Wall Street is starting to realize what we have said all along: that while “hot” consumer-focused technology gets all the buzz, enterprise tech that serves businesses is where it’s at. That’s the software that truly powers the world and is indispensable to the modern globalized economy.
Read MoreThis month marks the start of the ninth year for FinTech Innovation Lab New York. The 12-week non-profit program is designed to put the focus on the country’s most ambitious, budding fintech companies. The event is also somewhat of a matchmaking exercise, as growth-stage companies meet with VCs and financial services execs for in-depth business and product development consultations.
Read MoreThe last couple of years have seen once-beloved big tech companies like Facebook and Google face negative press and a few black eyes due to various scandals involving data security, sexual harassment, and other issues. One of the beneficiaries of this fallout is the healthtech sector, which is now finding it easier to recruit talent away from these companies, where before they struggled.
Read MoreBesides car ownership, another thing we are always told millennials hate are credit cards. Perhaps with that in mind, credit card companies are ramping up their advertising on social media sites in an attempt to better reach a younger demographic. In addition to regular digital ads, some companies that issue credit cards are also paying social media influencers to hock their wares.
Read MoreWhile the narrative that millennials and Gen Z will bring about the end of personal car ownership is a bit overwrought (and perhaps not entirely accurate), these are still heady days for companies that want to provide rides for people. Uber’s upcoming IPO is perhaps the most anticipated in years, even if its valuation may seem a bit high to some.
Read MoreIt all started with the “original” Amazon, which changed e-commerce forever and almost single-handedly introduced the word “platformification” into the popular lexicon. Then came the “Amazon of China,” Alibaba, which successfully integrated digital payments, e-commerce, and fintech to create a world-beating behemoth.
Read MoreDirect banks — online-only banks that typically pay much higher interest rates on various accounts — have seen a rise in popularity in recent years. Without being burdened by the high operating costs of maintaining a traditional branch network, these banks generally offer robust digital services, as well as generally much more attractive rates on everything from savings accounts to CDs. But are there also downsides to their digital-centric approach?
Read MoreFintech M&A has continued at an unprecedented pace, with 2019 shaping up to be the biggest year yet in terms of total deal value. The activity comes not only from private equity firms making investments in start-ups, but also from legacy financial technology vendors and financial firms acquiring innovative fintechs as a way to add to their own tech capabilities.
Read MoreTechnology and data have allowed insurers to be much more predictive and accurate when it comes to calculating risk and measuring trends. Usually this has to do with analyzing the behavior of people, but in a world where automation continues to play a bigger role in everyday life, even more questions have to be answered.
Read MoreWhile the wealthtech revolution has largely been centered around robo advisors and bringing more “entry-level” investors into the market, independent advisory firms have tended to focus on building relationships, advisor productivity, and other factors. But that’s all beginning to change.
Read MoreThe rise of mobile and digital payments has led to some nations around the world becoming nearly cashless. The benefits to eliminating cash from an economy exist; these include getting rid of the time and cost spent handling and storing cash, as well as making it far harder for criminals to launder money.
Read MoreVirtually anything today can be purchased with the tap of a digital button on a smartphone. Groceries, pet food, toilet paper, stocks, cars and even therapy sessions are among the myriad items you can buy at the click of an app. Yet, how many financial institutions allow a consumer to apply for and receive, say, a small business loan entirely through digital means? The answer is very few.
Read MoreThe minimum wage — and what it should or shouldn’t be — continues to be a topic of passionate debate in America. And while there are reasonable economic arguments on both sides as to how, and to what extent, government should get involved in setting minimum wage rates, some businesses have taken action of their own volition.
Read MoreAussie regulators recently dipped a cautious toe into using artificial intelligence for regulatory purposes — specifically using natural language processing technology to detect when financial institutions are engaged in possible misconduct. The technology will scrutinize promotional material and advertisements, among other things, to see if they contain falsities or if they breach any rules.
Read MoreLondon is one of our favorite cities — you simply can’t beat a freshly poured Samuel Smith’s at the Chandos upstairs opera room, among many other delights. And it seems the fintech world is coming to the same conclusions.
Read MoreThe Financial Revolutionist is weekly newsletter and blog focused on the torrid pace of financial innovation. Today, thanks to the exponential rate of technological change, explosion in global trade and new regulations ushered in by the Great Financial Crisis, a new financial revolution is under way. In this battle, virtually every aspect of the greater financial services sector is subject to rigorous challenge. With the Financial Revolutionist, we are aspiring to create a boots-on-the-ground and highly opinionated assessment of important financial innovation developments in the past week.
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