The Next Generation of Fintech

The first wave of fintech was about digitizing payments. The second wave was about making financial services accessible through apps. The next wave — the one we're living through right now — is about embedding financial services directly into the software that businesses already use.

Vertical Software Meets Financial Services

At Squire, we started as a booking platform for barbershops. But we quickly realized that the biggest pain points for our customers weren't just about scheduling — they were about money. Getting paid, managing payroll, understanding cash flow, accessing capital. These are financial problems, and they were being solved by disconnected, generic tools that didn't understand the barbershop business.

So we built payments directly into our platform. We built payroll. We built financial reporting. Not as add-ons, but as core features that work seamlessly with everything else a barbershop owner does on Squire.

Why Vertical Wins

Generic fintech products try to serve everyone, which means they serve no one perfectly. A barbershop owner has different financial needs than a restaurant owner or an e-commerce seller. Vertical software companies understand those nuances because they live and breathe their industry every day.

When you embed payments into industry-specific software, you can do things that generic payment processors can't. You can split payments between a barbershop and its barbers instantly. You can advance capital based on real booking data. You can automate tax withholding based on industry-specific rules.

The Trillion-Dollar Opportunity

Every vertical industry — barbershops, salons, restaurants, fitness studios, healthcare practices — represents a massive opportunity for embedded fintech. The companies that win will be the ones that combine deep industry expertise with world-class financial infrastructure.

This is the future of fintech. Not another payment app, but financial services woven into the fabric of how businesses actually operate.