ABSTRACT
FinTech (Financial technology), InsurTech (Insurance technology), PropTech (property technology, or commercial real estate technology) and RegTech (regulatory technology) are all financial services designations for firms that may have a particular edge in relation to traditional financial entities. In some instances a tech may truly have some type of value-add in relation to Bricks, though in some cases a tech might be more of a Brick in Click’s clothing, attempting to showcase tech abilities that Bricks already have. We explore what Techs are doing unique to Bricks, and suggest some metrics that can be used to help delineate techs from traditional firms (or Clicks from Bricks). In the digital world, loans can be obtained online, along with insurance policies and a variety of property rentals or leases. The tech domains of digital finance are generally thought to consist of FinTech (finance), InsurTech (insurance), PropTech (property, sometimes referred to as CRETech for commercial real estate), and RegTech (regulatory), and for each of these there are a variety of sub-classifications, such as disruptors, innovators, and aggregators/disintermediators. In some instances there are Clicks looking to do exactly what Bricks are doing except for being online, while in other cases there are Clicks who are truly innovating with solutions that cannot be easily replicated by Bricks. It can be meaningful to make distinctions between solutions that are merely offering a digital alternative and those venues that are creating new opportunities.
