The Latest From Our Community

As the back-to-school season kicks off, it's the perfect opportunity for banks to sharpen their hiring strategies, particularly for interns and new grads. Attending college career fairs can help you connect with the next generation of financial talent early on, showcasing what your bank has to offer. These bright minds bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas that will shape the future of our industry. By actively recruiting and nurturing this talent, you're not just filling roles—you're investing in the future leaders who will drive our industry forward. 🏫🧑‍🎓

Community banks have long been the cornerstone of local economies, thriving on deep relationships and personalized service. However, in an increasingly digital world, their traditional model faces challenges as consumers prioritize convenience and speed over physical proximity. To remain competitive, community banks must evolve by integrating digital solutions that resonate with modern customers while maintaining the personalized touch that has always set them apart.

Community bank's futures rely on innovating toward a new business model that attracts tech-savvy talent. Through the modernization of infrastructure, the reimagining of work culture, and the embrace of cutting-edge solutions, businesses are able to create an environment that not only draws in top talent but also positions themselves as leaders in the evolving financial landscape.

BankTech Ventures Investor Katie Quilligan is invited to talk about her journey in VC, BankTech's mission, and current trends and challenges in the community banking industry on the Female VC Lab Podcast.

At BankTech Ventures, we focus on helping community banks navigate new technology trends, such as AI that has become more popular in recent years. AI and machine learning can significantly boost efficiency and intelligence in banking, and these tools are becoming more common in the software banks use. As banks aim to stay competitive, it's essential to explore AI, both for operational gains and to meet team expectations for better tools. Community bankers often ask where to start with AI and how to manage risks, here are key use cases we recommend considering.

AML (Anti-Money Laundering) technology plays a crucial role in community banks, focusing on how these tools help banks improve compliance and safeguard against financial crimes. This article provides insights into the latest advancements in AML tech and its impact on the security and integrity of community banks.

Bankers, we want to hear your insights on business banking. The survey takes less than 5 minutes and participants have the opportunity to enter to win a $100 gift card.

In response to recent economic uncertainties, Encore Bank sought innovative ways to manage balance sheet liabilities and expand their deposit base. Partnering with ZSuite Technologies, a leader in digital escrow subaccounting services, they found the comprehensive platform they needed. Thanks to an introduction from BankTech Ventures, Encore Bank now effectively addresses deposit challenges and grows their assets across multiple markets and states.

As the world celebrates the start of the Olympics, we’re all about the thrill of competition and the pursuit of excellence. Just as athletes around the world are pushing boundaries and achieving greatness, we’re inspired to bring you the latest and most exciting updates in the fintech and banking world. Go Team USA! 🎇

Smaller banks and credit unions still have time to ride the innovation wave, but getting it right means going in with realistic expectations and a clear idea of how financial institutions can best work with outside technology experts.

In this episode, we get an insider look into the financial technology landscape with Jason Mikula. Jason shares his journey, from his unexpected entry into financial services and digital marketing to launching the publication Fintech Business Weekly. He emphasizes the importance of understanding customer acquisition metrics and analyzes the evolution of fintech innovations like online lending, BNPL, Banking as a Service, etc.

Back in January, our team weighed in with their predictions for 2024, covering everything from emerging technologies to regulatory developments. Now, over halfway through the year, we’re revisiting these predictions to see what’s changed and what’s remained on course.

Welcome to the 7th installment of "If I Were a Bank CEO..." In this edition, Carey talks about how to deliver a great digital customer experience. He uses the framework of the 3 Cs—Competence, Content, and Contact—to illustrate how a small business customer evaluates a bank, both consciously and subconsciously.

BankTech Ventures, a strategic investment fund redefining the landscape of community banking through innovative investments, today announced its recent investments in three bank-enabling technology companies: Equabli, Filejet, and Monit. These investments aim to deliver essential solutions tailored to address critical challenges faced by community banks, including impending increase in customer delinquencies and attracting and retaining small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and adding more value to them.

This Community Banking Month, I wanted to explore the relationship between a business owner and their bank, from the perspective of the wisest entrepreneur I know, my grandfather, Tom Malloy. Luckily for me, he was willing to be interviewed.

Emergency savings have always been a cornerstone of personal financial planning. The concept took on new significance with the passage of Secure Act 2.0, which has refined and expanded the possibilities for ESAs.

As a bank in 2024, we have to embrace what it means to be a digital business. We have to embrace that we are operating a software company that happens to provide banking services. This being the reality, we now have to enhance our capabilities in order to thrive. 

BankTech Ventures is proud to announce the successful completion of our inaugural Fintech Boot Camp! Topics included fintech evaluation and de-risking strategies, regulatory guidance around vendor due diligence, leveraging LinkedIn for networking and personal branding, and realistic application of AI in banking operations.

In an era dominated by digital transactions, community banks are battling fraud on multiple fronts. With fraudsters employing increasingly sophisticated methods, it’s crucial for these banks to stay vigilant and informed. Community banks must not only adopt the latest technological solutions but also cultivate a culture of awareness and continuous adaptation.

In the dynamic landscape of community banking, the convergence of traditional values and innovative technology has always been a delicate balance. The next frontier is the digitization of account opening processes. This critical step in customer onboarding has been transformed by digital solutions, marking a new era for community banks striving to combine convenience with a personal touch.

As we kick off 2024, one thing you can count on is another 12 months of front row access to all things fintech and banking. Check out the January edition to get our "Ins and Outs" for the coming year, industry predictions from our seasoned team, ecosystem news and even a movie recommendation. We're here to help you avoid Fintech FOMO, trailblazers!

This month, we’re turning our attention to the anticipated trends and shifts in the community banking industry and fintech sector for this coming year. Our team weighed in with their predictions for the new year - from emerging technologies to regulatory developments.

2023 proved itself to be yet another eventful year for our industry and for the BankTech team, too. Here are some of our key stats.

Happy Football Season, friends! Check out our November newsletter to see a couple football-themed original articles from our team, updates on our network, a portfolio announcement and some recent photos (we don't have a team instagram account, so this will have to do.)

So, you've decided to invest in a FinTech fund, a move that's akin to recruiting a star quarterback for your football team. It's a great play, but it won't win the game by itself. You might be wondering, what's the next play? Many stick with the old playbook, saying, "That's how we've always done it." This approach has unfortunately become the unofficial motto of many community banks across the country. However, just like in football, change is inevitable.

Welcome to the 5th installment of "If I Were a Bank CEO..." In this edition, Carey thinks about leading a bank the way a new coach would lead a football team to victory: through a willingness to revolutionize the team's playbook and take risks. He breaks down the first 5 things banks can do to coach their teams to greatness.

ZSuite Tech, a fintech innovator with a focus on commercial banking, is proud to announce a remarkable milestone in its journey towards transforming the corporate financial industry. The company has officially signed its 75th bank, underlining the vital role of ZEscrow in helping banks compete for commercial customers in a highly competitive landscape.

In this edition of FOMO by BankTech (during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, no less), we'd like to lure your attention toward the real boogeymen: cybercriminals.

Welcome to the 4th edition of "If I Were a Bank CEO." This month, Carey provides 5 actions that he would take to ensure his bank (and commercial clients) stay safe against cyber attacks. From creating a culture of awareness to utilizing software tools, Carey posits that banks have ample opportunity to empower themselves and their customers and create a safer banking environment for all.

Bank of Springfield's inefficient inventory financing relied on their core system and spreadsheets, causing delays, risks, and limited scalability. Introduced by BankTech Ventures, Vero's end-to-end system transformed their process. It enhanced borrower monitoring, streamlined funding requests, and improved risk management. Borrowers gained control, and the bank saved time and money on audits. Within weeks, tasks were completed much faster with the new workflow tools.

BankTech Ventures Principal Investor, Brandon Oliver, is interviewed on PAYPOD, the Payments & Fintech Podcast, speaking about the purpose and opportunity of Community Banks.

BankTech Ventures continues its commitment to community banks’ more vibrant futures with a total investment of $13.5 million in six fintech companies in the second half of 2023. BankTech has invested over $40 million in companies that have been specifically selected due to their work with community banks. These new investments are focused on helping community banks in areas of revenue, deposit growth, security, compliance, data analysis and customer marketing.

PortX Secures $16.5 Million in Series B Funding With Investors Focused on Community Financial Institutions

One year ago, we sent out our inaugural FOMO newsletter.... and what an incredible year it has been. We feel like we're just getting started with the industry-relevant information that we want to bring you! This month we're continuing to serve up more original articles, podcasts, recent investment updates, upcoming conferences & events we'd love to see you at, and job openings at our PortCo's.

Welcome to Volume 3 of "If I Were a Bank CEO." This month, Carey writes about how a bank's deposit growth and customer satisfaction would skyrocket if bank leadership focused on investing in an online presence (by hiring an Internet Sales Manager, as a start). By likening this approach to that of auto dealerships in recent years, Carey explains why and how he would hire an ISM at his financial institution.

Hear from Sarah as she starts navigating the waters of combining finances and assets now that she and her partner are engaged. Sarah quickly realizes that this is more complex than it should be (considering so many couples are going through this same exercise) and perhaps quite a bit of market opportunity for banks.

Vero offers a robust, end-to-end wholesale financing platform enabling banks to establish floor plan financing programs for dealers of manufactured goods or for banks already operating programs in this space, to streamline their existing processes by leveraging Vero’s technology. Their platform can be used by banks to manage their existing portfolio or through utilizing their outsourced Lending-as-a-Service offering.

Welcome back to FOMO, innovators! This month, we're focusing on how community banks can learn, grow and strategize by learning from their competitors. Inspiration is all around, if you only know how to find it.

In the second edition of his article series, Carey Ransom explores how he would approach learning from competitors if he were running a community bank today. Fintechs, larger banks and credit unions all have unique strengths and strategies that community banks can adopt and benefit from, if they know how.

Before partnering with PortX, Colony Bank faced high costs and lengthy processes due to reliance on their core provider for data uploads and integrations. Manual data uploads took an entire day. As the bank grew, the need for rapid data access became crucial. Introduced by BankTech Ventures, PortX provided an efficient middleware solution, reducing core dependency and seamlessly connecting systems. Reusable APIs from PortX save time and costs, consolidating data for quick access via tools like Tableau. Colony Bank now enjoys improved data integrity, faster time to market, enhanced capabilities, and reduced expenses, confirming their choice of PortX.

Welcome back to FOMO! This month, we're serving up Fund updates, industry news, and the first installment of a brand new article series penned by our Managing Director, Carey Ransom.

In this new series titled “If I Were A Bank CEO...“, Carey Ransom, our Managing Director, empathizes with bankers and explores what he would do if he were running a community bank today. Having done turnarounds and restartups in his career, as well as starting and scaling fintech companies, Carey provides analysis, alternatives and practical, actionable advice for community bank CEOs navigating rapid technological and business changes.

Micronotes offers an automated financial messaging platform that leverages big data beyond your bank walls and machine learning technology to generate personalized marketing campaigns and customer touch-points. We sourced Micronotes to be part of our ever-growing ecosystem of top tier bank-ready solutions.

The heart of a community banker is a real thing. I remember it from my childhood. My grandfather's and father's friends were bankers and were passionate about the community and what the bank could do to help it thrive. Not everyone has had that experience, but Brad Bolton has, and he lives it by example every day in his community in Alabama and at his bank, Community Spirit Bank. 

Finosec offers an intuitive, centralized platform where employees can manage the bank’s adherence to cybersecurity governance protocols, as well as report on user access controls for each of the bank's core and ancillary products. We sourced Finosec to be part of our ever-growing ecosystem of top-tier, bank-ready solutions.

Equabli offers banks data-driven lifecycle debt management on an all-in-one platform. We sourced Equabli to be part of our ever-growing ecosystem of top-tier, bank-ready solutions.

A featured article on hiring & retaining talent, an investment announcement, and updates from our network! Find it all here in the June edition of FOMO by BankTech Ventures.

At their core, banks exist to serve and strengthen their communities, which is why people have loved banking locally for decades on end. Similarly, Gen Z has grown up with a passion for community and an ambition to make the world a better place. It’s a match made in heaven, if banks can act on it.

This month we're serving up tips for how to escape the endless back-and-forth with fintech solutions, along with the latest news in our BankTech ecosystem (new investment alert!!) and beyond.

Ah, the dreaded sales-cycle “situationship”; when closing deals feels like a never-ending tango. Here's how to get out of it.

This past week, we held our 2nd Annual "BankTech Ventures Limited Partner Summit" in Chicago. In this newsletter, we're going over key takeaways from our working sessions with bankers & fintechs together. (Plus an exclusive article with one of our esteemed portfolio company founders AND a limited-time card offer for our newsletter readers ONLY!)

Cicero once said “More is lost by indecision than wrong decision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity.” If you weren’t able to tune in for our opening summit remarks, remember that our theme for this year is ‘doing’.

In this time of intense budget prioritization, banks must reevaluate which efforts are worth their cost. Historically, digital marketing has felt like a financial black hole for bankers, the first to be cut in downturns. But what if it did what it was supposed to do? Nicky Senyard joins BankTech Ventures to shed some light on the transformative value of data transparency in digital marketing, just in time for banks to start making their dollars count.

Nathan Baumeister is a co-founder and the CEO of ZSuite, and it was a pleasure to have him on the podcast. We talked about the founding of ZSuite within a community bank, how it's now working with dozens of banks to help them with commercial escrow accounts, and how it is expanding bank deposits as a result of it. A great listen!

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank sent ripples through the banking and tech industries, and of course, the economy at large. In this newsletter, we'll discuss the opportunities that this has generated for banks, as startups now look for somebody to fill the vacancy left by SVB.

Silicon Valley Bank perfected the art of banking with startups. Between rates, account types, client support and culture, they had the game mastered. And having worked with SVB as a customer on & off for the last 20 years, here are a few things they did that probably weren’t so obvious in the broader banking world.

It is so fun to get introduced to awesome new people, and I had a strong feeling that Teddy Mitrosilis and I would have a good conversation and connection. We did and I think you'll enjoy his stories and ideas thoroughly. Teddy has a strong drive and process, which has served him well in athletics, business and life.

Today, we're talking to Brent Jackson, CEO and founder of Torpago! Credit and spend management at your business is a top priority. Torpago offers commercial credit cards and a streamlined platform to manage your company's expenses.

Torpago empowers both companies & financial institutions with simple and easy solutions that grant more extensive control and transparency of company spending. We sourced Torpago to be part of our ever-growing ecosystem of top-tier, bank-ready solutions.

This Valentine's season, BankTech Ventures wants to help you show some love to your bank. How? By adopting a Growth Mindset and releasing your fear of fintech failure. In this month's edition, we're breaking down everything you can do to face innovation challenges head-on and keep moving forward.

Rex Salisbury has a great story as his path into venture capital and transition from Andreessen Horowitz to founding Cambrian. His instincts led him to San Francisco where he thought his community would be, then to A16Z and ultimately to starting his own fund. ‍Enjoy this conversation and the many things Rex has learned by serving the community around him.

Ron Shevlin from Cornerstone Advisors has a lot of great thoughts and insights to share and we covered a lot of ground.‍ Ron talked about the strategic imperative for community banks and had a number of very clear action items banks can take to have more success in the coming years. 

What does a Growth Mindset look like inside a community bank? Eric Sprink is the CEO of Coastal Community Bank in the greater Seattle area, and yet his community bank now supports millions of customer accounts through some very large partners whose names you’re likely to recognize. This episode was an absolute treat.

Charles Potts is my favorite bank technology historian. This was a conversation I wanted to have and record for a long time, and I'm excited to share it.

Today we're talking to Rob Domenico of Innovation Refunds, to learn about the ERC Tax Credit firm that has already helped over 10,000 companies receive over $3 billion in refunds.

Today, we're talking to David Shipley of Beauceron Security. Beauceron's platform creates a tangible, positive cyber security culture within your business or organization by driving both education and motivation for your employees.

PortX creates a consistent integration layer that enables much more predictable and cost-effective integrations to build and operate on top of existing core technology. In this article, learn the ins & outs of how you can work with them, and quickly recognize tremendous value!

Check out the embedded link for our January Newsletter!

I consider Wayne sort of a "founder whisperer" as he's worked with well over 100 of them in the last 6 years through a couple accelerator programs he oversaw. And with a focus on business development for the startups going through the program, it has been true business acceleration for them, and a big reason why it was named the fintech accelerator of the year a couple of years ago.

Brent Jackson saw the opportunity for Torpago inside the finance and accounting organization of a prior company. I always enjoy when a founder just sees the opportunity and goes for it. Enjoy this conversation with a coachable entrepreneur who is growing himself and his company simultaneously!

Serial entrepreneur, Howard Makler, has been growing Innovation Refunds at 200% per quarter this year. I was thrilled to have him join me to talk about the experience, his personal and leadership philosophies and what's been unique about this opportunity. He also highlights the importance of passion and purpose in fueling our day-to-day lives. Enjoy this conversation with Howard!

Avoid Fintech FOMO by checking out the December edition of our newsletter!

In one of the more interesting years for community banks, 2022 has been nothing less than tumultuous.... Read here for a valuable summary of the year from our friend Brett Rabatin, Director of Research at Hovde Group. Brett shares his invaluable, boots-on-the-ground insights with what he's been seeing this year.

Fintel Connect, one of our BTV Portfolio Companies, explains how they're helping their bank clients generate deposits through 'partner marketing' initiatives. Check out this great read!

BTV is looking for one to two hard-working, New England-based students or recent grads to join our team as investment interns.

BTV is looking for a talented, values-aligned and excited investment professional to join our team.

David Wexler joined me to discuss a critical innovation and transformation topic in banking - integrations. We also talked about what the industry has historically gotten wrong in implementing new software, how PortX is changing it, and how he's evolving and learning as a CEO of a key company in this market.

Zack and his co-founder, Ben, have developed Smerf to be a critical identity and social layer across gaming platforms, and they're being noticed by some of the largest gaming companies in the world. We talked about his experience engaging with the CEO of one of them early in Smerf's life.‍I've also seen Zack mature so rapidly as a founder becoming the CEO of a company with incredible potential to impact millions of gamers in a positive way. It's such a pleasure to get to work with him through Operate. Enjoy this conversation!

The November edition of FOMO by BankTech Ventures brings you some exciting news, interesting articles and another chance to win free $$. Avoid FinTech FOMO. Check it out!

Jason Yeh and I had a super fun chat about founders, how to help them better tell their stories, and some great examples he's seen. We also talked about the changes in the venture capital landscape in the last year, and what's likely ahead. Listen to this one to hear why he loved delivering pizzas earlier in life, as well as what he's learned being part of Delta Airlines' Technical Advisory Board.

Cat Berman and I met several years ago, so it was fun to finally have a recorded conversation. She is inspiring in her leadership of CNote and bringing more impact to the financial services world through the products that they offer. Enjoy a passionate entrepreneur and her mission to drive more impact. It was a fun conversation and we're excited (at BankTech Ventures) to be on the journey with her and her team. 

BOO!👻 Happy Cybersecurity Awareness Month, innovators. It's spooky season, which means it's time to prepare for any scary mishaps with your bank's data. Let us help you avoid FinTech Fear with this newsletter all about cybersecurity and risk management. Click to access the full newsletter!

Cybersecurity isn't just a bunch of hocus pocus, and we’re here to help you understand the who, the why, and the how. 

Bradley Leimer and I were destined to meet, and we finally did in NY earlier this year at Finovate, where we were on a panel together entitled "How Community Banks & Credit Unions Can Embrace Change to Compete In A Digital World."We both determined that we'd have a lot to talk about after the panel, so we decided to record it.

The world is back on the move and along with that comes a plethora of options in the FinTech conference space. BankTech Ventures has received numerous inquiries from our Limited Partner banks on which conferences are worth their time and money. There are many options, and their value to you largely depends on your objectives, so that should be your primary filter for decision-making. In this article, we'll review the various conferences and their unmarketed objectives to give you a better idea of where you may want to plan to be over the next few months. This list is based on our team's experience at each conference and was not influenced by any conference hosts.

So, you’ve made an investment in a FinTech fund! That should suffice as doing something for your digital transformation journey for a while, right? It’s a great decision, but not transformation on its own. So you might be wondering - what’s next? Where do we start? Can we do it without a ✨superstar team of innovative leaders✨ to spearhead the effort? 

With nearly 100 participating community banks, BTV is the largest collection of bank investors. With six full-time employees and general partners that span innovative community banks, an investment bank, a leading bank technology accelerator, and the industry’s largest advocacy organization, the Fund has unparalleled support and sourcing opportunities, which has in turn created a complementary, relevant and inclusive ecosystem for community banks.