Blockchain HELIX at the NKF Fintech Summit 2019
Startups meet Corporates and Investors
On the 19th September 2019, we, the Blockchain HELIX team, participated in the NKF Fintech Summit 2019. In the spirit of the event’s motto: Startups meet Corporates and Investors, the digital conference invited technology startups to connect with companies and investors from the banking and insurance industry.
Promising startups from the fintech¹, insurtech² and proptech³ industry showcased their innovative products and solutions to an audience of reputable companies.
The event’s program included case studies, panel discussions, and workshops about digital change, as well as keynotes from thought leaders of the industry. One of many highlights were the pitches, where the startups presented their ideas and products.
All startups were divided into three groups and competed against each other. For each group, one winner was elected by the audience. The three winners pitched again on the main stage in front of an exclusive jury at the end of the event. Spoiler alert: We were part of the final, with our digital identity solution, helix id.
Startup-Expo — matchmaking sessions for startups and corporates
The NKF Fintech Summit offered 20 pre-selected startups the opportunity to showcase their projects exclusively on the Startup-Expo. Matchmaking sessions facilitated the first contact between startups and corporates — bringing together the most innovative solutions of the fintech industry with banks and insurances looking for boosts for efficient digital transformation.
The popular pitch sessions
During the afternoon, the startups began competing with their pitches. The time limit of three minutes for each pitch challenged the startups to be clear and precise in their explanations. For our team, Alexander Rockstroh, COO⁴ at Blockchain HELIX, took the challenge to showcase helix id — competing against the fintech Cashlink Technologies, Remipay, and the crypto startup CoinAnalyst.
The participants did a great job, all the presentations were conclusive and informative. Despite the limited time, the audience gained an adequate overview of the products and solutions. We managed to win the preliminary round! The finalists were Stackfuel, Authada and Blockchain HELIX.
The final: Fin-tank session
The highlight of the conference was the Fin-tank session — the final showcase of the three most brilliant startups. Every competitor had ten minutes to convince a jury and the audience of their project.
Stackfuel broke the ground with their showcase: a platform for online training in the fields of data analytics and data science. The startup wants to meet the growing demands of many industries for data specialists. Their product holds a solution to a current and ever-growing issue.
The second finalist, Authada, showcased an identification software, in which customers are identified according to German regulation, KYC⁵/AML⁶. Of particular importance for regulated industries like finance, the product captivated the jury and audience with its easy to integrate and simple design.
Last but not least, we got the chance to present our project, helix id. Our COO, Alex, demonstrated how digital identity solutions benefit companies as well as individuals. Companies are able to conduct KYC/AML checks fast and cost-efficiently. Consumers receive a digital identity while staying in full control of their data. This opens up a wide range of possibilities in the digital realm, helix id users can interact securely and trustingly with other parties digitally.
Alex convinced the jury with his explicit and easy-to-follow explanations. The audience got a precise overview of helix id. Great job!
Finally, after a long discussion among the jurors, Authada won the competition. Congratulations! The pitch was precise and insightful. We happily placed second and would like to thank all startups who participated!
Closing words for the NKF Fintech Summit 2019
It was an absolutely amazing event which brought together like-minded people. The charming location at the Westhafen Pier in Frankfurt, a pleasant atmosphere, in conjunction with outstanding startups and corporates, made the NKF Fintech Summit a great success!
Special thanks to the organizer, NKF Media. We are looking forward to meet again next year!
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See you soon!
Your helix id team
Glossary
[1] Fintech — Financial technology. Innovative solutions to compete with traditional financial products and solutions.
[2] Insurtech — Insurance technology. Similar to fintech, just in the insurance industry.
[3] Proptech — Property technology. Similar to fintech, just in the property industry.
[4] COO — Chief Operating Officer. Executive position in a company, responsible for the daily operation of the company.
[5] KYC — Know Your Customer. A business verifying the identity of its clients to assess potential risks of illegal intentions.
[6] AML — Anti Money Laundering. Set of laws and procedures intended to prevent criminals from disguising illegally obtained funds as legitimate income.
