8 finalists announced including some of the hottest start-ups and scale-ups in wealth management, RegTech, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and blockchain
Hong Kong, 7 November 2016 – As an indication of the rising FinTech trends in Asia, wealth management, regulatory technology (RegTech), artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and blockchain were the areas with the most compelling submissions for the 2017 SuperCharger FinTech Accelerator 2.0 programme, Hong Kong’s 12-week FinTech accelerator programme sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank and Fidelity International.
For a second year running, SuperCharger, which aims to help the most promising start-ups and scale-ups grow in Asia, has surpassed other Hong Kong FinTech accelerators with almost 200 applicants from 33 countries from which 8 finalists were selected.
Mr Shameek Kundu, Standard Chartered’s Global Head of Data, Architecture and Innovation, said: “As the founding sponsor of the SuperCharger, Standard Chartered has a demonstrable record for encouraging the development of the FinTech ecosystem in Asia by investing in FinTechs as well as cultivating and collaborating with several exciting start-ups to help them grow. From the SuperCharger Fintech Accelerator 2.0 cohort, we hope to provide the launchpad for more interesting collaborations that can help us make banking simpler and improve the client experience.”
Mr Stuart Morley, Head of Technology – Asia at Fidelity International, said: “At Fidelity, we believe in a collaborative philosophy when engaging with the FinTech ecosystem. The SuperCharger accelerator is a high quality program that enables us to partner with some of the brightest startup prospects from around the world and on themes that are of particular interest and importance to Hong Kong and the Financial Services industry more broadly right now. We are excited about our involvement with the SuperCharger once again and are committed to developing, in conjunction with the 8 finalists, new and progressive solutions for our clients.
Mr Janos Barberis, Founder of SuperCharger, said: “SuperCharger is strongly establishing itself as Hong Kong’s leading FinTech accelerator. The quality of this year’s cohort is a testament to that and reflects the role our accelerator plays for the sourcing of products, solutions and talent in the financial services industry in this region.”
The 8 finalists for SuperCharger 2.0 are (alphabetical order):
1. Bambu – Wealth Management
2. Clare.ai – Artificial Intelligence and Chatbots
3. Entersoft – Cybersecurity
4. FinChat – Regulatory Techology
5. Foris – Payments
6. KYC Chain – Regulatory Technology
7. Squirro – Big Data
8. Xnotes Alliance – Blockchain
The 8 selected companies are highly complementary and present clear partnership opportunities with SuperCharger corporate partners. Each company’s founder will participate in a robust curriculum structured around bespoke content and gain access to an extensive network of partners and mentors. Following the 12-week programme, the companies will have supercharged their growth within the Asian FinTech Market, currently the largest in the world by nominal investment amounting to US$2.6 billion in Q1 of 2016 (source: KPMG: The Pulse of FinTech Q1 2016).
The total number of applications rose by 24% compared to the previous year, as a result of greater awareness and popularity of the programme. More than an accelerator, SuperCharger keeps the pulse on FinTech markets globally. It increasingly attracts mature companies (54% are revenue generating) and supports cross-border activity of start-ups as they internationalise themselves. In that respect, Hong Kong plays a key role as Asia’s FinTech super connector.
In addition to the programme’s main sponsors Standard Chartered and Fidelity, SuperCharger FinTech Accelerator 2.0 is also supported by Cyberport, a venue partner providing the participants the newly opened Cyberport Smart-Space FinTech Centre as their co-working space. Other supporting organisations include Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, VISA, Baker and McKenzie, Arbor Ventures, General Assembly, Amazon Web Services, InvestHK, FinnovAsia, Mambu, FinTech St, e27, Crowdfund Insider and the University of Hong Kong.
SuperCharger
Leveraging on Hong Kong’s traditional strength as Asia’s finance and technology gateway, SuperCharger is a 12-week FinTech Accelerator Programme backed by Standard Chartered Bank, Fidelity International and Cyberport, among others. In its first batch, SuperCharger 1.0 received over 160 applications from more than 25 countries globally and selected 8 Fintechs. The selected companies had raised between US$ 200,000 and 150 million and ranged from early-stage to late-stage growth FinTech companies. Throughout the programme, SuperCharger’s 2000 sq. ft. co-working office was enriched by the participation and mentorship of more than 150 individuals, including VCs, mentors, government officials, journalists and the next generation of young entrepreneurs.
SuperCharger’s finalists and alumni are shaping the future of finance in Hong Kong and beyond. If you have any questions or comments, please reach us at hello@fintechsupercharger.com.
