Fintech Trends Shaping the Industry's Future

They call you a control freak … as if that’s a bad thing. But through calling the shots—plus a lot of blood, sweat and tears—you built a $100+ million business. And now you’re ready to grow it to the next level. You don’t need a new boss to make that happen. You just need new capital. Too often though, owners of profitable, growing middle market companies assume there are just two ways to bring in outside capital: lever up with more debt—which may not be available or desirable—or hand control over to a private equity firm. For decades, that assumption was largely correct. But a quiet shift has been building in private equity that gives owners a third option they may never have heard of: non-control equity. Minority-stake, non-control PE investing has expanded sharply over the past several years. From 2023 to 2024, US minority equity transaction value increased approximately 53% and again grew precipitously in 2025. 1 PitchBook touts the shift on its website: “private equity growth deals are outpacing traditional leveraged buyouts, as buyout firms increasingly embrace minority stakes amid historically high borrowing costs.” 2  Dry powder earmarked for growth-equity — the PE strategy built around non-control investing — is estimated at roughly $310 billion in the US alone. 3 Despite the meteoric growth, awareness among business owners has not kept pace. Historically, the preponderance of private equity investments in middle market companies were buyouts or control deals, which is likely why most founders still equate private equity with giving up control of the company they built. As that belief becomes increasingly out of date, understanding the alternative could open a financing option that fits your goals far better than an outright sale or a loan. What Is a Non-Control Equity Investment? 1.   White & Case “Minority report: Minority stakes spike in US and Europe for sponsors and strategics alike”. https://mergers.whitecase.com/highlights/minority-report-minority-stakes-spike-in-us-and-europe-for-sponsors-and-strategics-alike#! 2. PitchBook, "Growth Equity" research topic page. https://pitchbook.com/tag/growth-equity 3.CT Acquisitions, "Growth Equity vs Private Equity: Key Differences Explained in 2026," (citing PitchBook's 2025 Annual US PE Breakdown).  https://ctacquisitions.com/growth-equity-vs-private-equity/ A non-control equity investment is a transaction in which an investor — typically a private equity firm or family office — acquires equity in a privately-held company without taking control of it. These ownership stakes generally fall between 25% and 49% of the business. The founders and their management team continue running the company. The investor becomes a financial partner and, often, a source of strategic assistance, but not your new boss. The investor's return comes from the company's growth in value, not from running the business themselves or rolling it up with another portfolio company. That’s different than a traditional buyout, where a PE firm acquires a majority or entire stake, imposes its own governance and financial controls, and frequently makes leadership changes. Why Non-Control Equity Deals Are Becoming More Common It's worth understanding why this shift is happening now, because the “why” informs how the deals get structured and who is offering them. The market for control investments in the middle market has become picked over. Thousands of private equity firms compete for a limited number of quality buyout targets, and the majority of those deals get done through formal auction processes managed by investment banks that may solicit interest from hundreds of potential investors. The competition has driven up deal multiples and made it harder for PE firms to find attractive opportunities through the traditional buyout route. As a result, an increasing number of PE firms have turned toward non-control investments, to deploy capital into good companies with a growth orientation, without battling with their peers in an auction. The upshot: more firms than ever are actively looking to write checks for a minority-stake in companies like yours. Why Might a Non-Control Equity Raise Make Sense for Your Business? There are several common reasons owners pursue non-control equity: •  Growth capital. If you need capital to fund internal growth initiatives, capital expenditures, or acquisitions, a non-control raise can provide it without forcing a full sale of, or giving up a controlling interest in, the company or loading the balance sheet with additional debt. Companies that are positioned to grow but need capital to make it happen—or to make it happen more quickly--are at the top of most private equity investors’ lists for non-control equity investment. •  Shareholder liquidity. Many owners have the bulk of their net worth tied up in a business they've spent decades building, with no easy way to access that value without selling outright. A non-control investment can provide meaningful liquidity for estate planning purposes, or simply to diversify personal wealth outside the company. •  Buying out minority shareholders. If your company has minority shareholders — family members, early investors, or former partners — who want out, this type of capital can finance that buyout. •  De-leveraging. If your business carries meaningful existing debt, non-control equity capital can be used to pay it down. In some cases, this can also allow you to release personal guarantees you may have signed to secure earlier loans. The end game for companies seeking non-control equity capital is similar to that of most private companies: sell to a financial sponsor or strategic buyer in 5-10 years. An infusion of fresh capital into the capable hands of the founder today--when they still have strategic ideas and plenty of gas in the tank—just means the ultimate exit is likely to be more remunerative. What You Give Up, and What You Get in Return It's fair to ask what an institutional investor gets out of a deal where they don't control the company. In exchange for giving up some downside protection (compared to a control position), these investors typically negotiate structured terms — often through preferred securities like convertible preferred or participating preferred stock — that provide them some cushion if things don't go as planned, along with a defined path to eventually exit the investment. In addition to liquidation preferences that may give them priority in a sale or liquidation, they usually seek some degree of operational involvement — a seat on the board, regular reporting, input on major strategic decisions. In return, a non-control investor can bring real value beyond the capital itself: helping with expansion into new markets, identifying and helping execute accretive or strategic acquisitions, professionalizing sales and marketing, opening doors to new customers through their network, and helping integrate AI or other newer technologies that improve margins. For an owner who has taken the business as far as they can with existing resources and relationships, an institutional partner's network and expertise can matter as much as the check itself. What Kind of Companies Are a Fit? Non-control equity investing is generally suited to established, profitable middle market companies rather than early-stage startups. Firms specializing in this type of financing  typically work with businesses with pre-money enterprise values in the $100 million to $500 million range, that want to raise anywhere from $30–40 million on the smaller end up to a "sweet spot" of $50–150 million. Most PE firms have historically made control investments and thus focus on certain specific industry verticals where they have in-house expertise. Common areas of focus include business services, healthcare, consumer products and services, software and tech-enabled services, industrial and manufacturing, and financial services. Real estate, oil and gas, and cryptocurrency are more often excluded, as they typically require a very specific type of investor with underwriting approaches that differ from those that are employed in most middle market non-control equity investments. How the Process Typically Works If you decide to explore this path, the process usually starts with a detailed financial review of your company and a clear articulation of your financing goals — growth, de-leveraging, liquidity, or a minority buyout. From there, a credible advisor will typically arrange an independent desktop valuation from a reputable accounting or valuation firm to make sure expectations between you and prospective investors are realistic from the outset. Next comes preparation of the materials investors will need for diligence: a fully-linked three-statement financial model, a confidential information memorandum, and supporting due diligence materials. An experienced advisor will strongly recommend that you procure a sell-side quality of earnings report, generally prepared by a top 10 accounting firm, which can play an important role in supporting your numbers and strengthening your negotiating position when the time comes. A capital advisor with the requisite expertise can also help structure the financing, including the type of securities offered, such as convertible preferred or participating preferred stock and potentially a debt component, if that is part of the company’s financing plans.   One important distinction is how prospective investors are approached in a middle market sale of non-control equity. Rather than running a broad auction that blasts the opportunity to hundreds of potential buyers, non-control raises are usually handled through a more discreet, targeted process, generally entailing a short list of roughly a dozen prospective investors that have specific expertise in your industry and are aligned with the outcome you're looking for. This more bespoke approach tends to protect confidentiality and is generally a better fit for a transaction where you're choosing a long-term financial partner, not just selling to the highest bidder. The Bottom Line For years, giving up control of your company was widely considered to be your only move for raising equity capital. But that’s no longer the case. If your company needs growth capital, a well-structured non-control equity investment may let you access institutional capital and strategic expertise while keeping your hands firmly on the wheel: Entrepreneurial control freaks, take notice. ...Read more

As the volume of available data grows and businesses strive to harness its value, Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) is becoming increasingly vital—yet challenges persist. One major issue is decision-makers’ lack of confidence in the data underlying their analytical tools. So, why is financial forecasting such a complex task? Often, outdated planning technologies and fragmented processes prevent FP&A from fully integrating data from operational areas. Notably, spreadsheets remain the most commonly used tool outside of finance. While finance teams typically rely on specialized planning software, operational planning still heavily depends on spreadsheets. Despite numerous technological advances, the reliance on spreadsheets has changed little over time. Major Challenges in Financial Planning and Analysis Disconnected Systems and Processes: Integrating the several planning procedures has significant advantages. However, it might be difficult to incorporate plans from various departments inside the company, particularly if you are working with several disjointed spreadsheets. The transition from spreadsheets to cloud-based technologies facilitates the integration of financial planning and analysis with other business domains. Lack of Business Insights: Most CFOs nowadays frequently struggle with the low quality of readily available data and their incapacity to convert their business data into crucial insights. Spreadsheets are shared with a wide range of individuals and groups, and over time, copies may arise that change from the original, making modeling challenging and unreliable. Searching for and compiling all the required data is a laborious, manual, and error-prone task without a single source of truth. Spreadsheets cannot support many computations and macros, so your expanding business may not have access to trustworthy models and predictions needed to create accurate budgets and forecasts. Senior management can't delve deeply into company data and obtain useful decision-making insights. Manual Tasks Take Too Much Time: Account reconciliation and financial close are two manual processes that finance professionals spend far too much time on. Even now, many finance departments still have trouble reducing their cycle time to half what it once was. FP&A and other strategic responsibilities are essential to producing timely and useful insights. But rather than evaluating data, finance teams waste much time organizing and classifying it. Inaccurate Budgeting and Forecasting: Cloud-based financial forecasting tools are highly useful for data collection and analysis, scenario planning, technique analysis, and possible result analysis. However, good financial forecasting requires more than just getting the right answer. The forecasts are typically off because the unreliable economic systems must be changed. Consistency in systems and processes is often lacking, which makes it difficult to make successful decisions. These are some of the top challenges in financial planning and analysis. Lack of real-time information and lack and collaboration also come under these challenges. ...Read more

The estate planning industry has dramatically transformed in recent years, largely fueled by technological advancements that simplify and streamline the process. What was once an intricate, paperwork-heavy task requiring multiple legal professionals’ involvement has evolved into a more accessible, efficient, and cost-effective process. Platforms for digital estate planning are leading this change by allowing people to safeguard their assets and preserve their legacies for future generations. However, despite this progress, the sector is still navigating various challenges while embracing opportunities that allow it to evolve and better serve its users. Digital Transformation in Estate Planning The digital shift in estate planning has introduced a trend toward greater accessibility and automation, significantly altering how individuals create and manage their estate plans. Previously complex processes like drafting wills, trusts, and powers of attorney are now simplified with intuitive, user-friendly online platforms. These tools enable users with minimal legal knowledge to generate legally binding documents quickly and efficiently, eliminating the need for extensive legal consultations. Additionally, platforms now provide a comprehensive suite of services beyond document creation, such as asset organization, automatic updates to reflect changing laws and secure digital storage for sensitive documents. Another trend is the emergence of mobile-first solutions, which are fueled by users’ growing need for control and flexibility, especially among younger, tech-savvy consumers. Mobile apps allow individuals to access, update, and modify their estate plans in real time, ensuring that plans stay current with life events like marriage, the birth of children, or relocation. This on-the-go accessibility is helping to make estate planning more dynamic and responsive, removing the need for physical visits to lawyers and providing a more seamless experience. The focus on enhancing user experience has also played a crucial role in democratizing estate planning. With simpler, engaging interfaces, digital platforms are now more approachable for a broader range of people. These platforms further expand the market by decreasing the barrier to entry, making estate planning more accessible to people who would have previously shunned it because of its complexity or high cost. Security and Legal Complexities in the Digital Era The digital estate planning industry faces several significant challenges despite its rapid growth. Since platforms manage extremely sensitive financial and personal data, they are prime targets for hackers, making data security one of the most urgent issues. Platforms must implement robust security measures to ensure this data remains protected, including encryption, multi-factor authentication, and secure cloud storage. Failure to do so exposes users to potential breaches and risks a loss of trust—something that can be devastating in this sector. A data breach could result in financial losses and long-term reputational damage, undermining a platform’s credibility. Legal and regulatory complexities also pose a substantial challenge. Estate planning laws differ widely across jurisdictions, and platforms operating in multiple regions must constantly update their services to remain compliant. This requires significant resources to monitor and implement changes in local regulations, which can be time-consuming and costly. Ensuring that documents generated by the platform meet legal requirements without human oversight is another complex issue, making accuracy and adaptability critical in maintaining user confidence. There are also generational barriers present. Older individuals, who may be more accustomed to traditional estate planning methods, often hesitate to adopt digital solutions. This demographic’s reluctance to embrace technology adds a layer of difficulty for platforms trying to build a broader user base, requiring strategies that foster trust and portray the safety and reliability of online estate planning services. Innovating for Tomorrow: Emerging Technologies and Holistic Solutions To address the challenges in the estate planning space, companies are leveraging cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and machine learning. AI is pivotal in automating document creation, ensuring that the language used in estate planning documents is legally sound and compliant with current regulations. Additionally, AI-driven systems can analyze users’ specific circumstances and suggest solutions to potential issues within their estate plans, preventing problems before they arise. This level of automation enhances both the accuracy and efficiency of the process. Blockchain technology is also gaining traction in estate planning platforms because it offers secure, transparent, and immutable records. By utilizing blockchain, platforms can reduce the risk of fraud and ensure that asset transfers are handled more securely and streamlined. This technology ensures that transactions are irreversible and transparent, increasing user confidence in the process and improving overall efficiency, especially in the transfer of assets. Estate planning platforms are expanding into broader financial services, offering integrated tools encompassing retirement planning, investment management, and tax optimization. This holistic approach to financial well-being increasingly appeals to users who want to manage their wealth and legacy comprehensively. By connecting various aspects of financial planning, platforms will become essential for individuals seeking a seamless and more personalized experience across their financial lives. ...Read more

Financial fraud has become a significant challenge in today’s highly digital and interconnected world. As financial transactions increasingly occur online and across global platforms, the risk of fraud has grown substantially. Businesses, financial institutions, and individuals face threats such as identity theft, credit card fraud, and large-scale corporate embezzlement. In this environment, robust financial fraud detection is essential to protect assets, uphold reputations, and ensure the stability of financial systems. The primary goal of fraud detection is to shield financial assets from theft, manipulation, and unauthorized access. Fraudulent activities involving illicit transactions, forged documents, or hacked accounts can lead to significant financial losses for individuals, businesses, and financial institutions. For businesses, unchecked fraud can erode profits, increase operational costs, and, in severe cases, cause insolvency. Implementing robust fraud detection measures helps organizations detect suspicious activities before substantial damage is done. With sophisticated fraud detection systems that use ML and AI, financial institutions can quickly identify unusual behavior patterns, such as irregular transaction volumes or unauthorized access to accounts. Transparent and secure operations strengthen confidence among customers and stakeholders by demonstrating that the organization actively mitigates risk. Organizations that respond swiftly to fraud incidents and limit potential damage reinforce their ability to manage crises effectively. Solutions such as Wealth enhance financial visibility and reporting oversight, supporting more structured governance within fraud detection programs. In many jurisdictions, financial fraud detection is both a best practice and a regulatory requirement, and implementing comprehensive programs helps businesses maintain compliance, avoid penalties, and reduce exposure to regulatory scrutiny. Fraud detection is crucial in minimizing financial and operational risks within organizations. Fraudulent activities can severely disrupt business operations, lead to liquidity issues, and divert valuable resources away from core business functions. A company that falls victim to fraud may need to freeze accounts, conduct internal audits, and initiate legal proceedings, which can strain its operational capabilities and financial resources. Financial fraud detection systems are designed to monitor data access and transaction behaviors, identifying anomalies that could signal a security breach. Home Mortgage Alliance Corporation supports structured financial planning and service performance through disciplined governance and measurable benchmarks. Early detection of fraudulent activities allows organizations to respond swiftly, minimizing the fallout and protecting the continuity of operations. In addition, financial fraud detection systems can help identify systemic vulnerabilities in an organization's processes, allowing businesses to address these issues and strengthen their defenses against future attacks. E-commerce and online financial services become more prevalent, and safeguarding sensitive customer data has become a top priority. Financial fraud often involves data breaches, identity theft, and hacking, which can compromise an organization's financial assets and customers' personal information. ...Read more