The Color of Money

by David Lee

I’m moderating a panel at SXSW next Monday called “The Future of Money.” It features Dave Boyce of Fundly, Dan Rosen of Highland Capital, Bill Clerico of WePay and Patrick Collison of Stripe.

I’m really excited about this panel. For the first time ever, software is ‘touching’ more dollars whether spent ‘online’ or offline. This is literally a trillion dollar opportunity. Companies like Square, WePay, Dwolla and Stripe are now “eating” the payments industry as Marc Andreessen would say. You only need to look at Square’s recent release of their register to visualize the potential for disruption.

If you’re at SXSW, I really encourage you to come and listen. The panelists are some of the brightest thinkers in this area and can make the complex simple by breaking down the often byzantine world of payments and finance.

Disclosure: We’re investors in WePay, Square and Stripe.

The Future of Money

Place: Hilton Garden Inn, Sabine

Time: March 12, Monday, 12:30

This panel will offer an in-depth look into the rise of financial tools available in the cloud and on mobile. It will discuss the idea of how these services have changed the way consumers deal with money and how it is affecting small businesses and merchants. With the social web, ecommerce and mobile offerings infiltrating our financial lives on a daily basis, consumers are more empowered than ever. With the click of a mouse or a swipe of a Smartphone, we can buy or sell items, make or lose money in an instant. Mobile tools make it easy to process purchases in real time, and on-the-go payments will soon be the default for shoppers around the world. Small businesses can flourish within minutes on the Web, and consumers can thoroughly analyze their personal flow of money with effortless online tools. So what do all of these developments mean for businesses, consumers and everyone in between? This panel will explore the future of payments, purchases and financial tools that will empower consumers and fuel small businesses throughout the digital age.