News and Insight - Inside Level39: November Edition

Inside Level39: What Happened in November

November was a month of momentum at Level39, shaped by thought-leadership panels, investor engagement, and international collaboration. By bringing the right people together, sparking topical conversations, and aligning opportunities, we continue to empower innovators at the forefront of fintech, AI, life sciences and beyond.

Representing Level39 in Oxford’s Innovation Ecosystem

Amy French, Director at Level39, joined the Ecosystem Builders Meetup in Oxford, hosted by The Entrepreneurs Network, Oxford Edge and Oxentia. The event brought together programme managers from leading UK accelerators, incubators, university enterprise centres, investors, corporates, and other ecosystem builders to share operational insights and explore new collaboration opportunities.

It offered an opportunity to connect with Oxford’s dynamic community, strengthening the network between regional and London-based ecosystems.

AI: Beyond the Hype – Launching a New Series at Level39

We hosted the first event in our new AI series, AI in Business: Beyond the Hype, in a sold-out space at Level39.

Tram Anh Nguyen, Co-Founder of CFTE and Chairwoman of Global Women in AI, opened with a call for diverse voices in shaping AI’s future.

A panel featuring Ben Goldsmith (Founder, Goldsmith Communications), Martin Boeckle (Founder, antX), Vered Zimmerman (Founder, FinText) and Renaud Huck (NED / Chair / Senior Advisor / Fintech Mentor), moderated by Terence Tse ( Co-Founder of Nexus FrontierTech & the AI Native Foundation), explored:

• Why many AI pilots struggle to deliver commercial return
• Responsible, ethical and transparent adoption
• Real-world value and efficiency gains
• The evolution of teams and roles

This event marks the start of a series running through 2026, reinforcing Level39’s role as a space for critical, future-focused conversations.

Agentic AI in Wealth: From Concept to Competitive Edge

In partnership with FinTech Global and as an official partner event of the Global WealthTech Summit 2025, Level39 hosted a specialist panel on the rise of agentic AI in the wealth and asset management sector.

Industry leaders Tamara Kostova (CEO, Velexa), Phil Watson (CEO, Lightbox Wealth), Galina Alova (Deputy Head of Innovation and Quant Lab, HSBC Asset Management) and Peter Jackson (Global Head of Data Office, Schroders), shared their perspectives on how this technology is reshaping the industry.

The discussion highlighted:

• How agentic AI differs from traditional AI tools, introducing autonomy, decision-making and multi-step reasoning
• High-impact use cases including onboarding, portfolio management, compliance and relationship management
• The role of data, metadata, governance and infrastructure in unlocking AI’s potential
• The importance of trust, transparency and human oversight
• The continued, irreplaceable value of human intuition and empathy
• The real commercial drivers: efficiency, ROI, and measurable business outcomes

Throughout the panel, it was clear: AI is not replacing expertise – it is amplifying it.

Innovation Norway TEA Cohort x Level39 Showcase

November also marked a major milestone in our long-standing partnership with Innovation Norway. Since 2013, Level39 has welcomed the Tech Executive Accelerator (TEA) cohort, connecting Norwegian scale-ups with the UK tech ecosystem.

This year, we hosted a first-of-its-kind showcase celebrating over a decade of collaboration. Following opening remarks from Amy French and Hilde Hukkelberg, Norwegian ventures including Spectrum Blue, Evert, Dalip.ai, SMART OCEAN, Bill Kill, and Energi.ai delivered rapid-fire pitches to an audience of expert mentors, founders and corporates. Level39 members Gemba, FinFab, and Aubay UK also shared their journeys, highlighting the power of community support and international exchange.

Investor Engagement at Level39

We were delighted to host angelgroups, who match SMEs with angel investors across the UK, for one of their London pitch sessions. The event brought together a select group of angel investors and ambitious SMEs innovating in health, climate, education and media. Six founders presented their businesses, with the aim of securing investor interest and move into due diligence – a tangible next step in their growth journey.

London Life Sciences Week and Our Growing Sector Presence

Level39’s parent company, Canary Wharf Group (CWG), played an active role during London Life Sciences Week, including STEM pop-ups in Canary Wharf’s retail malls in partnership with London & Partners and MedCity.

Amy French and Aimee Tiernan attended the KPMG Life Sciences networking breakfast, hosted in their Canary Wharf office. As Canary Wharf establishes itself as one of London’s key life sciences hubs, the session connected founders and business leaders to explore opportunities within the sector. Shobi Khan, CEO of CWG, shared insight into the ongoing investment, transformation and future of the area.

Level39 also hosted a CWG–led event supporting the next generation of life sciences talent. Around 100 Year 11 and 12 students from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets explored careers in life sciences through panels, hands-on demos, networking, and problem-solving activities. Welcomed by Howard Dawber OBE, the Nxt Gen Careers event, funded by London & Partners and MedCity and delivered in partnership with BioIndustry Association (BIA), RESILIENCE, The Careers & Enterprise Company, and hVIVO, offered a vibrant, inspiring experience for students.

Welcoming International Delegations

Delegations are a key part of Level39’s engagement and learning programme. As a global community with 62 nationalities represented across our member base, we offer an immediate network for those establishing a presence in London. Through delegation visits, international businesses, students, prospective entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders can connect with a world-class tech ecosystem, understanding the value of community-driven environments like Level39, and exchange knowledge and experiences directly with founders.

Across November, we’ve hosted two international delegations:

The Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon (India)

Thirteen senior managers from leading Indian financial institutions joined us as part of the Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon’s London mission. The delegation included Deputy General Managers, Chief General Managers, and General Managers from institutions such as Punjab & Sind Bank, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, SIDBI, and Bank of Baroda. During their visit, they gained practical insight into leadership and innovation through conversations with founders including Level39 members Jithendra Weerasekera (CEO) and Prasad Kularatne of IFINITY Global.

Young Entrepreneurship Rogaland (Norway)

Young Entrepreneurship Rogaland is an organisation that supports creativity, entrepreneurship, and confidence-building among students, joined us for a presentation and tour led by Bethan White and Daisy Harris from Level39’s Membership & Ecosystem team. Their visit also included a session with Ali Youssef, Director and Co-Founder of Skillwork, who shared insights from his entrepreneurial journey. The delegation reinforced the value of learning, mentorship, and community connections across borders.

Global Networks, Local Innovation

Level39 is a vibrant community where founders, scale-ups, corporates, investors, and students come together to exchange ideas and explore new opportunities. November was another month that highlighted the energy, collaboration, and innovation that drive our ecosystem forward.