It was a mixed year in 2022 for venture capital as fundraising hit an all-time high, whereas deal activity slowed and exits capitulated. The start of this year should see these trends move in the same direction as appetite for fast-growing startups wanes and investor focus shifts to profitability and ... READ MORE >
Financial services
How remittances bolster emerging economies
Remittances play a well-known but little discussed role in emerging markets around the world. Low-income countries like El Salvador are heavily dependent upon such payments from families and friends who work in other countries, with roughly 20% of gross domestic product coming from remittances. The ... READ MORE >
As insurtech investment dips, companies get boost by teaming with traditional insurers
Insurance technology startups (insurtechs) have been disrupting the insurance industry for several years, offering customers on-demand products and streamlined services driven by technological advancements. The traditional insurance industry provided the perfect landscape for insurtech disruption as the ... READ MORE >
Venture capital activity slows even as deal counts and fundraising hit records
Venture capital deal and exit activity for the first nine months of the year were well below the explosive pace set last year as various headwinds set in during the third quarter to cool off the blazing trends that had prevailed since the second quarter of 2020. Deal activity through September totaled ... READ MORE >
Accounting for climate risks in business decisions
After a slow start, hurricane season has taken a significant toll in North America this year. Hurricane Fiona devastated Canada’s Atlantic provinces, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power. Less than a week later, Hurricane Ian laid waste to vast areas of Florida and the Southeastern United ... READ MORE >
Top 5 fintech trends to watch—now, and in the future
The fintech movement is driving a rapid evolution within financial services, resulting in a new infrastructure and platform for the industry’s next generation. Investment in fintech companies has soared in the past three years, topping $118.2 billion globally in 2021, which surpassed the previous two ... READ MORE >
How DeFi is reshaping capital markets, part 3: Spring 2022 outlook
At a glance Looking toward the rest of 2022, capital markets organizations need to become familiar with what tokens can enable. At a high level, stablecoins serve as a bridge between traditional finance and DeFi; they can serve as a fiat on-ramp to DeFi and facilitate USD settlement outside of ... READ MORE >
3 priorities for insurers in the future of work: Spring 2022 outlook
At a glance A confluence of pressures is forcing many insurance companies to reinvent their traditional operating models. Insurers are modernizing their legacy systems, creating connected networks across the enterprise, and expanding their vendor partnerships, all while improving employees’ work ... READ MORE >
Workforce, population shifts are major hurdles for banks: Spring 2022 outlook
At a glance A transforming workforce and the long-term slowing in population growth are likely the greatest threats to many banking organizations. These shifts can have a long-lasting impact on financial institutions that do not act now. Enhancements to current working conditions, company ... READ MORE >
Hybrid funds emerge as a growing force in venture capital: Spring 2022 outlook
At a glance Record fundraising from traditional investors gave U.S. venture capital funds the dry powder needed to fuel explosive growth in 2021. A growing list of nontraditional VC investors allowed startups to raise even more capital and resulted in the emergence of hybrid funds. Hybrid funds ... READ MORE >