Pretty ProgressiveWelcome to the next installment in our ongoing feature highlighting the achievements of minority-founded startups. Today we’re focusing on a particularly exciting sector: FinTech, a rapidly growing industry that uses technology to enhance financial services. Within this realm, there has been a significant upsurge in East-Asian-founded startups that are redefining traditional business models and streamlining financial transactions globally.
We’ve compiled a list of the top East Asian-founded FinTech startups, each bringing a unique solution to market. They’re utilizing technology to improve banking services, create money-saving platforms, implement predictive analytics, and even develop the next generation of personal financial management applications. It’s exciting to see such innovation and entrepreneurial spirit thriving in our community.
So, without further ado, let’s delve in and celebrate these inspiring trailblazers, their exceptional work, and their immense contribution to the FinTech industry.
Sperta
Sperta, a San Francisco-based startup, is making waves in the realms of Analytics, Fraud detection, and Predictive analytics. Founded by Ming Fang and Yifu Diao, Sperta helps financial services and tech companies automate decisions and manage fraud, credit, and compliance risks—which ultimately contributes to a safer, more efficient financial ecosystem. You can follow their updates on LinkedIn and @spertainc on Twitter.
Yada Data Studios Inc
Known for their data-driven solutions, Yada Data Studios Inc helps banks and brands predict entrepreneurial trends and enrich customer relationships. Based in Ohio, they are building the next generation of immersive personal financial management applications and are led by a team of three – Jim Hewitt, Kaixia Zhang, and Patrick Feldman.
Merged
A standout amongst angel investment startups, Merged is an invite-only investors network that offers members resources for long-term financial growth and stability. It was founded by Kelvin Craver and born in San Francisco. Merged provides pertinent information on tax strategy, wealth management best practices, and connects its members to an esteemed network of entrepreneurs and investors. Check them out on Twitter.
Symphoni
Symphoni is a prime example of the intersection of AI and FinTech. This Seattle-based startup is providing a world-first AI-powered platform for small/medium business development & growth. They aim to build an inclusive pipeline that empowers budding entrepreneurs, leveraging machine learning, intelligent agents and cloud computing. Find them on LinkedIn.
OneEleven
OneEleven is a financial wellness platform that focuses on fostering happy individuals and profitable businesses. Founded in 2017 by Dani Pascarella, it’s based in New York and offers services across various sectors like EdTech, Healthcare and more. Connect with OneEleven on their website, OneEleven, or through their social media profiles: Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Cheese
Cheese is a California-based FinTech startup providing simple and automated solutions to help people build credit and increase savings. Founded by Ken Lian, Qingyi Li and Zhen Wang, Cheese believes in making good credit scores and achieving life goals accessible to everyone. Get to know them on Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin.
Cogni
Cogni is a lending platform banking on tech to bring banking, commerce, and lifestyle into one application, providing users with a centralized hub for their financial needs. Founded by Archie Ravishankar and based in New York, you can follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin.
Illume Financial
Providing innovative financial products at scale, Illume Financial is helping modern Fintechs transform the finance industry. Founded by Adam Schlesinger, Chirag Shukla, Dave Kochbeck, and Jeff Schnitz and based in San Francisco, they are redefining banking and financial services. Check out their work on Linkedin.
Mooch
Founded by Kevin Jiang and Richard Velasquez, Mooch is a budgeting app that combines blockchain tech and consumer needs to provide a simple and effective budgeting tool. Based in San Francisco, they are paving the way in consumer-focused Fintech innovation. Discover more about Mooch on their LinkedIn page.
Stronghold
Founded by Sean Bennett and Tammy Camp, Stronghold creates virtual payment networks allowing developers to access legacy and next-generation payment networks. Based in San Francisco, Stronghold is revolutionizing the payment industry. Connect with them on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Provenance Blockchain
Rounding out our list is Provenance Blockchain, a startup that administers the Provenance.io blockchain. Based in San Francisco and co-founded by June Ou and Michael Cagney, the company is helping financial institutions transact seamlessly, with over $1B in assets transacted on Provenance, leading to substantial cost savings. Follow their progress on Linkedin.
