Mapping Talent: A Guide to Fintech Talent in Waterloo

In the Waterloo area, fintech companies can hire graduates from top-tier post-secondary institutions and employ co-op students on a rotating basis as they complete their degrees.

Between the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College, the Waterloo region has an exceptional and diverse talent pool. It’s necessary, given the breadth and depth of our fintech ecosystem—Waterloo is pushing the pace in adtech, paytech, blockchain, cybersecurity, ecommerce and more.

Thomas Schmorleiz, Director of Engineering at Carta, said it best: “The talent here is exceptionally strong in systems thinking, data modelling and building products that are both correct and scalable – exactly what fintech demands.”

For companies considering our community as a home for their fintech hubs, let’s take a closer look at the programs feeding the pipeline.

University of Waterloo

The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo) is one of the top technology schools in North America. That probably comes as no surprise, given how often we write about the school’s accolades in computer science, engineering and innovation. Paired with its renowned mathematics and accounting and financial math departments, the university is a hotspot for fintech talent.

The School of Accounting and Financial Math at UWaterloo connects finance with artificial intelligence, data analytics, computer science, sustainability and innovation. Most students are enrolled in co-op throughout their degree, and 96% secure full-time jobs within 6 months of graduation.

With the Centre for Computational Mathematics, Waterloo Data and AI Institute and Waterloo Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute, UWaterloo’s fintech research capabilities allow companies to hire top talent from the school and partner with its hubs for cutting-edge R&D.

Here are some of the fintech-related programs offered at UWaterloo.

• Computing and Financial Management (Undergraduate): Canada’s only program combining computer science and finance into one degree, pairing software development with financial modelling and strategic planning through a co-op-only structure in fintech roles
• Sustainability and Financial Management (Undergraduate): The only program of its kind in Canada, matching accounting and finance training with ESG analysis to prepare graduates for sustainable finance careers
• Actuarial Science (Undergraduate): Accredited by the Canadian Institute of Actuaries, this program pairs the mathematics of finance, risk theory and pension mathematics with computer science, taught by professional actuaries at one of North America’s top actuarial schools
• Mathematical Finance (Undergraduate): Offered jointly by the Department of Pure Mathematics and the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, this program builds advanced training in corporate finance, risk management and statistical forecasting for careers in derivatives, hedge funds and capital markets software
• Information Technology Management (Undergraduate): Bridges business and technology through coursework in systems analysis, databases and networks alongside marketing and project management, preparing graduates as technical consultants, systems analysts and database administrators
• Applied Mathematics with Scientific Computing and Scientific Machine Learning (Undergraduate): Focuses on the mathematical and computational tools behind applying machine learning to real-world problems in science, medicine and technology, backed by exclusive partnerships with renowned research hubs like Waterloo.AI, the Institute for Quantum Computing and the Perimeter Institute
• Quantitative Finance (Graduate): Grounded in mathematics, statistics, machine learning and finance, with research spanning AI, data science and computational statistics
• Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (Graduate): Ranked #3 in Canada for Data Science and AI (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2026), the co-op-based graduate program builds the machine learning, statistics and computing skills fintech employers hire for, and is backed by Vector Institute recognition

Wilfrid Laurier University

Laurier, home to the largest business degree co-op program in the country, is a top finance and business school in Canada. Most students are enrolled in the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, which places a strong emphasis on technical skills and technological know-how.

The Lazaridis School is AACSB accredited, representing the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide. Less than 6% of the world’s 13,000 business programs have earned this designation.

Within the school, there are four research centres, including the CPA Ontario Centre for Capital Markets and Behavioural Decision Making and the Financial Services Research Centre. Students work closely with faculty, researchers and industry pioneers at these centres, providing them with a well-rounded education in finance and technology.

Here are some of the key programs at Laurier.

• Business Administration (Undergraduate): Offers a finance concentration and CFA-aligned coursework, plus Canada’s largest business co-op program placing students directly into fintech and financial services roles
• Business Administration and Bachelor of Computer Science (Undergraduate): Five-year double degree pairing business fundamentals with software systems design—the exact blend of financial and technical skills fintech employers hire for
• Business Technology Management (Undergraduate): Bridges business and technology through systems analysis and design, preparing graduates for fintech-relevant roles as business analysts and enterprise architects
• Economics and Financial Management (Undergraduate): Studies how interest rates, exchange rates and policy move financial markets, with hands-on training in the CI Financial Lab and coding through the student-run PRISM lab
• Economics and Data Analytics (Undergraduate): Builds the data management and statistical analysis skills that power fintech decision-making, with coding practice on real-world financial data
• Master of Finance (Graduate): A graduate program that trains students on Bloomberg terminals and Python/VBA financial modelling, with a Machine Learning in Finance elective built for fintech careers
• Master of Finance and Master of Science in Management Analytics (Graduate): Double degree pairing finance theory with machine learning and AI for business, built for the fintech industry’s shift toward advanced analytics and automated decision-making

Conestoga College

Conestoga rounds out the fintech talent pool in our region. The polytechnic school offers an education pathway that blends finance, technology and security, preparing its students for roles across digital banking, payments, crypto assets, cybersecurity and more.

Here are a few of the related programs at Conestoga.

• Financial Technology (Graduate Certificate): Combines financial technology applications, blockchain, AI and emerging market trends with advanced data analysis and security in financial systems so graduates can excel in fintech product management and business analysis roles
• Computer Application Development (Graduate Certificate): Builds web, mobile and database application development skills alongside systems analysis and design
• Blockchain Application Development (Graduate Certificate): Hands-on training in smart contract development and blockchain architecture, preparing graduates for fintech roles as blockchain developers and DApp architects