FinTech Accelerator Space Level39 To Open At Canary Wharf

Canary Wharf Group has announced plans to launch Europe’s largest financial IT accelerator space in London’s Docklands, to offer small businesses a chance to innovate at the leading centre of global economy.

‘Level39’ will be located on the 39th floor of the iconic One Canada Square, London’s tallest operational office building, and is expected to open in early 2013.

Finance + technology

Level39 will offer office and social spaces for small businesses to create, test, market and deliver financial technology products and services. Canary Wharf Group hopes it will enhance the competitiveness of the City as a whole, using the wealth of talent available in the third most popular destination for software start-ups in the world.

The accelerator will occupy the entire 39th floor of the building in one of London’s most iconic locations, and give growing businesses direct access to customers and partners in the financial sector.

The initiative will be led by Eric Van Der Kleij, technology entrepreneur and outgoing chief executive of the Tech City Investment Organisation (TCIO). The layout of the premises was designed by renowned architecture firm Gensler, which has previously worked on office spaces for such big names as Facebook and Google.

Among the perks offered by Level39 are an express elevator with the 39th floor as the first stop, 200 seat event space with a view over the City of London, and a members-only Business Club Lounge.

“Canary Wharf is the ideal place to fuse together London’s world-leading financial sector with its burgeoning technology sector. If we do this successfully, it will help London’s financial services move forwards after several challenging years, benefitting the whole economy through enhanced competition, transparency and client services,” said Sir George Iacobescu, chairman and CEO of Canary Wharf Group.

“Over the past 20 years, Canary Wharf has helped to maintain London’s competitive position by accommodating new business technologies. We aim to continue to do so by offering growing technology businesses with bespoke office space and property services that cater for rapidly changing requirements years into the future.”

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson welcomed the announcement, adding: “Attracting the brightest entrepreneurial minds is crucial if London is to maintain its position as the world’s foremost financial centre. Level39 is sure to foster talent and help the capital’s technology and financial sectors flourish, in turn driving jobs and growth.”

Introducing the financial sector to the startup scene seems to be a popular idea on both sides of the Atlantic. In August, tradable, the company behind the world’s first app-based trading platform, hosted the first financial trading hackathon in New York City.

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