Investing in Fintech Opportunities with Ryan Falvey, Managing Partner of Financial Venture Studio

Summary: In our latest episode of the Wharton Fintech podcast, Miguel Armaza (WG’21/G’21) is joined by Ryan Falvey, Managing Partner of Financial Venture Studio, a venture capital firm that invests in early stage teams who are seeking to improve how Americans conduct their financial lives. Ryan Falvey is the Managing Partner of Financial Venture Studio. He has spent the last 15 years identifying, supporting and leading market-changing innovations in technology. Since 2015, he's invested in 40 early stage fintech firms, which have grown to represent approximately $3 billion in aggregate equity value. Prior to founding the Venture Studio, Ryan led the development of the Financial Solutions Lab, a partnership between JPMorgan Chase and the Financial Health Network. Prior to managing the Lab, Ryan worked with leading tech firms to develop payment solutions at Silicon Valley Bank. He also served as Strategy Group Lead at Enclude Solutions, overseeing global strategy consulting work around mobile-enabled financial products. Financial Venture Studio invests in great early stage teams who are seeking to improve how Americans conduct their financial lives. From more efficient savings to superior investments to faster payments and better information, the promise of today’s financial products has never been greater. Learn more at www.finventurestudio.com. FVS has selected three cohorts of startups for its unique model of support since its founding in 2018. Of the first 13 startups to participate in the firm’s previous two cohorts, 12 have raised subsequent funding—with over $37 million in follow-on capital raised by firms since participating in the FVS program. In this interview, Ryan shares: - Their investment thesis and the type of company FVS invests in. - Details about their accelerator program and its strong partnerships with investors, regulators, operators, and media companies. - Highlights of some their portfolio companies and what drew FVS to invest in them. - His analysis on how technology is breaking down the centuries-old nature of financial services. - His take on the opportunities being exposed by the COVID-19 crisis and why this event will have broader implications on the financial sector for many years to come. - The reasons why you don’t want to be a founder with a pre-COVID mentality in a post-COVID world. - And much, much more…