TechSprints bring together participants from across and outside of financial services to address industry challenges.
We have a unique convening power to shape the direction of innovation, both in technology and where wider issues persist in the market.
TechSprints are a key element of our innovation toolkit that help us achieve this. The programme uses 2 formats to drive technological innovation and agile policy development:
- TechSprints: develop technology-based ideas and proof of concepts to deal with specific industry problems.
- PolicySprints: explore and discuss policy to inform our regulatory approaches.
Both formats help us shed a light on key issues and foster discussion, innovation, and awareness of potential solutions.
Since 2016, we’ve hosted a number of TechSprints. You can read more about each of them, including the problems explored and the solutions developed.
Upcoming Data Sprint
Synthetic Data AML Solution Sprint (SAMLS)
The Synthetic Data AML Solution Sprint (SAMLS) is an upcoming FCA TechSprint exploring how synthetic data can support the development and testing of innovative anti-money laundering (AML) transaction monitoring solutions.
Participants will work with FCA-provided synthetic AML datasets, designed to reflect realistic money laundering typologies without sharing real customer data. Teams will use these datasets to test and demonstrate new and emerging (including AI-enabled) transaction monitoring techniques, and to assess how well synthetic data supports effective model development and validations, including impacts on effectiveness, efficiency and explainability of AML systems.
The Sprint aims to:
- Support innovation in AML transaction monitoring using synthetic data.
- Improve understanding of how synthetic data can be used to develop, test and validate AML solutions.
- Provide insights for regulators and industry on the opportunities and limitations of synthetic data in financial crime detection.
The Sprint will follow a cohort-based format, combining an initial bootcamp, a structured development phase and a final showcase where teams share findings and learning. The FCA will also gather feedback on the datasets to inform future iterations and wider use.
The Sprint runs from 13 May to 8 July 2026. Further details, including eligibility and timelines, are available in the Participation Pack[2].
Evolution of TechSprints
We published research in 2020 exploring the lessons we've learned from hosting 7 TechSprints across a range of subjects.
As part of our commitment to foster innovative and collaborative global financial markets, we want to share our experience, and support other organisations in their efforts to address key industry problems.
03/03/2020: Information added Publication of 'Fostering innovation through collaboration' research paper
