The coronavirus crisis is a boon for trading apps but a perfect storm for digital lenders. We asked 6 top fintech backers and dealmakers to predict the winners and losers.
- As fintechs cope with a tightened funding environment, it's likely the industry will see some startups fail while others will excel.
- Business Insider spoke to six investors and dealmakers about the types of startups that are in the best, or worst, positions.
- Most warned that lenders and those in the payment space might be the most susceptible, while trading-related startups have opportunities to grow their business.
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The coronavirus crisis is providing the first big test for many young fintechs, which benefitted from rising stock markets and ample funding for years.
Now, the spread of the coronavirus is taking a huge economic toll worldwide, and fintech startups are being forced to reckon with a new reality. Still, while this could hurt some startups that bet on transforming the world of finance, it could also be a boost to newer players.
Wall Street execs have already told us how the coronavirus is in many ways a watershed moment for the adoption of tech, as people's behaviors change to adapt to things like social distancing and remote work.
Business Insider spoke to investors and dealmakers about the startups best positioned to succeed, and those that will likely struggle, in the new environment.
Some of these answers came as part of a broader survey of 11 backers, who laid out how fintechs should be looking to conserve capital, weighing opportunities against risks, and keeping the human toll of the coronavirus crisis in mind when making decisions.
Retail trading platforms and financial software were mentioned as among the possible winners.
On the losers side, the backers and bankers identified point-of-sale systems - which are a feature of the retail and hospitality industries that have been forced to temporarily shutter physical locations - as well as fintech services for small businesses and freelancers, as areas that could hurt.