Voice of FinTech

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Summer summary!

Rudolf Falat

Blue Lagoon, Malta

In case you missed out on the episodes of the Voice of FinTech podcast in July and August, here is your roundup! You can listen to all the episodes on the Episodes pages of this website or when you subscribe to your favorite podcast apps under Subscribe.

Innovation Strategies for Financial Services with Brigitta Gyoerfi, CEO of Creablin´ - Switzerland

Brigitta Gyoerfi, Innovation Strategist and CEO of Creablin´ spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about innovation strategies for banking incumbents, e.g., design thinking, metaverse, DeFi or sustainability and more.

Here is what they talked about in more detail:

  • Brigitta – what’s your background? How did you get to what you do today?

  • I know you are also an expert on Design Thinking – how would you assess the customer-centricity among incumbent banks in Switzerland and, say, a few years back?

  • What are some of the best resources (books, courses, studios) where can someone start with Design Thinking? Check out Sparkacademy or Ideo, for example.

  • DeFi and metaverse are hot topics – are these topics that banks can work on now or are they Horizon 3 kinds of problems?

  • Examples of where you worked with corporate clients on metaverse applications

  • Isn’t DeFi going against the incumbents by definition?

  • Does corporate innovation work or is it an innovation theater?

  • What would advise start-ups trying to work with incumbents? What’s the best way to talk to the right people, and who are they?

  • Sustainability entered mainstream investing a while ago as well, yes, we still have issues with ESG investing, sustainability reporting and greenwashing. What are some initiatives in Switzerland that address these issues? What can we do as individuals to progress these topics more?

  • Contacts: Creablin´ website or Brigitta Gyoerfi LinkedIn profile

Digital businesses and their payment needs with Uldis Tēraudkalns, CEO of Nexpay - Latvia

Uldis Tēraudkalns, CEO of Nexpay, Latvian FinTech supporting digital businesses and their payment needs, spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about specific needs of digital businesses not addressed by incumbent banks and more.

Nexpay overview: We are supporting digital companies so they are no longer required to have a bank account at a legacy financial institution to do their business. You can build your digital business using the Nexpay dedicated IBANs and our seamless payments solutions. Integrate into your business flow via API, and shape your business with the ultimate digital infrastructure. Join Nexpay, the ultimate payments infrastructure provider.


Here is what they covered:

  • Uldis' background

  • What does Nexpay provide? What's the problem they are solving

  • What's different about Nexpay vs. other neobanks

  • Technology angle

  • Plans for scaling up and perhaps expanding the product range

  • Crypto or digital assets outlook this year

  • Your clients are based worldwide - compliance and regulatory aspects

  • Business model

  • Team size and location: from Riga, Latvia, to the world

  • How did you get going and acquire the first customers when you first started

  • Recommended books: Bitcoin Billionaires and The Hard Thing About Hard Things

  • The best way to reach out: find Uldis on LinkedIn here.

Helping start-ups grow and investing in them with Drew Glover, GP of Fiat Ventures and Founding Partner of Fiat Growth

Drew Glover, GP of Fiat Ventures and Founding Partner of Fiat Growth, spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about what it takes to grow start-ups, especially FinTechs, and how insights from growth consultancy can lead to a unique edge as a VC investor.

Here is what they covered:

  • Drew's background

  • Fiat Growth and Fiat Ventures - what do they do? Growth consultancy and VC fund. No relation to Fiat, a car company:)

  • What kind of start-ups have you invested in, and what sort of FinTechs have you invested in? 

  • What's your investment approach? 

  • Tips for aspiring founders to start and grow their company

  • Where are we regarding start-up and FinTech valuations, given the macro environment turning for the worse?

  • Success story example: Teen-focused FinTech Copper, raising USD 29m in April 2022, led by Fiat Ventures

  • Growth consultancy and deal sourcing and insights

  • Best way to reach out: Check out Fiat Growth

Modern trade financing or B2B BNPL with Louis Carbonnier, co-CEO and co-founder of Hokodo

Louis Carbonnier, co-CEO, and co-founder of Hokodo, a B2B BNPL or trade finance solution, spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about innovative digital approaches in trade financing, supporting SMEs, and commerce overall.

Here is what they talked about:

  • Louis' background: why become an entrepreneur?

  • What does Hokodo provide? What’s the problem you are solving? Why trade financing?

  • What’s different between Hokodo and other trade financing providers? You also call yourself a BNPL for SMEs – do you work like BNPLs in the consumer space?

  • What’s your technology angle?

  • What are your plans for scaling up and perhaps expanding the product range?

  • You serve SMEs – what sectors do you focus on, and what’s your outlook for the rest of this year, given the challenging global economic environment?

  • Where are your clients?

  • How do you make money?

  • How big is your team, and where are you based?

  • How did you get going and acquire the first customers when you first started?

  • What’s your favorite business book? The hard thing about hard things (of course!) by Ben Horowitz and Empowered by Marty Cagan

  • What’s the best way to reach out: louis@hokodo.co or LinkedIn

Revenue based financing for digital businesses with James Hickson, founder and CEO of Bloom - Luxembourg

James Hickson, founder and CEO of Bloom, Europe's leading provider of capital to digital businesses, spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about revenue-based financing for e-commerce and retail businesses.

  • James's entrepreneurship journey

  • What does Bloom provide? What's the problem you are solving?

  • What's different between Bloom and other providers of revenue financing?

  • What's Bloom's technology angle?

  • What are your plans for scaling up?

  • What's the outlook for the rest of this year for SMEs that Bloom serves, given the challenging global economic environment?

  • How does Bloom make money?

  • Clients and Bloom's locations

  • Favorite business books: Steve Jobs and Good to Great

  • Reach out through LinkedIn or the website

Smarter insurance from Kenya with mTek Services's CEO, Bente Krogmann

Bente Krogmann, CEO of mTek Services, based in Nairobi, Kenya, spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about disrupting the insurance industry in Africa with her insurance brokerage platform.

Here is what they talked about:

  • Bente – what’s your background? How did you get to what you do today in Kenya? Why become an entrepreneur?

  • What is mTek? What is the problem you are solving?

  • What’s different between mTek and other InsurTech platforms in Africa?

  • How did you get going and acquire the first customers when you first started?

  • What’s your technology angle?

  • What are your plans for scaling up and perhaps expanding the product range?

  • How do you make money?

  • How big is your team, and where are you based?

  • What’s your favorite business book? Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

  • What’s the best way to reach out: LinkedIn

Trading wherever you are with Tradier's CEO, Dan Raju (USA)

Dan Raju, founder, Chairman, and CEO at Tradier, a trading infrastructure provider, leading embedded Finance growth, spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about why he believes financial services have been unbundled and why it's essential to enable traders to trade where they get inspiration to trade.

Here is what they talked about:

  • Dan – what's your background? How did you get to what you do today? Why become an entrepreneur?

  • What does Tradier provide? What's the problem you are solving? Why do you believe in embedded finance?

  • What's different between Tradier and other infrastructure players in the embedded Finance space?

  • What's Tradier's technology angle?

  • What are Dan's plans for scaling up and perhaps expanding the product range?

  • Thoughts on the social media companies offering investment products

  • How does Tradier make money?

  • Favorite business book: Built for Growth: How Builder Personality Shapes Your Business, Your Team, and Your Ability to Win by Chris Kuenne

  • The best way to reach out: sales@trader.com or LinkedIn

How to manage your subscriptions better with Indus Khaitan, founder and CEO of Quolum (USA)

Indus Khaitan, the CEO and founder of Quolum, spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about helping businesses manage their many subscriptions to software services and save money!

Here is what they talked about:

Investing in Enterprise Software with Rajeev Dham, MD at Sapphire Ventures - USA

Rajeev Dham, Managing Director at Sapphire Ventures, spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about investing in enterprise software companies with a positive impact on communities such as Wise, formerly TransferWise.

Here is what they talked about:

If you have suggestions for topics or guests on the show or have ideas about how to make this podcast better for you, please e-mail us at info@voiceoffintech.com. Alternatively, you can also leave a voicemail here.

Keep safe!

Sincerely,

Rudolf Falat