The Nordic fintech scene is growing fast in terms of number of startups and investments and innovative and ambitious startups are popping up in all of the major cities. TheFactory – a Nordic Fintech accelerator and incubator based in Oslo, Norway, is running 12-week accelerator programs tailored to fintech startups, TheFactory is open for applications through August 3rd. Startups seeking industry partnerships, mentoring and seed investments are encouraged to apply.
It has been almost 6 months since I got on the plane and headed over to Bergen to take on the role as Chief Digital Officer in Skandiabanken. By now, fintech has exploded as a mainstream topic with an increasing level of interest from the general public. As customer expectations intensifies, so does the sense of urgency for banks to actually but those words into action and put their money where their mouths are. So far this year, I have done my part to make that happen.
Banking used to be somewhere you go, seventeen years ago Skandiabanken made it something you do as the first online-only bank. During those years, we have continued to maintain our position as the leading challenger bank, and now we are stepping up the game and taking digital banking to the next level. The webcast is now available here.
De fleste vellykkede selskaper er gode på tradisjonell forretningsutvikling som belønner forutsigbar vekst og risikoredd ledelse. Det er en dårlig forutsetning for å vinne nye posisjoner.
Banking used to be somewhere you go, seventeen years ago Skandiabanken made it something you do as the first online-only bank. During those years, we have continued to maintain our position as the leading challenger bank, and now we are stepping up the game and taking digital banking to the next level.
In the age of digital disruption, the ability to be innovative is crucial for every incumbent. Changes are happening fast, and incumbent business models are challenged from every direction. No matter the resources allocated to innovation, supporting structures and conditions for innovation, the ability to innovate boils down to the competence and talent in the organization.
Last week we announced that Skandiabanken will be supporting digital currencies by integrating to Coinbase Connect and exposing the account balance held at Coinbase. The real innovation really has little to do with bitcoin and digital currencies, but rather a representation of the way open banking will shape new products development and customer experience.
Ever since the advent of bitcoin, the debate has alternated between bitcoin as a currency, blockchain as a protocol and bitcoin as an asset class. No matter how you choose to look at it, blockhain and digital currencies are gainging a lot of interest, and we wanted to explore this space by allowing our customers to view their Coinbase account balance directly in their online bank.
The rise of fintech, changing consumer behavior and new technology are just some of the trends that puts innovation in the spotlight for banks these days. Even incumbents that were once considered the least susceptible to change are investing in innovation. But what makes a bank innovative?
If anyone had told me fifteen years ago I would end up working in the banking sector, I would probably have thought of it as a highly unlikely outcome, but here I am. The other day, a former colleague and friend asked me what made me see the light and enter the banking sector, and it got me thinking. I guess my natural curiosity and passion for innovation and change to the positive has led me this where I am today, and I still feel like we are just scratching the surface of the future ahead.
Around this time last year, blockchain was the hottest subject in finance and tech. It was close to impossible to attend an industry event or read a subject-specific news source without hearing about blockchain. As the attention to blockchain has cooled down some might ask whether it was all just a hype.
As global poverty is continuing to decline, another issue emerges. According to the World Economic Forum, rising income inequality and the pose a risk to the global economy, and may lead to increased polarization and lack of political stability.
Hver person, ting og entitet har sin egne unike identitet, og evnen til å bevise denne er nøkkelen til alt fra å logge inn på Facebook til å levere inn selvangivelsen. Vi omgir oss med ulike former for digitale identitetsløsninger som gir oss tilgang til innhold, foreta betalinger og kommunisere gjennom dagen. Samtidig henger mange av prosessene og reglene knyttet til opprettelse og verifisering av identitet igjen i den fysiske verden med signaturer, papirbasert ID og fysisk oppmøte.
Artificial intelliegence will undoubtedly revolutionize wealth and asset management, and we wish to take an active part in this revolution. Last week Skandiabanken entered an agreement to purchase 39,9% of the shares in Quantfolio AS. The investment represents an important step in the banks ongoing work to further strengthen and facilitate user-friendly digital saving options for the private market.
By now, almost everyone in the banking industry agrees that we are facing a perfect storm of changes that will forever alter the landscape for financial services. However, it still seems like a long way from talking about it to acknowledging the potential threats and challenges. And an even further way towards putting that knowledge into action.
The landscape for financial services is changing, and the jury is still out as to how the endgame is going to play out. One of the concepts shaping this future is open banking. After looking into the subject, it is becoming clear that there is no one size fits all open banking strategy. Rather, there are several tactical moves that are being played aout by a variety of both banks and fintechs. No matter which strategic option(s) you choose to follow, open banking will fundamentally change banking the same way internet banking once did.
The idea of a cashless society is one of the topics that stirs up a heated debated when it comes to digitalization of banking and society. On the one hand, physical cash is the common denominator for corruption, tax evasion, money laundering and other various illegal activities. While the anonymity of cash acts as an enabler for the illegal economy, many fear that the lack of said anonymity will inevitably lead to an Orwellian society where individual freedom is limited.
Rumors of competition from the technology sector has been going on for a while in the financial industry, and last week the debate heated up when it was rumored that Amazon was considering acquiring Capital One. There may be some obstacles regarding this specific scenario, but it does not change the fact that Amazon already is well positioned to take a strong position in financial services regardless of regulatory barriers for structural growth.
The traditional defense for human financial advisory boils down to a deep faith in the excellence of human reasoning and intelligence, coupled with more or less positive view on the emotional capacity and intuition of human beings. This is now challenged by the changing customer behavior and needs, the emergence of financial technology, and especially, an increasing number of robo-advisory services, perhaps redefining the concept of financial advisory altogether.
One of the most fashionable business fads these days is for incumbents from traditional industries to claim that they are no longer an (insert your industry here), but a is now tech company. As an example, Domino’s is now claiming to be “a tech company that happens to make pizza.” This may sound noble, but do these incumbents have what it takes when it comes to delivering upon that promise?