Hope this message finds you well and staying safe.

For over two decades, the contents team at The Asset witnessed the rise of technology in finance. In fact, the founding of The Asset in 1999 marked that beginning. During those wild dotcom days, companies without as much as a realistic business plan or any income at all made a beeline to be listed on Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange to great fanfare and heady valuations.

Those blazing days are long gone. The ones who were able to figure it out – and outlasted competitors – are now global tech titans transforming our lives. Meanwhile, technology has continued to evolve. Use-cases have proliferated. No industry today isn’t touched by technology. This pandemic is accelerating that process further. And these changes are going to be long-lasting.

Financing for start-ups on their way to launching IPOs will increasingly involve companies that are able to best deploy technology to drive efficiency, uncover new ways of engagement, and find digital solutions in this new economy.

Five years ago, The Asset launched the Digital Awards to encourage and shine the spotlight on the new initiatives, driven by technology, that are remaking the financial services industry. Today, we take The Asset’s coverage to the next level with the launch of TechTack, our Friday newsletter tacking on the changes in technology that is driving the world of finance, investments, and the capital markets.

TechTack takes over from the Treasury and Capital Markets newsletter, which will continue to appear on Tuesdays. TechTack’s coverage will be across the globe with a special focus on the Asia-Pacific – the epicentre of technology and finance. From start-ups to IPOs; financing for techs by private equity or the capital markets; deployment of blockchain from infrastructure to payments; robotics process automation; the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning: TechTack will look at digitalization from different angles – as a tool for optimization and as a driver of financial inclusion.

Enjoy this first issue of TechTack. We welcome comments, suggestions, and ideas on how to improve TechTack in the weeks and months ahead.

Kind regards,
The Asset TechTack team