Web Summit is back. Well, sort of. The actual Web Summit might not be returning to Dublin anytime soon (if ever). Yet its sister event, the fintech-focused MoneyConf, takes place at the RDS next week.
The organisers claim the conference is now the fastest growing event of its kind in Europe, with about 5,000 registered attendees from more than 70 countries. By comparison, last year’s MoneyConf attracted 1,868 attendees.
The conference, which was spun out of Web Summit, has previously taken place in Belfast and Madrid.
Given the Republic of Ireland’s growing reputation as a hotbed for fintech activity, the decision to relocate the event to Dublin is to be welcomed. As is the organisers’ suggestion that it is expected to be based here for some years to come.
Next week’s event promises over 100 speakers conversing on everything from open banking and payments, to insuretech, cryptocurrencies and cybersecurity.
While many of those appearing may be unknown to the wider public, it is arguably a who's who of the fintech world with the likes of Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin, Circle's chief executive Jeremy Allaire, and Square's chief financial officer Sarah Friar among the main attractions.
You might not know all the speakers but you'll certainly know many of the companies that are represented in Dublin. Among the more traditional players are leading executives from Visa, Western Union, Goldman Sachs, Lloyds Bank, Citigroup, Société Générale and Deutsche Bank.
The biggest draws, though, will likely be the young upstarts who are turning financial services on their head.
Four of the top 10 companies ranked by KPMG in its fintech 100 list late last year are represented. These are Avant, KreditTech, Atom and Kabbage, whose co-founder and president Kathryn Patralia will be appearing.
European headquarters
Kabbage, a US fintech firm that last year established its European headquarters in Ireland, is backed by the Irish Strategic Investment Fund, a State body controlled and managed by the National Treasury Management Agency.
The digital banking sector is well represented with Valentin Stalf, founder and chief executive of mobile digital bank N26, his counterpart at Revolut, Nikolay Storonsky, and Anne Boden, former AIB chief operating officer and now head of Starling Bank, all in attendance.
Other must-see speakers include Kenneth Lin, co-founder and chief executive of Credit Karma, a personal finance company that is valued at $4 billion and which is used by one in three American adults.
If that wasn't enough,Transfermate chief executive Kristo Kaarmann, Stripe's chief operating officer Claire Hughes Johnson, Amazon Pay's European director Giulio Montemagno and Ripple's chief cryptography officer David Schwartz are also going to be in Dublin.
Some top talks to attend
June 12th
10.00am: Changing how the world buys
10.25am: The power of Ethereum
11.20am: Saying goodbye to passwords and pins
12.30pm: Alternative lending: Surviving the bubble
3.00pm: Blockchain for good: transparency in finance
4.15pm: What is next for Bitcoin?
June 13th
10.00am: How autonomous finance will change the world
11.00am: Blockchain: understanding a decentralised future
12.15pm: The reality of real-time payments in 2018
3.15pm: Tomorrow’s internet and the fintech revolution
