The Cambridge Fintech Market Observatory

About the Cambridge Fintech Market Observatory

Building on a decade of fintech market research expertise and excellence, the Cambridge Fintech Market Observatory (CFMO) is the CCAF’s flagship programme to research the development of alternative financing channels, instruments and systems from the industry perspective.

It aims to respond to current public and private sector needs for more robust empirical data on fintech that can inform market development and facilitate evidence-based regulation. The programme will encompass a set of research initiatives to produce digital tools and impactful research outputs to foster an environment of knowledge dissemination and exchange.

The programme is launching its first major initiative – the ‘Future of Global Fintech Research Initiative’– in collaboration with the World Economic Forum (Forum).

The Future of Global Fintech Research Initiative

About the initiative

In recent years, the CCAF and the Forum have forged a strong collaborative partnership in conducting fintech research, co-creating high-impact empirical studies and global thought leadership, as well as convening influential multi-stakeholder regional and international roundtables with more than 220 participating institutions. Leveraging combined expertise, networks and convening power, this research initiative explores the future of global fintech.

This collaboration seeks to produce highly relevant research outputs that:

  • highlight global market trends
  • generate regional fintech insights
  • assess how fintech activities impact consumers, SMEs and financial inclusion
  • bring together innovators, financial services incumbents, regulators and development institutions through roundtables and workshops to share learnings, disseminate knowledge and forge meaningful public-private partnerships.

Research focus

The research agenda focuses on 3 overarching themes to identify trends in the fintech ecosystem that are driving regulatory and policy considerations globally:

  • Global fintech industry data that quantifies shifts in key market performance indicators.
  • Fintech firms’ perception of regulatory changes, policy shifts, and ecosystem-wide opportunities and risks.
  • Impacts of fintech related to socio-economic indicators and financial inclusion.

This research initiative works with a carefully curated group of some of the most innovative and influential fintech firms globally to produce unique industry insights plus impactful empirical data on digital and alternative finance developments.

Research approach

By adopting a panel-based approach to industry-centric research, fintechs will be able to contribute to empirical data collection, participate in knowledge dissemination events, and meaningfully interact with policymakers, central bankers and other regulators through CCAF–Forum co-convened roundtables and workshops. The initiative assembles 3 research panel categories:

Global Leading Fintechs Research Panel

Comprised of 300 leading fintech firms from five key verticals (digital payments, digital lending, digital capital raising, digital banks and insurtech) operating in the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe & UK, MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Thematic Panel(s)

30-50 fintechs, each with a focus on a key thematic research area (e.g., sustainability, gender, Islamic finance, etc.) In the first year, the focus will be on establishing the Inclusive Digital Finance Research Panel.

Consumer & SME End-User Impact Panel

Working with 15-20 fintechs to collect and analyse granular data from end-users, to deepen understanding of fintechs’ socio-economic impact.

Global and regional supporters

The Cambridge Fintech Market Observatory at the CCAF works with a select number of global and regional supporters to develop, execute and scale ‘The Future of Global Fintech’ Research Initiative. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are interested in research collaboration or supporting the initiative. 

Register your interest

If you are interested in hearing more about the The Cambridge Fintech Market Observatory and other information of interest you can sign up to our mailing list.

Contact information

For general information about the CFMO, please contact:

cambridgefmo@jbs.cam.ac.uk

For research-specific questions, please contact:

Felipe Ferri de Camargo Paes

Krishnamurthy Suresh

Dana Salman

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