FINC611 Fintech, Blockchain and Cryptoassets

FINAL PROJECT

Fintech Product Design

Semester 1, 2025

1.  PROJECT OVERVIEW

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly accelerated the adoption of digital financial services. As a result, the demand for innovative and user-friendly fintech products has grown, reflecting the needs of a rapidly changing world. The fintech industry is in a constant state of evolution, with many unmet needs and opportunities for innovation. Therefore, there is great potential for new products and services that can offer better solutions than what is currently available.

Given the highly competitive nature of the industry, both established players and newcomers are continuously vying for market shares. Developing a new fintech product can provide a competitive edge and attract customers who are looking for innovative solutions to their financial needs. Moreover, fintech products have the potential to reach a large and diverse audience, including those who are underserved or excluded by traditional financial services. By creating a new fintech product, an innovator can help to address this issue and improve financial inclusion for a wider range of people.

This project requires you to create a new fintech product that can leverage emerging technologies like blockchain or distributed ledger  technology  (DLT). Your  fintech  product should solve a real-world problem in a specific sector (e.g., finance, investment, education, agriculture, real estate, etc.), enhance user experience, and promote financial inclusion. The goal is to design a product that could reasonably compete in the fintech space and appeal to underserved populations or improve existing financial processes.

2.  PROJECT LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By completing this project, you will:

• Apply your understanding of fintech innovation to a real-world scenario.

• Use the Lean Startup Canvas to plan your startup’s structure and strategy.

• Learn how to pitch a fintech product to investors using compelling communication and clear value propositions.

• Explore the impact of digital technologies (e.g., blockchain) on specific sectors.

3.  PROJECT GUIDELINES

1-   Industry Selection and Product Design

Choose a specific industry or sector and design an innovative fintech product that can/may leverage current technologies such as Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLTs) or blockchain. Your product should aim to solve an existing problem or address significant pain points within the selected industry.

2-   Investment Pitch and Business Model

Develop a compelling investment pitch targeting a range of investors (such as, venture capitalists, angel investors, corporate backers). In addition, create a Lean Startup Canvas for your product and submit an analysis report analyzing each component of the canvas in detail.

3-   Presentation

Present your investment pitch to a panel of simulated investors (e.g., peers, instructors, guest professionals) in a formal environment. Your goal is to persuade them of your product’s viability and investment potential.

4.  PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS

1-   You develop your product idea by applying the knowledge gained in FINC611. This process began at the start of the semester and has continued through the midterm break to the present. You are encouraged to discuss your ideas with the lecturer at any time.

2-   You must follow the pitch and Lean Startup Canvas instructions provided in the FINC611 course materials.

3-   Prepare your pitch as a PowerPoint presentation and record yourself delivering it, ensuring both your screen and webcam are visible. The maximum presentation length is 12 minutes.

4-   You may use any software to record your presentation, but the final video must be in MP4 format. Recommended free tools include Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Panopto, Screencast-o-matic, or EaseUS RecExperts.

There is no requirement or expectation for students to purchase or subscribe to any paid video editing software.

5.  PROJECT DUE DATE

-       Due Date for report: 14 June 2025 at 5:00 pm

-       Extensions and Late Submission of Assessment: please refer to the course outline.

6.  SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

1.   Canvas Analysis Report

•   The report is a maximum of 8 (eight) pages, excluding references and appendices.

•    Use double spacing, standard 1-inch margins, and a 12-point font such as Times New Roman.

2.   Lean Startup Canvas and Pitch

•   You must follow the template learned in FINC611 (provided on the course LEARN page).

3.   Pitch Presentation

•   The format must be in MP4 and maximum 12 minutes.

4.   General Requirements

•    Handwritten reports will NOT be accepted or marked.

•   A cover page is not required, but your name and student ID must be clearly included in the submission.

5.   Referencing

•   All references must be properly cited within the body of the assignment and included in a reference list formatted using APA style (7th  edition).

6.   Tables and Figures

•   All tables and figures (including graphs and screenshots) must be clearly labelled (e.g., Table 1, Figure 1, etc.).

•    Figures, if any, must be of high quality.

7.  SUBMISSION CHECKLIST

Students must submit the following to the Assignment Dropbox on the course LEARN page:

-    01: + File Name: “Canvas-Report-StudentID.docx”

-    02: + File Name: “Lean Startup Canvas.docx” (The sample file is on LEARN)

-    03: + File Name: “Pitch-Presentation.mp4”

      The guidance for video clip submission is on LEARN.

-    Submit ALL FILES via the Final Project Dropbox on the course LEARN page