Women in Fintech: Sasha Pilch of Fin Capital talks assets

by James · September 13, 2022

Sasha Pilch is principal at Fin Capital. She is involved in helping the firm source promising early-stage fintech entrepreneurs and works closely with these entrepreneurs post-investment.

Previously, she served as a sales manager at Pinwheel, a NYC-based startup working to create a fairer financial system by providing an API that makes it easy for businesses to securely connect payroll accounts to their applications with consumers’ permission. She is also the co-founder of NYC FinTech Women, a community that connects, promotes and empowers women within the FinTech industry, and has held positions at Ramp, Plaid and Quovo. We caught up with her to find out more.

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Tell us about your journey into fintech. Is there a story there?

My journey in fintech started almost a decade ago and from there I have worked in a number of successful companies from banks, major credit/credit card companies, emerging fintechs and disruptors, and have now found myself on the Venture side of the business. Through these vast experiences, I have truly found a home in fintech, but more importantly my passion. Looking at the industry from all angles, one thing always stood out to me – the lack of diversity across the industry, particularly the disparities between women in fintech.

I realized that I could help change this, by creating a space for women in fintech to network and uplift each other through mentorship and sharing of industry experiences. A little over five years ago, I co-founded NYC Fintech Women, an organization that now reaches more than 8,000 women in the industry and organizes monthly events in collaboration with Fintechs such as Stash, Adyen, Plaid as well as traditional companies such as Google, SVB and Nasdaq.

You have specialized in asset management. What is it about the sector that attracts you?

After my work with NYC Fintech Women, I realized that I could do even more to help elevate diverse female leaders who want to break through in the fintech space. During my tenure at various fintech firms and banks, I realized that I could make a bigger impact by going into the asset management/venture capital side. Not only do I get to help bring several different founders to the forefront, but also identify the next wave of technology that is transforming the industry.

Market volatility is widespread in all areas, it seems. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel – and what would your advice to investors be at this point?

Avoiding the hype is more important than ever, one of the biggest contributors to the current volatility we’re seeing at the moment was the long-term trend of investors overvaluing startups right before the economy turned turbulent. As soon as inflation and other elements began to hit society, investors became more selective and the overvalued startups saw their momentum slow down.

What new trends do you think are most significant when it comes to fintech/crypto and VCs?

One of the trends that continues to interest me and the rest of the partners is the ever-fluctuating BNPL space, due to the struggles of companies like Klarna and Affirm, but now we are seeing a subtle revival as momentum builds for B2B-aligned BNPL. Ironically, the fall in consumer GDP may be a factor in this; consumers who struggle lead to businesses who struggle and start looking for spending adjustability to compensate for the drop in revenue.

What do you think of the latest SEC updates on ESG rules?

There is so much to be gained from an ESG perspective in B2B Fintech and I am glad that Fin Capital is focused on these metrics. My personal focus is on minorities and especially women, but all aspects of ESG are extremely important.

What inspires you in fintech today – especially within the area of asset management?

Fintech is developing every day at a rapid pace. Yesterday’s trends are not the same as today’s, and there will always be an innovative startup that comes on the scene to respond to the demands of the new trends. When you work with asset management, you get an overview of the areas gaining and losing momentum, see how impactful the current trends are, and get the best insight into what’s coming next.