I’ve learned via Google that, spiritually speaking, the number 1414 represents the power of positive thinking and the importance of having faith in oneself. But we’re here because in 1414, England’s King Henry V passed the Safe Conducts Act, creating the first official form of accepted identification, a precursor to the modern passport. Hence the name of Boston-based 1414 Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage digital identity startups. My first thought was that this is a narrow focus. But the more …
Author: jim
Thunes is building a proprietary global network of direct connections to local payment brands for an improved and more connected cross-border payment experience. Part one of our interview with CMO Irina Chuchkina is here. Q. Irina, how are you using …
La thune is a French word meaning, informally, money. Thunes is a cross-border payments platform that supports 80 currencies, enables payments to 130 countries, helps to accept 300 different payment methods, and can reach 3 billion mobile wallet …
June 21, 2023 Capital has become much harder to raise for fintech firms, particularly for later stage fintechs, and the proverbial IPO window is shut. Does this portend an increase in M&A as firms running low …
May 18, 2023 Ranking innovation ecosystems worldwide seem to be a tricky business. Criteria vary, some things are subjective, and conclusions can vary widely. It’s unsurprising that Boston is ranked #1 in the world for biotech. But when …
March 30, 2023 The global pandemic revealed startling weaknesses in our supply chains, and then Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine further illustrated the need for greater supply chain resilience across the globe. One issue is that …
January 4, 2023 I follow roughly 180 active fintech (insurtech, regtech, etc.) startups headquartered in Greater Boston which, by my definition, runs from Portland to Providence and as far west as Springfield.1 This is up from …
November 1, 2022 Fintech firms need people who can find ways to scale quickly in highly regulated industries while competing, partnering, or collaborating (or all three) with incumbent players. Incumbent firms need leaders who are agile …
September 27, 2022 In the last 20-years, robo-advisors have seen steady growth and many have reached significant scale. By using algorithms to build diversified portfolios based on investor goals and periodically rebalancing in a cost-effective and …
September 7, 2022 Luckily for the burgeoning marijuana industry, we can’t all be as upstanding as Jeff Sessions, the author of this quote. Thirty-eight states, Washington D. C., Puerto Rico, and Guam have all legalized marijuana to at …
September 7, 2022 Headquartered in Paris, Societe Generale is the seventh largest bank in Europe and the 18th largest in the world. SocGen, as it’s known, has more than 130,000 employees serving 30 million customers in 61 countries. SocGen …