Latvia’s FinTech forum 2022

Opening of the forum and part I The acceleration of FinTech industry

The forum was opened by Santa Purgaile, Chairwoman of the Financial and Capital Market Commission (FCMC), Ņikita Kazakevičs, Director of the Innovation and Technology Department of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) and Mārtiņš Staķis, Chairman of the Riga City Council.

Marine Krasovska, Director of the Financial Innovation Department of the FCMC, gave a presentation about the Latvian FinTech ecosystem.

The presentation was followed by a discussion on development trends and industry forecasts.

Moderator: Ņikita Kazakevičs, LIAA

Participants:

• Dina Buse, Ministry of Finance (Latvia)
• Fredis Bikovs, Riga Investment and Tourism Agency
• Tīna Lūse, FinTech Latvia Association
• Mārtiņš Valters, Mintos

Part II Access to funding

Māra Pērkuma-Masļakova, PR Manager at Nordigen, gave a presentation "European Success Story of Latvian FinTech Nordigen".

The presentation was followed by a discussion Crowdfunding and capital availability for FinTechs and startups.

Moderator: Krišjānis Znotiņš, Eleving group

Participants:

• Jānis Blaževičs, CrowdedHero
• Renāts Lokomets, Venture Faculty
• Karsten Wenzlaff, Cambridge Centre for Alternative finance, German Crowdfunding Association
• Matīss Ansviesulis, Creamfinance

Part III Regulation and innovations: opportunities and risks

The presentations by Cristian Rau, Mastercard, and Polina Brottier, Binance, were followed by a discussion FinTech regulation: global challenges and new opportunities.

Moderator: Marine Krasovska, FCMC

Participants:

• Christian Rau, Mastercard
• Ben-Benedict Hruby, Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Austria
• Karolis Jonuška, Binance
• Mārtiņš Puķe, Gravity Team

Part IV Innovative technologies and talents

The presentations by Ieva Ilvesa, adviser to the President of Latvia for information and digital policy, and Kristaps Banga, head of innovation & growth at Accenture Baltics, were followed by a discussion New competences, talents and technologies.

Moderator: Ivars Svilāns, LETA

Participants:

• Kristaps Banga, Accenture
• Dmitry Tsymber, Dyninno FinTech
• Armands Broks, Twino
• Artūrs Kostins, Altero

Some of the forum participants shared their takeaways from the event and views on FinTech development, trends and challenges for a short video.

The forum was organised by the FCMC and the LIAA.