The fintech sector as a driver of private entrepreneurship development in time of industry 4.0

Abstract

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is making changes to the structure and nature of employment, which is evident in several multi-vector trends. On the one hand, large corporations and industrial enterprises are experiencing declining demand for labor due to the digitization of business processes, the use of artificial intelligence, Big Data, and more. On the other hand, Industry 4.0 creates new opportunities for SMEs to grow, such as alternative business financing models through online platforms. Online financing models include peer-to-peer business loans, equity crowdfunding, profit-sharing crowdfunding, reward-based crowdfunding, and others. The purpose of the article is to explore the possibilities of meeting the needs of SMEs in online financing by the criteria of the volume, value and period of borrowing and to identify the factors that affect the effectiveness of online financing tools. The study used the methods of comparative analysis and expert evaluations. The results of the study show that the success of SMEs financing through crowdfunding and peer-to-peer platforms depends on a set of factors: objective (business project theme, projected profitability rates, loan repayment and interest payment terms) and subjective (investor personal preferences; attractiveness of information posted on crowdfunding platforms). Summarizing the impact of these factors, the authors provide recommendations for SMEs to increase the likelihood of obtaining full funding through online platforms.