Nexus
The business, the turning points, and the decisions behind them.
01 / WHAT IT BUILT
What the company did
Fintech Nexus (formerly known as LendIt) was a fintech media and events company. Founded in 2013 by Peter Renton and Bo Brustkern to connect professionals in the online lending market, it grew into one of the largest fintech event organizers, hosting 31 major conferences across the US, UK, Europe, China, and Latin America, plus a digital media business with newsletters and the Fintech One-on-One podcast. The events business was sold to Fintech Meetup in June 2023. In June 2024 the company announced it would close down and file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
02 / Nexus FAILURE REASONS
Failure reasons
Fintech Nexus was undone by the collapse of its events engine and an unsustainable digital pivot. COVID-19 disrupted its core conference business, forcing a shift toward digital media that never became profitable on its own. The 2023 downturn in fintech investment further hurt attendance, producing a disappointing flagship USA event; the events business was sold in June 2023. Chairman and co-founder Peter Renton admitted that despite efforts to run the digital media business independently, profitability remained elusive. With no viable revenue base left, the company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in June 2024 and its assets were handed to a liquidation trustee.
03 / EVENT HISTORY
Events in the structured record
- Founded as LendIt
Peter Renton and Bo Brustkern founded the company to connect professionals in the online lending market.
- Events business sold
In June 2023 the company sold its events business to Fintech Meetup after a disappointing flagship event, keeping only digital media offerings.
- Chapter 7 bankruptcy
In June 2024 Fintech Nexus announced it would close down and file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy; a trustee took over to liquidate remaining assets.
04 / CONTEMPORARY REBUILD ASSESSMENT
Difficulty of rebuilding this project today
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
Overall assessment: Not completed
05 / CAUSAL CHAIN
How the factors connect
- 01
In June 2024 Fintech Nexus announced it would close down after 11 years and file for bankruptcy, following the June 2023 sale of its events business.
- 02
A Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee took over the company; the website remained active temporarily under trustee supervision while assets were liquidated. Co-founder Peter Renton continued the Fintech One-on-One podcast independently.