Innovation That Matters

The Top 10 Fin Tech startups for 2016

We've put together the top 10 Fin Tech startups from this year, designed to provide you with plenty of fresh inspiration for the future. Note: in order to read some of these articles, a Springwise Access account is required.

AI financial advisor makes 80 year projection

We are seeing many smart, artificial intelligence apps that help users manage their financial goals. Pefin is an AI financial advisor that monitors over two million data points to suggest decisions. Neomy is another finance assistant that checks globals exchange rates and sends alerts to users when it is the best time for transfers.

Read more about Pefin »

App delivers financial advice for students via Snapchat

While targeting millennials is hardly a new strategy for financial institutions, catering specifically to smartphone natives is one way fin tech startups are beginning to set themselves apart from the status quo. NextGenVest is a money advice app which sends reminders to young adults and students for filling out financial forms via SMS and Snapchat. Companies like Mondo and Kuho are also offering smart, mobile-first banking solutions.

Read more about NextGenVest »

Connected cars pay for parking spaces via fingerprint

Fingerprint payment technology is finally upon us, and initial implementations include SEAT, Samsung and SAP’s system for reserving and paying for parking via biometrics. In Japan, a new initiative will enable tourists to pay for items using their forefingers.

Read more about SEAT »

Could payment via sound waves rival NFC?

Although NFC payments have already had a huge impact, there is still a degree of uncertainty as to whether the tech will remain the default payment method of the future. SoundPays and ToneTag are offering alternative ways to pay seamlessly, with offline cashless payments through sound waves.

Read more about SoundPays and ToneTag »

Crowdfunding real estate down payments from the community

Home ownership is becoming an increasingly remote possibility for younger generations who simply cannot afford the down payments. Landed wants to help buyers crowdfund their deposit from neighbors, bosses, and colleagues, who receive equity on their first home in exchange.

Read more about Landed »

Financial platform fronts revenues on pending invoices

Irregular or delayed payments can seriously stunt the progress of a business, but now startups can use BillFront’s services to ease cash-flow issues. The company pays businesses their pending invoices instantly, enabling rapid reinvestment of revenue into growth.

Read more about BillFront »

Investment platform funds renewables in South America

Investing in positive social change is something many New Entrepreneurs are passionate about, and so it’s no surprise to see new startups popping up to help them do just that. Caaapital is an investment platform that connects investors with renewable energy projects, while Goodbye Gun Stocks is a startup that will help customers divest their stocks away from the gun industry.

Read more about Caaapital »

Journalism pay-per-article platform aims to be Spotify for news

Offering democratized, free content, while ensuring journalists are paid enough is a constant balancing act for online publishers. Blendle offers a solution: it is a platform that lets readers make micropayments to access news articles behind paywalls without having to subscribe.

Read more about Blendle »

Single item insurance via a smartphone app

Organizing insurance is one of those financial tasks many people find daunting. Hoping to offer an alternative, Trov is an insurance platform for millennials that enables them to register items one-by-one, and make claims by chatting to a bot.

Read more about Trov »

Smart grid uses blockchain for sharing energy

One of the most immediately recognizable benefits of blockchain technology is the security and transparency it guarantees in financial transactions. Transactivgrid has started work in Brooklyn to enable peer-to-peer energy trading — residents in Park Slope and surrounding areas can now create a network of local energy, and buy and sell solar power from each other securely using blockchain.

Read more about Transactivgrid »