Rise of FinTech has banks scrambling to evolve

Empire Startups has announced details of its fifth annual NYC FinTech Conference on April 25, the headline event of FinTech Week NYC. The conference will bring together more than 500 thought-leaders in the FinTech community, including nationally-acclaimed entrepreneurs like Sallie Krawcheck, co-founder and CEO of Ellevest, and Amy Nauiokas, Founder and President of Anthemis Group — both of whom are keynote speakers.

Empire Startups is the largest FinTech network in the world comprised of entrepreneurs, investors, banking innovators and decision-makers within industries impacted by FinTech. This year’s NYC conference will feature interactive panels and provide attendees with the opportunity to engage directly with FinTech innovators, investors, and other players in the space.

“FinTech innovation has spurred a revolution that upends the traditional ways financial institutions have done business, helping meet evolving client demands at a pace that is often unmatched,” said Jon Zanoff, founder of Empire Startups. “We’re seeing FinTech innovation growing rapidly today, as evident by the more than 600 percent increase in venture capital investment in FinTech companies over the past five years.”

“As a result of this disruption, we’re finding that many decision-makers in financial services know change is needed but don’t know how to approach FinTech companies to find solutions to meet their client needs,” Zanoff said. “Empire Startups FinTech Conference equips these professionals with the tools they need, as well as fosters the growth of new startups and entrepreneurs looking to break into the market.”   

Empire Startups will be partnering with LinkedIn to showcase what everyone is talking about with #EmpireFintech. Follow the conversation to see top highlights and takeaways from sessions throughout the week - and join by adding your own thoughts using that hashtag on LinkedIn.

This year’s conference will answer questions related to banking, payments, insurance technology, lending, blockchain and more. The key themes will include:

·      Banks’ Quest to Keep Up. Banks are searching for ways to stay ahead of the technology curve, and many are beginning to develop innovation teams to find solutions. But, as they experiment, many are failing fast in regards to engaging with the FinTech community. Though labs, incubators, open APIs, accelerators and venture arms have flourished, are these initiatives truly accelerating innovation?

·      RegTech Heats Up. The financial services industry has seen a spike in watershed changes to the regulatory landscape in the U.S. and Europe. What can companies do to avoid facing potentially costly and detrimental ramifications? Regulatory technology (RegTech) offers solutions and helps companies to respond swiftly and efficiently to growing regulatory demands.

·      Potential Deregulation Brings Uncertainty. Though the financial services industry has seen an uptick in regulation in recent years, many predict U.S. banks may experience a wave of deregulation under the new administration – inducing both hope and concern. While it may help to eliminate inefficiencies of governmental regulation, worries of potential instability and lack of competition in the market still exist. What does deregulation truly mean for the financial services industry?

Key FinTech players presenting at Empire Startups FinTech Conference will include: Pascal Bouvier, Venture Partner at Santander InnoVentures, who will unveil (de)regulation's role in the future of FinTech; Husayn Kassai, co-founder and CEO of London-based RegTech startup Onfido, who will address how RegTech is increasing efficiency for financial services companies; and Jean Donnelly, Executive Director at FinTech Sandbox, who will moderate a set of up-and-coming startup demonstrations.

Empire Startups FinTech Conference will be held at Webster Hall on April 25 from 8:30 am to 7:30 pm in New York City. You can reserve your ticket now and check out the full agenda.

About Empire Startups:

Established in 2011, Empire Startups is a think tank boasting the largest community of FinTech entrepreneurs, investors, and banking innovators in the world. We are a thriving FinTech network bridging the gap between entrepreneurs, domain experts, and the investment community. Not only do we serve our community by disseminating news on innovation and trends, but we host the premier FinTech events of the year. Our annual Empire Startups FinTech Conference in New York, San Francisco and Toronto bring together FinTech players from all over the world. We also host meetups throughout the year in cities spanning the country. For more information, please visit us at: www.empirestartups.com. Or, you can check us out on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Reminder, LinkedIn is bringing you the best of the Empire Startups FinTech conference. Follow the conversation with #EmpireFintech.