Yesterday there was a well attended event in Hong Kong to announce the launch of the FinTech Association of Hong Kong (FTAHK).
The FTAHK is an independent, not-for-profit, member-driven organisation that is now the voice of the Fintech community in Hong Kong. Members range from Fintech startups and to global financial institutions and service providers. FTAHK is currently led by a volunteer group of board members from the Fintech community who want to promote Hong Kong as a burgeoning Fintech hub.
Henri Arslanian, Board Member, FinTech Association of Hong Kong and FinTech & RegTech Leader for China/Hong Kong at PwC, commented on the launch;
“We look forward to working with the entire ecosystem, from start-ups and financial institutions to regulators and government, to drive Fintech forward not only in Hong Kong but also globally.”
Alex Medana, CEO of FinFabrik, added;
“Learning, being part of the dialogue, sharing knowledge, nurturing talent, and coaching other founders are some of the reasons why we at FinFabrik are so excited to be at the start of the journey of the Hong Kong FinTech Association.”
The new Association will help power the further development of Hong Kong as a leading FinTech centre with three main goals:
- Advocate – create the unified voice for the Hong Kong FinTech ecosystem
- Collaborate – bring together the diverse parts of the community
- Educate – learn from existing leaders and nurture the next generation of talent
FTAHK has created a series of committees to help guide the emerging Fintech community. These include committees addressing the sectors of; blockchain, artificial intelligence, big data, payments, Regtech, Insurtech, financial literacy, and more. Led by volunteers from each field, the committees bring together interested parties from across Hong Kong and beyond to facilitate, mentor and educate on their subject areas.
The Association says it reflects Hong Kong’s entrepreneurial character. The leaders say that by uniting the diverse elements of Hong Kong’s Fintech industry – including both established financial institutions, startups, academia, government, investors, corporates and accelerators – the Association will further strengthen Hong Kong’s status as a Fintech hub.
“We are delighted to be joining the Fintech Association of Hong Kong as a founding member,” said Andrew Eldon, Head of Digital, Hong Kong, Retail Banking & Wealth Management at HSBC. “This is an important industry-led initiative and HSBC has a leading role to play in supporting Hong Kong’s continued development as a world-class FinTech hub. Joining the Association gives us an opportunity to deepen our ties across the Fintech landscape and contribute our time, resources and thinking to continue to shape Hong Kong’s financial future.”
