TLDR: NivoCon 2025, hosted by Nivo, underscored that Artificial Intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept but a current reality in financial services. The event, which saw over 250 attendees, focused on how generative and agentic AI can streamline, accelerate, and humanize financial operations. Key discussions revolved around practical applications, including AI-powered tools for broker inquiries, building AI-centric banks, and addressing the significant ‘admin problem’ in the UK financial sector.
NivoCon 2025, the second edition of the influential conference, convened on July 17, 2025, hosted by intelligent messaging and fintech innovator Nivo. The event drew over 250 attendees, nearly doubling the turnout from its inaugural 2023 gathering, signaling a significant shift in focus towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a central theme in the financial industry. The atmosphere was charged with excitement among early adopters, including brokers, lenders, technologists, and innovators, all keen on exploring the potential of generative and agentic AI to streamline, accelerate, and humanize financial services.
Matthew Elliott, Nivo Co-founder and CDO, opened the conference with a candid assessment, stating, “AI is complicated, uncertain and scary. But it’s also exciting.” He encouraged the audience to embrace curiosity and boldness, qualities essential for those leading innovation in this frontier. Nivo also used the platform to announce new collaborations, notably a partnership with the NACFB, aimed at involving broker members as early adopters of Nivo’s AI-powered tools.
The conference featured several visionary leaders who shared their firsthand experiences with AI implementation. Buster Tolfree, Director of Mortgages at United Trust Bank, presented a compelling proof-of-concept developed with Nivo. This system leverages AI to manage broker sales inquiries via email, trained on internal credit policies and documents. It is already adept at document analysis and triaging administrative queries, thereby freeing up underwriters for more high-value decision-making. Tolfree emphasized the future of AI, stating, “Agentic AI is the future. It doesn’t just react – it reasons, acts, and learns.”
Jason Oakley, CEO of Afin Bank, discussed his approach to building a bank from the ground up with AI deeply embedded at its core. Focusing on underserved diaspora and self-employed mortgage applicants, Oakley highlighted AI’s capacity for ‘human augmentation’ beyond mere cost savings, asserting, “AI is going to be transformational, but you still need to deliver value through people.” Jamie Stewart, CEO of brokerage Binq, showcased a radical AI-first business model, attributing his company’s faster launch, leaner operations, and consistent customer outcomes to AI. Stewart noted, “Customers often prefer AI as it’s impartial, fast, and always available.”
Nivo’s strategic vision for AI, as outlined by Matthew Elliott, includes a full-stack AI transformation, from replatforming data infrastructure to launching a ‘universal assistant’ for brokers and lenders. The core mission is to tackle the estimated £10 billion administrative problem within UK financial services. Elliott pointed out, “There are over 300,000 people doing repetitive, manual tasks in this industry, and AI can help.” Nivo’s approach views AI as a human-like assistant for frontline financial services teams, rather than just software. Their freemium model aims to democratize access to this technology, encouraging widespread experimentation and adoption.
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An Innovators’ Panel, chaired by Nivo’s George Lee, featured insights from Aldermore and Connect Mortgages. Rob Linfoot of Aldermore shared how AI is being deployed to double productivity by reducing process friction, while Liz Syms of Connect emphasized AI’s role in empowering brokers through increased speed and improved due diligence. NivoCon 2025 ultimately solidified the message that AI is a present reality in the finance ecosystem, being actively tested, refined, and implemented. The collective advice from the day was clear: ‘start small, pick a use case, and move fast.’ The consensus was that AI is here to assist and augment, not replace, with Kieran Jones of the NACFB succinctly stating, “A broker won’t be replaced by AI but might be replaced by a broker who uses AI,” a sentiment applicable across the entire financial services industry.
