Elevandi 2023
Themes

Investments in FinTech have raised U$1Tn since 2010 in over 35,000 deals. Investor capital hence has been a significant source of innovation, customer experience improvements, financial inclusion, cost reduction, and value creation. Plus, timely launches of regulatory sandboxes have played a consequential role in fuelling innovation.

Now, with boundaries between innovators, social networks, digital platforms, and finance blurring, these introduce vulnerabilities and financial stability challenges, leading to regulatory considerations and scrutiny.

Hence, an open and continuous dialogue between capital providers and policy makers is additionally needed to better align market outcomes with policy objectives.

How can that then be done better? How does an investor and business operator approach this? Importantly, what is the policymaker’s perspective?

In 2021, more than 20% of venture dollars went into FinTech start-ups globally. This year, market conditions are dramatically different in every sector, including FinTech – public and private valuations are down. In addition, there is regulatory scrutiny on fast growing FinTech sectors – whether in Web 3 or BNPL – which has impacted investment outcomes. Consequently, capital providers are deliberating each investment with more caution.

Are there lessons, good and otherwise, that investors in both private and public markets have now learned?

If harnessed better, can these lessons help minimise policy risk to capital, while continuing to fuel innovation, and ultimately driving more sustainable value creation?

FinTech innovation and adoption is moving at a dizzying pace.

Consequently, regulatory considerations range from minimising risky retail behaviour to financial market stability, to market abuse and money laundering.

How can market outcomes be better aligned with policy objectives?

How can policymakers better participate in driving innovation such that investors are able to deploy risk capital in a relatively more informed manner?

What role can a more active dialogue between investors and policymakers play?

And if so, how could it be modelled?