
After a two-year funding winter, venture capital in fintech is stirring again — but with a distinctly sober tone. At the Benzinga Fintech Day & Awards 2025 in a panel discussion, speakers Isabelle Phelps, partner at Lerer Hippeau; Matt Ober, managing partner at Social Leverage; and Mat Goldstein, chief strategy officer and co-founder at DealMaker, agreed that the exuberant "growth at all costs" era is giving way to a disciplined, fundamentals-first mindset. The focus now: disciplined founders, sustainable business models, and smarter capital strategies.
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