​The 12 Trailblazing days of Christmas: FinTech finalists

Earlier this year, we were delighted to announce the new category of FinTech, considering innovative new technology’s role as an increasingly vital cog in the financial ecosystem. According to Accenture, global investment in FinTech ventures has more than tripled in recent years – from under $930 million in 2008 to more than $2.97 billion in 2013.

We take a closer look at this year’s FinTech frontrunners…

FinTech

- 6Fusion (@6fusion), www.6fusion.com – Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Copsonic (@CopSonic), www.copsonic.com – Montauban, France
- Percentile (@pcentile), www.percentile.co.uk – London, UK
- Sr. Pago (@SrPagoOficial), www.srpago.com - Álvaro Obregón, Mexico

In the running for FinTech Winner is US-based startup 6fusion. 6fusion’s innovation translates IT infrastructure, whether on-premise or cloud, into a single standard unit of measure, providing a common language for IT consumption across vendors. 6fusion is privately funded.

French startup CopSonic is developing a sonic and ultrasonic authentication technology - a new universal contactless communication protocol for security, payment and tracking. CopSonic’s offering is already available for the 30 billion smart devices existing worldwide: featuring phones, smartphones, tablets, TV-box, computers, game consoles and the Internet of Things. This privately funded startup has received support from its mother company, SECOM.

Another FinTech startup looking to be crowned winner is UK-based Percentile…Percentile develops enterprise-grade risk technology for capital markets that helps financial companies handle their daily risk management and tackle their regulatory reporting needs. Percentile is not externally funded, yet is clearly one to watch in 2015, having recently completed the FastForward London pre-accelerator program.

From Mexico comes Sr. Pago - said to be revolutionizing the cash-based financial ecosystem that 70% of the population of Mexico currently relies upon. Its flagship product is a payment system that provides a secure, chip-based debit card, a card reader that connects to any smartphone or tablet, and an app for managing transactions. According to CrunchBase, this FinTech startup is currently Seed funded by Barrett Lyon, Center Electric and Defense.Net, with no doubt a view to achieving Series A funding soon. It is also shortlisted as a potential Emerging Markets Trailblazer.

More on this year’s FinTech shortlist…

• The 2014 FinTech shortlist consists of startups from France, Mexico, the UK and USA – all in equal shares. As a result, Europe as a region appears to dominate the category at 50%.
• The global FinTech startup scene is a constant space for innovation – with each of this edition’s 4 FinTech finalists all of differing maturity.

Want to help decide the FinTech Trailblazers? Vote for your favourites at www.techtrailblazers.com/shortlist/ before 23.59pm Pacific Time on 16^th January 2015.

Stay updated for tomorrow’s IoT finalists!