Which Cloud Service Provider Did Fintech Choose

Why FinTech Is Google's Next Playground

Prototype courtesy of Pierce Healthcare.

Why FinTech Is Google's Next Playground

Alphabet'due south foray into finance

Google, or more precisely, its parent visitor Alphabet since the 2015 restructuring, continues to be the biggest investor in tech startups. Through Google Ventures, the FinTech sector is becoming the perfect lucifer for Google's portfolio of digital products and services. What FinTech positioning can nosotros look from Google?

Alphabet as Rex of the Digital Space and Beyond

As Google continues to dominate the advert ecosystem, generating most $135 billion in 2019 alone, it maintains its unmatched reward to spread out into every corner of the loftier-tech manufacture. From software and hardware to healthcare, transportation, navigation, logistics, agriculture, bogus intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity, and gaming.

Based on its search engine lone, there is not a single online or offline venture that is not to some degree affected by Google's reach and business organization decisions. Many argue the governments of the world tin only dream of having such unprecedented power. Nether the Alphabet umbrella, Google remains its business concern core, while branching e'er-outwards through numerous venture funds:

Google Ventures, equally Alphabet'southward almost strategic and heavily involved fund in startups through its global Launchpad Accelerator.
CapitalG, as Alphabet's for-profit, growth disinterestedness investment fund facilitating larger companies.
Gradient Ventures, every bit Alphabet'southward focus on artificial intelligence development.
Google, as Alphabet's cadre venture investor, second to Google Ventures.

As it invests in companies, Alphabet too acquires them. Since 2016, information technology acquired over 200 companies altogether. Some of the well-known acquisitions include Nest Labs, Android, Urban Engines, Looker, Milk, Dissever, DoubleClick, Motorola Mobility, SageTV, Waze, Fitbit, Dropcam, ITA Software, and YouTube.

In short, based on just reading the company names Alphabet absorbed, in that location is no other company in the world better positioned to have a disquisitional bear upon on the FinTech sector.

Google'due south Involvement in FinTech Explained

Although Google tin directly interlope the market place share of both banks and FinTech companies, its current strategy is based around facilitating FinTech products and services. Over the final year, there take been multiple indications of this approach.

Every bit reported by The Tokenist in Apr 2020, Google Menu – a smart debit carte – volition complement its widely-adopted Google Pay financial system.
Even earlier Google Card was announced, in November 2019, WSJ broke the news of a Google checking business relationship lawmaking-named Cache. It should arrive sometime in 2020 as a partnership project with Citigroup and Stanford Academy credit union.
Accompanying Google's debit carte du jour and checking account, Google announced in May 2020 the release of AI-powered Paycheck Protection Programme (PPP) for loan processing.
Finally, in March 2020, Google Deject formed a five-year deal with Lloyds Cyberbanking Group to facilitate their transition into the FinTech era. If this rings a bell, Google fabricated a similar bargain with HSBC in 2018.

These developments and partnerships pb u.s. to believe that Google will continue doing what it does best – provide other companies with tools they demand to elevate their services to the adjacent level. The geographic reach has previously been restricted in FinTech, simply is growing as firms expand to various parts of Latin America. Google may have its own checking account and debit carte du jour, merely without a partnership with banks, the initial path could feature turbulence.

Therefore, based on Google's past business organisation history, the giant is certainly poised to interruption into FinTech in the almost hereafter. Further acquisitions would enable Google to integrate a larger network of services. While some may take reservations almost Google's new sphere of influence, most Americans prioritize convenience over privacy concerns.

Would you consider switching to Google Carte du jour as your primary debit business relationship? Considering Google'due south already existing reach, that would likely provide a new level of convenience. Nosotros want to know what y'all think in the comments section below.

About the writer

Tim Fries

Tim Fries is the cofounder of The Tokenist. He has a B. Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Berth School of Business. Tim served as a Senior Associate on the investment team at RW Baird'due south US Individual Equity division, and is also the co-founder of Protective Technologies Uppercase, an investment business firm specializing in sensing, protection and control solutions.