Horizons: Trends, Challenges and Skills
A running briefing on where FinTech investment and hiring are actually moving across Asia-Pacific and beyond.
The most credible global view of FinTech isn't a use-case survey — it's where investment capital is actually flowing, since that's usually the clearest early signal of where hiring follows. The two reports below are both from KPMG, chosen because they combine global scale with genuine data rather than promotional framing.
- 1February 2026KPMG International
Pulse of Fintech H2'25
The reference dataset for global FinTech investment. 2025 investment rebounded to US$116 billion, up from US$95.5 billion in 2024, despite deal volume falling to an eight-year low. The Americas led with US$66.5 billion, EMEA followed with US$29.2 billion — but Asia-Pacific declined to US$9.3 billion from US$11.7 billion, the only major region moving against the global trend. Digital assets investment nearly doubled globally, to US$19.1 billion.
Excalibur's ViewRead the report →Asia-Pacific pulled back even as the rest of the world recovered — the only major region moving in the opposite direction. For employers in the region, this is worth watching as a possible early signal on hiring budgets; for candidates, the near-doubling of digital assets investment globally is a clearer pointer toward where new specialist roles are likely to concentrate.
- 22026KPMG International
Global Tech Report 2026 — Financial Services
A survey of 760 financial-services technology leaders worldwide. 89% self-identify as innovators or fast followers — yet talent shortages sit alongside technical debt as the primary named constraints on converting that ambition into results.
Excalibur's ViewRead the report →It's notable that a sector this confident in its own innovation posture still names talent shortages as a primary constraint. For employers, that's a reminder that strategy and staffing capability are two separate problems, worth solving separately. For candidates with in-demand skills, it also suggests genuine leverage — the constraint firms report most often is exactly the one good candidates can help solve.
Excalibur Executive Search is not affiliated with KPMG International. These reports are shared as independent reading for employers and candidates navigating FinTech growth and hiring globally.