November summary!

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If you missed out on the Voice of FinTech podcast episodes Voice of FinTech podcast in November, 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.

Making credit available to all with Michele Tucci, CSO and MD Americas at Credolab, USA

Michele Tucci, MD Americas and Chief Strategy Officer at credolab, spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about the importance of credit scoring and the need to improve credit assessment through alternative approaches. 

Here is what they discussed:

  • Michele – what’s your background? How did you get to what you do today? Why join a start-up/scale-up?

  • The link between payments, credit score, and lending

  • Why do we need alternative credit scoring?

  • credolab's performance in predicting bad debt vs. traditional methods

  • Privacy and security and your credit score

  • Key clients

  • Technology angle

  • Plans for scaling up

  • High-level overview of the business model

  • The best way to reach out is mtucci@credolab.com or the credolab website. 

Crypto strategy in payments with Jess Houlgrave from Checkout.com (UK)

Jess Houlgrave, Crypto Strategy and GTM Lead at Checkout.com,  spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about the future of crypto in the payments space.

Here is what they covered in more detail:

  • Jess' background: from arts to Checkout.com

  • What’s the problem Checkout.com is solving? What’s Jess's focus as a Crypto strategist?

  • Will we pay with crypto more widely, or will most cryptocurrencies play the role of digital gold?

  • How would the use of stablecoins fit into the traditional economy?

  • The current status quo of CBDCs from the perspective of end users (individuals)

  • Key clients for Checkout.com

  • Why Jess believes their solutions are better than competitors'

  • Crypto markets this year: why have we seen such a correlation with traditional public markets this year?

  • How would you judge the market temperature after you attended the Merge FinTech Nexus conference? Are we entering a crypto winter?

  • What’s your technology angle, or do you have more brilliant engineers than other players?

  • News and education sources: Blockworks. Ari Redbord, Lynn Alden and Ryan Selkis

  • Best way to reach out: Jess Houlgrave on Twitter or Checkout.com website

MENA Series with Dorra Mahbouli: Investing in Africa through a crowdfunding platform with the help of the African diaspora in France with Firas Rhaiem, co-founder & CEO of Relatic

In the second episode of the MENA (the Middle East & North Africa) Series, Dorra Mahbouli, VP of Corporate Strategy at Zitouna Finance, spoke to Firas Rhaeim, CEO and co-founder of Relatic, Tunisian Venture Builder, Fundraiser & Tech Enthusiast, about crowdfunding enabling the Tunisian and African economy and scaling start-ups in the region through Diaspora investments.

Here is what they talked about:
• Initially, Dorra started the conversation with some insights and background from Firas’s experiences and why building a bridge between Europe and Africa through crowdfunding can be a great opportunity fr startups in the region
• Among other topics, Dorra and Firas discussed the opportunities that Relatic platform: afrikwity.com is suggesting to start-ups, VCs, and corporate partners in Tunisia and abroad
• Firas argues that Diaspora  is an essential enabler of the Tunisian economy and would play a big role for investing in other fields such as Medtech, fintech, edtech, to create jobs and opportunities for local talents
• Finally, they discussed the difference between the legal framework in France and Tunisia, what are the main challenges and concluded the conversation with some insights into the future of Relatic & afrikwity.com as a platform and how they would be scaling it for a sustainable impact on the region

Simplifying financial lives of SMBs with Philipp Povel and Malte Huffmann, co-founders of Mondu (Germany)

Philipp Povel and  Malte Huffmann, co-founders of Mondu, spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about serial entrepreneurship, the need to focus on sizable opportunity, and helping SMBs thrive.


Here is what they talked about:

Serial entrepreneurs investing in start-ups with Karl Alomar, Managing Partner at M13 (USA)

Karl Alomar, the Managing Partner at M13, spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about the value add that serial entrepreneurs turned investors provide to their portfolio companies.

Here is what they talked about:

  • Karl's entrepreneurial journey and then investing

  • M13's profile

  • M13's investment track record

  • M13's investment approach

  • Best tips for aspiring founders to start and grow their companies

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

  • Success stories of the start-ups for which you raised funds

  • Deal sourcing tips

  • Appeal to inspiring entrepreneurs to learn more about M13 - Karl Alomar on LinkedIn

Insurance as an alternative to rental deposits with Meeri Savolainen, co-founder of INZMO


Meeri Savolainen, the CEO, and co-founder of INZMO, Berlin-headquartered InsurTech, spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about creative solutions for tenants being asked to pay a rental deposit and house contents insurance which is not only easy when a client is being onboarded, but also when they make a claim.

Here is what they covered:

  • Meeri's background - why become an entrepreneur in InsurTech? 

  • Inzmo and a previous foray into insurance with Bike ID – why pivot?

  • What is INZMO, and what problems are you solving?

  • Why is there much demand for InsurTechs’solutions – i.e., why are traditional insurance offerings losing traction with millennials /gen Z?

  • Who are your key clients? Many companies these days talk about customer centricity. What does it mean for you?

  • Where are you based? How does the Berlin startup scene compare to that of Tallinn?

  • How do you make money? What is your business model?

  • 2022 has been a tough year, and many countries face a cost-of-living crisis. Why rental deposit alternatives are needed, and where do you fit in?

  • It’s unfortunately still evident that even in 2022, we have a gender funding gap, and there is a gender imbalance worldwide. How has it shaped the way you run your startup?

  • What are plans for your business going forward, scaling ambitions?

  • Favorite book: From Start-up to Grown-up: Grow Your Leadership to Grow Your Business and books by Marty Cagan on product development

  • Wrap up: the best way to reach out: Meeri on LinkedIn


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