The finance technology sector is seeing rapid growth. New fintech startups pop up all the time, so how can investors hope to keep up? The answer rests with the fintech 50 selection panel — a group of experts that carefully curates a fintech top 50 each year. Here’s a little more about the people who’ve dedicated their time to evaluating the fintech sector and helping you make prudent investment decisions.
What Is the Fintech 50?
The Fintech 50 contains the top 50 companies that have distinguished themselves the most during the year. The report comes out once a year, giving the expert panel ample time to form opinions about who’s who in the fintech world.
In addition, this period allows for a more in-depth analysis of each company. After all, the potential of new financial technology is difficult to evaluate if a company has only been around for two or three months. By observing the performance of digital financial services over a whole year, fintech experts get a more well-rounded view of each fintech.
The Fintech 50 is a report that many professional investors and venture capitalists look forward to. It can potentially introduce them to new companies to back or pleasantly surprise them by including a brand they have already invested in.
Such investors often aim to advance inclusive financial services. Thus, they want to back companies addressing financial inclusion issues. Because the FinTech 50 keeps inclusive finance in mind, the list is immensely beneficial to them.
The list is also helpful for new businesses looking to the Fintech 50 for inspiration.
What Companies Are Eligible to Apply?
There are no particular restrictions as to who can apply to be considered for the Fintech 50. The only real criterion is whether the company is actually in fintech.
Fintech stands for ‘finance technology’ and encompasses many companies that offer apps or programs that deal with money. Brands that have made it to the Fintech 50 before include e-banks, alternative insurance companies, novel blockchains, online banking solutions, etc.
To improve global financial inclusion, the panel pays extra attention to financial institutions coming from emerging markets. Venture capital experts lately are especially interested in inclusive financial services. Thus, they focus more on companies that create financial health solutions and other affordable financial services for low-income households.
Who Selects the Fintech 50?
You might wonder — who is qualified enough to determine the top 50 fintechs each year? In truth, such a person needs to have various skills and intimate knowledge of the financial sector. What is more, they also need to be tech-savvy and up-to-date with the latest trends and technological innovations.
Those requirements set the bar pretty high. Not that many people can satisfy all of these criteria, after all.
Nevertheless, the Fintech 50 team has managed to invite experts from around the globe. They come from different backgrounds and bring diverse sensibilities to the panel. Each individual’s skillset complements the rest, forming a cohesive team. Together, their expertise covers a wide range of topics, putting them in an excellent position to evaluate the fintech sector.
Curious to learn more about the Fintech 50 panelists? They have worked for some of the most well-known names in finance. In particular, some of these experts have many years of experience in companies such as JP Morgan, HSBC, MasterCard Labs, and more. In other words, they know finance in and out. Some of them also have developer backgrounds, which is helpful when comparing the software of different candidates.
Furthermore, the team is quite culturally diverse. It includes experts from Europe, the Americas, and Asia. They represent different kinds of religious backgrounds, ethnicities, and gender identities. These personal details further inform how they view the world and enrich their sensibilities.
The final result is a well-rounded panel of experts with different interests and complementary skill sets. Their professional and personal experiences blend seamlessly to create an objective panel that can view each candidate-company from various angles. This, in turn, maintains the fairness and transparency of the Fintech 50.
Disclaimer
This article does not aim to provide investment advice. You are solely responsible for your own trading decisions and the risks associated with them. Consult a professional before making an investment.
