By Larry K. Williams, TAG president and CEO
This week, TAG brought together our world-renowned fintech community through our annual Fintech South event.
We welcomed 100+ speakers who shared their insights regarding the state of the financial technology industry in Georgia and beyond. The agenda was filled with insightful presentations about forward-looking technology topics including decentralized finance, cyber security threats, API integration challenges and opportunities, and more. We also talked about how we can, collectively, address issues ranging from financial literacy and inclusion to climate change.
Today, Georgia is the global epicenter of fintech with 210+ companies, supporting 42,000 jobs. Investments in either Georgia-based fintech companies or those companies that have a strong presence in Georgia secured at least $635 million in 2021. Read the 2022 Fintech Ecosystem Report here.
One of our shining stars is Kabbage and we couldn’t be any prouder of welcoming Rob Frohwein and Kathryn Petralia into the Fintech Hall of Fame. Rob and Kathryn have made countless contributions to our fintech community and are continuing to do so with their new business venture, Keep Financial.
I’m most proud of this year’s focus on how the fintech industry is supporting small businesses. After all, SMEs represent the backbone of the U.S. economy. Lara Hodgson, Co-founder and CEO at NOW, and Barry McCarthy, President and CEO of Deluxe, are both prime examples of the strategic role the state of Georgia plays in this domain.
Finally, I want to extend my deepest congratulations to Arcum, our Innovation Challenge winner, and our five Advance Award winners – Bitpay, Firstview, Parkmobile, Relay, and TrustStamp. These companies play a growing role in strengthening Georgia’s reputation as a fintech hub.
The event was an inspiring celebration of the leaders and businesses that fuel the fintech industry locally and on the global stage. Thanks to everyone who attended the event and our sponsors who made it possible! TAG looks forward to staying engaged throughout our events but also through our mandate of influencing and promoting the interests of this pivotal industry throughout our state.
