Fintechs and cybersecurity
Season 1, episode 9
Listen to the full episode here.
According to the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) cyberthreats are on the rise, with more and more Phishing attempts, Identity Theft, Ransomware. The COVID-19 seems to have been an accelerant with attacks on homes, businesses, governments and critical infrastructure. In this podcast we’ll discuss the issue with cybersecurity experts. What are the current threats and those to watch out for in the next few years? What are the new solutions being developed by innovative firms to fight those threats? We’ll ask ourselves if fintech firms, that are introducing new technologies and solutions to the financial services sector, are well prepared to face cyberthreats.
DirectID and Doconomy partner on climate functionality
FinTech DirectID have just entered a collaboration agreement with pioneering Swedish impact tech company Doconomy.
Doconomy is an impact-tech company that uses the power of data raise awareness of the impact of consumption whilst offering solutions to reduce it. With Doconomy users can understand and drive positive movement to tackle climate change.
DirectID is the world’s expert in global credit risk enabled by the usage of real-time bank data. They tackle current problems found within the credit risk lifecycle:
- Affordability
- Income and account verification
- Emerging financial distress
- Spend categorisation & classification
Doconomy and DirectID have decided to partner to bring climate functionality to the masses, helping consumers make more informed decisions and encourage a more sustainable lifestyle.
This is another great example of how using bank data can help develop new innovative solutions beyond greater access to financial products.
James Varga, CEO of DirectID, said:
“As we continue to grow our reach and capability, having a trusted set of partners is critical to our future success. We are delighted to have signed this agreement with Doconomy.
“We are increasingly seeing new and diverse ways that bank data can support use cases across industry and sector. Using bank data to help us to understand business and consumer’s environmental impact is yet one more way that DirectID’s bank data expertise can support another tech company.”
Mathias Wikström, CEO of Doconomy, said:
“With DirectID joining us in shaping a new normal based on impact transaparency, we are excited to see additional opportunities for continuous development of tools in support of climate action. DirectID bring equal amounts of expertise and passion to the table and we are excited to team up on the most important challenge of all.”
Women Driving Fintech
Season 1, episode 8
Listen to the full episode here.
Saying that women are under-represented in fintech is an understatement. According to a 2018 LendIt survey, only 37 per cent of fintech employees are female, with representation dropping to just 19 per cent at C-suite level.
There are however some great success stories. Anne Boden, CEO at Starling Bank or closer to home Jude Cook, CEO and co-founder at ShareIn, Loral and Eishel Quinn at Sustainably and with us today Ana Galitsyna co-founder at fintech Baby Ready.
Whilst not being the majority, they are role models of leadership and real examples of what the “women difference” means in terms of entrepreneurship.
If fintech had a gender it would probably be female (in French it is “une fintech”), a movement destined to change the financial sector as we know it. Fintech is about democratisation, it is about better outcome for citizens and companies, empathy for customer problems and about inclusion; qualities that females have in abundance and are using to develop new innovative businesses.
In this episode we are joined by:
Ana Galitsyna – Co-founder at fintech Baby Ready
Yvonne Dunn – Partner at Pinsent Masons
Sarah Ronald – Founder at Nile HQ and investor at ParEquity
Fintech to fight climate change
Season 1, episode 7
Listen to the full episode here.
With COP26 taking place in Glasgow later this year, there is a real focus on the climate change issue. As all participating countries are asked to submit their new long-term goals to address the global climate emergency, we are asking ourselves today how fintech can participate in this global movement.
The United Nations, in their Principles for Responsible Banking, have recognised Financial Services as one of the components that will help tackle climate change.
Fintech, as a movement, is already trying to tackle economic and societal issues such as financial inclusion, better financial outcomes, better money management tools, etc. Can it also provide new innovative solution to combat climate change?
With our distinguished guests we’ll explore the role fintech can and ought to play in the race to save the planet. Will touch on some themes such as ESG, digital currencies and much more
Guests:
Daniel Broby – Director at the Centre for Financial Regulation and Innovation at Strathclyde Business School
Zee West – Co-founder at Picnic Bank
Natalie Jackson – Consultant at the Global Ethical Finance Initiative
Survey – FinTech Scotland Research & Innovation roadmap
Whitecap Consulting is supporting FinTech Scotland in the development of a ten-year research and innovation roadmap to support the growth of Scotland’s digital economy and the wider development of FinTech innovation across the UK.
This roadmap will build on the work of FinTech Scotland to date, and inform priority focus research themes and the unmet needs of consumers, businesses and society.
This survey will help us identify appropriate opportunities for cross-sector enablement of FinTech innovations to achieve the UK’s overall industrial strategy.
Take the survey
Thank you for your participation. Any answers you give in this online survey may be attributed to individuals or organisations within the report, however only with your prior approval.
Fintech, a force for good?
Season 1, episode 6
Listen to the full episode here.
Fintech is a movement that focusses on customer outcomes, transparency, and democratisation of the financial services sector. Using data and technology, fintech firms are looking at tackling societal and economic issues. Together with our guest we’ll discuss the role of fintech in tomorrow’s world. With Duncan Cockburn, Founder & CEO at OneBanks, Eishel Quinn, Co-founder & Chief Product Officer at Sustainably and Dominic Chalmers, Senior Lecturer at the University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School, Convenor of the MSc Financial Technology
Innovations in the world of payments
Season 1, episode 5
Listen to the full episode here.
The world of payment is being disrupted like never before, accelerated, in part, by the recent economic and societal changed imposed by COVID19.
Contactless payments, rise in online transactions coupled with increased concerns around fraud and cybersecurity mean that the sector is undergoing some unprecedented changes.
In this episode we explore what those changes mean in terms of innovation and from a regulation perspective with 3 fantastic guests:
Genevieve Marjoribanks, Head of Policy and ExCo member at Payment Systems Regulator
Myles Stephenson, Chief Executive at Modulr
Brian Coburn, CEO at Br-dge
Fintech Innovation Roadmap to drive a digital enabled net zero economic recovery
FinTech Scotland is developing a ten-year business-led research and innovation roadmap which will support the growth of Scotland’s digital economy and development of fintech innovation across the UK.
This implements one of the recommendations highlighted in the recent Kalifa FinTech Sector Review which referenced Scotland as the second largest fintech cluster in the UK and the opportunity to build on this position through strategic research and innovation.
The roadmap will advance the FinTech Scotland Cluster in a number of ways, including
- Develop priority innovation themes such as financial inclusion, net zero and well-being
- Align research strengths and capabilities with innovation priorities and drive efficiencies
- Enhance Scotland’s national and global reputation for fintech innovation
- Shape innovation challenges and influence future Government Innovation strategies
The roadmap is being developed in collaboration with the Global Open Finance Centre of Excellence (GOFCoE) and together they have appointed Whitecap Consulting to progress the initiative. The work builds on the FinTech Scotland “Research and Innovation for UK FinTech” report published in January 2021 as well as the academic-led research and innovation roadmap recently developed by the Edinburgh Futures Institute at the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with regional Universities.
Nicola Anderson chief executive of FinTech Scotland said
“The roadmap will further advance and grow Scotland’s fintech Cluster and it will bring insight and specific focus to accelerate fintech Innovation. Working with Whitecap consulting and across the Cluster we will identify a suite of progressive actions that will enable positive economic outcomes”.
Kevin Collins, chief executive of the Global Open Finance Centre of Excellence said
“We’re delighted to be working with FinTech Scotland and Whitecap Consulting on this roadmap and is essential to ensuring we prioritise the needs of financial and fintech businesses, including key skills gaps as well as provide an opportunity to align businesses and academics effectively.”
Richard Coates, Managing Director of Whitecap Consulting, says:
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work alongside FinTech Scotland and the GOFCoE team on this interesting project. The development of FinTech Scotland’s Research & Innovation roadmap calls for us to utilise a combination of our core strength in strategy and planning, our extensive work across the UK’s regional FinTech ecosystems, and our experience working with and connecting key stakeholders across public, private and higher education organisations.”
Cryptocurrency, towards global adoption?
Season 1, episode 4
Listen to the full episode here.
Cryptocurrencies are regularly featured in the press. Sometimes it’s about Bitcoin reaching a new high, sometimes about a new ICO launching. More recently we learnt that tech giant Elon Musk had bought into the digital currency movement.
There have been many debates since Bitcoin launched in 2008. There are those who believe crypto is just a temporary craze and those who believe it’s the future of money.
With global tech giants launching their own coins and new crypto reaching new highs, we discussed whether now was the start of global crypto adoption.
For our fourth podcast we’re bringing industry experts together to discuss the topic and listen to their views on the future of cryptocurrency.
Guests:
Temple Melvillle, Director at The Scotcoin Project
Nick Jones, CEO and co-founder at Zumo
Zion Schum, Founder and CEO at Leutheria
AI and fintech applications
Season 1, episode 3
Listen to the full episode here.
On the 22nd of March 2021 Scotland’s AI Strategy was published. AI is playing a growing role in the development of fintech solutions. In this special episode that launches during the UK fintech week we hear from two fintech firms that have built their proposition around AI as well as Gillian Docherty, OBE, CEO at The DataLab, member of the Steering Committee that led to the creation of Scotland’s AI strategy and Chair of the AI Alliance in Scotland. We’re also joined by Simon Pink, AI & Data Leader for financial services at IBM. In this episode we discussed how Scotland will become an AI powerhouse, the evolution of AI and ethics implications and look at two firms using AI in the fintech space to deliver better outcomes for firms and citizens.