CASS 15 lands on 7 May. Daily reconciliations, mandatory safeguarding audits, monthly FCA returns. Most scaling FinTechs are running their finance function with a model built for a much smaller business. In our latest article, Dom Noakes, Partner and Head of Technology, looks at why the hybrid finance model, internal strategic leadership with external operational support, is becoming the default for regulated firms that want to stay ahead of the curve.
Where the traditional model starts to crack
Many FinTechs built their finance teams when the business was far smaller. That model works well in the early days (<£1m for example), but as volumes rise (£2m +), so does complexity: Safeguarding obligations intensify; Reconciliations multiply across payment rails; Auditors dive deeper into documentation; Investors ask tougher questions. And meanwhile, a surprising amount of critical knowledge often sits with one or two individuals.
Adding headcount isn’t always the fix. Recruitment takes time; salaries are rising; and even well‑meaning hires can unintentionally deepen dependency if processes aren’t scalable.
The uneasy mix of regulation and technology
Two forces are accelerating change:
First, regulation no longer sits in a neat compliance box. Rules like CASS 15 embed themselves directly into how finance teams operate day to day. That means reconciliations, evidence trails and process ownership must stand up to scrutiny at any moment.
Second, finance technology has evolved but not always in a way that makes life easier. ERPs, data platforms, payment partners and reporting tools all need to speak the same language. When they don’t, the gaps show up as control weaknesses.
For small internal teams, keeping all this aligned becomes harder with every month of growth.
What Outsourcing actually looks like now
Today’s outsourced finance support is very different from the old bookkeeping model. It’s become a structured operational engine, one built to scale and withstand regulatory pressure.
These teams bring consistent reconciliations, reliable reporting cycles, audit‑ready documentation, embedded safeguarding awareness and, crucially, continuity. They don’t walk out the door. And because they see patterns across multiple regulated firms, they often spot emerging issues earlier than internal teams can.
In practice, outsourced finance is less about offloading tasks and more about adding discipline, structure and independence to the finance function.
Why the hybrid model is becoming the default
For most scaling FinTechs, the answer isn’t to outsource everything. It’s to reshape the model so that strategic work remains internal while operational heavy lifting sits with a specialist external team.
Internal leadership, CFOs, Heads of Finance, Finance Leads, still drive direction, forecasting, investor conversations and board reporting. But the day‑to‑day accounting engine, the reconciliations, the controls and the month‑end cadence sit with people who do this at scale.
The result is a finance function that is more resilient, more predictable and far less dependent on single points of failure.
How to know when the model no longer fits
There are usually early warning signs long before things go wrong. If month‑end timelines start slipping, reconciliations aren’t independently reviewed, audit adjustments increase or safeguarding feels reactive, those are signals worth listening to. So is any process that only one person understands.
These issues rarely stay small. They are symptoms of a structure that needs rethinking.
Designing for resilience, not just delivery
The core question facing FinTechs today isn’t whether they should outsource accounting. It’s broader:
“How do we design a finance function that remains resilient under regulatory scrutiny, audit pressure and investor expectations?”
For more and more firms, the answer is a hybrid finance operating model, internal strategic leadership supported by an external, scalable operational engine.
In a sector defined by rapid change, that combination isn’t just efficient. It’s what makes the business more robust.
How HaysMac can help
For FinTechs looking for a lever that will give them a strategic advantage, an outsourced finance function provides flexibility for fast moving firms. If your month-end takes more than 5 working days, or your safeguarding reconciliations aren’t independently reviewed, it’s worth a conversation. Contact Dom Noakes, Partner and Head of Technology at Dnoakes@haysmac.com, to discuss your needs further.
