Fintech: The category saw startups attract over $14B in VC funding last quarter. An increase in comparison to the last two quarters and 40% more than what we saw in Q1 of 2020. However, far from the levels we saw in Q1 of 2021 ($26B) or 2022 ($35B). Stripes $6.5B ‘megaround’ should be taken into account. Without it, a QoQ decline of 36% would have been reported. With that said, Fintech has been the most invested industry behind enterprise software (driven by OpenAI and the rest of generative AI).
"Unicorns"
The number of new unicorns fell from over 40 unicorns quarterly in 2021 to just 3 in Q1 2023. In spite of this drop, Fintech created more Unicorns in comparison to other industries.
B2B & Fintech SaaS:
Even when excluding Stripe’s megaround, B2B SaaS attracted 44% of the funding in 2023, in line with a long-term trend of shifting away from B2C. But In spite of longer sales cycles, declines in net retention and decreased average-contract values, the Fintech SaaS model has been more resilient and adaptable to the challenging environment.
Emerging Areas of Focus:
Cash Management: Recent events surrounding SVB serve as a reminder of the significance of effectively managing cash reserves. A noteworthy development is the increased adoption of multiple bank accounts by startups, rising from 43% to 70%.
Technological Advancements for CFOs: The realm of CFO tech is gaining considerable attention, encompassing various aspects such as invoicing, accounting, tax automation, and spend management. One notable trend worth highlighting is the integration of AI in accounting processes, exemplified by companies like Vic.ai and Trullion.
Debt Recovery: The upward trajectory of interest rates is exerting pressure on debt financing and refocusing attention on debt collection procedures.
Diversification of Investments: Particularly, solutions that provide access to the private market are gaining prominence. The creation of value has shifted from public markets to private markets. However, opportunities in private markets have remained largely inaccessible to the average retail investor.
Notable Business Mergers and Acquisitions:
Acorns, a US-based savings and investment unicorn, acquires GoHenry, a London-based startup providing financial education and money management for kids and teens. The deal details are undisclosed, and neither company was profitable in 2022.
Natwest acquires 85% of Cushon, a financial well-being and pension startup, for £144M, strengthening their workplace pensions and savings proposition. Resulting in a profitable exit for Cushon investors, particularly Augmentum, whose original investment is expected to more than double.
Railsr, an embedded finance and BaaS provider, acquired by existing investors after a significant valuation drop from nearly $1 billion to $250 million. Highlighting how a lack of profitability can impact even market leaders in the current economic environment.
Vista Equity Partners acquires Duck Creek Technologies, a leading property and casualty insurance software provider, in a $2.6B all-cash transaction. Duck Creek went public in 2020 with a market cap of $3.5 billion, illustrating the opportunity for private equity firms to capitalise on discounted fintech businesses in the challenging market.
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