Many might joke they want a refund for 2020. Jokes aside, it’s been a testing year for many businesses, consumers, and governments alike. Yet, these tests have spurred innovation and accelerated the pace of change, advancing digital transformation by at least five years in the space of six months.

Working in venture capital offers insights into the problems, challenges, and new markets today’s entrepreneurs are addressing at the very earliest opportunity, a window on disruption and innovation. Business models are being redefined at an ever-quickening pace, and this is particularly visible in fintech. We recently sat down with the founders of all of our fintech investments with the following key learnings and insights.

1. Fintech everywhere

The Derivatives Service Bureau (DSB), founded by the Association of National Numbering Agencies (ANNA) to facilitate the allocation and maintenance of ISINs, CFIs and FISNs for OTC derivatives, is today announcing the forthcoming DSB consultation timelines for the principles underlying the fee model for the new Unique Product Identifier (UPI). 

Apptio, Inc., the leading provider of technology business management (TBM) solutions that help organizations analyze, plan, and optimize technology spend, announced today that it is participating in the launch of Professional Services in AWS Marketplace.

Sber ecosystem resident SberCloud has developed Machine Learning Space (ML Space),a cloud platform forAI model training, David Rafalovsky, Executive Vice President, CTO of Sberbank Group, Head of Technology, said at the AI Journey conference.

Millennials prefer Bitcoin to gold as a safe-haven asset, a new global survey from one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory and fintech organisations has revealed.
 
The findings of the poll carried out by deVere Group come in the week when the price of Bitcoin, the world’s original and largest cryptocurrency, peaked at an all-time high this week by reaching $19,864. 
 
This just beats the previous price record that was set in December 2017.
 

Cappitech, a leading provider of regulatory reporting, best execution analysis and business intelligence solutions for the financial services industry, is pleased to have won ‘

User data from* Yolt, the award-winning smart money app reveals today that consumers spent 7% more on average, across the two periods of national lockdown, despite the closure of many non-essential stores. The data found that while people made savings in some areas, such as travel and transport, they spent significantly more occupying themselves at home.

Biometric payment cards have ticked several important boxes in the last year. The technology has achieved certification from major payment networks, costs have reduced, and manufacturing has become simpler, and the first commercial launches have begun.

In the last RegTech 20:20 podcast episode of the year, the CEO and co-founder of Encompass Corporation, Wayne Johnson, Global Head of Client Lifecycle Management and KYC at PEGA, Alex Dixon, and financial services industry expert Jo Scanlan discuss how RegTech, digital transformation and Client Lifecycle Management (CLM) have developed in the last year, whilst also looking towards 2021.