Greg Palmer pens his welcome letter following the first Finovate event of the year
2020 is upon us, and the next decade of fintech innovation is sure to bring some exciting new developments. We kicked off the decade in style with FinovateEurope 2020, which moved to Berlin for the first time.
Our first foray into the Berlin fintech scene was a very positive one, with three days full of live demos of innovative products, key insights from industry thought-leaders, a record-setting number of one-on-one connections between attendees (as measured by our AI-fueled matchmaking app), and five different industry stages for people looking for deep dives into specific subsections of fintech.
Of all the exciting moments of the event, though, there are two that stand out in my mind as I look back on the event. The first is the conversation I had on stage with Finovate’s own David Penn, where we talked about what the next ten years of fintech innovation will look like. Our discussion centered around the impact of PSD2 on European fintech, and the astonishing wave of challenger banks that has exploded over the past few years. You can hear that discussion on the Finovate Podcast, and you can also read the articles that inspired the conversation on the Fintech Futures blog.
The second piece that stands out for me is the launch of Finovate’s new Startup Booster program. As you’ll read about in my FinovateEurope Best of Show recap, there appears to be a growing gap between the companies who have made their way to the forefront of the industry and the early-stage companies who would challenge them. At Finovate, we believe that startup challengers to the incumbents in the space are a vital piece of the fintech ecosystem, and we want to do what we can to support them.
Our first Startup Booster program brought together more than 30 early-stage companies to hear tips on landing customers, crafting a compelling pitch, understanding the VC landscape, and more. It was great to see so many companies coming into the fold in Berlin, and we expect to see similar momentum at our upcoming events in San Francisco, Singapore, and New York.
There are certainly other notable takeaways from our first event of the year, and you’ll read more about them in the coming pages. It’s clear that it’s going to be an exciting decade in the world of fintech, and we’ll be right there to watch all the action unfold with you.
Here’s hoping your decade is already off to a strong start, and as always, keep innovating!
Best, Greg