With conventional IPO pathways narrowed and growth-stage liquidity constrained, many companies must re-evaluate what a successful outcome looks like. Crunchbase's 2026 M&A Outlook recorded 36 unicorn M&A exits worth a combined $67B in 2025, and EY-Parthenon reports teams under 100 people landing $100M+ acqui-hire exits. An early acqui-hire or IP sale can preserve talent and technological value, but requires careful negotiation. This session outlines the operational indicators and timing indicators founders need to weigh a structured exit against continuing to build.

The first decade of fintech was about proving that technology could disrupt financial services. The next is about building companies that can survive scale: navigating regulation, capital intensity, increasingly crowded markets, global expansion and the shift from payments products to full financial platforms and/or geographic expansion. Five founders and CEOs who have built fintech businesses across Asia and beyond debate what really separates a fintech that gets big from one that becomes indispensable.