Elevandi means to lift up or elevate in Latin.
An accidental global conference
In 2016, the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) Fintech group, intending to host a modest seminar on fostering a global dialogue on the impact of Fintech, accidentally gave birth to a highly successful international event called Singapore Fintech Festival (SFF). In its first edition, it became a runaway success attracting over thirteen thousand delegates, way above its modest goal of gathering a few hundred people, who all came together to discuss the impact of Fintech-led transformation.
Late Anshu Jain, Former Deutsche Bank Co-Ceo, at his closing address at the inaugural Singapore Fintech festival, said, "This is the Woodstock moment of Fintech."
Unprecedented growth
Since its launch, the festival has grown to become the world"s largest gathering of the global Fintech ecosystem, bringing more than 60,000 people together from over 130 countries, who come together to develop hundreds of insights and valuable knowledge assets. The festival has attracted heads of state, central bank governors, global CEOs from technology and financial services, impact makers, market influencers and entrepreneurs. In addition, it has become an annual destination for Fintechs, FIs, and Tech companies, to announce products, introduce innovations and foster collaborative public-private dialogues. SFF also takes pride in being the most affordable and inclusive global such event.
Christine Lagarde, Former IMF Managing Director and Currently President of the European Central Bank, at the 2018 Singapore Fintech Festival, said,
"In Singapore, it is often windy. Winds here bring change and opportunity. Historically, they blew ships to its port. These resupplied while waiting for the Monsoon to pass, for the seasons to change. "Change is the only constant," wrote the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus. Singapore knows this. You know this. It is the true spirit of the Fintech Festival - opening doors to new digital futures; hoisting sails to the winds of change."
Institutionalisation of SFF - Elevandi
SFF"s unprecedented growth, both in size and the quality of its content, made it imperative to consider enriching it with institutional strength. Therefore, in August 2021, the MAS announced the creation of an independent legal entity, named Elevandi, to foster an active and open dialogue between the public and private sectors, to advance FinTech further in the global digital economy.
A founding team from the MAS FTIG group was selected and transferred to Elevandi to help achieve that vision. Elevandi is now rapidly evolving into a world-class knowledge platform with fresh insights captured from initiatives that connect people, in addition to flagship SFF programmess like Elevandi Insights Fourm, Green Shoot Series, Inclusive FinTech Forum, Point Zero Forum, and more.
Elevandi now brings millions of people via online and physical engagement and is fast establishing itself as a credible and inclusive global knowledge platform.