On 7 May, the future of finance, technology and private capital in Africa was analysed at UIC Barcelona. More specifically, the session, led by numerous experts, focused on the application of FinTech, i.e. the application of technology with a view to developing new financial services in markets such as Africa. 

Therefore, the event, organised as part of the Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital and Private Equity, served to present several details of the project “Private Equity and Fintech in Africa”, which corresponds to the line of research on financial inclusion coordinated by Dr Francesc Prior through the IRAPP.  

The information session, which was open to the general public, included industry experts such as Soumendra Dash, the principal risk officer at the African Development Bank Group. Other participants included Albert Alsina, chief executive officer and managing partner of Mediterrania Capital Partners, as well as Professor Prior.

The aim of this project is to analyse how the models for providing mobile financial services implemented by ISPs (Independent Financial Service Providers) can not only improve the low rates of financial inclusion in Africa, but also serve as a catalyst for the development of new FinTech initiatives driven by private equity. The results of the study will be presented during a final conference that is scheduled to take place in the last quarter of 2018.