Fintech investment is booming. In 2018, a record USD 111.8 billion was invested in fintech, and the sector garnered extensive media coverage and interest. But despite fintech’s growing profile—and even though it can help unlock trillions of dollars in value by reaching financially underserved households and businesses—fintech solutions have yet to reach the majority of the financially excluded.
It is against this backdrop that we at MIX worked with MetLife Foundation, Visa Inc., Accion, and IFC to launch the Inclusive Fintech 50, the first global effort to spotlight early- stage fintechs driving financial inclusion. Four key findings emerged from our analysis of applicant data. We believe these findings can help funders, investors, and fintechs in their financial inclusion efforts. The Inclusive Fintech 50 applicant pool provides new insights into inclusion-focused fintech, itself a subset of the fintech universe. By highlighting these high-potential companies, we hope to support the efforts of investors, banking partners, and other fintechs working towards a financially inclusive world.