Introduction to Fintech

Part 1: Economic analysis

• The role of the financial system in a modern economy
• The role of technology in economic growth
• The 4-factor analytical framework: technology changing the financial section by innovating along four dimensions: information and inference, processes, trust and values. 
   

Part 2: Fintech Toolbox

Technologies and tools that allow for or support financial innovation

• Technological deep dive 1: smart contracts and web3
• Technological deep dive 2: customer-facing solutions in the time of AI
   

Part 3: Fintech business models

• Disintermediation, network economies, (lower) transaction fees, crypto models, generation and sale of data
   

Part 4: The innovation economy

• Incumbents and disruptive innovation
• Regulation and innovation
• Fintech startups: creation, funding, growth
• (Co-)innovating with AI
   

Part 5: Three case studies in Fintech

Business innovation, process innovation, and deep tech innovation

Fintech is the solution of economic problems with technology. The goal of this course is to equip students with the theoretical framework and practical skills to analyze and create fintech solutions. After this course students will be familiar with the key factors driving the fintech revolution: the shortcomings of the traditional financial system that are met by key technological and business innovations. They will be able to analyze FinTech projects in the four-factor framework (information and inference, processes, trust and values). They will be able to ideate, prototype and pitch FinTech solutions.

In presence

• The course features weekly sessions of 4 hours, with introductions to new topics as frontal lectures, followed by case studies, practical PC labs and group working sessions. 
• At the end of the course, students prepare their pitch for a (hypothetical) Fintech startup. The course concludes with a pitching contest.

Part 1 (50%) – oral exam (individual or groups of 3 students)

• Application of the economic analysis framework in the form of analyzing a Fintech case.
   

Part 2 (50%) –  presentation (groups of 3 students)

• Self-reflective pitch of a fintech idea, consisting of
  • Creation – ideation, value proposition, business model, prototype
  • Presentation – pitch
  • Reflection – deal memo about the own startup idea
• Students can choose to put more emphasis on the creation/presentation part or on the reflection part.