New fintech companies are democratizing access to financial services in different ways, whether it’s making food stamps more efficient, no longer waiting two weeks for a paycheck, or enabling anyone with a smartphone in developing countries to create small businesses. But what these all have in common — besides a more inclusive approach to finance — is also changing, in some way, the fundamental way our financial system works.
Featuring CEO of Propel Jimmy Chen, CEO of Branch Matt Flannery, and CEO of Earnin Ram Palaniappan, in conversation with a16z partner Angela Strange, this episode of the a16z Podcast is based on a discussion that took place at a16z’s annual Summit in November 2017. Financial innovation can come in unexpected ways from unexpected places — but what does that mean for established players? For the future of fintech overall?
Jimmy Chen
Matt Flannery is the cofounder and CEO of Branch, a digital lender and mobile-first neobank with over 40 million downloads across Africa and India.
Ram Palaniappan
Angela Strange is a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, where she focuses on financial services, insurance, and B2B software (with AI).
The a16z Podcast discusses the most important ideas within technology with the people building it. Each episode aims to put listeners ahead of the curve, covering topics like AI, energy, genomics, space, and more.