With the fintech market booming, Steven George-Hilley, founder of fintech specialist PR agency Centropy PR discusses how financial technology firms are benefiting from increased media attention and how quality communications can attract investors and new customers.
Searching for a fintech PR agency is an essential step for startup companies and larger brands which are aiming to woo investors, perform well in funding rounds and raise their brand profile with potential customers. Making noise in the media, generating excitement and positive headlines can have a huge impact on company performance and perception, especially when a fintech company is seeking to grow.
Since its launch in 2017, Centropy PR has rapidly grown into a leading fintech PR agency, with a retained portfolio of clients spanning areas such as wealth management, cryptocurrency, personal finance, capital markets, payments, accountancy firms and mortgage brokers. The agency specialises in delivering public relations and has a team of 10 full time fintech PR staff, helping clients get into titles like the FT and Forbes, as well as organising Parliamentary debates and conferences.
“It’s an exciting time to work in fintech PR,” says George-Hilley (above). “There are so many new companies launching, all of whom are achieving record venture capital investment, allowing them to hire in fresh talent, refine their products and launch at a much faster pace than in previous years.
“Many of the brands we work with are introducing themselves to the world for the first time, they have no Google footprint and are seeking startup funding. That’s why having the right fintech PR agency in place is so important for them, that first press release announcement will often define their brand for the coming years, so they need a team with great journalist contacts and an eye for a good headline.”
According to research from Deloitte, London has been a key driver in the UK’s fintech success journey. The company registers London as the second highest ranking fintech ecosystem globally, it has the world’s highest concentration of financial, fintech and professional services companies.
London is also very attractive to investors. in 2020 $4.1 bn, 94 per cent of the UK’s fintech venture capital, went to London. The report continues, “Headlines surrounding the success of the London FinTech ecosystem can overshadow the wider UK FinTech story. Across the UK, from Belfast to Durham, Edinburgh to Cardiff, and Bristol to Birmingham, there is a significant amount of fintech activity.”
Other analysts state that the fintech industry has grown strongly over the past five years, with revenue forecast to increase at a compound annual rate of 8% over the five years through 2020-21 to reach £10.7 billion. Another research report shows that there are now around 2,500 fintechs in the UK.
Already this year, UK fintech firms had attracted $5.7bn worth of venture capital investments through 317 deals in the first half of the year. That easily outstripped the $4.3bn secured across 2020, but also broke the $4.6bn record set in full-year 2019 by 26 per cent.
George-Hilley adds: “We provide around-the-clock PR services to our fintech clients, we are often launching new offices and products around the world for them. It’s always exciting to help bring a new brand to market and support its funding programme by giving it a high quality media profile.”
“The most satisfying thing is the strength of relationships we have with our clients; they trust us to develop the external reputation of their brand and that’s a big responsibility. We worked very hard to build a fintech PR agency that could rapidly add value to clients and have big ambitions to reinvest, grow and expand our services this year.”
Centropy PR is a leading fintech PR agency, working with financial technology and financial services firms