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Finovate Blog
Tracking fintech, banking & financial services innovations since 1994
We’re only halfway through 2019, and it’s already been a big year for fintech. The last few years have given us exciting fintech developments with a lot of potential, and it looks like this is going to be the year where those promising new technologies make the transition to real-world solutions.
And no area of fintech exemplifies this trend more than AI and machine learning. With such a wide variety of applications on show at FinovateSpring, and beyond, it’s clear to see the conversation moving beyond getting started with AI to how to leverage it for best use.
Of course, fintech is about much more than AI, and this issue of the Finovate eMagazine takes more of a deep dive into digital banking and payments, and the technology shaping this particular section of the industry. Read on for a recap of FinovateSpring, insights from some of our exciting speakers, an overview of the 8 companies that the audience selected as Best of Show, and more.
In the world of fintech, you would be forgiven for thinking that all the major developments and collaborations are happening within the four walls of the largest incumbent banks and their startup partners. But, there is a whole world of exciting opportunity and expansion happening within smaller community and challenger banks, as the recent FinovateSpring showed. With an entire stream dedicated to community banking and many more sessions and speakers looking at the potential of SMEs, it was hard to miss the importance of this sector. Here, we catch up with some of the leaders in the space to hear what is exciting them and what they think the future has in store.
Rick Winslow, Chief Experience Officer at Kabbage talks about responsible borrowing behaviors and the importance of being able to provide much smaller lines of credit to small businesses.
Almost half of Americans own or work for a small business, yet they often are not given the priority. We spoke to Karen Mills, Senior Fellow at Harvard Business School and former cabinet member under President Barack Obama as Head of small Business Administration, about how important small business lending is to the health and well-being of businesses and ultimately the economy, and how technology may transform this process.
Jill Castilla, President and CEO of Citizens Bank of Edmond sits down with Steven Ramirez of Beyond the Arc to talk innovation in community banking, pushing the norms with legacy technology companies, and being organically invested to seek out new opportunities.
Tyler McIntyre, Founder and CTO of Bank Novo and Steven Ramirez, CEO at Beyond the Arc, talk challenger banks and why they’re needed in the current financial services and banking ecosystem.
At every Finovate, we welcome four leading fintech research analysts to take the stage for seven minutes each to present key opportunities for the future. Take a look back on our most recent set from FinovateSpring 2019 featuring Michelle Evans, Global Head of Digital Consumer Research at Euromonitor International; Jacob Jegher, Senior Vice President, Banking Head of Strategy, Javelin Strategy and Research; Dan Latimore, Senior Vice President, Banking Group, Celent; and Paul Berg, Senior Managing Consultant, Gallup.
Early booking for FinovateSpring 2020 is also now open! Book your tickets now at the lowest possible price!
Thanks to the power of mobile technology, you won’t have to leave the poolside, barbeque pit, or beach during this long Memorial Day weekend in order to enjoy your favorite demo videos from FinovateSpring.
Every demo video from our just-completed conference in San Francisco is now available for viewing – for free – in our video archives. Rewatch some of your favorites or catch-up on the demos you missed.
Here’s a sample of what’s waiting for you – courtesy of the Best of Show winners of this year’s FinovateSpring.
1100+ attendees. 60+ demoers. 120+ speakers. Only at Finovate.
Across 3 main days and one specialist summit day during FinovateSpring 2019, we were joined by hundreds of senior financial and banking executives, venture capitalists, press, industry analysts, bloggers, regulators and entrepreneurs from the Bay Area and beyond to explore fintech’s real-world solutions and share cutting edge insight.
Early booking for FinovateSpring 2020 is now open! Book your tickets now at the lowest possible price!
If you had to draw fintech, what would it look like? For our audience at FinovateSpring last week, it might look similar to the illustrations below.
Check out sketches that cover the highlights from 10 sessions at last week’s show (there’s a lot to unpack, so click on the image to open it in a new tab).
A huge thanks to Giselle Chow Consulting (gisellechow.com) for the composition and use of the images!
It’s been great to be back in the city by the bay!
After two days of live fintech demos, the attendees of FinovateSpring here in San Francisco have made their selections as to which fintech products, services, and solutions were interesting, impressive, and innovative enough to earn one of our coveted Best of Show awards.
From solutions to help consumers better access credit to technologies that bolster the fight against fraud to “Is this @#$% real?!” demonstrations of AI-powered agents that sound – and feel – as real as any human, this year’s Best of Show winners are truly in a class of their own.
Arkose Labs for its technology that solves multi-million dollar fraud problems for the world’s most targeted businesses with zero impact to user conversion. Video.
Blytzpay for its text-to-pay solution that makes billing and communication simple, streamlined, and secure, while providing flexibility to pay by card, check, or cash. Video.
BlueRush for Individeo, an interactive and personalized video platform for financial institutions to drive online sales success. Video.
Everplans for its solution that helps advisors create better interactions, establish new connections, strengthen relationships, and gain introductions to heirs. Video.
Glia (formerly SaleMove) for its technology that creates digital-first moments that simplify and transform communication between companies and their customers using messaging, video/voice, co-browsing, and AI. Video.
Invest Sou Sou for its smart social banking account designed to help community banks cultivate low-cost deposits and credit-ready borrowers in a secure and cost-efficient way. Video.
Neener Analytics for its regulatory compliant social media analytics platform that delivers specific individual risk outcomes for thin-file, no-file, and credit-challenged consumers. Video.
Voca AI for its smart, human, and empathetic virtual call center agent for financial institutions and service providers. Video.
A thousand thanks to all our demoing companies, our sponsors and partners, and, most importantly, our awesome attendees whose passion and enthusiasm for fintech innovation makes our events all the more engaging and entertaining. We’ll see you next year!
Notes on methodology:
1. Only audience members NOT associated with demoing companies were eligible to vote. Finovate employees did not vote.
2. Attendees were encouraged to note their favorites during each day. At the end of the last demo, they chose their three favorites.
3. The exact written instructions given to attendees: “Please rate (the companies) on the basis of demo quality and potential impact of the innovation demoed.”
4. The eight companies appearing on the highest percentage of submitted ballots were named “Best of Show.”
5. Go here for a list of previous Best of Show winners through 2014. Best of Show winners from our 2015 through 2018 conferences are below:
The final day of FinovateSpring’s four-day fintech fest has arrived. After a Summit Day focused on the customer experience and artificial intelligence, and two days of live fintech demos, Friday is a day of deep dives and insightful discussions into the present and future of fintech innovation.
We’ve provided an overview of what we’ve got in store for you below. Remember that registration opens at 8am on Friday. So be sure to arrive early, grab a little breakfast, and visit with our sponsors and partners in the networking area before we begin.
8:35am Expert Insight: Review of the FinovateSpring Demos – What Do They Tell Us About Fintech’s Cutting Edge
8:50am Keynote Address: The Rise of the Machines – The Artificial Intelligence and the Road to Superintelligence. What Will AI Mean for the Future of Financial Services – And the Future of Work?
9:30am Power Panel: Which Artificial Intelligence Technologies Will Really Change Financial Services?
10:00am Morning Coffee & Networking
10:30am Fireside Chat: Improving the Financial Health of America’s 100 Million Credit Underserved Consumers
10:45am C-Suite Digital Change Leaders Debate: How Can Financial Institutions Capture the Fintech Opportunity & Collaborate with New Players to Transform Customer Experience
11:20am Special Address: Simplifying & Securing Digital Commerce through Tokenization
11:35am Fireside Chat: How Are Regulators Approaching Cryptocurrencies?
11:50am Strategy Roundtable: The Evolving Role of Cybersecurity – Are Banks Treating Technology Risks as Extensions of Their Businesses?
Analyst Insight: Next Generation Banking – What is the Next Phase of the Digital Banking Revolution
Fireside Chat: Open Banking is Coming! How Will it Change Banking Forever?
Leaders Debate: How New Players, New Platforms, and New Technologies Will Transform Digital Banking. Is There a Role for the Branch in the Digital World?
After yesterday’s demos we’re ready for four more today. The day begins with one of our favorite sessions, Analyst All Stars, and concludes with a crowd-favorite, the crowning of the Best of Show winners.
Registration opens at 8 a.m. and the first session begins at 9 a.m. Come early for some pre-show networking or catch up on email with a hot cup of coffee before the show.
Here’s an overview of what the agenda looks like today:
While some of the audience got a head start yesterday with the Summit Day discussions, today is the start of our mainstage event.
As a reminder, we’ve moved the event to the Hilton Union Square in San Francisco. And tickets are available at the registration desk so there’s still time to take part in the action.
Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. Be sure to come early to grab your badge and enjoy a cup of coffee and breakfast while you network. The demos will start at 9:30 a.m., so give yourself enough time to find a good seat in the auditorium.
Here’s an outline of the rest of today’s schedule:
Two of the hottest trends in fintech – AI technology and the prioritization of the customer experience – will be the focus of our special, pre-FinovateSpring Summit Day, that begins Monday morning here at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square on O’Farrell Street in San Francisco, California.
Our Summit Day will feature two parallel tracks – one focused on AI and the other dedicated to the customer experience – that will include keynote addresses, case studies, panel discussions, and debates all designed to help conference attendees better understand how these trends are shaping technology in general and fintech in specific.
Here’s a look at what we’ve got in store for you today. For more about our Summit Day speakers and topics, check out our previews for both the AI and CX summits.
Artificial Intelligence Summit
8:15am – 9am – Registration, Breakfast, and Networking
9:05am – 9:30am – Keynote Address: How Artificial Intelligence Will Transform the Financial Services Industry
9:30am – 9:50am – Special Address from an AI Pioneer: Making AI Walk the Talk
9:50am – 10:30am – Strategy Roundtable: Transforming Legacy Businesses with AI – Machine Learning is King Now But Image, Voice, and Natural Language Processing Are Coming Up Fast. What are the Internal Challenges? The Ethical Challenges? And the Business Opportunities?
9:05am – 9:30am – Keynote Address: The Evolution of Innovation: Build, Buy, Or Partner?
9:30am – 9:50am – Analyst Insight: Return on CX – 80% of the Potential ROI is Left Untapped
9:50am – 10:30am – Strategy Roundtable: How Can Financial Institutions Transform Customer Experience through Deep Customer Insights? Why Powerful Data Analytics Will Be Critical for Success?
11:00am – 11:25am – Fireside Chat with a Fintech Founder: How to Innovate on Behalf of the Customer & to Build a Business Around their Needs to Drive Loyalty and Sustained Growth
11:25am – 11:45am – Presentation: Customer Experience Promise vs. Reality: Getting to Measurable Impact
11:45am – 12:25pm – Leaders Debate: How to Align Your Whole Organization to a Common Customer Purpose & to Harness Future Tech to Redraw the Customer Experience Landscape
12:25pm – 1:25pm – Lunch & Networking Break
1:25pm – 1:45pm – Fireside Chat: Creating a Seamless Digital Customer Experience
It’s rehearsal day, so while companies are practicing their demos on stage in the auditorium, sponsors are setting up their booths in the networking hall. And you can prepare too– check out our Sneak Peek blog series to get an advance look at what each of the companies will unveil on stage and take a look at some of the themes that will pulse throughout the show.
AI and CX Summit
The precursor to the event begins today. Don’t miss our exclusive Summit Day that covers all you need to know about the latest in AI and Customer Experience as it relates to fintech and banking. Registration opens at 8:15 a.m. and the first session begins at 9 a.m.
Demo days
FinovateSpring begins tomorrow on Wednesday, May 8. Registration opens at 8:30 and the show kicks off at 9:30. Our 60 demo companies will take the stage on the first two days. Demos will be intermixed with keynote speakers, the Analyst All Star session, and networking. The demos wrap up on May 9 and the Best of Show winners will be announced that afternoon during happy hour.
Context day
Once the Best of Show winners have been crowned, it’s time to put it all into context. Registration for the final day of FinovateSpring begins at 8 a.m. and opening remarks start at 8:30. Prepare to hear plenty of insightful keynote addresses, panels, and discussions around community banking, digital banking, digital lending, and digital payments.
Feel free to contact us with any questions. We’ll see you in San Francisco!
