“Smells Like Fintech Spirit”: Fifth Milan Finech Summit Kicks Off To The Beat Of Music

The fifth edition of the Milan Fintech Summit – a leading international event focused on innovation in banking and financial services – is returning to Milan. Organised and promoted by Fintech District, the international community representing Italy’s Fintech and Techfin ecosystem, and Business International, the knowledge unit of Fiera Milano, the event will reinforce Milan’s status as a key hub for innovation in Europe. The Summit aims to spotlight the Italian Fintech ecosystem, attract investments and talent, and foster business networking opportunities.

 

On October 8th and 9th, the Milan Fintech Summit will bring together international Fintech leaders, financial players, investors, large corporations, SMEs, institutions, associations, and European hubs for a two-day event dedicated to the latest innovation and trends in financial services.

 

With over 15,000 financial companies, 2,800 startups, and a rapidly growing Venture Capital ecosystem, Milan is the perfect host for this significant event. Milan boasts 41% of Italian Fintech companies, including two unicorns, and attracts 69% of investments in the Italian Fintech sector.

 

As part of the event, the first data from the 2024 edition of the ITALIAN FINTECH MAP will be presented. This "map", created by Fintech District and Politecnico di Milano, offers a comprehensive overview of Fintech companies operating in Italy as well as European ones with Italian roots.

 

Building on the success of last year’s edition, which featured over 110 Italian and international speakers, and attracted more than 1,300 attendees (of which 63% were C-level executives) from over 30 countries, the 2024 Summit aims to strengthen its position as a critical forum for discussions on the evolving trends in Fintech.

This year’s theme, “SMELLS LIKE FINTECH SPIRIT”, draws inspiration from music. Each session will be named after a famous song, with participants and speakers contributing their favourite tracks to an official playlist, created ad hoc for the Milan Fintech Summit. Music reflects the dynamic and disruptive nature of Fintech, whose solutions, when integrated across sectors, can deliver a cutting-edge customer experience.

 

Just as the music industry has evolved—from carrying boomboxes in the '80s to Walkmans, MP3 players in the 2000s, and now podcasts directly on our phones—Fintech is revolutionising banking, particularly in payments, which have moved from cash to P2P transfers and instant transactions via banking apps.

The 2024 Milan Fintech Summit will follow a thematic structure, with sessions named after iconic songs, making discussions more engaging by tying them to broader cultural themes. Key sessions include:

 

- Imagine: Exploring the future of Fintech, how services might evolve and their role in promoting social and environmental goals. An essential moment to understand the trajectory of Fintech and its sector-wide impact.

 

- One: Focused on Embedded Finance, this session will explore the integration of services such as payments, lending, and insurance on orchestration platforms. Speakers will emphasise the importance of creating a seamless customer experience through technology.

 

- Bridge Over Troubled Water: Addressing diversity and inclusion, with a particular focus on the challenges faced by women in the Fintech sector, especially in underbanked regions. It will explore ways to attract and support female talent.

 

- What a Wonderful World: Discussing how emerging markets can benefit from established Fintech ecosystems and vice versa, highlighting the importance of internationalisation and the value of different perspectives.

 

- AI Will Always Love You: A deep dive into the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence, generative AI, and Machine Learning in Fintech. The potential benefits, applications and risks of AI and how it can transform the world of finance will be discussed.

 

Networking opportunities will also play a crucial role in the 2024 Milan Fintech Summit, with a dedicated exhibition area open throughout the event to foster collaboration and connections between participants. An official event app will be available to facilitate meetings and interactions.

 

 

This year’s Summit will feature an impressive lineup of international speakers, including CEOs and C-level executives from prominent companies. Notable speakers include: Alessandra Perrazzelli, Deputy General Director of the Bank of Italy; Anna Lambiase, Chairwoman of CDP Venture Capital; Mathias Wikström, CEO of Doconomy; Paolo Zaccardi, CEO of Fabrick; Enrico Mattiazzi, CEO and Founder of Fiscozen; Alberta Pelino, President of the Young Ambassadors Society and Founder of Fibi; Stefania Di Bartolomeo, CEO of Physis Investments; Silvia Attanasio, Head of Innovation at ABI; Stefano Quintarelli, Founder of Rialto VC; and Bianca Bonetti, Associate - Network & Engagement of Gyrus Capital.

 

For the first time in Italy: Nicolas Benady, CEO of SWAN; Carsten Höltkemeyer, CEO of Solaris; Deniz Guven, Board Member of Wamo and former Founder and CEO of Mox; Meirav Harel, Israeli Ambassador to the European Women in Payments Network (EWPN) and lecturer of the Full Blockchain & Fintech Course at Reichman University.

 

Additionally, Amanda Estiverne-Colas, Founder/Fractional CFO of AGE Advisors and Global Mentor for Women in Payments, will interview three prominent figures in the Fintech world: Francesca Carlesi, CEO of Revolut UK, the rapidly growing neobank now valued at $45 billion and the second-largest bank in the UK by market capitalisation; Kos Stiskin, co-founder and Vice President of Finom, a company that recently secured $54 million in a Series B funding round; and Miguel Amaro, CEO and co-founder of Coverflex, which completed the largest pre-seed funding round in Portugal.

 

Regulators will also have a dedicated session in the agenda, organised by Refink, focused on the topic of MiCAr. This session will feature representatives from the Bank of Italy, BaFin, Bundesbank, FMA Liechtenstein, the National Bank of Romania, Norges Bank, and the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority.

 

The Summit will also host the Italian finals of the Mastercard For Fintechs program, a European competition launched by the company to support Fintechs in their growth journey through privileged access to educational sessions and a series of events. On the opening day, October 8th, the top 10 Fintech finalists of the national competition will compete for two passes to the Paris final event, with a prize of €50,000 in marketing support.

 

Also this year the Milan Fintech Summit extends beyond Milan with the Out of Summit session on October 5th in Biella, as part of the BiDigital event focused on digital innovation in the Piedmont region. Organised by Sellalab, Sella group’s innovation platform, and BTREES, a digital communication agency, the event will feature over 50 speakers aiming to promote a culture of positive impact for all participants through thematic lenses of innovation, entrepreneurship, communication, and social and environmental impact.

 

The Summit's Partners to date include Blank, Chainalysis, Coverflex, Consulens, DGI – Digital Gold Institute, Earnext, Fabrick, Finance Malta, Genio Diligence, Illumyfi, Integrity 360, Lexia Avvocati, Mastercard, Mia Fintech, Pausepay, Quarkpay, Refink, Sella, Swan, Terrapay, Treezor, Trustfull, Visa, and Wallife. The International Promotional Partners, bringing the world to Milan, are the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Italy (Camcoes), EWPN, Fintech Belgium, Fintech Bulgaria, Fintech Hub LT, Fintech Latvia, Fintech Poland, and Hub Brussels.