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Report - October 22, 2019

Observations on Key Fintech Trends

  • The financial technology market continues to attract strong interest from financial investors and strategic acquirers alike, with 700+ M&A transactions completed in the last 12 months globally

  • Consolidation has accelerated as the sector matures and is expected to continue as fintech market leaders reach scale and look to pursue inorganic add-on opportunities

  • Blackstone`s announced sale of Refinitiv to the London Stock Exchange – less than a year after Blackstone carved the platform out of Thomson Reuters – serves to highlight how financial network providers continue to focus on delivering improved decision-making capabilities while further monetizing proprietary data assets derived from their clients` network activities

  • The immediate-term viability of digital currencies and mainstream blockchain technology applications are called into question with PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, and eBay all leaving Facebook`s Libra consortium simultaneously in late Q3 as the platform faces significant regulatory constraints

  • Technology companies are increasingly seeking to integrate billing and payments directly into their solutions to both improve end-user experience and to capture incremental economics from payment processing

  • Corporations globally are eager to optimize B2B transactions and are investing in cloud-based software solutions that improve procurement, AP automation, supply chain finance, and settlement activities, as well as working capital exchanges that enhance profitability

  • The banking and insurance industries continue to evolve as financial institutions increasingly adopt modern SaaS software solutions to defend against competitive unbundled offerings, improve operational workflows, and enhance client experience across business lines

  • Consumer adoption of digital and mobile payment and financial services solutions has accelerated globally as the proliferation of smartphones, digital currency, and digital native banks make online transaction increasingly frictionless, secure, and convenient

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