Microfinance describes financial services to those who lack access to traditional banking services, such as small businesses. Financial technologies (FinTech) refers to the technologies used in the financial sector – typically by financial institutions.

There is an increasing number of those seeking funding or investment to create online markets and virtual communities. However, following the financial crisis, banks have tightened their consumer lending policies so that individuals and businesses with low incomes have found it increasingly difficult to obtain loans. This has fuelled the demand for FinTech companies, such as mobile lending or P2P lending platforms.

Our work helps individuals, firms, and governments to use FinTech in order to meet their needs. Research into FinTech and microfinance is divided into three themes: FinTech in lending, FinTech in monetary policy, and FinTech in microfinance.

Our work also highlights a beneficial impact on society and the wider economy. Since FinTech – especially crowdfunding – represents a new channel of funding that has only recently been developed, regulation has to quickly adapt to facilitate new possibilities in this market. Our research is helping to guide policy-making based around the specific risk factors that we're investigating.

We probe questions such as the benefits and risks in FinTech lending, funder motivations in crowdfunding campaigns, the benefit and cost of issuing a central bank digital currency for monetary policy, and how to enhance financial inclusion using FinTech in developing countries.

Our work is regularly published in leading academic journals, such as the European Journal of Operational Research, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research and the Accounting Research Journal.

Collaborations and funders

We have built a network of collaboration with industry, such as P2P, equity and donation based crowdfunding platforms. We work with policy makers, such as the Asian Development Bank and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as international academics based in Japan, Canada, The Netherlands, Egypt and a range of other countries.

We are active members of the University Centre for Innovative and Sustainable Finance. We also have an ongoing collaboration with Lendwithcare, an initiative from the charity CARE International, which provides crowdfunded loans to support entrepreneurial activity in developing countries. Our partnership involves undertaking impact assessments in countries such as Pakistan, Zimbabwe and Ecuador, as well as research into the profile and behaviours of lenders. The collaboration has also led to a jointly-funded PhD bursary in the area of microfinance.

Discover our areas of expertise

FinTech and microfinance is one of 3 areas of expertise in our Finance research – explore the others below.

Interested in a PhD in Finance?

Browse our postgraduate research degrees – including PhDs and MPhils – at our Finance postgraduate research degrees page.