The world of Fintech as a whole is surrounded by layers of PR, self-interest and overwhelming gold-rush enthusiasm. This has only increased as more and more VC funds flow into the sector. Alternative Finance is no exception and ever since the Lending Club IPO in the States there has been a greater than ever impetus towards growth and the carrot of the public markers just over the horizon.

In these circumstances it is harder than ever to drill down to the real bedrock about what is happening in the new Financial Services players. Furthermore these players are themselves slowly waking up to the realisation that they have more in common with existing FS organisations than tech firms. They have to be very careful with people’s money in a way that a chat-app doesn’t. FS firms scale too fast at their peril, apps can scale limitlessly.

Against this backdrop Intelligent Partnership are to be congratulated on this hard-researched and heavyweight report into the sector. If you want something that is the opposite of a tweet, this is it.

Image of
Mike Baliman, Host of the London Fintech Podcast

This is a really useful, informative and above all even-handed summary of the alternative finance market. For those that want to get a quick handle on this market, it’s an excellent place to begin.

Image of
Andy Davis, Programme Director, Alternative Funding Network

Excellent. Really balanced and informative. Great education

 

Image of
James Dingwall, CEO of Thistle Initiatives