Wealthtech

1. 1. Wealthtech’s wild west

   → Forget exchange-traded funds or plain old stocks — in search of new (and even riskier) investment opportunities, one group of startups is focusing on emerging asset classes like cryptocurrencies and NFTs.

   → Others are offering “fractional” access (meaning the cost is split between owners) to old but previously inaccessible assets like property, private equity and venture capital.

2. 2. Helping the old guard find their footing

   → B2C is not the only entry point — B2B startups are helping wealth managers cater to the next generation of clients looking for more choice and better digital user experiences.

   → Chances are that market incumbents will not only collaborate with startups to improve specific workflows, but acquire them to kickstart a broader culture of innovation.

3. 3. ESG investments, minus the greenwashing

   → Some startups are catering to a growing segment of would-be investors who are considering environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in their investment decisions.

   → To preempt concerns about greenwashing, they try to demystify the curation process of their stock selection and emphasise the expertise of their team.

4. 4. Rethinking revenue

   → The classic B2C model in wealthtech is built around fees taken from assets under management (AUM), which is challenging for startups that can’t benefit from economies of scale.

   → Some of them are now experimenting with new revenue models, from offering subscriptions to chargeable products.

Europe's leading pre-Series A startups (all published data verified) We identify companies as ‘rising stars’ using a number of criteria including founder backgrounds, investor track record, funding and valuation, and growth signals

Who early stage startups are up against