Merge Or Perish: Why Billion-Dollar Fintech Companies Are Suddenly Facing A Bleak Future | Forbes

Fintech is the term widely used for technol­ogy startups focused on financial services. These fledgling companies were founded mostly in the last decade, with the goal of disrupting old-guard banks, insurers and credit card companies with whiz-bang tech. Only a few short years ago, venture capitalists couldn’t get enough of the sector. But with the IPO market in a coma and fintech stocks down 60% from their peaks, venture investors and bankers have turned off the cash spigot, not just for new investments but for additional funding to existing portfolio companies.

According to CB Insights, fintech funding sank to $11 billion in the fourth quarter of last year—the lowest level since 2018. A survey of 450 early-stage startups conduc­ted last fall by January Ventures, a Boston-based venture firm, concluded that 81% had less than a year’s worth of cash on hand.

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[daviddrumright]

What caused fintech to grow is QE. What is causing fintech to fail is QT. That's all.