Financial landscape for female entrepreneurs
Angel investment is a significant source of risk capital for start-up and early stage businesses across Europe.
As avid watchers of the BBC’s Dragon’s Den will know, it offers entrepreneurs not only finance but vital business experience and expertise to enable businesses to achieve their high growth potential.
But in spite of a number of high profile women leading the way – Deborah Meaden, Kelly Hoppen, Hilary Devey and Jenny Campbell to name just a few – the gender balance in the angel investment community is off.
Even with blockchain and cryptocurrency, trust still needed
Many imagine the blockchain and cryptocurrencies like bitcoin will lead to a world without governments, banks or institutions verifying transactions but research shows otherwise, say two experts.
PERTH: A common idea about the blockchain, the technology that powers bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, is that it can “create trust”, or allow two parties to make a transaction “without relying on trust”.
If true, this means we could create a world without a trusted “man in the middle”. We could have financial services without a bank verifying transactions and we could transfer ownership of a house for instance without a lawyer.
On 3-5 June, Amsterdam plays host to Money20/20 Europe, Europe’s largest fintech event – and it’s hard to think of a more fitting location.
In 2018 there were over 400 companies operating in the Dutch fintech industry – a number which continues to increase daily. The Netherlands is a global frontrunner in successful fintech innovation, and the start-up scene is thriving.
One of the biggest talking points in financial services is the integration of technology to disrupt notoriously traditional approach to industries such as banking and insurance. But, just as we’ve seen in the UK, large banks and insurance companies across the Netherlands are actively embracing the innovation and transparency afforded by the fintech start-up scene and actively support it.
The sheer mix and variety of traditional banks and fintech start-ups attending Money20/20 Europe this year is evidence enough of this willingness to collaborate.