Application Process For 2019 Women FinTech Powerlist Opens

• Innovate Finance to spotlight leading women in UK FinTech for 6th year running
• Powerlist will showcase 150 leading women in the financial innovation space, split across several categories
• The list will also feature the ‘Standout 35’, highlighting women who have made a significant difference across FinTech’s many facets

Innovate Finance, the industry body representing UK FinTech, has opened the application process for its 2019 Women FinTech Powerlist.

https://twitter.com/InnFin/status/1193906244995686404

The FinTech ecosystem has grown significantly since the launch of the first Powerlist, with recent research from Innovate Finance and London & Partners highlighting that $2.29bn of VC investment has been made into the space within the first eight months of 2019.

Yet levels of diversity in the industry are lacking, with women making up just 29.5% of the employee base (EY & Innovate Finance’s 2019 UK FinTech Consensus). Innovate Finance’s Venture Capital  Investment Report for 2018 showed that only three percent of the $1.7 billion of VC FinTech investment in the UK went to firms with a female founder.

This year marks the 6th year of the Powerlist, designed to celebrate the achievements and talent of women across the FinTech ecosystem and showcase its role models. The 2019 list will shine a spotlight on 150 women across seven categories who have made a real impact over and above their day-to-day role within the financial innovation/FinTech space.

The categories for the Powerlist are:

• Senior Leaders (CEOs, CFOs, Founders and Executive Team Members)
• Rising Stars (Returnees, Young Professionals and FinTech Newbies)
• Investors (VCs, Angel Investors and Accelerators)
• Professional Services, Banking and Financial Services (HR & Recruitment Specialists, Legal and Accountancy)
• Technology Professionals (CTOs, IT Specialists, Developers and Engineers)
• Marketeers and Communicators (In-house PRs, Media, Communication and Marketing Specialists)
• Policy Makers and Regulatory Experts (Regulators, Policy Advisors and Compliance Professionals)

Innovate Finance will also call upon a panel of independent judges to choose the Standout 35: women who have made a significant impact in the FinTech industry beyond their day-to-day role.

In order to be recognised for the “standout” distinction, applicants need to demonstrate how they have made a real and significant difference, performed outstandingly and inspired others within the FinTech ecosystem.

The judges are:

Ghela Boskovich, Head of Fintech and RegTech Partnerships, Rainmaking Innovation
Ben Brabyn, Head of Level 39
Laura Citron, CEO, London and Partners
Sherry Coutu CBE, Serial Entrepreneur and Angel Investor
Russ Shaw, Founder, Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates
Julia Streets, Founder and CEO, Streets Consulting
Catherine Wines, Non-Executive Director & Co-Founder, WorldRemit
Wincie Wong, Head of Rose Review Implementation, NatWest

Charlotte Crosswell, CEO of Innovate Finance, said: “Showcasing a wide range of role models who are at the forefront of innovation in financial services is a fundamental part of our efforts to create a diverse and inclusive FinTech industry.

“We have set ourselves the challenge to double the amount of VC funding in the UK that is invested in female founders and ultimately encourage more women to become entrepreneurs in the future. Ensuring the pipeline has the right mix of people in the right roles will maintain the UK’s FinTech sector in its leading global position.”

The Powerlist remains a crucial part of Innovate Finance’s Diversity Programme, which has hosted a range of activities for women in the FinTech space since 2018.

Applications are open until 31st December 2019 and the Powerlist will be published in early Spring 2020.

Source: Innovate Finance