Inside High-Tech Asset Tracing Investigations with I-On Asia
Finance Monthly recently spoke with Oliver Laurence, Managing Partner - EMEA and Australia at I-OnAsia, whose rich background in police work and government investigations offers a unique perspective to explore this field. His diverse experiences spanning fraud, money laundering, international love scams, and various financial crimes have culminated in a comprehensive understanding of illicit asset movements. As we navigate the complexities of modern financial transactions, technological evolution, and the use of tangible assets for hiding wealth, Mr. Laurence sheds light on the strategies and principles employed to unearth concealed assets and the challenges posed by the ever-evolving landscape of asset tracing.
Mr Laurence, given your tenure with the Police and your involvement in government investigations, how have these experiences influenced your asset tracing techniques? Would you say that this distinctive background provides you with a competitive advantage at I-OnAsia?
My government investigations work often spanned a wide range of criminal activities, including fraud, money laundering, international love scams, and other financial crimes. This diversity of exposure allowed for a comprehensive understanding of the myriad of ways individuals and entities try to hide or move assets illicitly.
My career in law enforcement and governmental investigations provided me with advanced training and access to cutting-edge technology and tools not available to the public. This included specialised software, databases, and forensic techniques designed specifically for tracking assets and uncovering illicit financial activities. This has been a huge help moving into the private sector with I-OnAsia working all over the globe.
Considering the reputation of I-OnAsia as a Chambers & Partners ranked leading investigations and intelligence firm operating now for more than 20 years, my background in police and government investigations has undoubtedly been seen as a competitive advantage to our clients, supporting our global team out of Hong Kong and New York.
Is there such a thing as a typical asset tracing investigation? Do you employ a broad set of principles in each case? If so, what are they, and how did they come about?
While every asset tracing investigation is unique, given the varying nature of cases we undertake at I-OnAsia, underlying assets, jurisdictions involved, and the methods used by entities to hide or move assets, there are some typical approaches and broad principles that can be applied.
For me, it’s about starting with a thorough understanding of the client's objectives and a review of all available information. This stage helps to determine the potential scale of the investigation and the assets in question. Gathering all relevant documents, which might include bank statements, property records, corporate records, contracts, and more. Analysing these can provide leads on the movement and location of assets or, of course, allow our team to start the investigation strongly with a good understanding of the subject and what we may or may not be looking for.
Our heat seeker capability introduced a few years ago into our firm has allowed us to build a rapid global footprint of our targets both commercially and privately. No longer do we just look for bricks and mortar. Asset tracing has developed into so much more. Lifestyle patterns and access to liquidity are all huge clues and indicators as to one's wealth and provide litigators and insolvency practitioners with a good idea of the subject person.
How have the intricacies of modern financial transactions and instruments, such as cryptocurrencies, made asset tracing more challenging?
The evolution of modern financial transactions and the introduction of new financial instruments, especially cryptocurrencies, have certainly added layers of complexity to the asset tracing process.
Cryptocurrencies operate on decentralised platforms, making them inherently resistant to control or regulation by central entities or governments. This decentralisation can make it difficult for investigators to retrieve pertinent data or enforce traditional methods of asset recovery.
Some cryptocurrencies, especially privacy coins like Monero or ZCash, prioritise user privacy, making transactions largely anonymous. While Bitcoin and many others operate on a pseudonymous basis (where users are identified by public keys rather than personal information), linking these public keys to real-world identities can be challenging. These are services that mix potentially identifiable or 'tainted' cryptocurrency funds with others, making the tracing of transactions far more complicated.
While these complexities present challenges, they also offer opportunities. The immutable nature of blockchain, which underpins most cryptocurrencies, means that all transactions are recorded permanently. If investigators can decipher the information or link pseudonymous data to real-world identities, they can uncover detailed transaction histories.
How has the evolution of technology, both as a tool for hiding and tracing assets, changed the landscape of asset tracing?
The evolution of technology has significantly impacted the landscape of asset tracing, presenting both challenges and opportunities for investigators. Technology has been a double-edged sword, serving as a tool for obfuscating assets and, conversely, a means to unearth hidden assets with unprecedented efficacy.
Advanced forensic tools can recover deleted data from devices, analyse digital trails, or even trace the origins of transactions on certain blockchain networks. The power of big data analytics, combined with artificial intelligence, allows investigators to sift through vast amounts of data quickly, spot patterns, and identify suspicious transactions.
In essence, while technology has introduced new avenues for hiding assets, it has also empowered investigators with tools that, when used adeptly, can unravel even the most sophisticated concealment techniques. The landscape of asset tracing has, as a result, transformed into a high-tech game of cat and mouse, with both sides continuously evolving their strategies.
How do individuals use real estate, art, or other tangible assets to hide their wealth? Are there particular "red flags" that suggest such methods?
Individuals seeking to hide or launder money often turn to tangible assets like real estate, art, and luxury goods because they can be easier to cloud and offer value storage in something relatively stable. Here's how these assets are commonly used:
Individuals may purchase properties through shell companies, trusts, or other legal entities that mask the true owner's identity. Purchasing real estate in foreign countries, especially those with strong property rights but weak anti-money laundering controls, can help hide assets.
The art market often allows buyers and sellers to remain anonymous, especially at auctions. The value of art can be very subjective, allowing for over- or under-valuation, which can be a means to transfer or hide large sums of money.
While the use of tangible assets for hiding wealth can be subtle, there are certain "red flags" or indicators that can suggest such methods, If properties or art pieces are frequently bought and sold, especially in a short timeframe, it might indicate an attempt to confuse the paper trail. Purchases that seem disproportionate to an individual's known source of income or wealth can be suspicious.
The use of multiple layers of corporations, trusts, or other entities, especially if they're based in multiple jurisdictions, can be a sign of an attempt to hide the true ownership or origin of funds.
Detecting and proving the illicit concealment of wealth requires a multifaceted approach, combining the scrutiny of financial transactions with a deep understanding of the behaviors and patterns associated with money laundering and asset hiding.
How do you prioritise your tracing efforts when time is of the essence, such as impending bankruptcy or potential asset transfers? What immediate steps can be taken to prevent impending asset transfers?
Identifying which assets are most vulnerable to being moved, hidden, or liquidated is always a priority for our global team, if you know they exist of course. If you don’t the search starts from the ground up.
While real estate and tangible assets can be of high value, they usually take time to sell. Bank accounts, stock portfolios, and other liquid assets can be transferred quickly and if we know about them, they become our primary focus.
Oliver Laurence JP Qual
Managing Partner – EMEA & Australia, I-OnAsia
In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, CFOs play a vital role in driving profitability and ensuring long-term success. With the advancement of digital technology, CFOs have the opportunity to leverage innovative tools and strategies to optimize financial operations and enhance profitability. This article explores the various aspects of incorporating digital technology in finance and provides insights into how CFOs can harness its potential to drive profitability.
Understanding the Role of a CFO in the Digital Age
The role of a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) has greatly evolved in the digital age. Traditionally focused on financial planning, reporting, and risk management, CFOs now play a strategic role in leveraging digital technology to drive growth and profitability.
In today's fast-paced and interconnected world, businesses are increasingly relying on digital tools and platforms to streamline operations, gain insights, and stay competitive. As a result, CFOs have become key players in navigating the complex landscape of digital finance.
One of the primary responsibilities of CFOs in the digital age is to understand and anticipate digital disruptions in the finance landscape. By staying up-to-date with emerging technologies and market trends, CFOs can proactively identify opportunities to optimize financial operations and enhance profitability.
With the advent of digital technology, CFOs have access to vast amounts of data that can be used to drive informed decision-making. By harnessing the power of data analytics, CFOs can gain valuable insights into customer behaviour, market trends, and financial performance. This data-driven approach enables CFOs to make strategic financial decisions that align with the organization's goals.
The Evolving Responsibilities of CFOs
As digital technology continues to transform the finance function, CFOs are faced with new responsibilities and challenges. In addition to their traditional roles, CFOs are now expected to drive digital transformation and innovation within their organizations.
CFOs are increasingly responsible for evaluating and implementing digital tools and systems that can optimize financial operations, such as cloud-based accounting software, robotic process automation, and data analytics platforms. These technologies streamline financial processes, improve accuracy, and provide real-time insights for better decision-making.
Furthermore, CFOs are now playing a critical role in cybersecurity and data privacy. With the increasing risk of cyber threats and data breaches, CFOs must ensure that their organization's financial systems and data are secure and compliant with regulatory requirements.
To meet these evolving responsibilities, CFOs need to develop digital literacy and stay abreast of the latest technological advancements in finance. Embracing digital technology is crucial for CFOs to drive profitability and maintain a competitive edge in today's digital age.
The Importance of Digital Literacy for CFOs
Digital literacy is essential for CFOs to effectively incorporate digital technology in finance and drive profitability. It involves understanding how digital tools and platforms can enhance financial operations, make data-driven decisions, and identify growth opportunities.
Developing digital literacy requires continuous learning and staying ahead of emerging technologies. CFOs should actively seek opportunities to gain knowledge and experience in digital finance, such as attending seminars, webinars, and industry conferences.
In addition to technical knowledge, CFOs also need to develop soft skills such as communication, collaboration, and adaptability. These skills are vital for effectively leading digital transformation initiatives and driving cross-functional collaboration within the organization.
As the digital age continues to reshape the business landscape, CFOs must embrace the opportunities and challenges that come with it. By embracing digital technology, developing digital literacy, and staying ahead of emerging trends, CFOs can play a pivotal role in driving growth, profitability, and success in the digital age.
The Intersection of Finance and Digital Technology
The intersection of finance and digital technology presents numerous opportunities for CFOs to improve profitability and drive growth. In today's fast-paced and interconnected world, the finance landscape is undergoing a digital revolution that is reshaping the way financial transactions are conducted and managed. This shift towards digital finance has not only resulted in increased efficiency and reduced costs but has also brought about significant improvements in customer experience.
One of the key ways digital technology is changing the finance landscape is through the rise of online banking, mobile payments, and digital currencies. These innovations have made financial transactions more accessible and convenient, allowing individuals and businesses to manage their finances anytime, anywhere. With just a few taps on a smartphone, people can transfer funds, pay bills, and even make purchases, revolutionizing the way we interact with money.
But the impact of digital technology on finance goes beyond just convenience. It has also enabled the automation of routine financial processes, such as invoice processing and financial reporting. By leveraging technologies like robotic process automation (RPA) and artificial intelligence (AI), CFOs can streamline these tasks, reducing the risk of errors and freeing up valuable time for strategic initiatives and value-added activities.
Furthermore, digital technology has facilitated the integration of financial data from multiple sources. In the past, CFOs had to rely on fragmented and siloed data, making it difficult to get a comprehensive and accurate view of the organization's financial health and performance. However, with the advent of advanced data integration tools and cloud-based platforms, CFOs can now have a holistic view of their financial data, enabling more accurate forecasting, better risk management, and proactive decision-making.
Key Digital Technologies Impacting the Finance Sector
Several key digital technologies are transforming the finance sector and have the potential to significantly improve profitability:
Artificial intelligence and machine learning:
These technologies enable CFOs to automate data analysis, identify patterns, and make accurate predictions for better financial planning and risk management. With AI-powered algorithms (ChatGPT), CFOs can analyse vast amounts of financial data in real-time, uncovering valuable insights and trends that can drive strategic decision-making.
Data analytics:
Advanced data analytics tools allow CFOs to extract valuable insights from financial data, enabling them to identify cost-saving opportunities, optimize pricing strategies, and improve profitability. By leveraging data visualization techniques and predictive analytics, CFOs can gain a deeper understanding of their business performance and make data-driven decisions.
Blockchain:
The use of blockchain technology in finance ensures transparent and secure financial transactions, reduces fraud risk, and streamlines processes such as supply chain financing and cross-border payments. By leveraging blockchain's decentralized and immutable nature, CFOs can enhance the security and efficiency of financial transactions, eliminating the need for intermediaries and reducing costs.
Risk management systems:
Digital risk management platforms enable CFOs to analyse and mitigate financial risks in real-time, enhancing the organization's ability to respond to potential threats. By leveraging advanced analytics and real-time monitoring, CFOs can identify emerging risks, assess their potential impact, and take proactive measures to mitigate them, safeguarding the organization's financial stability.
These digital technologies are not only changing the way finance operates but also presenting CFOs with new opportunities to drive growth and profitability. By embracing digital transformation and leveraging these technologies effectively, CFOs can position themselves as strategic partners within their organizations, driving innovation, and shaping the future of finance.
Strategies for Incorporating Digital Technology in Finance
Successfully incorporating digital technology in finance requires strategic planning and careful implementation. The following sections discuss strategies for identifying the right digital tools for your organization and steps to implementing digital technology in finance operations.
Identifying the Right Digital Tools for Your Organization
Before implementing digital technology in finance, CFOs need to evaluate their organization's specific needs, challenges, and goals. This involves conducting a thorough assessment of existing financial processes, systems, and data requirements.
CFOs should collaborate with finance and IT teams to identify digital tools and platforms that align with the organization's objectives and budgetary constraints. It is crucial to select technology solutions that are scalable, flexible, and provide a seamless integration with existing systems.
Furthermore, CFOs should consider the long-term impact of the selected digital tools on profitability and return on investment. Conducting a cost-benefit analysis and seeking input from key stakeholders can help in making informed decisions.
Steps to Implementing Digital Technology in Finance Operations
Once the appropriate digital tools have been identified, CFOs need to develop a comprehensive implementation plan. The following steps can guide CFOs in successfully integrating digital technology in finance operations:
Define objectives and scope:
Clearly define the objectives and scope of the digital transformation initiative, keeping in mind the organization's overall strategy and financial goals.
Engage stakeholders:
Involve key stakeholders, including finance, IT, and other relevant departments, in the planning and implementation process to ensure buy-in and collaboration.
Allocate resources:
Allocate the necessary resources, such as budget, personnel, and infrastructure, to support the implementation and ensure smooth adoption of digital technology.
Train and upskill:
Provide training and upskilling opportunities for finance and IT teams to effectively use the digital tools and maximize their potential.
Monitor and evaluate:
Continuously monitor and evaluate the performance of the digital technology, gather feedback, and make necessary adjustments to ensure its effectiveness in driving profitability.
Measuring the Impact of Digital Technology on Profitability
To evaluate the effectiveness of digital technology in driving profitability, CFOs need to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and measure the return on investment (ROI) of digital initiatives. The following sections discuss the key KPIs and the evaluation of ROI:
Key Performance Indicators for Digital Technology in Finance
The selection of appropriate KPIs depends on the specific objectives and scope of the digital initiatives. Some common KPIs for measuring the impact of digital technology on profitability include:
Cost reduction: Measure the percentage reduction in finance-related costs, such as processing costs, error correction costs, and labor costs.
Efficiency improvement: Measure the time savings and cycle time reduction achieved through digital tools and automation.
Forecast accuracy: Measure the improvement in forecast accuracy and the ability to proactively identify risks and opportunities.
Revenue growth: Measure the impact of digital initiatives on revenue growth, including increased sales, improved pricing strategies, and enhanced customer retention.
Evaluating the Return on Investment of Digital Technology
To evaluate the ROI of digital technology in finance, CFOs need to compare the costs incurred against the financial benefits achieved. This involves tracking the direct cost savings, revenue growth, and intangible benefits such as improved decision-making and enhanced stakeholder satisfaction.
ROI can be calculated by dividing the net financial benefits by the total cost of the digital initiative and expressed as a percentage. Regular evaluations should be conducted to ensure ongoing alignment with the organization's profitability goals and to identify areas for further improvement.
In conclusion, incorporating digital technology in finance is essential for CFOs to improve profitability and drive long-term success. By understanding their evolving responsibilities, developing digital literacy, and leveraging key digital technologies, CFOs can optimize financial operations, make informed decisions, and identify growth opportunities. By implementing digital tools strategically and measuring their impact, CFOs can ensure that their organizations stay competitive in the digital age.
By Alexandra Mousavizadeh, CEO and co-founder of Evident
The rush to deploy Generative AI tools like ChatGPT has created a backlash and led to calls for a pause on deployment while we work out how to regulate these powerful systems. The challenge is one of imagination - what should the regulation look like and how should it be enforced? If they have the will to lead, the banks might hold the key to a workable solution...
The basis for The Future of Life Institute’s call to pause experimentation with large artificial intelligence (AI) systems was to buy some time. Time to do what, exactly?
OpenAI’s CEO and founder, Sam Altman, has argued that a vital ingredient for a positive AI future is an effective global regulatory framework. Yet no one can agree what this might look like. The 18,980 signatories to the open letter, (some of whom have since backed out or claimed to have been misrepresented) have not put forward a plan.
The current regulatory landscape for AI is a messy patchwork of national- and industry-level initiatives. These range from FTC and FDA efforts to address specific, yet limited industry use cases, to the EU’s AI Act and the US’s Algorithmic Accountability Act - both admirable in their intent to create a more universal framework, but flawed in their appraisal of risk.
Crucially, there has been no consensus reached amongst technologists, executives or regulators regarding what it’s like to be an end-user of AI-based products, and hence, what sort of regulatory framework is appropriate to pursue.
Like opening a bank account
For many people, AI and its potential harms remain theoretical or fantastical - conjuring up images of Terminator and Skynet rather than practical concerns. And yet, seen within an industry-specific setting such as financial services, it’s easier to understand the AI risks that are already emerging. For example, being defrauded of your life's savings, unfairly denied insurance for medical care, or extorted over loan repayments.
I’d argue that being an end user of an AI system is certainly comparable to a customer opening a new bank account, stepping onto a plane or taking a prescription pill - all industries that require strict external oversight due to the acknowledged risks involved.
When we open a bank account, we do so with the knowledge that we are protected by a rigorous, dutiful and democratically constructed set of regulation-enforced and accredited safety standards which are subject to external oversight. The regulator sets the standards for the industry, and while it won’t fully prevent bank runs, ID fraud or other depositor woes, it protects the vast majority of customers most of the time - to the benefit of the industry, and society at large.
It follows that we ought to create similar standards for any providers seeking to offer AI-based products within these industries and ensure clear oversight to prevent any breaches - intentional or otherwise - from occurring. We should even consider setting the bar higher when it comes to AI standards, due to the potential speed, scale and scope of deployment that ChatGPT has shown to be possible for these systems.
Banks can set the agenda
The idea of a global regulatory framework for AI is bandied about much more often than it is scrutinised. And yet, one key lesson from the financial sector is that overlapping national regulatory bodies, with a remit based in law and the powers to investigate and punish organisations that transgress, is the closest humanity has ever come to controlling systems which, like AI, are both powerful and profitable.
Look no further than the cryptocurrency sector as it is dragged kicking and screaming into the regulatory capture of traditional banking, shedding the worst of its fraud, misdemeanour and exploitation of users as it goes.
Similarly, by approaching AI through the prism of the strict regulatory regime that they’ve been working in for years, the banking industry has already taken significant pre-emptive steps to prevent potential harms from occurring.
The world’s leading banks have already developed best practices that are well-suited to an AI-led future. Kitemarked security (to stop users from seeing one another’s data, as was the case with ChatGPT); a mixture of auditing and industrial safety standards; accreditation for practitioners (where now most AI developers have no training at all in ethical application; transparency and accountable coding); interdepartmental oversight so leaders get early warning when something is going wrong. And of course, there’s intense scrutiny by regulators and regular submissions of financial and other performance data.
All of these tools will be extended to AI deployment in banking use cases. The challenge - and opportunity - for banks is to embrace this publicly. Banks have no greater asset than trust. Getting ahead of this topic will enable them to build public confidence in their approach and set an example across the wider economy - potentially encouraging some of their corporate and SMB clients to embrace a similar mindset.
Seizing the initiative
Time is running out for industry leaders, policymakers and regulators to fill the governance vacuum and ensure that the pursuit of powerful AI proceeds with greater caution and consideration.
Getting artificial intelligence regulation right is a matter of imagination, resources and speed. The imaginative step from current banking best practice to include AI is a feasible one. Banks do not lack in resources. It’s time for banking leaders to seize the initiative, reaffirm their own commitments to (and internal standards) around responsible AI self-governance, and drive the public discourse around workable, industry-specific AI regulation.
Securing the Financial Future
Insights from IBM on Battling Cyber Threats in an Evolving Landscape
Corey Hamilton
Global Financial Services Leader & Partner, IBM Security Services
As the Global Financial Services Leader at IBM Security Services, could you share your insights on cybersecurity in the financial industry?
The financial services sector is undergoing a period of prolonged and far-reaching change – a digital transformation that has been in progress for some time but which was accelerated by the pandemic. The wide-spread adoption of hybrid working, often supported by the implementation of cloud-based systems, reduced or constricted budgets, daunting technical debt are just some of the more obvious developments; adaptations that are uncovering new vulnerabilities and opening up new routes of attack for cybercriminals and hostile states.
In recent years, we have seen increased cyber threats targeting the financial sector, including state-sponsored threats. What are some emerging trends or techniques that cybercriminals employ, and how can financial institutions stay ahead of these threats?
One of the most worrying trends is the rise of increasingly sophisticated ransomware attacks. The days of simply locking someone’s data and then demanding a payment in return for the encryption key are long gone. Attackers have largely replaced that model with a more damaging two-step approach that simultaneously paralyses a target’s system while surreptitiously extracting its data.
Cybercriminals are always looking for the next development. As a result, things are about to get even more complicated: triple extortion has arrived. This takes the two-step approach and adds in ransom demands directed at a victim’s supply chain, a common source of vulnerability as the security maturity of each part of a supplier network won’t necessarily be the same.
How does IBM Security Services help financial organisations develop robust cybersecurity strategies? Are there any specific frameworks or methodologies that you follow?
The financial services sector needs to take a ‘zero trust’ approach to security – a methodology that abandons the idea that you can trust anyone as far as security is concerned. Everyone needs to be re-evaluated and re-authenticated and then given the lowest set of system privileges required for them to operate.
This approach also assumes the worst – that a breach is happening – it’s about spotting it rather than thinking, ‘I can’t see an attack, I’m therefore okay’. Zero trust argues that every organisation is under attack – it’s just a matter of how bad it might be.
Data breaches and data privacy are major concerns for financial institutions. What steps should organisations take to ensure the security of customer data and comply with regulatory requirements and avoid being hacked in the first place?
The burgeoning digitisation of the financial services industry, including the widespread adoption of hybrid cloud, has rightly attracted the attention of regulators and policy makers. As a result, financial institutions need to balance innovation with increasingly stringent compliance and security requirements. For example, the Bank of England is looking at ways to facilitate greater resilience and the adoption of cloud-based services and other new technologies – an approach that combines support for innovation with regulatory oversight.
With the rise of cloud computing and remote work, how can financial institutions effectively manage cybersecurity risks in these environments? What are some best practices for securing cloud-based systems and remote access?
Financial institutions are among the top targets for cybercriminals because of the wealth of valuable data they hold, which make them a very attractive to cybercriminals. This hasn’t gone unnoticed – businesses are waking up to the notion that standard security measures are not enough in the cloud. To keep customers and proprietary data secure and private, enterprise-grade security innovations, such as confidential computing, are essential.
Of course, security in the digital domain isn’t new; protecting internet communication with HTTPS is well established, as is the use of SSL, which was initially applied to credit card transactions but has since become ubiquitous. Confidential computing has the potential to become equally as pervasive due, in part, to the widespread adoption of cloud technology.
By ensuring that data is processed in a shielded environment confidential computing makes it possible to securely collaborate with partners without divulging proprietary information. It makes it possible for different organisations to amalgamate data sets for analysis – such as fraud detection – without getting to see each other’s information.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are being increasingly used in cybersecurity. How is IBM incorporating these technologies into its security solutions, and what benefits do they offer regarding threat detection and prevention?
IBM Cloud for Financial Services is designed to help clients mitigate risk and accelerate cloud adoption for even their most sensitive workloads. Security controls are built into the IBM Cloud to enable financial institutions to automate their security and compliance behaviours and make it easier for clients to simplify their risk management and demonstrate regulatory observance.
The IBM X-Force Protection Platform augments our cyber security experts with AI and automation at global scale, resulting in more effective, efficient and resilient security operations. We have successfully helped clients proactively identify, protect, detect, respond and recover faster from attacks due to the unique capabilities of the platform. Our platform’s AI is used on top of what vendors provide within their off-the-shelf tools. The platform learns and incorporates the intelligence from 100s of analysts across thousands of our clients. It provides guidance on policy recommendations and reduces the noise, so critical items can be addressed immediately.
The services platform promotes effective, efficient, and resilient security operations, at global scale, connecting workflows across our different services. It provides a method for integrating all of an organization’s security technologies cohesively within our open ecosystem. What this means is that the services platform is IBM’s end-to-end integrated approach to Security Services. This includes a combination of software, services and methodologies which are integrated in a centralized platform providing the clients with a unified experience. IBM’s services platform integrates across people, processes and tools using open standards and best practices.
Looking ahead, what do you see as the future of cybersecurity in the financial industry? Are there any emerging technologies or trends that will significantly impact how financial institutions approach cybersecurity?
Highly regulated industries are feeling pressure to transform with an ever-increasing rate and pace. However, they must not lose focus on security, resiliency and compliance on their mission to modernise. This is especially important for financial services where regulations are rapidly changing and exposure to cyber threats has escalated to unprecedented levels. And it’s about to get even more complex.
Financial institutions need AI tools that are accurate, scalable and adaptable can keep up with the evolving threat landscape. IBM has been a leader in the work of foundation models – and watsonx is part of IBM’s push to put state-of-the-art foundation models in the hands of businesses. Furthermore, IBM is thinking bigger – building and applying foundation models for entirely unexplored business domains such as geospatial intelligence, code and IT operations.
Financial institutions also need to be crypto-agile in order to protect themselves from attack by quantum computers. Quantum and crypto agility can help financial institutions to improve their cybersecurity posture. The aim is to combine the performance of current processes that use classical and AI solutions in fraud management, risk management and customer experience, with that of the latest quantum technology, with the goal of achieving a quantum advantage.
This is where AI comes in. It can help cybersecurity teams by automating protection, prevention, detection and response processes. Paired with human intelligence, financial services companies can extend their visibility across a rapidly expanding digital landscape of applications and endpoints.
With digitalisation rapidly progressing and affecting every aspect of our lives – from the way we play to the way we pay – eCash levels the playing field for cash payers.
Much of society is becoming increasingly cashless, with the volume of cashless payments globally expected to rise by 80% between now and 2025. But it’s vital to remember that underbanked and unbanked communities don’t have the luxury of bidding farewell to physical currency. Many people around the world simply don’t have access to a bank account or a debit or credit card.
By digitalising cash, we can offer marginalised, cash-reliant communities access to online payments and enable them to participate in the world of eCommerce and digital financial transactions. It also allows security seekers to pay in cash and avoid having to provide personal financial data online.
In fact, according to our latest Lost in Transaction research study, which examines changing payment habits and preferences, 52% of consumers globally reported that they don’t feel comfortable sharing their financial details online. And 68% said they prefer using payment methods that don’t require them to share their financial details when paying.
Digitalising cash for online transactions
eCash, which enables cash to be used for online transactions, provides access to the digital world to cash payers and security seekers. Popular examples include the prepaid solution paysafecard as well as the post-paid barcode solution Paysafecash.
Paysafecard comes as a voucher with a 16-digit code that can be purchased in various denominations at petrol stations, supermarkets and convenience stores. The balance can then be redeemed by entering the code at the online checkout. This solution is particularly popular in the world of online entertainment and includes a spending control aspect that appeals to consumers as they can only spend the amount they have previously purchased with cash.
Paysafecash payments are made by generating a barcode during the online checkout, which can then be scanned and paid for in person at a nearby payment point. This solution has become increasingly popular for online transactions such as rent and bill payments, loan repayments, cash deposits into wallet-based financial services as well as a cash-in/cash-out solution for banking.
Paying for essential services in cash
When it comes to rent, utilities, loans and countless other essential services, cash is still the most available and most immediate payment method for unbanked and underbanked communities.
While many are revelling in how online payment platforms have simplified the process, this same proposition presents a huge hurdle for typically low-income groups who must find a way to pay for these services using cash funds without the luxury of a simple bank transfer or credit card.
eCash can facilitate this process, boosting financial inclusion and reducing missed payments. It allows cash-reliant communities to enjoy all the benefits of paying for services online without having to become banked. They can simply select “cash” as a payment option on the checkout page, generate a barcode and settle the amount in cash at a nearby payment point.
Bridging the gap between cash and banking
There are a number or reasons why people remain unbanked or underbanked and the high cost of traditional banking has certainly played a major role. While digital banks pose an attractive solution in terms of being less cost-intensive, they are still out of reach for anyone who relies heavily on cash.
Implementing eCash helps bridge that gap. It makes digital banking more accessible for cash-reliant consumers, providing them with an easy solution to cash-fund their accounts. Similar to choosing cash as a payment method during checkout, in this case, a barcode for a cash deposit can be generated in the digital bank’s mobile app. The barcode is then scanned at a payment point, the consumer pays the balance in cash and the amount gets credited to their digital bank account.
This also works for other financial service providers that utilise eCash for cash-funding their accounts, providing users access to any number of app-based budgeting and money management tools, setting up savings pots, or transferring money easily to friends right from their phone.
Beyond digital banking, eCash can also enable greater access to cash services in partnership with traditional banks. With bank branches closing and the availability of cashpoints decreasing, eCash payment points at participating retail locations can also be used to withdraw money. To do so, users would follow the steps above, generating a barcode in the banking app for the desired amount.
Paying with cash online
Taking it a step further, eCash doesn’t need to be limited to merchants and service providers who have integrated it as a payment solution. In combination with digital wallets like Skrill and NETELLER, eCash can open the door to online shopping in general.
Users can simply choose paysafecard or Paysafecash to deposit money into either of these digital wallets. This, in turn, allows consumers to use their cash funds with merchants that have integrated Skrill or NETELLER. They can also use prepaid credit cards available through these digital wallets to make payments literally anywhere.
Making progress inclusive
While there is no stopping digitalisation, it doesn’t have to go hand in hand with financial exclusion or remove cash from the payment mix. eCash is a powerful tool to mitigate the challenges of an increasingly cashless world, providing those who continue to rely on cash the ability to pay online for anything from online shopping to essential services.
The wearable technology market is rapidly expanding - when walking down the street; it feels like everyone has a smart watch or ring tracking their health, sleep, exercise, and even “energy levels.” But one specific type of wearable is gaining traction: payments. Payment-enabled wristbands, rings, and watches are seeing growing popularity as convenient alternatives to traditional payment methods. However, the technology available for wearables today requires each manufacturer to integrate directly with each and every bank/issuer in the market. Sometimes we’re talking about 1000’s of banks in each market. That creates an impossible mission for innovative wearables manufacturers to offer a credible ‘pay’ capability. At Curve, we recognized the potential of these passive wearables and saw an opportunity to leverage our wallet functionality to revolutionise the payment experience and help manufacturers get to 100% bank coverage. Curve’s wallet functionality also allows customers to attach multiple existing credit and debit cards to the Curve app, and charge those cards through the single Curve card. This “multiple cards in one” functionality makes Curve uniquely positioned to take on the passive wearables market – whereas previously, people could only connect one single card to their smart ring or watch, now they can connect all their cards.
It could have been a risky move, entering an entirely new market – wearables – when we were previously so focused on our original project. Expanding our horizons and jumping headfirst into a new opportunity it’s paid off tremendously. Over the last two years, Curve has focused on forging strong partnerships with leading wearable companies, including Swatch, Garmin, Samsung, Wearonize, Fidesmo, Tappy, Xiaomi, and Digiseq. These collaborations have allowed us to seamlessly integrate our game-changing technology that enables multiple cards to be connected to a single wearable device, a feat that was previously impossible with passive wearables. By doing so, we’re creating a unified payment experience that supports a wide range of payment wristbands, rings, and watches.
Our strategic partnerships have significantly expanded the wearable payments ecosystem. These collaborations have enabled partners to offer an array of customizable wearable options, catering to a diverse range of preferences and styles. While smart devices are bound by the need for software, charging, and screens for interaction, passive wearables can take on almost any form. This flexibility allows manufacturers to really let their creativity flow. Innovators in the space have pushed creative boundaries to enable everything from shirts to jewellery to accept payments. The success of these partnerships is evident in the numbers - wearable customers who attach Curve are more engaged and exhibit higher retention.
Curve is actively exploring ways to support our passive wearable partners in targeting large, traditional fashion brands. Many fashion brands have signature aesthetics that customers use to identify a brand. Through Curve’s successful partnership with Swatch, we’ve proven demand for payments-enabled traditional watches. By combining our payment technology with the design expertise of fashion brands, we aim to create a new breed of fashionable and functional wearables. This strategy will not only broaden the appeal of wearable payment devices but also help our partners tap into new market segments.
In addition to our efforts in the passive wearables space, Curve is exploring opportunities with a number of smartwatch brands. By collaborating with these companies, we can bring the benefits of Curve’s wallet functionality to a wider range of devices, enhancing the payment experience for smartwatch users as well, without much investment required from the smartwatch brand.
Breaking into the passive wearable industry was a marked departure from our traditional channels and serves as a prime example of how it’s worth taking a chance to explore non-traditional customers. As we continue to push the boundaries of innovation, our vision for the future of payments extends beyond just wearables. We no doubt will enter new, currently unconsidered categories. We are committed to raising the bar of customer experience while guiding customers on their journey to financial freedom. Forging strong partnerships with leading wearable companies is a significant contributor to making this vision a reality. By exploring different market segments, embracing new form factors, and targeting untapped opportunities, Curve can confidently shape the future of finance for the better and serve as a model for others to follow.
Blockchain technology is being incorporated nearly everywhere. Hospitals are using it to secure and share patient files. Accountants and banks are investing in the blockchain as a means of increasing the speed and security of financial transactions. Even in the real estate markets, the blockchain is transforming the way things are done.
Real estate may not seem like the obvious industry to capitalise on blockchain technology. However, experts believe it can help make a positive difference in the efficiency and security of real estate transactions. Rather than working in person, the blockchain may enable more online transactions to realistically take place.
Taking Real Estate Online
In the modern world of smartphones, the internet, and apps that all work together to put the world at your fingertips, customers have come to expect a certain ease-of-use. This sentiment carries from easy online shopping to scheduling appointments online to buying a house. The rules for customer courtesy are changing and the real estate market is using the blockchain to meet the demand.
One of the primary ways the real estate market has changed is by taking listings online where customers can browse homes and find an agent with an easy click of a button. However, the blockchain stands to create an even larger online opportunity for real estate. With the blockchain behind them, many agents believe they could complete the entire process — outside of physically visiting the home — online.
Some platforms are coming online that do just that. In order to use the blockchain, real estate companies “tokenise” their assets, so the property can be traded on an exchange similar to that of the stock market. The tokens can easily be traded or exchanged for money — i.e. purchasing a home. Doing this could cut out a lot of the middlemen in the home buying process and create a more straightforward and transparent opportunity for consumers.
Increasing Speed And Reducing Fraud
Incorporating blockchain technology into the real estate market can also be a huge boon to consumers in other ways. Because all transactions are verified on a network of computers, transactions can be completed in minutes or even seconds. Rather than relying on people to review transactions and operate within normal business hours, these transactions can happen anywhere at any time. This speeds up the process substantially.
Because all blockchain transactions are completed on a public ledger, all parties can see the transaction at all times. Traditional methods are prone to fraud and human errors, but this increases transparency profoundly and helps reduce the likelihood of fraud taking place. Furthermore, the blockchain is an incredibly tamper-proof means of storing information, which makes it one of the most secure means of doing business.
Part of the reason the blockchain is so secure is that the information is decentralised. It would be incredibly difficult for a fraudster to change a blockchain transaction that is stored on hundreds of different computers across the country without someone noticing. Ultimately, this increases trust in the real estate market system, which doesn’t have too far back in history to look for proof of the dangers of a lack of transparency. The 2008 housing crisis is a prime example of what can happen.
New Opportunities
Real estate companies are interacting with more data than ever before. Some of this data is internal, relating to sales figures and revenue, while some of it is external such as data collected by government or social media entities. All of this adds up to provide real estate agents with a broader picture of the markets they are working in and offers the ability to create innovative opportunities.
For instance, once properties have been “tokenised” it is easy to divide them up in meaningful ways. Fractional ownership becomes a much more straightforward and realistic option. This could be a scenario where investors are given the equivalent number of tokens to represent the per cent of the investment they’ve made. Ultimately, it could lower investment costs and barriers to entry into investment markets.
Conclusion
Blockchain technology is truly transforming the real estate industry. The technology stands to speed up transactions and reduce the number of middlemen involved, all while bolstering security. Additionally, the technology can open up a number of new opportunities such as fractional ownership for investors that could generate a lot more wealth among certain sectors of the population. It could be a win-win advancement.
In the past decade or so, high-resolution satellite data has been made readily available for commercial and private use. Using this data, experts can monitor changes in our environment, infrastructure, and ecosystems which gives profound insights into the economic and demographic state of the planet. Affordable advanced tools have made it easy to use predictive analysis together with machine learning and AI to leverage data for better business decisions. It helps farmers interpret satellite images of their fields in record time and implement the necessary processes to achieve good crop yields.
This data from satellites is not only helpful to farmers. Financial institutions can also use this data to access the performance of crops and assess the value of fields remotely. It would help them assess risks to be able to give loans to small farmers.
Assessing risks accurately is one of the biggest challenges banks face when loaning to smallholding farmers. They need to know if the agribusiness or small farm owner will be able to repay the loan. So, the banks need to review all the necessary documents and understand the farmland’s yielding ability.
To verify and check information on documents provided by farmers, banks need to send field agents physically to the farms. This process can be resource-intensive in terms of time and labour. However, with satellite images and other remote sensing technologies, this task can be done remotely. Using crop monitoring platforms, financial institutions have easy access to historical farm data, vegetation indices, farm productivity, etc. It will give them the confidence to work with the farmers. It is a win-win situation, reducing costs at both ends.
What issues do banks face in working with data?
Some of the main challenges that banks have to go through can be broken down into:
Alternative credit scoring - people with low income living in rural areas typically do not have good credit, making it difficult for banks to assess their worth and provide them with loans. However, that problem can be fixed simply with satellite images. They provide banks with historical data on farmlands, which can be used by banks to assess the worth of the farmer.
Lack of transparency - some clients are capable of providing fake or false documents of their profit and yields just to get loans from banks.
Not enough data to make a proper assessment - Banks can’t only review documents to assess the worth of small farm owners. They need to send scouts to check out the farms, which can be time-consuming, costly, and labour-intensive.
Need for modern technologies for risk analysis - conventional means of risk assessment need to be replaced with digital ways to keep up with constant changes in the financial industry.
Revenue forecasting - Food insecurity is common in lots of developing countries that are largely dependent on rainfall farming for food. Climate change has put them more at risk with the constant threat of droughts and floods, which often lead to decreased crop yields. However, using remote sensing, experts can get accurate estimates of crop yields, which will buy governments time to react and address food shortages. These estimates can also be used by banks to know if farms will be yielding enough to pay back loans.
As banks continue to integrate satellite and remote sensing technologies into their workflow, owners of small farming businesses will have the possibility to get financial aid. It will give banks the confidence to work with this demographic.
Cohen is a protege of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. In 2010, Cohen went on to establish technology incubator Jigsaw. His recruitment is the most recent step taken by Goldman Sachs to inject a technology focus into the bank.
Cohen is set to lead the group, known as the Office of Applied Innovation, alongside co-chief information officer George Lee.
“Working closely with leaders across Goldman Sachs, George and Jared will specifically identify and advance commercial opportunities for the firm that are at the intersection of a changing global marketplace, shifts in the geopolitical landscape and rapidly evolving technology,” Solomon said.
Cohen will be joining New York-based Goldman Sachs at its senior-most rank, serving as a partner, management committee member and also as president of global affairs.
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Hybridisation hits the workplace
It’s also happening in the workplace. Tasks that were previously done by hand are now being handled in part, or their entirety, by computers. Expenses, for example, no longer involve stacks of receipts, a pen and a spreadsheet. Finance teams can collate, track, manage, and authorise reimbursements using computer software, courtesy of companies like Moss. Someone still has ultimate responsibility for clicking a button to authorise a claim, but the software handles a large portion of the process. Out-of-pocket purchases from employees are handled so simply in this streamlined process and there's hardly room for human error. It's clear, therefore, that the symbiosis between humans and machines can be highly effective in the modern workplace.
Continuing the digitisation of modern working practices is the rise of online meetings. With people around the world forced to host events online over the last few years, it’s become par for the course. Yes, there is a desire to get out into the real world and interact, but we’re now conditioned to having work meetings online and even watching concerts via our computers.
In line with this movement towards digitisation of events are technological improvements. Products such as Zoom and Skype have streamlined their video calling services. Simultaneously, companies that host and manage online events, such as Virtual Venue and Eventcube, have grown in popularity. All of this has given rise to a new wave of hybrid events. Combining the physical with the digital and hosting hybrid events is more than a passing trend. Why? Aside from online events now being seen as a normal part of life, there is scope to reach more people.
Opening up events to the world via technology
Combining the physical with the digital means people can attend in person or watch via the internet. It’s also possible to introduce novel innovations. For example, breakout rooms have become popular at hybrid events. These are virtual meeting spaces where people at an event can have side discussions with people online. This innovation was used at B2B Summit North America 2022 where organisers combined breakout rooms with one-to-one virtual meeting spaces.
Another hybrid event that’s using the combination of the physical and the digital to facilitate networking is Gainsight Pulse Everywhere 2022. There are breakout rooms that attendees (live and online) can use to mimic the spur-of-the-moment encounters that often happen at conferences. Finally, there’s the ability to access on-demand content. Because hybrid events are streamed in real-time and recorded, people can replay the action whenever they want. That’s something the organisers of #FinCon22 embraced. Although the event was aimed at in-person attendees, anyone with a ticket could access recordings of talks via an on-demand service.
Hybrid events are gaining in popularity. That’s creating new opportunities for organisers, businesses and those that attend. However, the rise of these events is also an example of our move towards a hybrid way of living. Indeed, it aligns with the push towards metaverse technology, as well as many other aspects of our lives that combine the physical and the digital. Therefore, as we move into the future, it’s clear that hybrid events will slowly become the norm.
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With the biometrics market expected to be worth $18.6 billion by 2026, the potential for this technology is huge.
However, opponents point out that while the convenience of waving a hand or smiling at a camera has potential, there are still big risks if the technology goes wrong – foremost among them are concerns over privacy, security and cost.
Face not recognised, please unlock with pin
While facial recognition has improved over the last few years, there are still errors. For instance, we are all familiar with those frustrating moments when our phones do not recognise our faces for some reason, requiring a PIN to open instead. While this is a minor inconvenience to get access to a text message, when it comes to paying a bill, it could cause huge problems.
Error rates are now less than 0.1%, an impressively low number, but when partnered with the millions of transactions that happen every day that is still hundreds, if not thousands, of moments where biometric authentication could fail.
To reduce the chance of failure, companies will need to have access to several different forms of authentication, such as fingerprints, vein patterns, iris scanning, facial recognition and more. While reducing the risk of errors and fraud, each system has its own accuracy rates and problems that firms need to be aware of. For example, facial recognition can sometimes be thrown off by glare from glasses, and vein pattern relies on high-quality photos in the first instance and ensuring that subsequent scans are not affected by different light conditions.
You can’t change who you are
The trade-off in ensuring success for biometric payments is that companies will have to store more personal data of their customers. This is fundamental to how the technology operates and will reduce the chances of errors, but it also raises the stakes for the company holding the data.
For instance, while a data breach today may result in passwords and usernames being leaked, this information can be changed and updated relatively quickly and easily. Biometric data is much harder to change, and although the processes of using that data may be harder, the rewards are greater – where people might have different passwords for various systems, biometric data would in theory give access to any account where this information is used as a means of entry. Securing these databases is essential.
As well as security concerns, consumers may be reluctant to share such sensitive information with large companies, with ongoing questions around privacy and rights on how those companies use the data of their users. For example, in countries with less protection for individual rights, such as China, a facial database could be used to identify and target certain groups of people by the state authorities, as has already been seen with the Uighur people. If the public becomes distrustful and refuses to share information with payment firms, any biometric technology beyond just unlocking a smartphone will struggle to get off the ground in a meaningful way.
If this is to be overcome, it will be essential for firms and governments to work together to improve regulations and processes. This will help build trust in the new technology, and create conformity across countries on how data should be handled and secured. Firms in turn will benefit from being able to focus on one set of rules, in the knowledge that the rights of people in different locations are being protected.
Who is paying for this all?
Any deployment of new technology comes with a cost. In this case, it will require new devices that can read biometric information to be installed in every shop, restaurant and hospitality location, potentially costing billions.
At the moment some high-end biometric systems can cost up to $10,000, a significant cost if you run a small business. After all, it is not the kind of investment that can justify itself through additional business – payments can still be made by other means. It needs consumer behaviour and expectation to reach a point of critical mass where biometric payment becomes expected rather than a novelty. But until the technology reaches an affordable price where it is feasible for businesses to make this investment, there is no way for it to enjoy widespread adoption. It's a ‘chicken and egg’ situation – one of widespread availability and mainstream adoption will drive the other but if neither comes first, biometric payments will continue to struggle.
There is no doubt that schemes like Mastercard’s are going to start happening more frequently, and likely do offer a snapshot of what the future of payments will look like. It is also not as much of a leap in technology as some people believe. For instance, platforms such as Apple Pay already use facial recognition to authorise payments. Bringing in other forms of Biometric payments will remove friction from the authentication process, and no doubt when the technology is ready, customers will love it if it is user friendly enough.
However, we are still a distance away from this becoming a mainstream form of transaction. A lot of work needs to be done to reduce the cost of the technology itself so that everyday businesses can afford it, while serious conversations need to take place to ensure regulations are in place to protect individuals’ data and rights. Otherwise, it will struggle ever to be a viable option.
About the author: Ashish Bhatnagar is Client Partner at Cognizant.
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As merchant bankers focused on Financial Services and impact investing, Middlemarch Partners believes that ESG-focused FinTechs have a unique ability to achieve rapid growth, deliver ESG-focused innovation, and attract investment capital to support their efforts to improve the environment and society while generating substantial returns.
We believe that major financial institutions in their effort to adopt these ESG tenants will be compelled either to partner with these sustainable FinTech firms or to invest/acquire them to gain an upper hand with their industry peers.
VC interest in ESG-related FinTechs has surged in the last twenty-four months. MasterCard issued a report which stated that venture funds deployed approximately 2.5 times more equity into ESG-related FinTechs in 2020 relative to what they invested in 2019 (from ~$0.7B to ~$1.8B). Middlemarch believes this trend will continue as earlier stage ESG FinTechs mature (and need growth equity) and more innovative FinTechs enter the market to address unmet ESG needs in the financial services industry.
Rise of Climate FinTechs
Climate action – addressing the damage done to the environment by human activities-- is perhaps the most talked about and researched topic among all the Sustainable Development Goals promoted by the United Nations and embraced by ESG investors and thought leaders. There is no surprise then, that Climate Tech was one of the fastest sub-sectors to emerge within FinTech. While there are many interesting segments in this space, we focus on banking and lending as well as payments, investing, trading and risk analysis. For each segment, we present unique companies that are building innovative products to tackle climate change through financial innovation.
Banking
Over the last few years, some of the largest and most influential banks globally have committed to reducing emissions attributable to their operations. They have also pledged to reshape their lending and investment portfolios to produce a net-zero carbon footprint by 2050. Although it remains to be seen how much this ‘Net Zero Banking Alliance’ can actually achieve among the largest banks, Middlemarch believes next-generation FinTechs are winning the battle for ESG-focused consumers who choose their banking providers based on the strength of their ESG-related banking products and their ability to address climate-related objectives.
One traditional financial institution that is taking action to advance ESG goals in a material way is Amalgamated Bank, a US-based regional bank. It is a great example of a traditional bank focused on sustainability. A net-zero bank powered by 100% renewable energy, Amalgamated Bank believes in supporting sustainable organisations, progressive causes, and social justice. It does not lend to fossil fuel companies, and 24% of its loan portfolio is dedicated to climate protection loans and PACE financing (e.g., financing for energy efficiency upgrades, water conservation upgrades). Amalgamated Bank has made tangible progress in aligning its long-term business to achieving Paris Climate Agreement targets. Amalgamated Bank offers a strong business case for how a bank can deliver against socially responsible investment objectives.
A compelling example of a FinTech using ESG to market as well as to address environmental issues is Aspiration Bank, a US-based, online-only FinTech that offers a ‘Spend & Save’ cash management account (CMA) where the deposits are not used to fund any oil and gas projects. It also offers a zero-carbon footprint credit card which claims to plant a tree every time a purchase is made from the card. The bank is set to go public in a $2.3B SPAC transaction later this year. With celebrity investors like Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Robert Downey Jr. and Drake, a multi-million sponsorship deal with Los Angeles Clippers and a multi-billion SPAC in process, Aspiration Bank sets the tone for high-profile, ESG-linked FinTechs to disrupt the banking industry by attracting a younger and more environmentally oriented consumer demographic.
Similarly, Ando, a US-based, online banking platform, invests customers’ deposits exclusively in green initiatives like renewable energy and responsible agriculture. By allocating more than $12M of its customers’ money to green loans since launch, Ando has empowered its users to make a meaningful impact with their savings. Launched in Jan 2021, the company announced a $6M seed round in October 2021, with over 30,000 customers.
Lending
The financial services sector that has most embraced ESG-related efforts is Debt Financing. There have been many green bonds and sustainability-linked loans issued. In addition to these bonds and loans that are promoted by large financial institutions, specialised FinTech lending companies are emerging that focus on sustainability and have developed dedicated lending platforms and products to address the ESG objectives of their consumer clients.
Both Goodleap and Mosaic Inc. are excellent examples of lending platforms focused on financing sustainable home improvements. Goodleap, America’s top point-of-sale platform for sustainable home solutions, offers home upgrades with flexible payment options. With more than $9B in loans deployed through its platform, the company is valued at $12B post its recent $800M capital raise. Mosaic is a leading financing platform for US residential solar and energy-efficient home improvement projects. The company surpassed $5B in loans through its platform in July 2021 as well as closed its 10th solar securitisation — more than any other solar loan issuer in this space. Both these platforms offer simple financing solutions for their customers and are poised to capture a critical component of the sustainable lending market in the years to come.
Carbon Zero, a US-based credit card issuer, offers a simple way for customers to offset their carbon impact. The credit card fee collected by the company is invested in industry-leading forestry and carbon capture projects instead of environmentally harmful ones. Users can automatically neutralize their carbon footprint and achieve a Carbon Zero lifestyle. Incumbent credit card provider Visa recently announced a similar card program called FutureCard which offers 5% cashback on green spending to reward consumers who demonstrate ESG-supportive purchase behaviour.
Payments
Climate FinTechs in the payments segment focus on influencing the spending and shopping behaviour of consumers to help influence them towards embracing brands, companies, and practices that both are more sustainable and help reduce their consumer carbon footprints. And while all these offerings advance ESG objectives, they also help Climate FinTechs attract a key demographic segment and sustain their transaction revenue by aligning financial transactions with ESG goals.
Ecountabl is a US-based, purpose-driven tech company that helps consumers shop and spend on brands and companies that align with their social and environmental goals. Ecountabl seeks to make consumers more aware of their spending tendencies. Users can connect their credit card or bank account to Ecountabl so that it can monitor the ESG impact of their purchases. Ecountabl achieves this by maintaining one of the largest databases in the world monitoring the level of ESG adoption for brands and employers. The company is venture-backed with funding from CRCM Ventures.
Meniga, a UK-based company, focuses on addressing the issue of carbon emissions produced by consumer spending patterns. It offers a carbon insight platform that banks can use to inform their customers about their carbon footprint based on their spending. The platform also helps offset this emission by inviting customers to take challenges, adopting green products, participating in the bank’s CSR initiatives, or finding other ways to offset their carbon footprint. Meniga drives insights from the Meniga Carbon Index to provide accurate estimations using transaction data.
Alipay, the mobile payment app by Ant Group of China, launched an initiative called Ant Forest which encourages users to make decisions that lower their carbon footprint through the spending behaviour using the Alipay app. The resulting reduction in carbon emissions are recorded, and users are rewarded with “green energy” points which can be used to plant actual trees that users can monitors using satellite imagery. Ant Forest has helped over 600 million users plant more than 326 million trees since it launched in 2016.
All three of the examples above focus on influencing the customer to make better energy consumption choices, rather than help them offset their emission by investing in environmentally friendly projects. By putting the customer in charge of their emission behaviour, these companies help consumers focus on their own contributions to advancing ESG goals. It appears that these firms are intent on changing behaviour and are leaving the carbon trading investment opportunity for more institutional investors who are likely to be more effective participants in that market.
Investing
Asset Management and Wealth Management are key focus areas for ESG-focused FinTechs. These companies help individual investors generate a more ESG-compliant portfolio by either offering a specialised marketplace to access ESG-friendly investments or by managing consumers’ portfolios with a focus on composing an aggregate portfolio that achieves measurable ESG goals.
Raise Green is one of the first green crowd investing portals in the US that offers investors a marketplace for local impact investing. The portal helps investors get fractional ownership in clean energy and climate solution projects. The firm is focused on appealing to the younger demographic segment which favours impact investing. The firm completed an angel round of equity financing in April 2021.
There are numerous FinTech portfolio management providers like Arnie Impact and Carbon Collective that offer personalised or pre-built portfolios which focus on sustainable investments and are aligned to the personal values and financial goals of the ESG-focused individual investor. Arnie recently completed its early-stage venture round in September 2021 while Carbon Collective completed one in January 2021. Both companies offer a new option for retail investors to build a long-term sustainable portfolio.
Trading
Trading is a sector where FinTechs can leverage blockchain technology to lower costs, reduce intermediary involvement and at the same time establish exchanges and marketplaces that enable the trading of carbon credits to advance environmental goals while monetising that effort.
Aircarbon, a Singapore-based, global carbon exchange platform built on blockchain technology, bundles carbon credits from different projects into a single instrument that can be traded on its digital platform. Unlike the current system of carbon credits trading, where companies purchase credits linked to individual projects, Aircarbon aims to create and offer standardised carbon credits instruments via bundling of projects. This approach could enable a more standardised carbon credit economy which could catalyse large-scale, institutional commodity trading.
Climate Impact X is another Singapore-based global carbon exchange and marketplace for carbon credits jointly established by DBS Bank, Singapore Exchange Limited (SGX), Standard Chartered Bank, and Temasek. It supports trading of carbon credits created from projects involved in the protection and restoration of natural ecosystems. The company recently completed an auction of a portfolio of 170,000 carbon credits connected to eight recognised forest conservation and restoration projects located in Africa, Asia, and Central- and South America. The company aims to have such auctions on a regular basis starting in 2022. The development of an expanded carbon credit supply via auctions could help the carbon offset market reach $100B in tradable carbon by 2030.
Risk Analysis
Risk analysis is a Climate FinTech category that has seen the highest rate of exits and mergers & acquisitions based on a report issued by New Energy Nexus. Risk analysis companies focus on measuring two kinds of climate risk data: 1) transition risk, which relates to the process of transitioning to a lower-carbon economy and 2) physical climate risk, which focuses on the physical impact of climate change. Both of these risks are important to investors, and investors rely on these analytical solutions to guide their investment decisions.
Carbon Delta, a Swiss company, provides insights that evaluate climate change risk in public companies for investment professionals. A key example of a company that measures this transition risk - Carbon Delta calculates ‘Climate-value-at-Risk” which provides forward-looking and return-based valuation assessments for an investment portfolio. By offering a calculation of the value of the future costs related to climate change, the company can help influence how investors and operators can direct capital to less environmentally harmful projects. This company was acquired by MSCI in 2019.
Jupiter Intel, on the other hand, measures the physical risk of climate change at the asset level by using satellite data, artificial intelligence, machine learning and Internet-of-Things connectivity. The Climate Score provided by its platform enables users to project the effect of climate change on a portfolio of assets. Banks, asset management firms, and other financial services companies can leverage this data to manage risk and allocate capital to assets that maximise positive climate impact. The company raised $54M in Series C venture funding in a deal led by MPower Partners Fund and Clearvision Ventures in September 2021.
Middlemarch is Poised to Support ESG-focused FinTechs
Middlemarch Partners believe that FinTechs as well as traditional financial services players can use ESG to attract customers who care about changing how we interact with our environment and each other. Not only is Middlemarch Partners focused on helping capitalise on next-gen financial services companies that want to focus on environmental objectives, but we also want to help established traditional financial services companies find ways to reorient themselves towards ESG efforts.
Middlemarch Partners is also cultivating investors who want to help lead the charge in ESG-oriented financial services companies. We know those investors are looking for those businesses that can deliver strong returns and, at the same time, advance ESG objectives. That is the winning strategy that will allow us all to do well by doing good.
