Four Tips for Choosing a Fintech Partner

Over the last three years we’ve implemented five strategic partnerships with fintech companies in industries such as mobile payments, investments and marketplace lending. In doing so, we’ve developed a reputation of being a nimble company for fintechs to partner with, yet we remain very selective in who we decide to work with.

We are very often asked–in places like the board room, at conferences and at networking events, how we choose what fintech companies to work with. It is a great question and one that needs to be looked at from a few angles. If you’re a financial institution looking to potentially begin partnering with fintech companies, below are some criteria to consider when vetting an opportunity.

A Strategic Fit: How does this relationship fit into your strategic plan? Finding a fintech that helps advance your goals may sound obvious, but it can be easy to get caught up in the fintech excitement, so don’t allow the latest fad to influence your choice of a partner. Don’t lose sight of your vision and make sure your potential partners buy into it. It’s better to have a few, meaningful partnerships than a host of relationships that may inadvertently distract you from your goals and spread your resources too thin.

Cultural Alignment: Make sure to do some research on the fintech’s management team, board of directors and advisory board. How do they–and their company’s mission-fit with your organization’s mission? Do you trust their team? Our CEO, Mike Butler, likes to say that we have a culture of trying to do things, not trying to NOT doing things. That’s important to us, and we want to work with teams that think similarly. Spending time together in the early stages of the relationship will help set the stage for a solid partnership in the future.

A Strong Business Plan: Is the company financially sound? Is their vision viable? Back to earlier commentary on not getting too caught up in the latest technology trend, consider testing the business idea on someone who isn’t a banker, like a friend or family member. While you might think it’s a great idea, does it appeal to a consumer that is not in our industry? If the business plan passes muster, another issue to consider is the fintech’s long-term plan and possible exit strategy, and the impact it would have on your business if the relationship went away. It’s important to understand both the fintech’s short- and long-term business plans and how those will impact your bank’s balance sheet and income statement today and in the future.

Compliance Buy-In: Does the fintech team appreciate the importance of security? Do they appreciate the role of regulation in banking and finance? Do they understand they may need to modify their solution in light of certain regulations? We know fintechs can sometimes look at banks with impatience, feeling that we’re slow to move. And while some might move at a slower pace than other, we banks know that there are good reasons to proceed cautiously and that compliance isn’t a “nice to have” when it comes to dealing with other people’s money. We are never willing to compromise security and are sure to emphasize that early in the conversation. It’s critical to find a partner with a similar commitment.

We’re in an exciting time; the conversations on both the bank and fintech sides are increasing about collaboration rather than competition. Considering criteria like the above will help banks take advantage of new possibilities in a meaningful way.