Main area of focus
Innovation, fintechs and insurtechs
Innovations are an important driving force for prosperity, employment and value creation – for society, business and sustainable growth.
Dynamic fintech scene in NRW
A vibrant, dynamic fintech scene is developing in NRW. Fintechs are taking the solutions of the financial sector one step further. They are cooperation partners in digitalising the financial sector and rendering it sustainable. This is because their innovativeness allows them to speed up and support the necessary transformation. Smart ideas, promising business models, and sustainable investments and financing are the best way to tap into new opportunities, particularly in challenging times.
What makes fintechs so unique?
Fintechs benefit from a wide supporting environment and from ecosystems consisting of accelerators, incubators, local initiatives and venture capital investors. The digital hubs provide well networked focal points that drive collaborations between start-ups, industry and mid-sized companies. The fintech landscape is extremely diverse, including everything from challenger and cooperation models, start-ups in various stages of development all the way to established listed companies.
According to the latest report by findexable in cooperation with Mambu (Top Funded DACH Fintechs and Top DACH Fintech Cities), Düsseldorf in particular is showing an upward trend and is listed in 10th place in the findexable global ranking, 2021.
This is why NRW is an ideal fintech location
Fintechs find everything they need in NRW: First-class infrastructure in the heart of Europe, attractive location factors, access to financing opportunities and a very appealing proposition for qualified employees and new talent. Looking to the new future trend that is embedded finance, NRW offers the fintech world direct market access to 755,000 companies from the region.
The fintechs value these local conditions greatly. Their areas of activity and range of solutions is extraordinarily diverse. Whether payment, savings or crypto trading, whether insurance, trade finance or comparison, whether B2B or B2C – there is hardly any area that is not covered by fintechs. This diversity includes challenger and cooperation models, start-ups in various stages of development all the way to established listed companies.
According to the German FinTech Report 2021, NRW has a cluster in the Personal Financial Management segment, where the largest share of young fintechs can be found. The Credit Factoring segment is also represented to an exceptionally high degree.
Green start-ups are on the up and NRW is a leading location for these young companies.
Largest insurtech initiative and fintech hub in NRW
As the largest insurtech initiative in Germany with 89 members, InsurLab Germany is making collaboration standard practice by building bridges between start-ups and established insurance companies. The aim is to transform the German insurance sector through digitalisation and sustainability and to create and optimise business models. Start-ups and scale-ups are given exclusive access to top decision makers in the insurance sector.
In addition, leading technology providers, service providers and higher education institutions are assisting InsurLab Germany in its digitalisation mission. Together with Cologne trade fair company Koelnmesse, InsurLab organises insureNXT, an international congress fair for innovation in the insurance industry. InsurLab is the leading platform for traditional insurance companies, start-ups, higher education institutions, service providers and cross-industrial partners.
#finplaceNRW – network meetings especially for fintechs
With #finplaceNRW, banking association Bankenverband NRW has established a networking platform for ideas and capital, where above all young fintechs and veteran start-ups benefit from being integrated into the financial hub. The association supports the federal state’s efforts to attract more fintechs and insurtechs to North Rhine-Westphalia and to continue systematically strengthening the start-up scene.
Accordingly, the fintech NRW ecosystem represents the future and makes a key contribution to the digital and sustainable transformation and to the advancement of the financial sector as a whole.
Links to the topic
#finplace NRW– Netzwerktreffen insbesondere für FinTechs
finplace-nrw.de
Deutsche Bundesbank: FinTech
bundesbank.de
DWNRW-Hubs
dwnrw-hubs.de
Finanzierungsangebote im Bereich Gründung
wirtschaft.nrw
InsurLab Germany e.V.
insurlab-germany.com
Lebendige Startup-Szene in NRW
nrwglobalbusiness.com
Themen Gründung
wirtschaft.nrw
Unternehmensstart und Gewerbezulassung
service.wirtschaft.nrw
Wirtschafts-Service-Portal.NRW
service.wirtschaft.nrw
Downloads
Innovationsberichte NRW 2020-2022,
Download unter: innovationsbericht.nrw
Further topics
Transformation financing
The climate-neutral and digital transformation in NRW calls for high investment and financing volumes – by both the private and public sector.
There is enough capital available for this in NRW. The central task is to bring together investors and capital seekers here.
Fin.Connect.NRW aims to network all relevant players, thereby actively driving forward the digital and climate-neutral transformation.
Location factors
NRW is a key commercial and financial centre with innovative and export-oriented companies and a creative start-up scene. Many foreign companies and international banks have set up offices here.
One of NRW’s great strengths as a financial centre is the sheer diversity of new and established companies not only from the financial sector but also from the real economy, start-ups and science as well as its proximity to policymakers.
Human resources
North Rhine-Westphalia offers a leading financial ecosystem of business and science that is constantly being expanded.
Some 768,000 students at 68 universities are studying here for their future careers. This makes NRW Germany’s number one region for developing new talent.
NRW is also an important location for science. In addition to a large number of universities and excellence clusters there are numerous research centres from a wide variety of areas.
More on Innovation, fintechs and insurtechs
Events
Planned events relating to sustainable and digital transformation can be found in our event calendar. We look forward to seeing you there!
News
In the news blog, you will find the latest information and reports on past events on digital transformation and how it is financed.
Cooperation partners
Further information on this topic is available from our cooperation partners.