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- Money Transfers & Tech: The Future of a Billion-Dollar Industry With Industry Leaders IBM, Ripple and More
Money Transfers & Tech: The Future of a Billion-Dollar Industry With Industry Leaders IBM, Ripple and More
IMTC director Hugo Cuevas-Mohr sees IMTC WORLD as an important networking event for anyone looking to examine emerging trends in the fintech industry.
“Our expectations are that participants find at the conference what they come looking for. Mainly networking (above all), finding leads, creating partnerships, nurturing present clients and getting a glimpse of the trends to react to them,” he said in a recent interview.
While IMTC WORLD is the organization’s largest annual event with an estimate of 500 participants, it also hosts several regional events around the world including five editions of IMTC EMEA in Istanbul, Barcelona, Madrid, Brussels and London, and annual events in Latin America (Argentina in April 2020). There are also two bi-annual African (Kenya and Nigeria) and Asian (India and Philippines) events.
However, Cuevas-Mohr feels that the annual IMTC WORLD event is one that cannot be missed for those serious about making a mark in the multi-billion dollar global money transfer industry.
“If you are in the cross-border payments market, digital or traditional, IMTC WORLD is where you need to be seen in order to exist. IMTC WORLD is once a year. And in a fast-moving world, you can’t wait since each new year brings mergers, acquisitions, new players, new regulations, new challenges, and new opportunities.”
IMTC WORLD 2019 Sponsors
Event sponsors are the foundation that makes events like IMTC WORLD possible, and this year the organizers have brought together a real ‘who’s who’ of the fintech world. With the emergence of disruptive technologies like blockchain, it’s important for new and old players in the industry to diversify their connections. This concept is reflected in the broad range of sponsors for IMTC WORLD 2019.
“Fintechs are realizing that they won’t disrupt the cross-border world by themselves. They need to partner at all levels,” says Cuevas-Mohr. “Fintechs have realized that they are welcome at IMTC and that traditional players coming to the event understand that the way to innovate — to confront change, is to partner with fintechs that bring technology, creativity and drive for change.”
IMTC WORLD 2019 is sponsored by some of the top names in the fintech industry, including IBM, Ripple, Bitspark, IdentityMind, TransferZero, Thunes, Bitstop, and Control Money, among many others.
IBM is taking a leadership role with its blockchain-based World Wire service powered by Stellar which supports 47 currencies across 72 countries. Through the use of stable digital currencies that act as a financial ‘bridge’ between two countries, IBM World Wire can complete cross-border settlements almost instantly and at a low cost.
Ripple provides one frictionless payment experience to send money globally using blockchain technology. Ripple’s global network, RippleNet, enables instant, reliable and cost-effective payments anywhere in the world for its 200+ customers who can utilize the digital asset XRP to enable real-time settlement in cross-border payments.
Bitspark is a fiat-to-crypto conversion service that allows customers across the world to quickly and easily “cash in or cash out” cryptocurrencies online, helping companies in the industry to settle funds in many remittance corridors.
IdentityMind develops digital identity technology to combat financial fraud. It provides a one-stop solution to meet AML sanctions screening and KYC compliance regulations, avoid identity theft and fight financial crime.
TransferZero develops APIs (application programming interfaces) that can be integrated into companies wishing to connect and do business across Africa. The company that originated in Spain was purchased by a major African FX and payments platform AZA in early 2018 in order to further expand its services.
Thunes is a real-time cross-border payment network enabling corporates and financial institutions to move funds and provide financial services in emerging markets. While Control Money is a suite of products from compliance to digital that helps traditional companies update their technology and leverage the potential to partner with fintechs, Bitstop, on the other hand, builds technology infrastructure that makes Bitcoin more accessible and is the leading ATM Bitcoin technology provider.
The RemTECH Awards
Since 2017 IMTC celebrates The RemTECH Awards in partnership with multilateral agencies like IFAD, UNDESA, and the World Bank to spotlight and honor innovative projects, products, and solutions that have a role in advancing financial inclusion worldwide. The awards have accepted nearly 100 entries submitted from six of the seven continents. The 2019 event in London was the third edition with Malaysia-based fintech startup Valyou winning the coveted Industry Choice Award for their live blockchain innovation. The 2020 event will be hosted by IFAD at its Global Forum in Nairobi, Kenya in June 2020.