MEET THE SPEAKER: THORSTEN SEEGER – HOW NEW PLAYERS CAPTURED THE SME LENDING MARKET

Speaker Name: Thorsten Seeger

What's one thing you hope attendees take away from your session?

The latest developments in the SME lending space and what that means for our customers.

In one sentence, what do you do and what is your role?

I am a board member at SME Bank and am responsible for raising money for the bank as well as our international expansion.

What's the biggest challenge facing the industry in this area?

Fintech, and especially digital lending, has gone through a rough time over the past years and it is showing now which players built sustainable business models and are here to stay. I expect a lot of consolidation in the sector in the coming years.

What's one piece of advice you'd give to someone working in fintech today?

Being in fintech alone is not enough anymore. We are in the third wave of fintech companies and one always needs to make sure to be on the forefront of technological developments, otherwise yesterday's fintech star is tomorrows slow moving incumbent.

What book, podcast, newsletter, or resource would you recommend to our audience?

I do like the podcasts of Scott Galloway, they feature a nice range from technology over markets to politics.

What topic will you be speaking about at FinTech Connect 2026?

I will be speaking about how new players have captured the SME Lending Market and what that means for the future of lending.

What industry trend are you watching most closely?

Of course anything to do with AI and agentic flows.

Why is this topic particularly important right now?

Whilst I don't think we are at a place yet where this has a massive impact on the revenue side of the business, I do firmly believe that this will change in the next years and we will move from only cost impact to also revenue building.

What's one prediction you have for the next 3-5 years?

They will continue to be intense and fast-paced. We should expect unexpected things to happen.