Business information giant Thomson Reuters Corp (NYSE:TRI) has announced the launch of Fintech Innovation Challenge. This is the first such initiative in India to identify and collaborate with innovative local technology startups to create a rich and inclusive ecosystem to support data-driven businesses in the financial services industry.
As a part of its open strategy, Thomson Reuters has opened its Eikon platform for fintech startups operating in the space of banking technology, foreign exchange markets, investment technology and insurance markets & technology among others. Thomson Reuters Eikon is the powerful and intuitive next-generation solution for consuming real-time and historical data, enabling financial markets transactions and connecting with the financial markets community. These startups will be able to leverage Eikon’s proprietary data and business insights, through Eikon App Studio to build apps that would significantly enhance customer experience and decision making.
Zone Startups India, an accelerator operated by Toronto-based Ryerson Futures, has partnered with Thomson Reuters to drive this challenge. This eight-week program will culminate on December 2, 2016 in a Grand FinTech Innovation Day, where shortlisted start-ups will present to leaders from the ecosystem, including Thomson Reuters. Chosen winners will be on-boarded on to Eikon App Studio, which will give them access to a wealth of data and clients across the globe.
Pradeep Lankapalli, Managing Director, South Asia, Thomson Reuters, commented:
The financial services industry is innovating and going through unprecedented change. Thomson Reuters, the world’s original fintech company, leads the way in fostering innovation, boosting productivity and empowering customers to succeed in the increasingly competitive marketplace. With Eikon App Studio, we are drawing on open technologies to eliminate the barriers to efficient, collaborative workflows in the financial industry. It will help financial professionals generate fresh business ideas, respond rapidly to market changes and deliver new tools and services to their clients.”
Ajay Ramasubramaniam, Director, Zone Startups, added:
The last few months have seen a lot of action in the fintech space in India. It is very exciting for us to work with a global leader such as Thomson Reuters. What makes it even better for startups is that Thomson Reuters is opening up its proprietary data to the selected teams. This data, coupled with the internal mentors, will help startups in leveraging knowledge, access to institutional customers and doing a live proof of concept. It is a great opportunity for startups in the financial markets domain; as the biggest challenge for data-driven startups is the access to data itself.”