These are not my words, but those of Rob Frohwein, CEO of Kabbage. Read on to understand more about the context of the discussion that led to the topic of Fintech opportunities with Rob… But before, let’s start with a thought experiment: – It’s the year 2005. – You live in New York. – You’re(…)
Are entrepreneurs born or made? Are there any common traits shared by entrepreneurs? I was talking to a friend, and was wondering if there was any clear answer to these questions (at least the second one, I’m quite convinced entrepreneurs can be made…). After a quick search on the Internet, I wasn’t too convinced with the(…)
Last Thursday, I had the pleasure to co-chair the BBA Fintech Conference with the immensely knowledgeable Imran Gulanmhuseinwala. It’s the second time in a week that I attend a conference with two regulators (loosely speaking…) presenting their views. This time, it was the Bank of England and the FCA, the previous week, it was the French(…)
For the last few years, there has been a huge competition for the title of “Fintech capital of the world”. My view was that London had an ideal combination of 1) ecosystem, 2) talents, 3) Fintech-friendly regulator and 4) political willingness to support entrepreneurship. Which made it the most active Fintech place in the world, well(…)
With the current volatility in the markets, some people are starting to question the viability of investments in Fintech – or technology in general. Although it’s not the majority, I suspect that we will hear more skepticism about the Fintech investment thesis over the next few months. However, I think it would be a mistake(…)
This is an article I previously wrote for Financial News. When mentoring start-ups, I sometimes hear a pitch like this: “With our revolutionary fintech service, we are looking to get 10,000 customers in the first year and need $300k of funding”. This immediately tells me I am talking to a first-time entrepreneur – or that(…)
“Of the 305 companies who participated in SXSW Accelerator between 2009 and 2015, over 63% received funding, with combined funding in excess of almost $2.613 billion (does not include undisclosed grants, angel and seed funding). Of these 305 companies, 13% have been acquired by the likes of Google, British Telecom, Huffington Post, Apple, Live Nation, OpenTable, Constant Contact, and Harmon.”
Start-ups are increasingly turning to large banks – the very institutions that fintech is supposed to be disrupting – for mentorship and money.
Fintech hackathons and competitions occur globally. In January 2012, Swift launched theInnotribe Startup Competition as an initiative to bring together disruptive startups and incumbents in financial services…
“Nearly 20 years ago, the launch of online payments giant PayPal shook the financial services industry. Now, a new generation of financial technology or “fintech” companies is once again breaking down the oversized doors of the conservative banking business…”
