We’re happy to share that Beta-i has been named one of the 25 Best Financial Innovation Labs, as part of The Innovators 2019, an annual initiative by Global Finance magazine.
As an ecosystem builder in Lisbon, we’re are proud of the achievement. In the words of Pedro Rocha Vieira, our CEO and founder:
It’s naturally rewarding to see Beta-i again on such a narrow and prestigious list, which validates the work we’ve done. We are helping to reconfigure the financial universe, via fintechs, setting up programs like Pay Forward, with SIBS, or Protechting, which involves partners like Fidelidade, Fosun and Hauck & Aufhäuser, a German investment bank. This is an area where we identify new market opportunities, and Portugal can serve as a ‘sandbox’ for new business models and concepts in the financial area – for example, Brexit allows us to glimpse new opportunities. Startups like Feedzai, James, or Keep Warranty, are also making their way into this arena, which creates a more relevant cultural environment.
He also reminded that Portugal has a lot of opportunities to act as an innovation lab on testing new solutions: “There is an opportunity for countries like Portugal to position themselves to allow controlled testing of these technologies, especially in the context of the digital transformation of banks and the financial system, and I believe that’s where the role of Beta-i is, as a result of its commitment to innovation. We are also well positioned to replicate this experience in other geographies, and integrating the newly created Cybersecurity Working Group also allows us not only access but also the ability to influence and support the development of good practices. “
In its seventh edition, The Innovators recognizes entities that regularly identify new paths and design new tools in finance – the full report will be published in June.
“Financial institutions and governments worldwide are creating new spaces and modes of collaboration to better execute on financial technology,” said Joseph D. Giarraputo, publisher and editorial director of Global Finance. “Hubs, labs, centers, whatever you call them, they support innovations that deliver benefits to banks, their clients and society at large, nurturing both upstarts and stalwarts that excel in breakthrough thinking.”
The 2019 Innovators honorees will be recognized at the Global Finance Digital Banks and Innovators Awards Dinner on October 30 in Hong Kong. Here is the full list of honorees:
| FINANCIAL INNOVATION LABS | CITY |
| Alior Bank RBL | Warsaw |
| Barclays Accelerator | Multiple Locations |
| Beta-i | Lisbon |
| BNY Mellon Global Innovation Centers | Multiple Locations |
| boostLAB Powered by BTG Pactual | Sao Paulo |
| Capital One Labs | Multiple Locations |
| Citi Innovation Labs | Multiple Locations |
| Cyberport | Hong Kong |
| DBS Asia X (DAX) | Singapore |
| Deutsche Bank Innovation Labs | Multiple Locations |
| Fidelity Center for Applied Technology/Fidelity Labs | New York |
| FinLab AG | Frankfurt |
| Fintech Hive | Dubai |
| Fintech Innovation Lab | Multiple Locations |
| FIS Global – FIS Financial Inclusion Lab | Bengaluru |
| Frankfurt Accelerator | Frankfurt |
| LUISS Enlabs | Milan |
| OTP Bank Innovation Lab | Budapest |
| PayPal Innovation Lab | Singapore |
| Santander-InnoVentures | London |
| Startupbootcamp — FinTech | Multiple Locations |
| Synechron – FinLabs | Multiple Locations |
| TechQuartier | Frankfurt |
| Wells Fargo Startup Accelerator | New York |
| YES Fintech | Mumbai |