The Future of Finance: Unlocking the Potential of Embedded Finance
Embedded finance is on the brink of transforming the financial landscape, making it more inclusive and accessible to everyone. An exclusive interview with Synapse Founder Sankaet Pathak explored the remarkable progress and future prospects of embedded finance, according to Louis Thompsett, FinTech Magazine.
Sankaet Pathak, the visionary founder of Synapse, believes that for financial services to truly benefit everyone, they must break free from geographic constraints and establish an inclusive and transparent foundation. He envisions a world where finance seamlessly integrates into people’s lives, enhancing convenience and overall financial well-being.
Embedded finance has already made significant strides, with notable innovations seen in various sectors. Businesses, particularly in e-commerce, have started integrating payment services, lending, and insurance directly into their platforms. Collaborations between fintech companies and traditional financial institutions have resulted in embedded financial services across a range of contexts, from digital wallets to investment platforms.
In the airline industry, consumers have long enjoyed the benefits of embedded finance, where banks and financial institutions handle the backend experience while established entities manage the branding.
The future of embedded finance holds the promise of more frequent collaborations, driven by advancements in fraud detection, compliance, and technological underpinnings. However, it’s essential to note that embedded finance isn’t solely driven by direct consumer demand; instead, it prioritizes delivering a simplified and user-friendly experience, a future where everything in finance just works.
Pathak paints a vivid picture of what ubiquity in embedded finance could look like. To achieve this, we must establish an infrastructure that transcends geographical borders, integrating local payment methods and universal identity verification. He identifies four critical domains of innovation:
- Enablement Layer: This foundational Banking-as-a-service (BaaS) layer simplifies the integration of financial services into non-financial platforms, allowing developers to roll out financial products without navigating the complexities of becoming a bank.
- Machine Learning (Intelligence): Applying intelligence to embedded finance enables smarter, more personalized financial services. It automates fraud detection, ensures compliance, and delivers tailored financial advice.
- Convenience: The future of embedded finance will revolutionize the user experience, making financial data manipulation as straightforward as texting a friend. Low-code and no-code solutions will break traditional barriers of technical expertise.
- Ubiquity: A borderless financial future requires seamless integration of local payment methods and universal identity verification, eliminating geographical boundaries.
The enablement layer is a crucial component of embedded finance, acting as the technological bridge that simplifies the integration of financial services into non-financial platforms. This includes APIs that empower developers to offer financial products without the need to become a bank, ensuring secure data exchange and user information protection.
Machine learning and intelligence in embedded finance open the door to smarter, more efficient financial services. They automate fraud detection, enhance compliance, and provide personalized financial advice, benefiting both users and platforms.
Convenience is a game-changer, making financial data manipulation effortless with low-code and no-code approaches. This innovation will level the playing field for businesses of all sizes, driving brand engagement and native financial experiences.
A widespread transition to embedded finance will empower developers of all scales, boosting brand engagement and enhancing customer experiences.
Synapse’s ultimate vision for embedded finance is to provide access to top-tier financial products for everyone, regardless of their net worth. They are actively working on APIs that offer direct access to financial services, as well as no-code solutions to simplify user experiences. Additionally, Synapse is investing in intelligent systems to improve fraud detection, compliance, and real-time financial decision-making, driving the vision of a borderless financial future.
Embedded finance is more than just a buzzword; it represents a transformative shift that has the potential to democratize financial opportunities and empower people worldwide. With the commitment and innovation of companies like Synapse, this future is becoming a reality.