Three next-gen fintech start-ups set to help consumers take control of their pensions with share of £27k investment

Three next-generation fintech start-ups have each won a share of a of £27k investment opportunity, following a pitch evening hosted by EValue and 4xxi.

Following a competitive round of online applications, five start-ups were chosen to pitch to the panel. On the panel was:

• Jason Butler, Financial well-being expert and investor
• Oliver Smith, Editor at AltFi.com
• Andrew Storey, Propositions Director at EValue
• Chris Hudson, Chief Technical Officer at EValue
• James Greenhalgh, Commercial Lead at 4xxi
• Nigel Hopkinson, Head of EMEA Operations at 4xxi

First prize went to The Pension Lab, which won 12 months of unlimited access to EValue’s financial planning API stack and a custom-built user interface from 4xxi, worth a combined value of £15,000. The Pension Lab aims to bring pensions into the 21st century by equipping everyone with the tools to take control of their workplace pension savings. Its dashboard enables employers to show staff their pension value and their employer’s contribution, along with what that might mean for their retirement.

Second place was Chancery Lane Retirement Income Planning, winning six months’ access to all EValue’s APIs. Chancery Lane’s aim is to provide baby boomers with a virtual advisor in order for them to get the most out of their pension and retirement.

Third place was Zaster, which won three months’ access. Zaster has built the first competitive and automatic marketplace for fintech services, which recommends the best services to its users. For example, a user may want to segment their savings relative to different needs and the platform will then deposit those amounts into separate savings accounts that yield the best return for that money, all managed from one app.

Paul McNamara, CEO, EValue, comments: “As a company, we are dedicated to helping others in the fintech industry help their customers and empower informed financial decisions. We’re excited to work with these three exceptional start-ups and give them the tools to have a genuine and positive impact on the futures of ordinary people. I’d like to thank everyone who entered the competition and congratulate the teams from The Pension Lab, Chancery Lane and Zaster.”

James Greenhalgh, UK & Europe Sales Lead at 4xxi adds: “It was fantastic to see such a range of exciting fintech start-ups apply to the competition. There were five excellent pitches on the night, but congratulations must go to the winners. We are delighted to be able to contribute our services to help them take their next steps.”

The prizes will help these start-ups achieve their goals to develop a competitive offering and ultimately provide better financial services for their customers. They will now benefit from access to EValue’s APIs, which include risk profiling, affordability calculations, automated financial planning and investment assistance. All three winners are also entitled to API implementation support.

4xxi’s user interface will present the chosen APIs in the most engaging way possible. The winner will get a custom-built user interface, back-end integration and product consulting advice to turn their ideas into a working product.