Citi is to host a series of fintech meetups in its latest attempt to engage with thriving local developer ecosystems.
The inaugural Citi FinTech Meetup will be held 3 December at The Lab Miami and will focus on the city's significance as a financial technology hub connecting the Americas.
Heather Cox, chief client experience, digital and marketing officer for Global Consumer Banking at Citi, says: "The goal of Citi FinTech Meetups is to engage financial technology ecosystems that are in the early stages of development and support the startups that could create the next big thing in banking. We want to begin conversations with developers and keep them going as we pilot new ideas at Citi."
The programme is just one way Citi is reaching out to developers and startups. The Miami Meetup follows the highly successfully Citi Mobile Challenge events held in Buenos Aires and Bogota in June and Silicon Valley, New York and Miami last month.
It also follows on from yesterday's announcement of a partnership with Californian accelerator Plug and Play to launch a global fintech innovation programme, with locations in the US, Germany, Singapore, Brazil and Spain.
Citi plans to hold recurring Meetups in Miami and to extend the series to additional developing fintech markets globally.
Bob Annibale, global director of Citi Community Development and Microfinance, says: "Citi FinTech Meetups are an exciting opportunity to enable the development of the next generation of innovative tools, systems and touchpoints for expanding financial inclusion and supporting the growth of small businesses."