5 fastest growing Canadian FinTechs to watch out for in 2021

By Pavithra R

Canada presents an interesting opportunity for the financial technology sector. Despite the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada is witnessing the emergence of modern enablers built for a connected future. The article lists 5 fast-growing FinTech companies in the region.

Symend

Founded in 2016, Symend is scientifically transforming the debt recovery industry by combining behavioural science with data-driven insights to empower customers to resolve past due bills. It provides clients with a deep understanding of variations in consumer behavior, which is used to personalize and optimize interactions based on the unique needs and preferences of the customer. By combining insights from customer interactions with historical data on actions taken, its Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) model uncovers underlying psychological and behavioural traits.

Symend’s platform is purpose-built to serve complex global enterprises in telecommunications, financial services, utilities and media. The FinTech’s client portfolio includes service providers, financial institutions, and utilities that use its technology to digitally interact with their at-risk customers with compassion and build lifelong value for the company and the brand.

Koho

Founded in 2014, KOHO is a new era of banking on a mission to make the financial system transparent and intuitive. It offers a full-service chequing account that comes with a reloadable prepaid Visa card that earns cash back on every purchase and integrated app that helps users spend smart and save more. The FinTech, through its app and a reloadable card, offers Canadians a new approach to spending and saving. It takes no monthly fees, no interest charges, no e-Transfer fees, and no NSF fees. Recently, KOHO launched KOHO Save.

The firm since 2019 has nearly doubled its customer base, and its team has doubled in size to over 150 employees. Notable new additions include a new CMO, Alexandru Otrezov, a new CTO, Jonathan Klein, and a new CFO, Felix Wu.

MindBridge

Founded in 2015, MindBridge is building revolutionary new solutions to analyze financial data. Through the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies, the FinTech’s platform detects anomalous patterns of activities, unintentional or intentional errors (fraud). Using MindBridge, organizations across multiple industries can minimize financial loss, reduce corporate liability, and focus on providing higher value services to their clients.

MindBridge is certified SOC 2 and complies with the American Institute of CPAs Security Organization Controls (SOC). Its platform Ensemble AI combines insights from several algorithms to produce a holistic, detailed risk assessment.

ZayZoon

Established in 2014, ZayZoon is a unique solution for employees. It is a financial technology company on a mission to improve employee health through the use of responsible financial products. The FinTech allows employees to instantly access their earned wages on-demand. It’s a voluntary benefit that reduces financial stress related to cash flow shortfall between pay checks.

ZayZoon improves productivity, employee retention and recruitment. It is a powerful corporate social responsibility tool and financial wellness program. Through partnerships with payroll and employers, ZayZoon gives employees access to their earned wages, well before payday, to save them money, reduce their stress, and improve their levels of engagement.

Flinks

Founded in 2016, Flinks help businesses connect users with financial service. The FinTech enables businesses to connect users’ bank accounts, enrich their data, and utilize it to deliver better products. It provides the data layer needed to power the next generation of connected financial experiences.

Flinks’ APIs and data tools are being used from startups to large financial institutions to connect, enrich, and utilize their users’ data to power applications. The firm enables the open and content based exchange of financial data and empowers organizations to connect consumers with the services they want. Flinks has become the leader in financial data connectivity in Canada and is well on its way to becoming a global leader.

Also read: Core Banking Systems Case Studies: North America