FILED UNDER: Innovation

Q&A with Segun Idowu, Boston’s Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion

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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 it comes to fintech (the sector I … READ MORE

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FILED UNDER: Trade Finance

Closing the $1.7 Trillion Trade Finance Gap

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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 many buyers still utilize time-consuming, unpredictable, and … READ MORE

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FILED UNDER: FinTech, Startups, Venture Capital

Funding for Boston’s Fintech Firms Falls in 2022

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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 last year’s count, mostly because I’ve become … READ MORE

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FILED UNDER: Financial Services, FinTech

Is It Still a Seller’s Market for Fintech Talent?

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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 and can accelerate a digital transformation journey … READ MORE

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FILED UNDER: Wealth Management

Going Further with Farther

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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 tax-efficient fashion, wealth management entrepreneurs have been … READ MORE

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FILED UNDER: Mobile Payments, Regulation

“Good People Don’t Smoke Marijuana.”

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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 least an extent. A large majority of … READ MORE

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FILED UNDER: Innovation, Venture Capital

12 Questions with Claire Calmejane, CIO of Societe Generale

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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 has a longstanding commitment to digital transformation, … READ MORE

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FILED UNDER: FinTech, Startups

Do Algorithms Dream of Synthetic Data?

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Data is critical to innovation in financial services, from testing new underwriting algorithms to sifting through government filings for sell signals, to training fraud detection models. But real-world data – and particularly consumer data – can be hard to come … READ MORE

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FILED UNDER: FinTech, Startups, Venture Capital

Greater Boston Fintech Startups Raised $3.8 Billion in 2021

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I follow roughly 165 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. The number hasn’t changed much since 2020 despite the higher-than-usual number … READ MORE

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FILED UNDER: Institutional Asset Management, Sustainable Finance

Aligning Investments and Values with Physis Investment

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It’s been a long time in coming, but many of the world’s largest asset managers, forward-thinking family offices, and individual investors are developing and implementing sustainable investment strategies that seek to couple competitive financial returns with wider environmental and social … READ MORE

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