MoneyConf, Bank to the Future
by Startacus Admin
As I write this, I am sitting in a wooden half-pipe, in a rather dilapidated looking warehouse, dotted with technicolour furniture, lots of clever looking folks and not a tie in site…it can only mean one thing… I’m at a Web Summit event.
Not in Dublin this time (Web Summit has burst far and beyond the city of its birth), this time we are in Belfast, down by the docks (home of the Titanic and the Delorean car) and it’s hard to imagine a more appropriate setting for such a cutting-edge conference.
The order of the day is financial technology, that’s ‘FinTech’ to those in-the-know; certainly not my area of expertise, and I must confess to a certain level of apprehension upon arrival this morning. Of course this was terribly misplaced as MoneyConf has all the trademark warmth, 
informality, quirk, and general good craic of its much larger sister conference.
One cannot help but draw comparisons between the two, and whilst the name and branding are distinctive and unique, it’s impossible to deny that you are indeed attending a Web Summit event; it compares favourably.
If you have ever been to Web Summit you will know well of what I speak…these folks really know how to create events that cater to the new breed of enterprising individual. No drab grey spirals of boredom here; vibrancy, vitality, and fun take centre stage alongside the more traditional aspects of the business conference. All of this makes for an experience that is enjoyable as well as educational, and enlightening.
We will return later in the week with a more detailed commentary on the experience and what we’ve learned but for now, I just want to share one thought with you; something that has really resonated with me as someone who is rather well acquainted with the ‘startup scene’.
THESE ISSUES CONCERN EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US
I’m really surprised to be writing those words, but for me that is the message that will stick with me from this conference. Most startups and SMEs who are not directly engaged in the world of Fintech, will understandably assume that such things are well beyond their remit, but that simply isn't the case.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the technology of finance is changing faster than at any other time in history, and that creates not only huge challenges, but incredible opportunities. What’s interesting for you lot, as startups and SMEs is that the possible benefits for you and your business really are significant.
The biggest changes that we have seen in the ‘business community’, is how we sell, buy, secure, transact, and analyse both online and offline; the significance of these, and the opportunities that they continue to bring cannot be overstated. A great many businesses will live and die by the way that they adapt to and exploit the new technologies, and in our opinion, Moneyconf has made a good start at opening up discussions that could help the average business to contemplate their place amongst the din.
They have created a nice space to learn, network, and mull over how the modern startup / SME might seize some of the opportunities that this brave new world of financial technology has opened up to them…or how they might ‘Bank to the future’, if you’ll pardon the expression.
By Eoin O'Hara
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Software has become a powerful tool for businesses to harness. here are 4 software essentials your startup could adopt right now.
The Dublin-based MedTech company that is enabling remote monitoring of those with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms who are in self-isolation
The new FinTech platform that provides “the easy way to sell your unused and unwanted foreign cash currency at the best rates”.
In order to combat some of the impact caused by the coronavirus, many tourism focused attractions are turning to tech solutions. Here's a few!
The Trinity College spinout that has created a cost-effective hand hygiene training system teaching the WHO technique…
The lowdown on Budget Music Videos, the Belfast-based startup that will help you make a music video in a matter of minutes
BMW’s Innovation Lab next two sprints focuses on improving internal customer-led efficiencies or tech solutions that provide valuable data insights and analytics
WebARX create a COVID-19 cyber threats page to collect all the cyber attacks and online threats surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic
Require external capital to fund growth and worried about the potential impact coronavirus may have on your funding plans?
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chivas Divides its $1m No-Strings Venture Fund Between 26 Startups
Published on: 16th June 2015
.png)
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.
- Chivas Venture divides this year's $1m Venture Fund between 26 global Startups 23rd Mar 2020 In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chivas Divides its $1m No-Strings Venture Fund Between 26 Startups
- The open-source design of emergency ventilators for COVID-19 patients 20th Mar 2020 World Wide Community of over 500 designers engineers & medics finalising prototypes for safe scalable manufacture & rapid field deployment..
- Positive-ish reaction from small business and startup community to UK Chancellor’s Corona budget 11th Mar 2020 New UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak just delivered his first UK Budget. We took a look at first reactions from small business and startup leaders.
- Hyper-realistic plant-based meat company THIS™ raises £4.7m 11th Mar 2020 Major investment news for THIS™, arguably the world's most realistic meat alternative company, to help it keep up with growing demand
