Spotcap’s fintech fellowship winner announced

Mohammed Hussan will use his winnings to pursue a career in fintech.

In a recent census of UK fintech firms by EY and Innovate Finance, access to talent, particularly coding and software development talent, was identified as one of the main constraints on sector growth. Spotcap, an alternative lender, is doing something about it.

The company has just announced the winner of its inaugural Fintech Fellowship, an initiative designed to support the studies of someone with ambitions of working in the fintech sector. That winner is Mohammed Hussan (pictured), a Durham University electronic engineering graduate who is now headed to Imperial College London to study an MSc in computer science.

Hussan has been awarded an £8k stipend towards his studies, courtesy of Spotcap. The company says that he demonstrated a clear interest in the intersection of finance and technology, through work experience stints at innovation labs and traditional financial institutions.

“Seeing positive collaboration between groups of talented entrepreneurs and established financial institutions really inspired me to apply,” said Hussan. “I have an interest in fintech’s transformative potential for individuals and communities. I believe it is a game-changer.”

Spotcap got 42 universities on board with the Fellowship, each of which promoted participation among their incoming classes. With the UK initiative as a blueprint, the company will now be taking the Fellowship to the Netherlands and Australia. The UK contest will open to a new pool of applicants in April 2018.

“We congratulate Mohammed on his achievements so far and are proud to support him,” said Niels Turfboer, managing director at Spotcap UK. “By providing support at a pivotal moment in his professional journey, we hope to help encourage him and other talented young people to consider a career in fintech.”

Below is an infographic from Spotcap.