Seven fintech companies to feature at second annual Future Proof festival

investmentnews.com:

Ritholtz Wealth Management and Advisor Circle have selected a small group of technology companies to showcase innovative new products for financial advisors as part of the second annual Future Proof wealth management festival.

Out of a pool of nearly 100 applicants, seven companies were selected for the “Fintech Demo Drop” at Future Proof, which returns to Huntington Beach, California, in September. The finalists will receive digital promotions from the event, scheduled meetings with qualified financial advisors and firm executives, and stage time to demonstrate their products at Future Proof, which expects to draw more than 3,000 attendees, including 2,000 financial advisors.

“The fintech tools presented on stage last year sparked our collective imagination, reshaping our perceptions of what our industry could be, and most importantly, where it is headed next,” Michael Batnick, managing partner at Ritholtz Wealth Management, said in a statement. “The Fintech Demo Drop series serves as a catalyst for innovation, fueling our collective drive to shape the future and push the boundaries of what our industry considers possible.”

A committee that included Advisor Circle, the studio that produces Future Proof, practicing financial advisors at Ritholtz Wealth and third-party consultants judged companies based on creativity and the ability to solve real problems for financial advisors. Products must be useful for both newly launched RIAs as well as larger, more established firms.

“A lot of [applicants] had a lot of promises about what the technology will do, but when you look under the hood, it’s still being developed,” said Matt Middleton, CEO at Advisor Circle. “There was no shortage of artificial intelligence-focused