London-based Level39 and Nest, a Hong Kong startup accelerator, have announced that they have collaborated to create an “East meets West” fintech partnership. A London-based fintech accelerator and co-working space operator, Level39 has become a hub for cultivating the growth of the UK’s emerging fintech sector. Among Level39’s goals is to help London become the fintech capital of the world.

This is being advanced via numerous innovation partnerships wherein Level39 startup members are introduced to investors and major financial firms such as established banks, insurance companies and asset managers. Expanding Level39’s network, they will now be collaborating with Nest to increase awareness of their members to the Hong Kong and Chinese financial sectors. Nest will also be providing Level39 members with advice about doing business in Asia.

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For Nest, the partnership allows them to introduce their startups to Level39’s European network. Startups will also have access to working within Level39’s shared office spaces as well as receiving advice about scaling their operations in Europe.

Commenting about the partnership, Eric Van der Kleij, head of Level39 at Canary Wharf said, “Opening a ‘tech trade route’ is advantageous to both the UK and Hong Kong. Our partnership with Nest will reduce the number of barriers to entry for innovators to global markets, and will make the Nest and Level39 expert teams available to each other’s startups.”

Nest CEO Simon Squibb added, “We see startups from Europe wanting to get into Asia and we see startups in Asia wanting to get into Europe, so this partnership allows us to leverage the resources of both organisations to help founders in our respective markets and ensure their ideas reach their full potential. This partnership between Nest and Level39 is beneficial for Hong Kong and London, and startups globally.”