*By Michael Teich*
Amazon inked a new partnership with American Express, but don't expect the financial industry to be the next area the tech giant jumps into.
"The thing that people misunderstand is that tech companies don't want to manufacture financial products," said Lex Sokolin, Global Director of Fintech Strategy at Autonomous Research. "It's about making the ecosystem and the platform more powerful, and finance is just a feature inside of that."
American Express announced Tuesday it will launch a co-branded Amazon credit card for small businesses. The move accelerates Amazon's foray into financial products and strengthens its position as a lender. The goal, Sokolin said, is to enable small businesses to finance their activities, getting more products on Amazon's platform, and ultimately driving more commerce.
Plus, the opportunity costs of devoting itself to the financial industry are too high.
"Amazon has tremendous high-growth, super interesting, blue oceans to explore,” he said. "They could be investing in building a mortgage business, or they can build artificial intelligence business."
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/amazon-bolsters-financial-prowess-with-new-credit-card)
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The Mobile World Congress is underway in Barcelona this week. The annual global trade show is showcasing the latest advancements in mobile and other progressive technologies.
Katie Collins, Senior European Correspondent, CNET joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to break down the latest announcements.
Rolf Illenberger, Founder & CEO of VRdirect, discusses how businesses are using virtual reality and talks about the importance of VR training in a remote work environment.
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Kraft Heinz is launching a new joint venture with NotCo, a Chilean startup that creates plant-based substitutes using artificial intelligence. The goal is to reimagine global food production and bring plant-based versions of Kraft Heinz products to market at a faster speed, all while driving sustainability. Matias Muchnik, CEO and Co-Founder of NotCo, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the partnership, NotCo's technology, and his response to the backlash against the ingredients in meatless meat.
