If FinTech South 2019 is aimed at telling the region’s story of financial-technology dominance to the world, Canada is listening.
With nine companies scheduled to join a Canadian delegation, the country will have the leading presence at the international pavilion at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is to be in place for the second straight year.
Last year, Canadian firms shared space alongside some from Israel, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Indeed, some British and Irish firms and government officials will attend this year as well.
But the Canadian Consulate General has become an international partner for the conference this year, carving out a dedicated space and recruiting six additional firms to complement the two returning from last year: Ascendant FX and PopCodes, a Calgary-based firm that just hired a local Atlanta representative.
The companies are from throughout the fintech sector, although with a keen focus on Atlanta’s strength in payments. The full list of Canadian participants (see the brochure at the end of the article for more details) includes:
- AscendantFX
- DataStealth
- Flinks
- Information Venture Partners
- Plooto
- PopCodes
- SmoothPay
- Terida
- Unifai Solutions
FinTech South since its inception last year has incorporate an international element, reflecting its foundational mission of positioning Atlanta as a “true global fintech hub”, said Julie Bryant Fisher, chief experience officer at the Technology Association of Georgia, which organizes the conference.
“We want to expand our footprint globally, and we believe there are great synergies with the international community. We expect some of those will be reflected at the event this year,” Ms. Fisher told Global Atlanta in an email.
The conference reached out to Israel, Brazil, Singapore and other countries this year, but Canada was the one with the strongest uptake, possibly due to the scheduling. The kickoff falls the day after Easter and a few days after Passover, which could make it tough for some international attendees to travel.
Either way, Atlanta has steadily gained momentum globally in the fintech space. Brazil’s growing tech presence in Atlanta is led by Cielo-owned and Sao Paulo-based payments provider Merchant E-Solutions, which put its North American headquarters here a few years back.
Enterprise Ireland brought a fintech delegation to the city in March, with many companies saying they were learning about the FinTech South conference for the first time. London and Atlanta are connected at a high level through the P20 payments conference that alternates between the two cities each year. Speakers at FinTech South include representatives from British and South African firms with a presence already in Atlanta.
The international pavilion will be once again be located in the conference’s Innovation Alley exhibition area, which is to include some 90 companies.
Along with a broad array of panel discussions, FinTech South will include the ADVANCE Awards honoring fintech innovation, an induction into the Georgia Fintech Hall of Fame and an innovation challenge where 12 companies will compete for a $50,000 prize.
More than 1,400 people are slated to attend, including more than 400 C-level executives.
Georgia’s fintech sector employs 38,000, with the top 20 companies in the state accounting for $72 billion in revenue, according to TAG. Learn more at https://georgiafintech.org.
Learn more about the conference or register at http://www.fintechsouth.com.
To interact with the Canadian delegation, contact Trade Commissioner Madeline Cook at Madeline.Cook@international.gc.ca.
To learn more about the city’s fintech ecosystem, join Global Atlanta and the Cumming-Forsyth Chamber of Commerce for The Fintech Factor: Inside the Industry Driving Atlanta’s Rise as a Global Tech Hub on April 25.
Learn more about the Canadian delegates:
Canada Fintech poster - Final