to due diligence.

On November 14, the Mastering Start-Up Foundations: Legal and Economic Essentials for Founders Masterclass will empower founders with the essential knowledge to navigate the critical early stages of funding and building a startup. Participants will gain important insights into how to secure working capital but still maintain the flexibility they need to operate and scale their business.

Through an interactive walkthrough of core concepts such as founder rights, protections, and term sheets, participants will develop a practical understanding of the legal considerations from incorporation through the first priced equity fundraise, the importance of adopting a set of shareholder terms that will allow founders to fundraise effectively across multiple fundraising rounds, and how dilution works and how to align economic incentives between investors and builders.

Over these three days, the Investor Hours: Startup-Investor Matchmaking session will take place from 2:00pm to 5:00pm, allowing participants to connect directly with the startup community. Founders will get to showcase their startups to interested investors, gain valuable feedback and explore funding possibilities, while investors will get to engage with ambitious founders and discover potential investment opportunities.

Pay-It-Forward sessions

Running daily between November 12 and 14 at the Pay-It-Forward Lounge will be the Pay-It-Forward sessions. These events, scheduled from 1:00 to 5:00 pm, will connect aspiring fintech professionals with experienced mentors, aiming to nurture the next generation of fintech leaders through shared knowledge and collaboration.

Participants will get to gain insights from experienced mentors and gain practical advice on building a career in domains such as product management, risk and compliance, AI and data, Web3, environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards, and ecosystem partnerships. They will also get to book 20-minute mentorship sessions for personalized advice.

GFTN regional networking sessions

Another recurring series on November 12 and 13 will be the Global Fintech Network (GFTN) Regional Networking and Market Insights sessions, spotlighting global fintech ecosystems and opportunities for cross-border collaboration.

GFTN is an organization established by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) in 2024 to expand Singapore’s fintech ecosystem globally.

On these two days, GFTN will host a series of sessions at Hall 4’s GFTN Lounge, bringing together key players from the ecosystem from around the world including regulators, sponsors, exhibitors, and industry partners to explore opportunities and build meaningful connections.

On November 12, sessions will focus on Africa at 2:00 pm, the Middle East at 4:00 pm, and Asia at 5:00 pm. On Thursday, November 13, discussions will shift to India at 2:00 pm, China at 3:30 pm, and Europe at 5:00 pm. Each event will provide participants with first-hand insights into regional fintech developments and pathways for partnership or investment.

Country delegations and international engagements

This year again, several international delegations will participate in SFF. In particular, Switzerland will have a dedicated exhibition area, dubbed the Swiss Pavilion, to promote Swiss innovation. Organized by Switzerland Global Enterprise and the Swiss Business Hub South East Asia Pacific, this pavilion will showcase Swiss fintech companies and their global leadership.

Ahead of the main conference, Swiss banking giant UBS will host a Swiss fintech networking event at 9 Penang Road on November 11, featuring a delegation from Switzerland. This event will emphasize knowledge sharing and networking.

On November 13, the SIX Community Event will further highlight Swiss leadership within the global fintech ecosystem.

Casual networking sessions

Beyond formal networking sessions, SFF attendees can also look forward to a series of more relaxed networking opportunities.

On November 12, Fintech News Singapore will host the Breaking News (and Drinks) networking event. Taking place from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at BLVD Changi, this event will offer a relaxed evening for founders, investors, and industry professionals to share insights and connections in an informal setting.
The networking event is designed to serve as a bridge between the end of Day  Singapore Fintech Festival sessions and the evening events around town. It’s just a 5-minute walk from the event hall, so instead of waiting an hour for a taxi, join us for a drink. (Registration is required.)

Right after that, SFF participants will get to attend the SFF After Hours @ Boat Quay. Between 7:00 and 10:00 pm, attendees will get to unwind and connect with industry peers, thought leaders, and innovators along the Singapore River. Bar and restaurants will offer complimentary drinks and exclusive discounts for SFF 2025 participants.

Finally, on November 14, Founders ROCK will take place at the MarketPlace @ EXPO. From 6:00 to 8:00 pm, this celebratory finale will bring together founders, regulators, and business leaders for a one-of-a-kind networking session, wrapping up SFF 2025 with an evening of live music performances, celebration, and community spirit.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by ake1150sb via Freepik