Copenhagen Fintech Week is a celebration of innovation and advancements in financial technology in Denmark. This year it took place during week 25, June 18th — 22nd, at several locations in Copenhagen. While all participants and events were enticing, thoughtful, and all in all a great learning experience, this article will focus on the activities of ARYZE throughout the week.
First and foremost, on June 21st, ARYZE won an award for being the best, new Danish startup in 2018 — showing most business potential for the future. It is truly an honor to receive such an award, and certainly was a close call; many excellent businesses were nominated! Special thanks to Copenhagen Fintech Lab for arranging the events, and to Rainmaking at Pier47 for hosting.
Børsen Fintech Conference (June 19th)
Our CFO, Morten Nielsen, attended the Børsen Fintech Conference on Tuesday, June 19th, and participated in a panel discussion on fintech talent, and the future financial workplace. One of the conclusions drawn at the conference was that Denmark needs to do better in terms of attracting international talent.
Copenhagen Fintech Disrupt (June 20th)
The following day, the entire ARYZE team went to Pier47 for another day at Copenhagen Fintech Week. The program of the day was Fintech Disrupt, where open banking was yet again discussed, among other topics. A joint presentation by Microsoft and Saxo Bank was held, where it was revealed that Saxo Bank’s innovative digital banking platforms were built on Microsoft Azure — a horizontal IT management system, where a wide variety of applications can be launched and maintained.
Interestingly, sustainable development goals in conjunction with Blockchain technology was also a major topic. A panel discussion that featured organizations like: HiveOnline, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MyMonii, The Incitement, and Danske Bank. This was an informative session on the efforts to address the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, on a cross-industrial scale. Blockchain was repeatedly mentioned as an ideal technology for addressing issues like corruption, poverty, and energy.
Furthermore, a panel of Blockchain experts from all around the world met to discuss the implications of tokenization in regards to developing more efficient economies. ARYZE advisor and professor of digitization at Copenhagen Business School, Michel Avital, shed some clarification on the extent that blockchains can be used to transmit value at great speed through decentralized networks. Sandra Ro, CEO of the Global Blockchain Business Council, had some fascinating points on the sheer scale that the cryptocurrency industry has grown to — and what we might expect in the future.
Fintech Demo Day (June 21st)
The third, and perhaps most hectic day for ARYZE, was the demo day — not only was ARYZE present at Pier47, but had managed to present at 3 different locations throughout the day. The first was at Copenhagen Fintech Week at Pier47, for a 5 minute pitch; this pitch was ultimately what won ARYZE the award for Best New Danish Startup in 2018. Additionally, ARYZE had set up a showcase booth for more than 250 attendees, where the outcome has been a score of potential partnerships and contributions to the firm.
Following the 5 minute pitch, ARYZE quickly hurried to CPH Food Space, where InnoFounder (Danish Innovation Fund) had a demo session for the members of their incubator program, which ARYZE is a part of.
The final presentation of the day was at Danske Bank, where a number of prestigious, up-and-coming startups presented their business ideas in the form of a 7 minute pitch. The event was hosted in collaboration with Capital Markets Partners — a consultancy that seeks to bridge business and technology.
Rounding off their pitching event was ARYZE, which received a warm welcome, and a great deal of applause to conclude the day.
