As an indication of the rising FinTech trends in Asia, wealth management, regulatory technology (RegTech), artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and blockchain were the areas with the most compelling submissions for the 2017 SuperCharger FinTech Accelerator 2.0 programme, Hong Kong’s 12-week FinTech accelerator programme sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank and Fidelity International.

For a second year running, SuperCharger, which aims to help the most promising start-ups and scale-ups grow in Asia, has surpassed other Hong Kong FinTech accelerators with almost 200 applicants from 33 countries from which 8 finalists were selected.

Mr Shameek Kundu, Standard Chartered’s Global Head of Data, Architecture and Innovation, said: “As the founding sponsor of the SuperCharger, Standard Chartered has a demonstrable record for encouraging the development of the FinTech ecosystem in Asia by investing in FinTechs as well as cultivating and collaborating with several exciting start-ups to help them grow.

From the SuperCharger Fintech Accelerator 2.0 cohort, we hope to provide the launchpad for more interesting collaborations that can help us make banking simpler and improve the client experience.”

Mr Stuart Morley, Head of Technology – Asia at Fidelity International, said: “At Fidelity, we believe in a collaborative philosophy when engaging with the FinTech ecosystem. The SuperCharger accelerator is a high quality program that enables us to partner with some of the brightest startup prospects from around the world and on themes that are of particular interest and importance to Hong Kong and the Financial Services industry more broadly right now.

We are excited about our involvement with the SuperCharger once again and are committed to developing, in conjunction with the 8 finalists, new and progressive solutions for our clients.”

Mr Janos Barberis, Founder of SuperCharger, said: “SuperCharger is strongly establishing itself as Hong Kong’s leading FinTech accelerator. The quality of this year’s cohort is a testament to that and reflects the role our accelerator plays for the sourcing of products, solutions and talent in the financial services industry in this region.”

The 8 finalists for SuperCharger 2.0 

Bambu – Wealth Management

Bambu will be offering it’s Robo Advisor to financial firms and also telco, internet and all consumer brands that are looking to expand their product offering into digital finance. Bambu has bought together the leading providers in each area to offer the best Robo product available.

Clare.ai – Artificial Intelligence and Chatbots

Clare.AI is on a mission to provide modern mobile banking, with the use of machine learning algorithm and natural language processing, it helps young people to save money and control budget.

Entersoft – Cybersecurity

Entersoft is a leading business software and services provider in South East Europe and the Middle East. It offers a comprehensive and integrated business software suite with ERP, CRM, Retail, Mobile, E-Commerce and B.I. applications. The suite is developed on the latest Microsoft .NET® technology and is available for on premise or on cloud installation, while can be used either as a licensed product or as Software as a Service (SaaS).

FinChat – Regulatory Technology

 

Users can improve their financial literacy at their own pace and at a time that suits them.

Foris – Payments

Core to our business is the specification and supply of door hardware. Using global brands and an experienced team we assist the architect, contractor and end-user at every stage of construction to deliver controlled access and safe egress in all areas of any building type.

KYC Chain – Regulatory Technology

KYC-Chain is a novel platform built over the convenience and security of Distributed Ledger technology, allowing users to manage their digital identity securely, while businesses and financial institutions are able to manage customer data in a reliable and easy manner.

Squirro – Big Data

Squirro is an advanced Context Intelligence and Insights solution that allows organizations to efficiently manage and unlock the hidden value within data.

Xnotes Alliance – Blockchain

XNotes Alliance is a technology company and member organization that provide business-driven, currency agnostic and energy-efficient enterprise class blockchain-based solutions. We empower organizations to run more efficiently and more securely while reducing costs.

The 8 selected companies are highly complementary and present clear partnership opportunities with SuperCharger corporate partners. Each company’s founder will participate in a robust curriculum structured around bespoke content and gain access to an extensive network of partners and mentors. Following the 12-week programme, the companies will have supercharged their growth within the Asian FinTech Market, currently the largest in the world by nominal investment amounting to US$2.6 billion in Q1 of 2016 (source: KPMG: The Pulse of FinTech Q1 2016).

The total number of applications rose by 24% compared to the previous year, as a result of greater awareness and popularity of the programme. More than an accelerator, SuperCharger keeps the pulse on FinTech markets globally. It increasingly attracts mature companies (54% are revenue generating) and supports cross-border activity of start-ups as they internationalise themselves. In that respect, Hong Kong plays a key role as Asia’s FinTech super connector.