Reinventing fintech through hardware
In a world dominated by mobile apps and neobanks, Money Walkie has chosen a different path: a return to the tangible.
This young French company has designed a physical object to reinvent saving and make money visible, fun and educational again.
While solutions such as Revolut, N26 and Lydia are focusing on being 100% digital, Money Walkie is banking on emotion and practicality to help young users understand financial education.
But how can such an innovative idea be transformed into a tangible industrial product, manufactured on a large scale and ready to conquer the market?
From idea to product: the challenge of educational hardware
A simple and powerful vision
Money Walkie was born out of an observation: in a world where everything is becoming digital, young people are losing sight of the value of money.
Its ambition: to make money “visible” again by creating a physical, connected device.
The concept? A small, colourful, secure contactless payment device linked to a mobile app.
The aim: to help children, teenagers and young adults learn to manage their money, one transaction at a time.
Key features: When physical meets digital
A secure physical enclosure:
- Minimalist and robust design (shock-resistant, biometric or PIN code locking)
- Connectivity (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth) to synchronise data with the application
A complementary mobile application:
- Real-time savings tracking (with custom charts and goals)
- Savings challenges (e.g., “Save $50 this month for a trip”)
- Banking integration (optional) to link physical savings to a digital account
- Smart alerts (e.g., “You’ve reached 80% of your goal!”)
Social and gamified features:
- Family sharing (e.g., parents can track their children’s savings)
- Rewards (badges, discounts from partners)
The advantages of Walkie: How to sell hardware in a software world?
While most fintech companies focus on:
❌ Total dematerialization (no more cash, everything digital)
❌ Complexity (multi-currency, crypto, trading)
❌ Anonymity (little human interaction)
Money Walkie has chosen to differentiate itself by:
✅ A return to the tangible: “See and touch your money to save it better.”
✅ Simplicity: No financial jargon, an intuitive experience
✅ Emotion: The pleasure of using fun cases
The industrial challenge: manufacturing a fintech product
Creating a fintech object presents a twofold challenge:
- The complexity of hardware, with its design and production constraints
- The demands of finance, with its requirements for security, compliance, and reliability
This is where Altyor comes in, an experienced industrial partner capable of supporting a start-up from the design phase through to mass production.
Discover how Altyor supports innovative hardware projects
A strategic choice: manufacturing in France
After an initial production phase in Asia, Money Walkie decided in 2024 to repatriate its manufacturing to France, to the Altyor workshops in Orléans.
This was a major turning point in terms of responsiveness, quality, and proximity.
The advantages of this Made in France production are clear:
- Industrial flexibility: ability to produce on demand according to market needs
- Customization: adaptation of series for events or partnerships
- Local customer support: fast after-sales service, immediate adjustments on the assembly line
More than 160,000 Walkies have already been brought to market since 2020, demonstrating controlled industrialization and a scalable model.
How to manufacture a hardware product on a large scale?
Going from prototype to production is a critical turning point. Wrong choice of partner, quality defects, delays… a mistake can be costly.
This guide, designed by Altyor’s experts, will help you structure your approach and avoid the pitfalls. You will find clear advice on how to manage your production with peace of mind.
Industrialization and mass production
Moving from prototype to mass production is a crucial step.
With Altyor’s support, Money Walkie was able to:
- Ensure design reliability through integrated industrialisation methods
- Optimise assembly and testing processes
- Ensure compliance with electronic and security standards
The engineering and production teams worked hand in hand to ensure a rapid time-to-market, while controlling costs and quality.
👉 Product industrialisation: how Altyor transforms an idea into a tangible product
Security and compliance: the fintech requirement
In the financial sector, trust is essential.
To guarantee transaction security and data confidentiality, Money Walkie relies on:
- Payment technologies approved by major banking networks
- A system of disposable virtual cards to secure online payments
- Protection via PIN code or biometric recognition through the mobile application
These technical choices enhance the credibility of the product and reassure families, the core target audience for the device.
From vision to production: the success story of Money Walkie
In four years, Money Walkie has succeeded in:
- Launching a hardware product in a sector dominated by software
- Securing production and quality through local industrialization
- Build a strong, recognizable, and emotional brand
This success is based on a solid partnership with a trusted industrial player capable of adapting production to each stage of growth.
Lessons for hardware startups
Money Walkie’s journey illustrates three key lessons for young companies looking to get into hardware:
- Surround yourself with an experienced industrial partner right from the design stage
- Anticipate the industrialization phase to avoid delays and additional costs
- Combine innovation and execution, because success depends not only on the idea, but also on the ability to produce quickly and well
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Hardware, a differentiating factor in Fintech
Money Walkie proves that there is a place for hardware in fintech, provided that:
- Target a clear niche (those who want to see and touch their money)
- Hybridize with digital technology (a complementary app is essential)
- An emotional marketing strategy: Focus on the user experience rather than purely financial arguments
With Altyor, the start-up has succeeded in transforming an educational idea into a successful product.
In a world where everything is becoming virtual, the tangible is regaining its value: that of trust, durability, and emotion
Do you have an innovative hardware project? Follow Money Walkie’s example: turn your idea into mass production with Altyor.