As part of our initiative to help build and support a strong international ecosystem in Canada for FinTech, the Digital Finance Institute is launching the first Canadian FinTech Awards.

The awards are designed to recognize innovators, leaders and professional advisors behind existing and emerging FinTech companies and to recognize the talent of entrepreneurs, financiers, advisors and many others who help develop and support companies in the financial technology sector in Canada.

The Digital Finance Institute is starting with three awards.

FinTech Company

This award is presented to a FinTech company wholly or partially based in Canada that has shown the most entrepreneurial success in the past year in FinTech. Success is measured on a number of factors, including innovative technology, solving a technology need, capturing a new sector or market with FinTech, disruption of a service or market segment, ability to generate media interest in the product or service, successful financing, application of product or service and traction in, or ability to obtain traction in, the international marketplace.

FinTech Deal

This award is presented to a financing participant and a Canadian FinTech company jointly for the best funded FinTech deal. The winning financier and company will not necessarily be the biggest deal, in dollar terms in the FinTech sector, but that will be a significant factor. This award is jointly presented to recognize the importance of the firms who make investment decisions to support Canadian FinTech companies, as well as the companies who rely on that investment to succeed.

FinTech Advisor

This award is presented to a Canadian advisory or financing firm that was substantially involved in a FinTech transaction, such as a private equity firm, venture capital firm, brokerage firm, law firm or accounting firm. The award is targeted at recognizing a successful, complex or novel transaction or financing of a FinTech company and shifts the focus on the people working behind the scenes on FinTech transactions. It may also take into account one firm that has substantially provided advisory service to the FinTech sector in an impactful way.

The 1st Annual FinTech awards will be presented at the Institute’s Conference in Toronto on September 30, 2015, Digital Finance Toronto.