As the industry gathers for Fintech Meetup, with Financial Literacy Month (and some exciting client news) on the horizon, we’ve been thinking a lot about the rise and evolution of this industry.
The Key’s fintech roots run deep. For the nearly two decades the portmanteau has been around, we’ve partnered with financial technology clients changing the game and the forward-thinking founders behind them. Conversations with stealth companies and VCs, and a renewed density in Mary Ann Azevedo’s Interchange newsletter, show that the recent period of constriction and consolidation is loosening. Good for the industry and for people in general if this next chapter does what it says.
Our founder Martha first met Mint in 2007 when the biggest hurdle to clear for the fledgling company was whether consumers would put financial information online. Now every bank is digital, personal financial management tools are standard fare, and Intuit is sunsetting Mint (RIP).
In the interim, we’ve had a front-row seat at each chapter, and at every stage, from launching new companies from stealth to working with household brands like @/SoFi, Intuit, PayPal, and LendingClub. Since starting The Key, this has remained a favorite category, because the impact can be so concrete. We’re proud of helping put Lively, Chime, and Bumped on the map, and love seeing others like UNest, Divvy Homes, and Nestment receive much-deserved accolades, like Smart Money Awards: Winning Financial Apps and Services of 2023.
Our current generation of fintech companies is big and small, and solves a variety of business and consumer pain. You’ll hear more about Plenty, Node, Staircase, and PayJoy in the news.
Recently, esteemed fintech analyst Stessa Cohen included The Key in a Pivot Assets post called After the Founding & Funding: Women Who Support Your Fintech's Growth:
“The Key PR - founded by Martha Shaughnessey. I love the honest & direct tagline on their website “High Impact, Low Bullshit.” I’ve known Martha since the early days of fintech; she’s the real deal. She walks the talk of diversity & inclusion and doing business differently.”
She’ll be hosting a Fintech Marketing Masterclass event on heels of New York’s Fintech Week - and we encourage builders to attend.
No one knows more about telling a fintech’s story than Stessa. But we’ll put ourselves up for a tie ;)
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