In the run up to the Meffys final on December 1st, supported by Mozilla & BiP, we are taking a brief look at the finalists in the nine different categories.
The Innovation in Fintech category is all about the mobile products and services disrupting finance and banking. It celebrates the achievements of the retailers, banks, government bodies, enterprises and tech companies delivering next generation payment services, money transfers, anti-fraud and security as well as banking solutions accelerating the adoption of mobile money.
Cuvva for Cuvva
UK based Cuvva provides a specialised type of car insurance service whereby you get cover (sorry, Cuvva) for as long as you need it, down to just an hour. Its aimed at drivers borrowing cars from friends or family for short periods (although they do more traditional periods of cover too) and is all arranged though a simple app interface.
The cover they provide is instant, so you’re set to drive as soon as you’ve completed your details – and if you need more time, you can just top it up through the app as well.
Its a simple solution to an historically red-tape heavy area, and could open up new options for would-be drivers who couldnt get such tailored cover so conveniently before.
Visit Cuvva
IPROOV for iProov Verifier
Proving your identity for online services such as mobile banking or e-commerce has always been something of a balancing act. Users demand such services be totally secure, protecting their online identity from would be hackers and thieves, but at the same time, expecting a level of convenience and speed befitting the services being accessed.
iProov Verifier is a facial recognition service that aims to authenticate users on smartphones, tablets and laptops completely seamlessly, allowing fast and secure authentication for financial services, healthcare services, e-commerce and any other form of online access.
With patented technology the platform utilises machine learning to ensure the system is extremely simple to use while being robust enough to withstand any form of fraud or fakery – and could see the end of lengthy and often frustrating authentication methods.
Visit iProov
Kasisto, Inc. for KAI
KAI is a conversational AI platform that allows users to interact with a virtual assistant through mobile, messaging and wearables.
The AI bots can be tailored for consistent behaviour and tone to suit a brand, and allows customers to interact with them in meaningful ways – for example, users can interrogate their virtual assistant about their finances by text or on messenger, getting a breakdown of monthly expenditure or specific types of transactions, and can even get KAI to make payments for them.
The benefit of such a system for businesses are obvious and based on KAI’s interactions in their impressive demo, which you can view on their website below, you could be forgiven for thinking you’re chatting to a real human financial expert.
Visit Kasisto
Mahindra Comviva for Airtel Money “Tap Tap” Tanzania
Tap Tap is Africa’s first closed-loop NFC Payment service that allows fast and seamless NFC payments at point of sale for merchants in Tanzania – where traditional bricks and mortar banking services are limited.
The service equips merchants with a low-cost, portable NFC POS – a mini contactless GSM device linked to their Airtel Money account that interacts seamlessly with the Airtel Money platform via the data network.
Due to its affordable, wireless and portable nature, the POS can be used by small-&-medium business, home-delivery businesses and on-the-go merchants like taxi-drivers, and has been a major driver in moving towards the government’s ‘Cashless Tanzania’ goal.
Visit Tap Tap
Sage for Pegg
Pegg is a chatbot that allows users to manage their business admin through chat apps like messenger and Slack by interacting with a friendly face.
Currently in beta, the smart assistant can sort out your expenses for you while you get on with more important things – you can send a text with your costs and attach a photo of the receipt, and Pegg will do all the heavy lifting for you before you’re even back at your desk.
Pegg could provide a real boon for the small business owner or self employed indidual who manage all their accounting themselves, and being powered by accounting heavyweight Sage, you can rely on your accounting bot chum to accurately do the paperwork on your behalf.
Visit Sage
Join us at the Meffys finals – London Dec 1st
Meffys 2016 supported by Mozilla & BiP is part of MEF London Week (29th November – 1st December) which includes Messaging & SMS World and MEF’s European Consumer Trust Summit.
The winners will be announced at a networking reception and features an innovation showcase – your chance to meet the finalists as well as live on-stage interviews with the winners hosted by Shivvy Jervis.