FinTech West Webinar 22-6-21
The latest FinTech West webinar took place on Tuesday 22nd June when four speakers provided updates and insights on recent FinTech developments, including the co-founder of a new FinTech startup based in in the South West.
Watch the webinar here
The session was chaired by Julian Wells, director of Whitecap Consulting and FinTech West, and we have briefly summarised the webinar below.
Learning from London: exploring the future sustainability and cluster dynamics in the Bristol-Bath FinTech community - Professor Jonathan Beaverstock, Professor of International Management, University of Bristol
Jon gave an update on the project he is currently conducting, which is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The work looks at what Bristol & Bath can learn from London’s FinTech cluster, and the competitive advantages that can be achieved. Clusters aren’t just about firms, they are about the supporting organisations in an ecosystem, and they are fuelled by competition and collaboration. Clusters exhibit stronger economic performance on metrics including growth and productivity.
The final report will be available in mid-July and the second phase of this project will commence later this year, which will look at the future competitiveness and sustainability of the Bristol & Bath cluster.
FinTech West Strategy Framework - Stuart Harrison, Director, FinTech West
Stuart provided an update on FinTech West’s strategy, and the progress from recent months. FinTech West’s purpose is to be the ecosystem facilitator for the region’s FinTech community. The Kalifa Review highlighted Bristol & Bath as one of the top 10 FinTech clusters in the UK, but FinTech West’s focus is the broader region. Stuart outlined that FinTech West will engage in activity across nine key areas.
FinTech West Group for fundraising - Iain Robertson, Director, Invest West
Iain explained that Invest West is a regional funding network, which has so far brought together 120 firms seeking investment with 200 angel and VC investors. Invest West has teamed up with FinTech West to create a funding portal to showcase the region’s FinTech firms who are seeking investment. The service is completely free to FinTechs and investors, as the organisation is supported by its partners.
Useful links:
FinTech West platform: https://platform.investwest.online/groups/fintech-west
Investor sign up: https://platform.investwest.online/groups/fintech-west/signup/investor
Submit a fundraising pitch: https://platform.investwest.online/groups/fintech-west/signup/issuer
Protecting vulnerable customers - Jonathan Barrett, CEO & Co-Founder, Comentis
Jonathan explained the concept behind Comentis’ proposition. Over 30 million adults in the UK are estimated to be at risk of financial vulnerability, and the identification and protection of vulnerable customers is a key priority for the FCA. Comentis provides regulated firms with an app-based service that enables financially vulnerable customers to be identified via a clinically developed assessment process. After providing an overview of the concept, Jonathan gave an impressive live demo of the Comentis platform to the FinTech West community.
