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Hi, fintech fam! 💜 

I’m often asked how I grew my newsletter into a respected brand. Here’s the secret…

One of the things that will strike you about the Fintech Is Femme newsletter and my upcoming book, Fintech Feminists, is that almost every subject is someone who was basically ignored.

So pay attention to your unusual, powerful interests in other human beings.

That's the gold. 🥇 

Or, as my journalism professors taught me in school:

Everything—and everyone—is interesting; just look closer.

Learning how to tell a story better gives you powers you didn't have in all sorts of places. Without it, persuasion is nearly impossible. Mastering the art of storytelling can transform your life, whether you're:

• Launching a product,

• Acing a job interview,

• Delivering a speech,

• Building your brand,

• Or even mingling at a dinner party.

I want to teach every woman leader and entrepreneur in fintech and adjacent industries to have this power.

So we can create cycles of more women building businesses and thriving financially.

That's why I created the Fintech Is Femme Creator Summit,

I'm bringing together the top storytellers—marketers, founders, and content creators—to share their insights with the community.

Join us at the Fintech Is Femme Creator Summit in NYC on September 9, where we’ll delve into content creation, marketing, and storytelling. Plus, how to monetize content into a business.

Save your spot here!

Nows, let's dive into fintech.

UPGRADE TO BECOME A FINTECH FEMINIST

Every week, I deliver the latest fintech news without the fluff, profiles of trailblazing women in the industry, and insightful analysis to keep you ahead of the curve.

For just $50, becoming a premium member means you’re not just supporting female-led journalism—you’re fueling a movement. Your support transforms Fintech Is Femme from a newsletter into a thriving media empire and community where women connect, learn, and uplift one another.

We're also developing special perks for our membership community, such as exclusive access to invite-only events, content direction input, access to the extensive Fintech Is Femme network, and public speaking and personal branding coaching.

Join us in making a powerful impact. Thank you for championing women in fintech! 

INNOVATION

17 Fintech Apps Created By Women, For Women (Part 2)

Caroline Criado Perez’s book Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men illuminates how the world is often designed with men in mind, leaving women’s needs overlooked.

A great example of this is the design of public restrooms. Have you ever noticed that the lines for women’s bathrooms are usually longer than those for men at concerts, movies, or events?

This isn’t just a coincidence—it’s because of male-centric design.

Designers typically allocate equal floor space for both men’s and women’s restrooms, thinking it’s fair. However, they don’t consider that women use bathrooms differently from men.

This kind of bias goes beyond just architecture.

Financial institutions, historically mostly led by men, often reflect similar biases in their products.

But there’s good news.

We can change the financial system and our economy by bringing more female founders and executives into fintech.

When women are in leadership roles, they create products that serve the global majority, including women, people of color, and the billions who currently don’t have access to the financial system.

This makes financial services more functional, fair, and impactful for everyone.

In my latest Forbes article, I explore 17 fintech apps made by women, for women.

I’m excited to share some of those insights with you today.

In part 2, you’ll discover 9 more fintech apps designed by women for women. If you missed it, here’s part 1.

Plenty

Plenty is a wealth platform designed for couples. It was created in 2022 by Emily Luk and her husband, Channing Allen.

Plenty allows couples to view shared and individual assets, track spending, and invest toward common goals.

It empowers users who feel overwhelmed by finance and encourages both partners to participate actively in financial decisions. This fintech startup offers goals-based investing, educational content, and a next-generation robo-advisor.

It charges an annual membership fee and caters to dual-income couples. Company statements say that 55% of its users are female.

I also interviewed Emily on my podcast, Humans of Fintech. You can learn more about Plenty and her journey here.

Parlay

Parlay, founded by Alex Mcleod in 2022, helps underserved small business owners, particularly women, access affordable loans. The platform aims to assist these businesses in applying for SBA 7(a) loans by creating high-quality loan applications, thus increasing their chances of approval.

Parlay generates revenue through partnerships with community lenders like community banks, credit unions, and Community Development Financial Institutions, which offer their small business applicants a white-label version of Parlay's software.

The platform evaluates eligibility at the application stage. It provides applicants with valuable guidance, insights, industry benchmarks, and financial ratios to help them build confidence and readiness, ultimately increasing their chances of loan approval. Parlay's user base consists of over 40% women, according to company statements.

Sequin

Sequin, founded by Vrinda Gupta, a former Visa employee who was denied a credit card she helped design, offers a debit card specifically designed for women to fight the patriarchy and live debt free.

The platform aims to address women's financial challenges, such as the "Pink Tax," higher interest debts, and banking fees. It provides up to 6% cashback on self-care purchases like beauty products and gym memberships.

Sequin generates revenue through interchange and subscription fees, focusing on eliminating the financial disparities women encounter. After participating in Y Combinator's summer program in 2021, Sequin has raised $5.7 million—with over 90% of its angel investors identifying as women.

I also interviewed Vrinda on my podcast, Humans of Fintech. You can learn more about Sequin and her journey here.

WealthMeUp

Founded by Feli Oikonomopoulou during her MBA at the Yale School of Management, WealthMeUp is a female-first embedded fintech app integrating investing into daily routines.

Users can invest rewards earned from everyday transactions directly into their investment portfolio. The app's mission is to make investing as routine as a daily coffee run, resonating primarily with Gen-Z and young millennials users, 70% of whom are female, according to the fintech itself.

WealthMeUp plans to introduce direct investment options and generate income through partnerships funding user rewards.

Knomee

Founded by Marla Sofer in May 2023, Knomee is a fintech company designed to give women confidence and control over their personal finances. Utilizing a personalized, gamified journey based on behavioral science, Knomee helps users define their goals and build strong support networks.

The platform encourages women to control their financial identity data, allowing them to connect with trusted advisors who provide tailored support aligned with their evolving needs and values. By focusing on personalized solutions rather than selling products, Knomee transforms money into a tool for self-expression and aligns financial planning with women's aspirations.

The platform helps women articulate their financial goals and make informed decisions, with 64% of its user base being female, according to the company’s public statements.

Zumma Financial

Zumma Financial, co-founded by Fernanda De La Colina, Marinella Piñate, and Daniela Lascurain, uses WhatsApp to automate financial tasks for women entrepreneurs, focusing on expense management.

The platform processes income and expense information for budget tracking and financial analytics. Receipts sent through WhatsApp generate fiscal invoices, which are deductible from taxes.

Zumma’s public statements claim the fintech saves businesses time and money by streamlining financial processes and offers a community for its users, 50% women, to share experiences.

Flank

Founded by CJ Tayeh in 2020, Flank addresses emotional labor with a conflict resolution tool, helping women manage disagreements effectively.

By widening access to conflict resolution, Flank addresses the issue of emotional labor, which disproportionately affects women. Often taking on roles such as peacemaker and mediator, women carry the burden of unpaid emotional labor, draining their time, energy, and money.

Flank's digital tool aims to distribute this responsibility more equitably, allowing women to focus on their needs and relieving them of this often-invisible financial challenge.

The platform is still in development, with plans to operate on a freemium subscription model, allowing users to pay for the services they use. Flank has received early-stage funding from Nationwide and Royal London.

Monytri

Founded in late 2023 by Chiara Liqui Lung, Monytri is a fintech company that promotes financial literacy through gifting stocks.

Monytri targets the financial literacy gap women face, using gifting to encourage open discussions about money. With 60% of its beta sign-ups being female, the company statements claim, and 7% of users not conforming to traditional gender norms at all, Monytri aims to break the taboo of discussing finances, becoming a gateway to investing, especially within Latin and Caribbean communities.

The company generates revenue through a fee for each gift, a subscription service for premium features, and partnerships with approved brokers.

Mongo App

A personal AI financial coach for Gen Z students, Mongo App was founded by Alisha Chowdhury in 2023. It focuses on improving young women's economic independence and literacy. The platform collaborates with college clubs and organizations, and around 55% of its users are female, according to company statements.

The Mongo App generates revenue through a dual business model: it provides custom AI financial coach solutions to financial providers and university partners for an annual licensing fee while also offering a freemium direct-to-consumer version of the Mongo App AI coach.

Ultimately, these fintech innovators described above demonstrate the potential for growth and impact across the industry by tailoring financial services to meet women's needs.

By addressing gender-specific challenges, these startups pave the way for a more inclusive financial future for everyone.

SPONSORED BY

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PromoTix is solving the event industry’s challenges around high ticket fees and low attendance. Ticketmaster and competitors charge up to 40% of the ticket price to book, deterring guests who can’t afford the added cost. Combined with a crowded marketing space, events struggle.

PromoTix is raising funds to expand. Already profitable, with 656k users and $48M in sales in its first 30 months, PromoTix has low-fee and no-fee SaaS pricing, as well as patented marketing tools that drive attendance.

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_{WTF ELSE?}

• How big banks are gunning for BNPL fintechs

• 5 fintechs simplifying B2B cross-border transactions

• When interest rates come down, this fintech is primed to take off

• US fintech Tally to shut down after failing to secure “neccessary funding” to continue operations

• Yuno and Nequi collaborate to bolster financial inclusion in Colombia

_{I WANT IT, I GOT IT}

• 📚 Today’s Read: Mentioned in today’s story: Caroline Criado Perez’s book Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men. If you haven’t read this critical piece of research yet, grab a copy immediately. It’s an eye-opener that shows us that when we build for women, we build for everyone.

• 👀 Today’s Watch: As someone who is obsessed with self-improvement, I love watching Big Think videos. The latest one I watched was titled 3 Powerful Mind States: Flow State, Good Anxiety, and Zen Buddhism.

• 🍣 Today’s Eats: As this email hits your inbox, I’m having drinks and vegan Mexican food with a friend at Jajaja. Love this spot in NY!

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_{LET’S CONNECT}

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📣 Promote yourself to 50,000 subscribers by sponsoring this newsletter.

🎤 Host an epic event by booking me as a speaker, moderator, or emcee.

📚 Increase your expertise by pre-ordering your copy of my book, Fintech Feminists: Increasing Inclusion, Redefining Innovation, and Changing the Future for Women Around the World.

That’s all for now! See you Thursday!

Love,

Nicole 💜