World Business Chicago’s next event hopes to showcase the future of finance technology in Chicago.
The city’s economic development partner organization announced its first Future-of-FinTech Week will take place Sept. 23–27. Registration is open for the event, which aims to attract industry leaders, entrepreneurs and investors in the space to network and further grow one of Chicago's strongest startup sectors.
Global fintech deal activity in the second quarter continued to trend upward since the end of 2023, though since peaking in 2021, activity in the sector has fluctuated both in terms of overall activity and average deal size, according to PitchBook's Emerging Tech Indicator.
Fintech saw the second-most deals behind artificial intelligence and biotech in the second quarter. Almost half of the fintech deals went to seed rounds, according to PitchBook.
Against this backdrop, Future-of-FinTech Week aims to build on the success of World Business Chicago's Chicago Venture Summit and see fintech and insurtech entrepreneurs from across the startup scene gather to empower the next generation of fintech innovators.
“Small businesses and entrepreneurs are a critical driving force behind economic innovation and job creation,” Phil Clement, president and CEO of World Business Chicago, said in a statement.
Clement, along with other local business leaders, thinks Chicago has all the pieces to make it a premier hub for fintech investment and innovation.
"Events like these showcase the talent and ingenuity within our city and position Chicago as a leading hub for fintech innovation," added Betsy Ziegler, CEO of 1871.
Future-of-FinTech week will include an official “startup day” at 1871, which will feature a showcase for WMNfintech, North America's largest fintech accelerator for women. WMNfintech supports founders through mentorship, resources and programming and returned for its fifth consecutive year in 2024. Program alumni have raised over $45 million in capital.
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