Fintech growing strong in Delaware

Delaware in a Fintech Future, a report highlighting Delaware’s role in the rapidly changing financial services industry, was released today. The report, researched and authored by the Delaware Prosperity Partnership, First State Fintech Lab and the University of Delaware’s Institute for Public Administration, details the latest developments and fast-moving technological innovation in financial services.

With brand power that includes JPMorgan Chase, Capital One, M&T Bank, WSFS Bank, and Citibank, the talent pool in banking and financial services has grown exponentially and accounts for 9% of all jobs in Delaware, the highest share of any U.S. state.

And now, in addition to being a destination location for traditional banking, fintech companies from around the world are choosing Delaware.  Examples include Irvine, California-based Acorns, which opened a satellite operation at The Mill in Wilmington, Delaware; Delaware-based Fair Square Financial, which recently expanded and moved into a 22,000 square-foot facility in Wilmington, Delaware; and Marlette Funding, which is expanding and creating 200+ new jobs and making a $7.5M capital investment in New Castle County, Delaware.

Defining the fintech sector can be complicated, according to John Taylor, Director of Economic Research at the Delaware Prosperity Partnership.

“Some are referring to fintech as a standalone new industry,” Taylor said. “Certainly, the term is relatively new, but a closer look suggest that all financial services companies are becoming fintech companies, including the well-established incumbents as well as early-stage startups.”

No matter how broad or narrow the definition, Delaware is becoming the location-of-choice for financial and business services.

Fast Facts:

• Delaware has the highest relative concentration of financial services jobs of any U.S. state. Among U.S. counties, New Castle County ranks third.
• Since 2009, nearly 200 fintech patents were assigned to Delaware-based individuals and companies, ranking first in the United States on a per capita basis, and fifth in absolute terms.
• Finance accounts for more than one-fifth of our state’s GDP, the largest contribution of any sector.
• Delaware has been a magnet for out-of-state direct investment by financial services firms in recent years, with $725 million invested since 2010. Wilmington is the leading destination in our region for this investment.

“We should think of fintech as the next wave of innovation in banking,” says Taylor. “Advances in machine learning and data analytics are enabling new ways for consumers to access financial services.”