The Nexus Dealmakers Summit is one month away, as more than 150 fintech firms get ready for executives-only networking at Miami Beach on Feb. 7 and 8.
The two-day event, capped off by the 2021 fintech industry awards, is for decision-makers at banks looking to court fintechs, fintechs looking for capital, and VC investors ready to supply it.
In speaking about attending Nexus, Zach Noorani, Partner at the VC giant Foundation Capital said he will leverage the event to surface new opportunities. He has been especially excited this year after the roaring successes of fintechs like NuBank, which underwent a historic IPO just four weeks ago.
“You don’t necessarily know what you’re looking for until you see it, but, you know, where is the big value creation happening for the last few years? Something that’s really kind of gripped my attention and captivated me is really just what’s happening in NuBank land,” Noorani said. “This world of identifying businesses that have huge aspirations, as well as helping the founders that have already invested build their businesses: it’s hugely connection based.”
Sign up for guaranteed in-depth face time
Before the networking event begins, the LendIt concierge team will set up 10 potential in-person meetings guaranteed for each attendee, face time right on the beach at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel.
Jae Lim, Partner at the fintech-focused merchant bank CapAccel, said he is looking forward to meeting fintechs seeking capital and looking to scale.
“I thought the way you’re doing it is brilliant, which is, let’s have a bunch of one-on-ones where people actually have meaningful conversations,” Lim said. “You go because you want to meet companies that are doing exciting, interesting things.
Alongside the VIP meeting sessions, there are three special social events: a reception party Sunday, the opening night celebration on Monday, and the awards dinner show and closing bash on Tuesday.
Besides sharing the Miami nightlife, attendees can expect a distraction-free focus on curated networking through an opt-in matching system. Keep up to date with the LendIt fintech news and events emails for the launch of the networking platform two weeks before the event.
When the platform goes live, attendees will be able to opt-in to their preset meetings and sign up for more.
Super-charged networking welcome
If a supercharged buyer or seller fills up the four networking blocks available over the two days, they could come away with 26 VIP meetings: even excluding the social events, that’s not a bad way to spend two days in Miami Beach.
Kathryn Petralia, Co-founder of Kabbage, said she is looking forward to reconnecting with the fintech industry in person at Nexus.
“I’d be lying if I said I’m not excited about seeing humans in person again,” Petralia said.
“I also appreciate the way you’ve designed it from the admission process, because it can allow focused conversations. What I get the most out of whenever I’m at an event is meeting new tech companies doing new things. You know, companies with whom we might partner to do a better job of targeting customers, attracting customers, managing identity verification, or getting new data to help us understand how our customers.”
Petralia said she has felt left out after more than 16 months of missing in-person industry chatter.
Precautions for awards season
Due to previous travel worries of the pandemic, the Nexus Dealmakers event was moved from September 2021 to February 2022 and paired for the first time with the LendIt yearly Awards for top fintechs, execs, and ecosystem members.
With dealmaking and awards held together, the event is attracting top executives across the fintech landscape.
LendIt’s LatAm conference last month proceeded without a reported covid infection, but the LendIt organizers are not resting on those laurels. They are doing everything in their power to ensure in-person attendees are safe and comfortable.
Proof of vaccination will be required before arrival, hand washing and sanitizing are encouraged, and networking options will be spaced apart with hospital-grade air purification throughout.
It almost goes without saying in Miami, but most of the time will be spent outside during social events and happy hours.
Executive-level dealmakers ready to get a seat at the table, come and join us in Miami on February 7-8. You will save $200 if you buy tickets for both Dealmakers and the Awards show, recognizing the leaders and innovators driving our industry forward.
