london fintech companies Archives - CFTE

Can a Banker be an Entrepreneur?

cfteadmin — Tue, 07 May 2019 07:56:41 +0000

There are many debates about whether it is possible to learn how to become an entrepreneur, and it is no different in the world of FinTech. The digital transformation in finance is fast becoming a reality in the banking industry. Many executives now find themselves needing to gain new skills in order to remain relevant within a changing banking system.

For current and future bankers, or anyone with an interest in the finance industry, the landscape is changing fast. The characteristics of an entrepreneur are becoming more relevant than ever in this field. Not everyone needs to be an entrepreneur, but everyone needs to have an entrepreneurial mindset.

This is essential whether you run your own business or innovate in a large organisation. Apart from streamlining processes, the entrepreneurial mindset can help your career progression. In short, this is the vision to strategise and execute in a faster, smarter and more flexible way. Instead of being tied down by protocol and best practices, vision often changes things for the better.

For example, adopting an entrepreneurial mindset means bankers may need to adjust their default mindset. Most will have experience of rigid processes that have not changed for decades, and will not see any reason to change. This can lead to complacency, which results in a lack of change or innovation – typical of many banks in today’s world. There needs to be an urgency to improve and experiment with new ideas. In turn, it will quickly isolate successful processes and tangible improvements while also highlighting inefficiencies.

Similarly, creativity and problem-solving are key skills that bankers will need to thrive as an entrepreneur. Although many organisations keep an eye for CVs that describe “out-of-the-box” thinkers, they often prefer individuals that they can mould to think and take their approach to dealing with problems. When it comes to innovation, limiting thinking and possibilities to a single funnel is a recipe for disaster.

We fully believe that bankers (or anyone for that matter!) can learn how to have an entrepreneurial mindset, and the CFTE Extrapreneurship Programme has been created to respond to this need. The programme allows professionals to experience entrepreneurship by working on a strategic issue of high growth startups (inaugural edition starting on 13 May 2019 with Revolut and Shift Technology).

To read more of our leading new Extrapreneurship programme, please click on the button below!

CFTE is the learning and innovation platform for individuals and organisations to act on the transformation of Finance. Learn how to get into Fintech, explore the exciting opportunities at Fintech startups, lead AI projects and develop your career.

CFTE develops leading online courses (Comparable to Harvard Fintech Course, Oxford Fintech programme and MIT Fintech certificate course), Experiential Learning Programmes such as Entrepreneur workshops and also animate a community of 1000 of alumni and experts.

Start with the foundations with our Fintech Foundations Programme and AI in Finance course.

Think and act like an Entrepreneur with our Extrapreneurship Programme.

Meet and get inspired at our Fintech ecosystem

About CFTE

We are a platform supported by senior leaders from the largest institutions, startups, and universities. We address the needs of professionals in finance to upskill in a rapidly changing industry being transformed by emerging technologies. More than 50,000 participants learn from our online courses, such as AI in Finance, Fintech Foundation or Extrapreneurship, a mini-MBA with fast-growing startups such as Revolut or Shift Technology.

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CFTE Campus – The First Physical FinTech Campus

cfteadmin — Wed, 01 May 2019 14:59:50 +0000

CFTE recently launched the world’s first ever physical FinTech campus at Level39 in Canary Wharf, London. In line with its aim to promote FinTech education, the aptly named CFTE Campus is designed to provide a space for finance professionals and entrepreneurs to learn, network, and learn, all under one roof!

With the world of finance rapidly changing and evolving, executives in the industry run the risk of being left behind as the brave new world of FinTech begins to take root. The CFTE Campus aims to upskill professionals to keep up with the times, regardless of current experience and expertise. Not only will this ensure they remain relevant in the future of finance, it will also benefit the FinTech community as the talent pool grows and develops along with the industry.

Apart from promoting FinTech education one of the key aims of the CFTE Campus is to grow the London FinTech ecosystem. Experts in various fields will share their insight and views at biweekly FinTech events held at Level39, making it the most vibrant community in Europe, and possibly the world!

This is a notion echoed by CFTE co-founder, Tram Anh Nguyen, who wants the campus to help finance professionals to “upskill themselves and also build a network with other FinTech leaders of today and tomorrow”. With its strategic location at Level39, the CFTE Campus is certainly well-placed to do just that.

Hosting over 200 startups and more than 1,200 entrepreneurs, Level39 is the perfect ecosystem for FinTech to rapidly develop and thrive, with its community having a golden opportunity to accelerate not only their learning, but impact on the world of finance. The London FinTech scene stands to benefit tremendously as the foundation has already been laid previously, paving the way for speedy growth and evolution that few cities around the world, if any, can match.

There is already a myriad of opportunities in FinTech in London; the introduction of the CFTE Campus only serves to increase this number. The only question is, will you be a part of it?

We’re in the news! Click here to read more!

Click here to read the full press release of the CFTE Campus launch.

Start with the foundations with our Fintech Foundations Programme and AI in Finance course.

Think and act like an Entrepreneur with our Extrapreneurship Programme.

Meet and get inspired at our Fintech ecosystem

Browse our Fintech Events Agenda.

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What skills are needed to be a FinTech Entrepreneur?

cfteadmin — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 07:09:55 +0000

FinTech is already disrupting the world of finance at a rapid rate, and it is only going to become more and more entwined into the global ecosystem. Many companies and financial institutions have already noticed the threat that the FinTech entrepreneur and startups pose but have yet to adequately respond with improved operations and offerings. Here are some of the skills that a future FinTech entrepreneur will need within such an environment:

A background in finance

Although this is not strictly true, it certainly helps to have a good understanding of how the industry works to lay the foundation for a future career in FinTech. Working directly in the field will give you a thorough idea of what the shortcomings and problems are within the various verticals.

Marketing

As any entrepreneur will tell you, marketing is half the battle. A common mistake startup founders often make is assuming that the audience will see and recognise the worth of their product. Marketing helps to break down what your product/service is to the masses, which in turn can drive plenty of potential leads to your FinTech startup. If you are not sure how best to position your offerings, you need to find someone that does!

Business development

This is the other half of the hustle for the FinTech entrepreneur. As a startup, you will be pressed for business from the get-go and it is up to you to find these leads and channels and convert them to scale quickly. If your services are better than your competitors, you need to make sure that interested parties know this and close the deal quickly. If your leads are locked into long multi-year contracts with rivals, you will not be securing their business anytime soon, no matter how good your product is.

Soft skills

This is something that can be hard to demonstrate on a resume, but necessary skills such as emotional intelligence, creativity and agile thinking can prove to be priceless when building up a FinTech startup. Imagine a leader with every technical skill in the book but is unable to effectively communicate with the team – a disaster waiting to happen! Similarly, the inability to solve problems on the fly and adapt to the rapid changes within the FinTech industry is a sure-fire recipe for failure.

No one can create a FinTech unicorn on their own; soft skills are essential when establishing FinTech startups from the ground up, before scaling when the service is proven. In addition, soft skills can be key to securing funding from angels and other investors. After all, no one wants to invest in a founder that they dislike.

Innovations and problem-solving

As an entrepreneur, you will constantly have to come up with creative methods to solve problems that never seem to go away. Thinking outside the box is paramount, and you will likely find yourself at a roadblock if your problem-solving skills have not been sufficiently developed. Alternatively, you may find your skills developing at a faster rate than ever before if you dive right into the deep end!

The CFTE Extrapreneurship Programme has been created to respond to this need. The programme allows professionals to experience entrepreneurship by working on a strategic issue of high growth startups (inaugural edition starting on 13 May 2019 with Revolut and Shift Technology – applications currently open).

To read more of our leading new Extrapreneurship programme click here!

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