NCFA Canada | June 11, 2020
TORONTO and WATERLOO, June 11, 2020: The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada (NCFA) is pleased to announce that Hub & Company has joined NCFA as an industry partner.
NCFA’s industry partners are builders, investors and innovators who have provided a significant level of service and/or contribution towards the sustainability and growth of NCFA and related fintech sectors globally. We encourage the fintech ecosystem to support and collaborate with NCFA’s global network of industry partners by engaging directly with their ventures of mutual interest.
Hub & Company, headquartered in Waterloo, is a venture studio and consultancy that helps you launch, grow or build your organization to attract the next generation of digital natives with integrated, analytical and unique strategies that promote hyper-virality and scale. Our team has extensive experience in growing brands, building products, and fundraising to meet the ever-evolving needs of new markets, platforms and channels.
“Amongst technologists it is clear that the world of digital finance is the future, the trouble lies in creating and communicating financial products that are relevant to consumers.”
– Olivier Szczepaniak, Managing Partner, Hub & Company
“At it’s core, Huband.co represent the future of your canvas. A forward thinking and adaptable venture studio driven by Gen Z innovators and technologists…we’re very excited to see where this partnership can go!”
– Craig Asano, Founder and CEO, NCFA
The best place to connect and get more information is at huband.co
NCFA Interview with Olivier Szczepaniak, Managing Partner at Hub & Company
What excites you most about digital assets and decentralized finance?
It seems most of the innovations in the startup ecosystem could be classified as innovations of convenience. They tend to automate workers on the periphery doing menial tasks, digital assets, and decentralized finance can automate away the centre. Instead of putting the taxi drivers out of a job, digital assets and decentralized finance can put Uber out of a job and put the power into the hands of the taxi drivers. I find the potential of creating novel incentive structures most exciting.
Where do you see this industry going in 5-10 years?
There has been a tremendous amount of unbundling in the fintech space, everyone is now offering a bunch of different product lines, and around narrow wedges like payday loans and payment financing. I think we’re reaching a point where it will become overwhelming for consumers to keep up with 10 different apps to manage their money. Thus, I think there will be a re-bundling. It may look like something akin to a “super app,” like we see in the Asian market with Grab or Alipay. It could be the return of more robust personal finance management apps. Or it could happen through automation (ex. Tally which consolidates credit card debt). Fintech seems to be maturing and slowly becoming saturated. CAC is going through the roof, and mindshare is getting harder to come by. I believe that this will lead to the rise of embedded finance. Uber, SmileDirectClub, and Shopify are amongst the first to add financial products to their offering. However, flexible payments and insurance are the tip of the iceberg. I foresee brands like Nike or even Fortnite, that have a deep brand loyalty will start to become big players because they have a natural entry point. If more brands start adding fintech as a feature, all these companies will need infrastructure. I expect more investing dollars will go toward these companies that will help them manage compliance, fraud and other building blocks.
The big winners over the next 5-10 years will be companies who embrace the need for a better user experience for the end user, whether that be in international markets or domestically. Digital assets and democratized finance have come a long way, but the industry seems to just be warming up, and at Hub & Co we can’t wait to see where things go.
What are the biggest opportunities and challenges with Fintech in Canada and how can industry, government and key stakeholders best lead the way for a sustainable and successful future?
I’m long Canadian talent, short Canadian regulation. Our financial regulation is great for stability but often inhibits startups ability to move quickly. In a global competitive landscape this can be catastrophic. It would be great to see more innovation tracks in our regulatory system.
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About NCFA
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
About Hub & Company
Founded in 2019, Hub & Company is a venture studio and consultancy that works with companies looking to improve their bottom-lines, public images, corporate strategies, or products. We built our organization on the foundation of partnership and realized that with the collaboration of a large number of successful individuals, students, thought leaders, entrepreneurs and organizational strategists, we could help our clients grow quickly. For more information at Hub & Company, please visit: https://huband.co
Hub & Company Joins NCFA as an Industry Partner Source: https://ncfacanada.org/hub-company-joins-ncfa-as-an-industry-partner/
