The Isle of Man Government revealed today (21 March) the cohort of 16 successful businesses, selected from 45 applicants from around the world, to introduce solutions that will "help boost the Island's thriving tech sector" and "position the Isle of Man as a leading FinTech hub".
From automated gaming player protection, AI-based business strategy forecasting, Digital Identity Systems and wallets and online storage platforms right through to ESG auditing solutions and reward tokenisation, these are just some of the ideas announced today for the Isle of Man's flagship FinTech Innovation Challenge.
The Challenge is a collaboration between Digital Isle of Man, Finance Isle of Man, and is supported by the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority and Deloitte.
With entries from Singapore to Switzerland, India to the US, the chosen businesses will now work closely with the Isle of Man Government, financial institutions, and other key stakeholders to develop and refine their solutions over the next three months.
The Challenge will culminate on June 29 during a Demo Day where each business will showcase their solution to an audience of judges, industry experts, and potential customers.
Tim Johnston MHK, Minister for Enterprise, said: "We are extremely pleased to announce the cohort for the FinTech Innovation Challenge. The calibre of applicants was incredibly high, and we believe the selected businesses have the potential to make a significant impact in the FinTech industry.
"We look forward to supporting them as they develop their solutions and contribute to our growing digital economy."
Lyle Wraxall, chief executive of Digital Isle of Man, said: "The FinTech Innovation Challenge will showcase some of the most exciting ideas from companies across the world that are shaping the future of financial services.
"The Challenge will give them the chance to use the Island's technical expertise, proactive regulatory support, and welcoming business community to refine their solutions and bring their products to market.
"This will be a hugely competitive three months in the lead up to Demo Day in June, and we can't wait to get started."
Each business brings a unique offering to the FinTech space from all stages of the business life-cycle, from the pre-launch to growth stages, and seeks to solve some of the most vital issues facing the financial sector across the globe.
The ‘wildcard' category has encouraged applications that tackle the link between financial services and other sectors, whether this is a data collection system that addresses the lack of accurate real-time data on climate risks, or an open blockchain-based exchange to allow secure in-game trading for esports contestants.
The 16 businesses will be guided throughout the FinTech Innovation Challenge by the Challenge Mentors, who are drawn from leading institutions such as Barclays, Lloyds, and Capital International, and will act as conduit to wider business expertise to help the cohort bring their solutions to life.
Participants will also have direct access to the Isle of Man's Financial Services Authority (FSA), Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC), Information Commissioner (ICO) and Government Technology Services (GTS), illustrating the support on offer throughout the development of each project.
Michael Crowe, chief executive of Finance Isle of Man, said: "The selected businesses represent the cutting edge of financial technology. Under the guidance of the mentors, applicants will receive top level masterclasses, coaches and mentoring.
"I look forward to seeing this cohort develop and scale-up their business solutions, building on the Isle of Man's success as hub for growth and financial expertise."
The Isle of Man Government has a long-standing commitment to fostering innovation and creating a supportive environment for digital businesses, with the FinTech Innovation Challenge representing the next step in the Island's ambition to become a tech hub for businesses looking to bring their ideas to market.
The participants will enter a fertile environment where they can grow, with the Isle of Man acting as a springboard to help take their products to the global market with greater credibility and legitimacy.
The 16 selected businesses for the FinTech Innovation Challenge are:
• Blindspot Solutions
• Codos Foundation
• Crucial Compliance
• Cygnetise
• Digidentity
• ID-Pal
• Infrasoft Technologies
• Nettle
• ONBORD
• SignD Identity
• SQR Group
• Sure (Isle of Man)
• Trust Stamp
• WeavAir
• Whitespace Global
• Yoti
