Amid fierce competition, tech startups frequently seek investors with funds, vision and strategy to help them grow and scale. However, convincing financiers to take a chance on unknown startups isn't easy. Piyush Singh, managing director, financial services in Asia-Pacific and Africa at Accenture, described the growth in fintech investment as "torrid" and noted that one thing is certain: "Many investors have woken up to the fact financial technology can add a lot of benefits to businesses and consumers alike both in developed and developing markets, which is why we keep seeing an increase in fintech activity.”
So what does an ambitious payments professional need to know to work with professional investors? We've got you covered. This issue's lead article describes recent advancements and trends in VC fintech investment and what works and doesn't when seeking investment for a promising startup or established enterprise seeking growth capital.
In addition, one of our contributing writers looks at VC activity from a different angle and reminds us that only a small percentage of startups funded by professional investors succeed. Thus, while investment in startups in the payments realm is burgeoning, the impact of such companies will not be proportional to the amount of money invested. Research shows that only 20 percent of VC investments end up being viable bets.
Other industry experts cover such compelling topics as winning in sales by targeting niche markets; legal issues to address between ISOs and VARs that are working together; the resurgence of credit card skimming and what to watch out for; fraud prevention advancements and the race to conquer threats as they arise; the emerging trend for online ordering of cannabis products and ecommerce platforms created to facilitate this; and new APIs and unified commerce platforms designed to help merchants benefit from enhanced data and fraud-prevention capabilities.
In addition to our customary company and product profiles, as well as updates on recent individual and company milestones, a portion of the news stories posted at www.greensheet.com are highlighted herein. These include retailers' objection to planned interchange changes; the strong prelaunch results for 5G; biometric advancements that are defeating facial ID fraud; and a new PCI SSC guide for large companies.
We hope you derive ongoing benefit from the resources we offer to you. What do you find most helpful, and where can we do an even better job of empowing you? Let us know at greensheet@greensheet.com. 
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