Currently, there is a fairly wide range of financing options for fintech startups, especially now that the fintech market has developed strongly in recent years, and investors are increasingly looking to investment in financial innovations. Building a financial startup can also be based on several different forms of fundraising, the so-called mixed financing. Contrary to appearances, there are quite a few options, depending on the business model, business goals, and the type of product or service offered.
External investor
Finding an investor from outside the company is the first way to finance a fintech. In addition to making a cash contribution, investors often help a given company to enter the business world, establish contacts and gain experience. Of course, someone who invests their money in fintech is not a passive observer, but a partner who has partial control and influence over the company’s operations. Good cooperation with an external investor is the key to success. There are many ways to attract an external investor, namely:
Venture capital – a type of external investment for small and medium-sized enterprises, in which the investor (most often a large enterprise) contributes money to the company by buying shares or stocks. Such an entity becomes a co-owner of the fintech, financially supports the project, but also manages the work and interferes in the decisions made. Thanks to the contract concluded for a strictly defined period; the originator has no fear that he will lose money overnight.
Business angels – in this investment method, we are dealing only with investments from our own funds. Business Angels are private investors who are eagerly looking for innovative companies, where they hope to get profits from shares for help in the form of a cash contribution.
Investment funds – a form of financing that involves the collective investment of financial resources paid by fund participants. Then, these funds are invested in the company’s securities, and the profits come mainly from the change in their value.
Bond issue – an alternative solution to search for sources of financing from external investors. This method mainly applies to entities that are looking for significant cash. It consists in the issue of securities (bonds) with a specific value. To put it simply, it is a kind of loan in which we undertake to provide a specific benefit to the owner of the bond (investor), which may be pecuniary or non-pecuniary. In the case of the first option, the investor has the right to return the amount borrowed together with interest. On the other hand, the non-monetary dimension is the possibility of obtaining certain rights, e.g. to participate in the future profits of the company.
Foundations and hubs for fintechs
Currently, foundations and hubs that create an ecosystem supporting the development of fintechs are becoming more and more popular. As part of cooperation with such an entity, a fintech can count on project financing and technological and business support. The main goal of such foundations is to connect people and organizations across the entire financial sector ecosystem, giving fintechs access to knowledge, experience of talents and investors. It is not uncommon to find economists, lawyers, or IT specialists as partners of such foundations.. Business support at the initial stage of fintech development is also a significant saving because you do not need to invest in accounting or legal support, and it is a known fact that the early stage of the project usually requires caution when it comes to spending money.
Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is a relatively new way to raise funds, which is becoming increasingly popular. In the context of financial solutions, it may not be an obvious idea, but it all depends on the type of service offered. If the fintech offer is addressed to the B2C market and at the same time meets the conditions of an innovative and attractive solution, you can certainly consider this form of at least partial financing. Crowdfunding is about introducing and presenting your project to a broader community through an online platform. Through such a platform, people interested in the project can make small, one-off payments for its implementation. In return for a financial contribution, many “investors” are rewarded with a share of the future profits of the project, or become co-owners of the project. This type of benefit exchange is a form of investment. It also happens that the remuneration for the investor is offered in the form of a finished product (pre-sale) for the implementation of which the fundraiser is carried out.
Project financing in this way opens the possibility to reach a broad audience thanks to the popularity of such platforms. On the other hand, the person looking for cash gets a quick message from the target group, saying whether the project is interesting and innovative enough to enter the market.
Support from EU programs
The European Union offers start-ups financial assistance through innovation financing programs. To a large extent, it is non-returnable financing, subject of course, to several conditions specified in the financing regulations. The most popular operators of European funds include the European Funds, the Polish Development Fund and the National Center for Development and Innovation.
Cooperation with banks
It’s not about taking out a loan – by no means, especially that it is easier to obtain a loan for entities that already operate on the market and have verified creditworthiness. An alternative form of support is to simply cooperate with one of the banks that offer innovation programs for fintechs. As part of such an exchange, fintechs can count on financial and legislative support, while banks implement their assumptions related to the development of innovations in the banking sector. The most interesting projects in this area include, among others, Let’s Fintech, initiated by Bank PKO, or Accelup co-created by Santander.