BeBeez awaits you on October 8 and 9 at the Allianz MiCo in Milan for the Milan Fintech Summit, the international event, now in its fifth edition, dedicated to innovation in banking and financial services, organized and promoted by Fintech District, the international community of reference for the fintech and techfin ecosystem in Italy, together with Business International, the knowledge unit of Fiera Milano, and supported by Milano&Partners. BeBeez is media partner of the event (see the press release here) as it was last year (see here the previous article by BeBeez).
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As always, the Milan Fintech Summit will gather international fintech excellences, financial players, investors, large companies and SMEs interested in fintech solutions to simplify business processes, institutions, associations and European hubs for a two-day event dedicated to innovation and the latest trends in the financial services industry.
With more than 15 thousand financial companies, 2,800 startups based in the city and a growing venture capital ecosystem, Milan is the ideal location for this event. Milan is home to 41% of Italian fintech companies, including two unicorns and a hotbed of real talent. In addition, 69% of investments in Italian fintech are located in the city of Milan.
To provide a more in-depth insight into the sector, the event will present the first data from the 2024 edition of the Italian Fintech Map, the guide created by Fintech District and the Milan Polytechnic University, which offers an overview of fintech companies active in Italy and European companies with an Italian matrix.
Recall in this regard that a mapping of the contribution of fintech industry in its role of capital intermediation in favor of Italian SMEs is provided periodically by BeBeez: between January and June 2024, the capital flow to Italian SMEs through fintech lending, supply chain finance and equity crowdfunding platforms exceeded €4 billion, bringing the total since 2018 to over €28 billion (see here the BeBeez Fintech H1 2024 Report, available to BeBeez News Premium and BeBeez Private Data subscribers). All at an impressive growth rate: just under 10 billion had been channeled in 2023 (a slightly downwardly revised figure, compared to the Fintech Platforms Report 2023), 5.2 billion in 2022 (see the Fintech Platforms Report 2022 here), with a remarkable jump from just 3.5 billion in 2021 (see the Fintech Platforms Report 2021 here) and only 2.4 billion in 2020. By contrast, however, as has happened internationally, startups and scaleups in the sector are having a harder time attracting investors: in the first half of the year, there were only €41 million raised in 12 rounds by Italian-origin fintech startups and scaleups (i.e., based in Italy or with Italian founders, even if based abroad). It will be interesting, then, to see what the air is like among the event’s participants.
After last October 2023’s edition, which featured more than 110 Italian and international speakers and the participation of international unicorns and more than 1,300 people (63 percent of them C Level) from more than 30 countries, the 2024 Milan Fintech Summit edition aims to confirm the event’s central role in bringing forward a constructive debate on the evolving trends in fintech.
“Smells linke fintech spirit” is the claim chosen for this year’s edition, which, after cinema in 2022 and international literature in 2023, finds its inspiration in music and sees each session referencing the title of a famous song. Speakers, partners and participants are, moreover, sharing their favorite song to create the official playlist of the Milan Fintech Summit on Spotify. The music, in fact, reflects the dynamic, innovative and disruptive nature of fintechs, whose solutions, regardless of industry, when integrated can help improve business and offer customers a cutting-edge experience.
The 2024 edition of the Milan Fintech Summit, like a concert, follows an imaginary lineup that sees the two-day sessions renamed along the lines of great musical hits, through which to connect discussions to broader cultural themes making the content even more interesting and engaging.
Among the main “tracks”:
- Imagine: This session will explore the future of fintech, focusing on how services might evolve and their role in advancing social and environmental goals. An essential time to understand the trajectory of fintech and its industry-wide impact.
- One: Dedicated to embedded finance, this session will discuss the integration of services such as payments, loans and insurance on orchestration platforms. It emphasizes the importance of creating a seamless customer experience through technology.
- Bridge Over Troubled Water: this part will be on the topic of diversity and inclusion, focusing on the challenges faced by women in the fintech industry, particularly those from sub-banked regions, and explores ways through which to attract and support female talent.
- What a Wonderful World: will look at how emerging markets can benefit from the experiences of established fintech ecosystems and vice versa, emphasizing internationalization and the value of diverse perspectives.
- AI Will Always Love You: a look at Artificial Intelligence, generative AI and Machine Learning in fintech. It will discuss the potential benefits, applications and risks of AI and how it can transform the world of finance.
In addition, as in past editions, networking will be an integral part of the 2024 Milan Fintech Summit, with numerous opportunities designed to create connections among participants. Over the two days of the event, the exhibition area will be open at all times to give all participants the chance to meet with sponsors, create opportunities for discussion, connect with peers, exchange ideas and explore potential collaborations. To facilitate meetings and exchanges, the official app will also be available and will be released soon.
Also this year, the Milan Fintech Summit will feature international keynote speakers and the ceo’s and C Levels of the most important companies in the industry, including: Alessandra Perrazzelli, Deputy Director General of Bank of Italy; Anna Lambiase, Chairwoman of CDP Venture Capital; Mathias Wikström, ceo of Doconomy; Paolo Zaccardi, ceo of Fabrick; Enrico Mattiazzi, ceo & Founder of Fiscozen; Alberta Pelino, President Young Ambassadors society and Founder Fibi; Stefania Di Bartolomeo, ceo Physis Investments; Silvia Attanasio, Head of Innovation ABI; Stefano Quintarelli, Founder of Rialto VC; and Bianca Bonetti, Associate – Network & Engagement of Gyrus Capital. And, for the first time in Italy: Nicolas Benady, ceo SWAN;Carsten Höltkemeyer, ceo Solaris; Deniz Guven, Board Member Wamo and former founder and ceo of Mox; Meirav Harel, Israeli Ambassador European Women in Payments Network (EWPN) and lecturer of the Full Blockchain & Fintech Course Reichman University.
In addition, Amanda Estiverne-Colas, Founder/Fractional cfo AGE Advisors and Global Mentor Women in Payments, will interview three prominent figures in the fintech world: Francesca Carlesi ceo of Revolut UK, the ever-growing neobank that is now worth $45 billion and has become the UK’s second-largest bank by capitalization; Kos Stiskin, co-founder and vice president of Finom, a company that recently secured $54 million in a Series B funding round; and Miguel Amaro, ceo and co-founder of Coverflex, a company that closed the largest pre-seed round in Portugal.
Regulators will also have a space on the agenda within the session organized by Refink on MiCAr, which will feature the Bank of Italy, BaFin, Bundesbank, FMA Liechtenstein, National Bank of Romania, Norges Bank and Danish Financial Supervisory Authority.
In addition, the Milan Fintech Summit will host the Italian final of Mastercard For Fintechs, a European program and competition launched by the company to support fintechs in their growth path through privileged access to educational sessions and a series of events. During the opening day on Oct. 8, the top 10 fintech finalists in the national competition will compete for the two passes that will grant them access to the final event in Paris, during which the overall winner of the contest will be declared. A prize of 50,000 euros in marketing support will be up for grabs.
