"Este informe representa la segunda edición del estudio “Fintech: Innovaciones que no sabías que eran de América Latina y el Cari - be” que brindó, por primera vez, una visión consolidada sobre la actividad y el desarrollo de la industria Fintech en la región. El presente informe describe la evolución y el avance ocurridos con respecto a la medición y el análisis realizados en 2017, ade - más de examinar nuevas dimensiones relevantes para el ecosiste - ma. En el primer capítulo se ofrece una panorámica del sector en la región, destacando la evolución de los distintos segmentos de negocio y la distribución geográfica de los emprendimientos, así como el estado de desarrollo y madurez del ecosistema. Es impor - tante notar que este capítulo incluye nuevas dimensiones, tales como la situación en América Central, Panamá y República Domini - cana, y una aproximación a temas como ciberseguridad y la mor - talidad de las empresas. En el segundo capítulo se abordan temas de género y Fintech en tres dimensiones: la mujer como fundadora de empresas Fintech, la mujer como trabajadora en la industria Fintech y, por último, la mujer como usuaria de servicios Fintech. El tercer capítulo aborda el tema de colaboración de los distin - tos actores, cómo están organizados, sus principales programas e iniciativas, con especial énfasis en las asociaciones Fintech en distintos países de la región. En el cuarto capítulo se discute el potencial del sector Fintech para mejorar la inclusión finan - ciera y el financiamiento al sector productivo en América Latina. En el quinto capítulo se examina la evolución en materia de regu - lación y supervisión, y se presentan ejemplos y avances en este tema. Finalmente, en el sexto capítulo se ofrecen algunas conclu - siones sobre cómo se ha evidenciado el crecimiento y la progre - siva consolidación del ecosistema en la región."

"This report is the second edition of the study “Fintech: Innovations You May Not Know were from Latin America and the Caribbean” (IDB, 2017), which offered a comprehensive view of the activity in and development of the Fintech industry in the region. The report describes the evolution and the progress achieved with respect to the measurement and analysis carried out in 2017, and examines new dimensions relevant to the ecosystem. The first chapter provides a snapshot of the sector in the region, highlighting the evolution of the different business segments and the geographical distribution of the start-ups, as well as the state of development and maturity of the ecosystem. It includes new dimensions, such as the situation in Central America, Panama, and the Dominican Republic, as well as an approach to issues such as cybersecurity and start-up failures. The second chapter tackles gender issues and Fintech in three dimensions: women as founders of Fintech companies, women as workers in the Fintech industry, and women as users of Fintech services. The third chapter addresses collaboration between the different actors, how they are organized, and their main programs and initiatives, with special emphasis on Fintech associations in different countries in the region. The fourth chapter discusses the Fintech sector’s potential for improving financial inclusion and funding for the productive sector in Latin America. The fifth chapter examines the evolution of regulation and oversight and presents examples and developments in this area. The sixth chapter offers some conclusions about the continuous growth and progressive consolidation in the region’s ecosystem."

"Tech start-ups are an effective mechanism to both create local technology and absorb foreign technology. The objective of this report is to provide a better understanding of the status of Beirut's start-up ecosystem and provide policy recommendations for policy makers and other stakeholders who are interested in supporting the growth and sustainability of the ecosystem. The report is based on an in-depth survey of startups and supportive stakeholders of the ecosystem. The findings point out to an early-to middle stage start-up ecosystem that has passed its nascent growth phase but is still far from maturity. Skills, supportive infrastructure, finance pipeline, and community and networks are examined and gaps are identified. Policy recommendations to tackle these gaps are presented based on international practices."

"Technology entrepreneurship rarely succeeds in isolation; increasingly, it occurs in interconnected networks of business partners and other organizations. For entrepreneurs lacking access to an established business ecosystem, incubators and accelerators provide a possible support mechanism for access to partners and resources. Yet, these relatively recent approaches to supporting entrepreneurship are still evolving. Therefore, it can be challenging for entrepreneurs to assess these mechanisms and to make insightful decisions on whether or not to join an incubator or accelerator, and which incubator or accelerator best meets their needs. In this article, five key factors that entrepreneurs should take into consideration about incubators and accelerators are offered. Insights are drawn from two surveys of managers and users of incubators and accelerators. An understanding of these five key success factors (stage of venture, fit with incubator's mission, selection and graduation policies, services provided, and network of partners) and potential pitfalls will help entrepreneurs confidently enter into a relationship with an incubator or accelerator."