With powerhouse keynotes, major product announcements, and deep-dive discussions, here’s what shaped Day 1—and why the conversation with Liberis stood out.
Las Vegas has seen its fair share of fintech events, but Fintech Meetup 2025 opened with an energy that felt different. More than 6,000 industry leaders, investors, and innovators convened to discuss the forces reshaping financial services—from embedded finance to AI-driven credit underwriting.
Key Themes from Day 1
As expected, payments, lending, and AI took center stage. J.P. Morgan Payments’ Innovate 360 set the tone, mapping out the next evolution of financial infrastructure. Meanwhile, powerhouse keynotes from Michael Rhodes (CEO, Ally Financial), Nigel Morris (QED Investors), and Ryan Breslow (Founder, Bolt) unpacked the industry’s biggest challenges—rising customer expectations, the tightening capital environment, and the fight for sustainable fintech growth.
But the most compelling conversations happened offstage.
The Embedded Lending Revolution: A Conversation with Liberis
If embedded finance was the buzzword of the day, Liberis is writing the playbook. The alternative lender, which specializes in integrating financing solutions directly into platforms like Stripe, eBay, and Vagaro, is changing how small businesses access capital.
In an exclusive conversation with Bobsguide, Rob Straathof, CEO of Liberis, laid out a stark reality: traditional banks have retreated from small business lending, leaving a massive financing gap.
“For anything below $50,000 or $100,000, banks simply don’t find it profitable to lend. So, they either pre-approve tiny credit lines or reject applications outright—even when businesses have far greater potential,” Straathof explained.
Liberis’ solution? Real-time, revenue-based lending. By integrating directly into merchants’ payment and sales platforms, the company offers pre-approved capital that adapts dynamically to business performance.
“If a merchant needs to prepay inventory and won’t generate sales for eight weeks, we structure financing that matches their cash flow. As they grow, they repay faster. If they hit a slow period, repayments adjust automatically.”
Beyond traditional credit, Liberis is experimenting with Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) for small businesses, enabling merchants to finance marketing spend and repay from future sales.
“Many business owners max out personal credit cards just to fund digital ads. We’re solving that by offering financing tied directly to projected revenue.”
With expansion into the U.S. market well underway, Liberis is leveraging AI to enhance underwriting models—a theme echoed across many of the event’s biggest discussions.
Want more on how fintech leaders are shaping 2025?
🔗 Read our full Liberis interview here.
AI, Virtual Cards, and the Future of Fintech
Liberis wasn’t the only one making waves in embedded lending. Andrew Jamison, CEO of Extend, shared how his company is revolutionizing virtual card issuance for SMBs, partnering with banks to make expense management seamless.
“Small businesses have been historically underserved when it comes to credit access. We built Extend to close that gap—and in doing so, have increased spending for our partner banks by 25–40%.”
Meanwhile, Zip Co.’s Head of Strategy, Michael Goldman, weighed in on BNPL’s evolving role beyond e-commerce, as the company explores how installment payments can help businesses manage cash flow.
“30% of Americans lack proper access to traditional credit. Our focus is on helping them bridge that gap.”
The Conversation Continues
With discussions ranging from AI-powered underwriting to the regulatory challenges of embedded finance, Day 1 set the stage for a transformative week. Fintech Meetup isn’t just about the biggest names in the industry—it’s about the structural shifts reshaping financial services.
Stay tuned for more exclusive coverage and insights from Bobsguide.
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