Page 28 - Pay Magazine

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digital money
Igniting Payments
Change
In Part 1 of our Game-Changing Technology series, we explore companies and trends setting the industry ablaze.
To say the industry is red up is an understatement. Money is pouring into innovation through in- vestments in ntech via incubators, capital infusions and acquisitions, partnerships and product launches. Fintech venture investments alone grew by 11 percent to $17.4 billion in 2016, according to PitchBook data. But what—aside from the ubiquity of mobile phones—will spark the greatest changes in payments and nancial services now and in the long term?
In the rst installment of our Game-Changing Technology series, we identify some key trends to
watch and some of the companies determined to light the path ahead. But there’s certainly more to this discussion, which we’ll continue
in the Fall issue of Pay Magazine.
“The next wave of game-changing technology will involve a lot of
new automated payments options,” says Georg von Waldenfels, exec- utive vice president of consumer solutions at Wirecard.
The Germany-based payments technology company, which also operates a European bank, provides issuing, acquiring and risk management solutions. Its footprint is global, with 26,000
clients o ering payments in 100-plus currencies. The key across markets, according to von Waldenfels, is to help clients stay relevant. “The buying behavior
of the connected consumer is changing: Everything must be payable everywhere—across all channels, easy, fast and secure with one click.”
Wirecard’s boon. mobile app is
one example of the company’s e orts to put payments at con- sumers’ ngertips. Because it’s available to consumers regardless of their mobile network operator or bank. Wirecard believes boon. has the potential to spur signi cant