Financial technology, “fintech,” has been reshaping the financial services industry with the level and speed of innovation that’s simply fascinating.
A month ago, my colleagues and I attended the 5th Annual Lendit USA conference to check out about the latest innovations and thinking in this field and see how we can apply it to our work.
The battle between banking behemoths and new-age fintech firms may seem like the classic David versus Goliath. But dig a little deeper and there may not be much merit in pitting one against the other.
On the surface, one seems like an antiquated giant that’s hard to beat and the other is young, relevant and oh so agile. Fintech firms have the advantage of being able to launch with disruptive, new technologies in a relatively short time. Banks have established brand loyalty, decades of experience, and most importantly, financial muscle.
In the context of the 2017 World Mobile Congress, the IDB's Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) announced the creation of FINCONECTA, a program that integrates solutions between technology companies (FinTechs) and financial institutions (FIs).
FinovateSpring 2017 (April 26 & 27), a two-day showcase of the best innovations in financial and banking technology, is less than two months away, and we’re excited to announce that the first wave of the presenter lineup was just released!
Members of the SME Finance Forum get a special 20% discount. We also have some complimentary passes for our members!!
The Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) tasked the Committee on Emerging Risks (CER) to collaborate with other IOSCO Committees and lead a study on the evolution of Financial Technologies, including its intersection with securities markets regulation. IOSCO is the international body that brings together the world's securities regulators and is recognized as the global standard setter for the securities sector.
Now I’m prejudiced, I admit it…I favor fintechs with relevance for SMEs…in that context, here are some of those I met up with at Paris Fintech Forum (25-26 January 2017) , mostly for the first time, who I’m going to try to keep an eye on:
Ibanfirst – following a distinguished career in the business payments space, they are expanding their services to broader SME financial services
I’m sorry to admit it, but I had never thought of France as a hotbed for fintech activity nor thought leadership…but I’m starting to change my mind after attending the most entertaining Paris Fintech Forum 25-26 January 2017. The event drew over 1500 participants, as well as over 200 C-suite-level speakers and 130+ fintech booths and demonstrations. The venue, the Palais Brognart, has to be one of the most splendid locales for running such an enormous enterprise. It enabled many parallel events to be held without the sorts of distractions t
In this exclusive, two-day event in Sao Paulo, an international array of expert speakers from business, academia and government will explore how blockchain technology poses a unique opportunity for Brazil to spur a revival in its economy. We will help Brazil's most important decision makers understand why this technology matters and identify exciting new application opportunities.
Alternative lending refers to a growing industry of digitally based lending platforms for different borrowing needs, including consumer, small and medium enterprise, student loans and mortgages. Within the last 10 years, this industry has emerged to become the subject of much discussion and speculation due to the technological innovations it uses to simplify and expand consumer access to capital, its stance on regulation, and the potential threat it presents to traditional financial institutions.
Michael R. King is co-director, Scotiabank Digital Banking Lab at Ivey Business School, Western University
According to the search tool Factiva, the term “fintech” appeared close to 90,000 times in the global print media this year versus fewer than 300 in 2007, with many more references on social media. Its usage has actually declined since 2014, suggesting the fintech hype may have peaked.
