Once we began Fintech Nexus in 2013 (generally known as LendIt again then) we didn’t have grand plans. The concept was merely to collect the mind belief within the newly-emerging on-line lending business so we may study from one another, community, and do enterprise. We figured we’d work on a small occasion a couple of months a yr and work on our different companies the remainder of the yr.
It wasn’t lengthy earlier than the group began rallying to our facet, and our occasions have been crammed with 1000’s of individuals. We took on the US, UK and Europe, then China and Latin America. This enterprise proved to be an extremely satisfying and interesting journey. Between 2013 and 2023, we executed 31 large-scale occasions all over the world, gathering tens of 1000’s of execs to advance the fintech business via high-value content material and interactions.
Alongside the best way, some exterior challenges, together with the pandemic, brought about us to tackle further financing — each debt and fairness — after which in 2023 we suffered from the fintech downturn and had a financially very disappointing consequence to our large USA occasion. This led to the sale of our occasions enterprise final June.
For the previous yr, now we have been targeted on our digital media enterprise, which started in earnest through the pandemic. We wished to see if we may make it a sustainable enterprise with out the occasions enterprise to assist it. Sadly, now we have not been capable of make this enterprise worthwhile.
You could have seen the for-sale announcement we posted again in April. Even when we couldn’t create a sustainable digital media enterprise, we thought any person else would possibly need to take over. That didn’t pan out both, and so now we have made the troublesome choice to shut the enterprise down and file for chapter.
Whereas that is actually not a cheerful consequence, now we have had a unbelievable experience and I do know it has been probably the most stimulating and pleasurable decade of my profession by far.
So, moderately than dwell on the loss, we need to share a few of the highlights from our journey.
Here’s a farewell video, my accomplice and co-founder, Bo Brustkern and I recorded not too long ago.
The Fintech Nexus retrospective
2013: A brand new occasion known as LendIt, targeted on on-line lending, in New York Metropolis was launched with 350 folks.
2014: Moved the occasion to San Francisco the place we hosted virtually 1,000 folks. Launched the primary UK occasion with 500 folks.
2015: Again to New York with Larry Summers because the big-name keynote: 2,500 folks. Launched in China.
2016: The San Francisco occasion had 3,600 folks and was our final U.S. occasion in a resort. Launched the every day publication.
2017: Moved to the Javits Heart in New York Metropolis with 5,000 folks. Launched the LendIt Trade Awards.
2018: San Francisco on the Moscone Heart with Michael Lewis because the keynote speaker. Moved past lending to different areas of fintech.
2019: Again to Moscone Heart in San Francisco. Canceled the China occasion, began LatAm occasion in Miami.
2020: Pandemic. Yikes! Needed to cancel the Javits Heart occasion. Held USA, UK and LatAm occasions nearly.
2021: One other yr of digital occasions however in December we had a hybrid in-person/digital occasion for LatAm in Miami.
2022: Again to in-person occasions! So thrilling to be again in New York, London and Miami. Rebranded to Fintech Nexus.
2023: The eleventh annual Fintech Nexus USA occasion in New York Metropolis could be our final. We offered the occasions enterprise to Fintech Meetup.
2024: Fintech Nexus shuts down after an 11-year run.
It has been a privilege to be on the helm of LendIt / Fintech Nexus. So many unbelievable highlights as we glance again. However what was all the time most gratifying was once I would speak with individuals who stated they first met at LendIt and so they have a thriving partnership. I’ve heard that story tons of of instances over the previous decade.
We couldn’t have achieved every part we did with out the assist of the fintech group. We now have taken this critically from day one.
I want to thank the tens of 1000’s of people that have attended our occasions, each in-person and digital, through the years, together with the 1000’s of audio system. Your learnings and new enterprise connections helped drive the business ahead.
I already miss the thrill of strolling on stage on the opening morning of an occasion, filled with adrenaline.
The podcast will proceed
My favourite a part of what I do proper now could be producing my podcast, Fintech One-on-One. The podcast predates Fintech Nexus and can proceed as regular, with a brand new episode popping out each Thursday afternoon. I’m about to cross episode 500, and I intend to maintain doing this for the foreseeable future. The podcast now has a brand new house on its personal web site, and it’ll proceed to seem in your podcast feed as common.
The Web site
The web site may also stay on-line for no less than the subsequent few months, topic to the judgment of the Chapter 7 Chapter Trustee. We all know it’s a nice useful resource for tens of 1000’s of fintech fans. However the every day publication that now we have produced since 2016 will finish with at this time’s subject.
The Webinars
There might be no extra Fintech Nexus webinars, though our YouTube channel ought to proceed to reside on for a few years with 1000’s of hours of nice content material.
The subsequent chapter
What occurs now? Nicely, a chapter trustee might be taking up and trying to promote our belongings.
The Fintech Nexus staff are all free brokers now.
I’ve began to tackle a few new fintech tasks. Within the coming months, you will note me at a handful of occasions (I like a great fintech convention). After a few summer time journeys, I’ll have the bandwidth to tackle extra tasks.
If you’re fascinated with reaching out to me or others on the Fintech Nexus staff, we will be reached right here:
The fintech business will proceed to thrive
We want to suppose now we have performed a significant function in establishing a thriving fintech business. For us, this has all the time been a labor of affection. The fintech house is doing such attention-grabbing and necessary work, and it has been the chance of a lifetime to be close to the middle of all of it.
We now have matured as an business and collectively we at the moment are a driving pressure in monetary providers. Let’s all proceed the great battle.
