Acrew Capital: Backing the Next Generation of AI-Native Fintechs

At Money20/20 Europe, Lauren Kolodny, Acrew Capital shared thoughts on how AI is changing the finance world and why it’s different from past tech trends.

While cloud and mobile tech gave startups an advantage, AI actually helps established companies that already have the scale, data, and processes in place. Kolodny mentioned that 76% of traditional financial institutions have major AI projects underway, with more than half adding AI to their core customer services. This means fintechs need to take bigger risks these days, like finding new business models and tackling the problems that AI brings along.

One area that really excites Kolodny is agentic commerce, where AI agents are changing how we shop and pay online which includes smart shopping assistants for things like travel and new e-commerce setups that might be led by new players instead of leaders in the area such as Shopify. She pointed to early examples like NuGen and Nakuta, which are working on product catalogs and smart authorisation systems for this new landscape.

Kolodny also laid out a fresh strategy for staying competitive in the AI space. Kolodny said that just having speed and technology isn’t enough anymore. Companies now need to focus on building a strong brand, user trust, and good design interaction, especially since more customers are dealing with faceless agents. It’s important for firms to offer specialized knowledge and take charge of how data and processes flow, rather than just relying on record-keeping systems.

When investing in founders, Kolodny looks for those who can think ahead and clearly outline where their advantages might come from, even if the solutions aren’t obvious yet. She appreciates a mix of strong beliefs and flexibility with the ability to stay on track while adapting quickly to new challenges.

For her, this mindset is key for the next wave of successful fintech innovators.