London Fintech Podcast
London Fintech Podcast features interviews with key players in the London FinTech scene, exploring the golden age of innovation in financial services. The host, Tony Clark, discusses the epochal shift in banking, insurance, and other financial sectors, comparing it to the Big Bang era of the 1980s. The podcast delves into who the future equivalents of Amazon, Google, and Facebook might be in finance, and how they will reshape the industry. Listeners hear stories from those raiding the citadel of traditional finance.
Episodes
Seeker and the rise of crypto-native smartphones
Smartphones are evolving. According to Emmett Hollyer of Solana Mobile, the next generation of devices will be the foundation of how we own, trade, and manage digital assets.In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark speaks with Emmett Hollyer from Solana Mobile about the rise of crypto-native hardware, the launch of the Seeker device, and why mobile phones could become the primary
From trading to infrastructure: Crypto’s real future
Crypto is moving from the margins to the core of global financial infrastructure — but the real question is how fast that transformation will happen, and who will lead it.In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark speaks with Keith Grose, UK CEO at Coinbase, to explore the evolution of crypto, institutional adoption, and the technologies shaping the next decade of finance.The conver
Banking Transformation Summit 2026: How banks are turning AI into ROI
Banking is changing fast, but what does real transformation actually look like inside today’s financial institutions?In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Mark Johnstone, Chief Strategy Officer at MoneyNext and Managing Director of the Banking Transformation Summit, to unpack how banks are navigating AI, modernisation, and the evolving competitive landscape.Mark
AI, risk & reality: Inside modern lending decisions
In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark speaks with Christoph Rieche, CEO and Co-Founder of iwoca, about his transition from Goldman Sachs to building one of Europe’s leading SME lending platforms.“More than 80% of our customers receive instant credit decisions… and can draw funding the same day.”That capability sits at the heart of iwoca’s proposition — transforming SME lending
The #1 mistake entrepreneurs make (and how to fix it)
Entrepreneurship offers endless opportunities, but the real challenge is knowing which ones to pursue.In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark speaks with James Benham, CEO & Co-Founder at JBK & Terra and host of the InsurTech Geek Podcast, to reflect on a wide-ranging career spanning technology, insurance, and construction, and the hard-earned lessons that come with it.Th
The Biggest Fintech Event of 2026: Money20/20 Europe | Special Preview
Money20/20 has become one of the most important gatherings in global fintech — bringing together the leaders, innovators, and institutions shaping the future of financial services.In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark speaks with Oliver Smith, Head of Content for Europe at Money20/20 Europe 2026, to explore what’s coming at this year’s flagship event.They discuss the scale and
Why privacy is the key to institutional blockchain: Inside the Canton Network
Blockchain has been discussed for over a decade, but its real impact in institutional finance is only now beginning to take shape.In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark speaks with Yuval Rooz, CEO of Digital Asset and Co-Founder of Canton, about how blockchain infrastructure is evolving to meet the needs of global capital markets.At the centre of the conversation is the Canton N
Decision intelligence in the AI era: How Quantexa turns data to decisions
As AI accelerates across financial services, the real competitive advantage is no longer just analytics — it’s decision intelligence.In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark is joined by Jamie Hutton, Chief Technology Officer of Quantexa, to explore how organisations are moving beyond dashboards and manual analysis toward context-driven, automated decision-making.Now celebrating i
How real is quantum risk for crypto?
While much of the financial world is racing to keep up with AI and the rapid institutionalisation of blockchain and crypto, another powerful technology has been quietly advancing in the background for decades — quantum computing.In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark is joined by Christopher Jensen, Portfolio Manager & Director of Digital Asset Research at Franklin Templeton
Inside the modern CFO’s office: Turning data into decisive action
🎙️ In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark speaks with Søren Westh Lonning, CFO of Pleo, about how finance leaders are navigating an era of growing complexity, higher expectations, and mounting pressure — and why too many organisations are still making decisions based on hindsight rather than foresight.Søren shares Pleo’s growth journey, scaling from €65m to €165m in ARR in just
The real-time CFO: How data Is transforming decision-making
In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Susanne Chishti to explore the growing pressure on CFOs operating in today’s increasingly complex financial environment, from geopolitical shocks to shrinking margins and fragmented data systems.This conversation is created in collaboration with Pleo, and highlights their work in modernising the CFO’s office through real-time
The rise of institutional onchain finance
🎙️ In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Sid Powell, CEO of Maple Finance, to explore the rapid rise of onchain finance and what it means for the future of institutional lending, asset management, and global financial markets.Sid explains how Maple is building institutional-grade borrowing and lending natively onchain, taking a different path from traditional fin
Lifetime financial planning in the digital age
🎙️ In this episode, Tony sits down with Richard Squire, founder of My Finance Future, to explore how his FinTech startup is reshaping the way people plan their financial lives—not just for today, but for the decades ahead.Richard shares his journey from a successful career in management consulting to building a platform designed to help individuals truly understand their long-term financial positi
How Bahrain built a thriving fintech ecosystem
🎙️ In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Dalal Buhejji to explore how Bahrain is fast becoming one of the most dynamic fintech hubs in the Middle East.Dalal unpacks Bahrain’s rich legacy in financial services, now the largest contributor to its economy, surpassing oil and gas. She shares how the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) supports global and local f
Inside the institutional blockchain revolution
In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Ben Brophy, Head of Institutional Growth, Europe at the Solana Foundation, to explore how the world’s fastest and most actively used blockchain is shaping the next generation of financial infrastructure.Ben shares his journey from traditional finance—spanning roles at NatWest and Fidelity International—to leading Solana’s ins
From data to decision: The future of AI and automation in Financial Services
🎙️ In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Andy MacMillan, CEO of Alteryx, to explore how data, automation, and AI are reshaping the future of financial services.With a background in enterprise software and data management, Andy shares how Alteryx has evolved into a leading platform helping organisations operationalise AI—turning raw data into actionable insight. T
AI, embedded finance & the UK fintech ecosystem
🎙️ In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark speaks with Symmie Swil, UK General Manager of Upvest, about the company’s role in financial technology and investment infrastructure.Symmie shares her career journey, the development of Upvest, and how embedded finance is being integrated into modern financial services. The conversation covers financial literacy, the use of AI in financ
"Governing the Machine": Responsible AI in financial services
🎙️ In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark speaks with Dr. Paul Dongha, Head of Responsible AI & AI Strategy at NatWest Group, about the importance of AI governance in financial services.With decades of experience in AI—from his early PhD research on autonomous agents to leading responsible AI initiatives at major banks—Paul brings both technical depth and practical expertise
Fintech in Europe: AI, regulation & emerging hubs
🎙️ In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark speaks with Mike Brennan of Finch Capital and AI innovator Parsa Ghaffari about the evolution of fintech in Europe and the impact of AI on financial services.They discuss the development of new fintech hubs, the integration of AI across business functions, and how regulation and technology are shaping operating models.The conversation al
Money20/20: On stage with global fintech leaders
🎙️ In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark speaks with Scarlett Sieber, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer at Money20/20, about the role of global industry gatherings in financial services.Scarlett discusses her career journey from banking innovation to leading strategy at Money20/20, and shares perspectives on collaboration across the sector. The conversation covers the return
The future of asset servicing: AI, automation & digital assets
🎙️ In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Rob Stone, General Manager of Intelligent Automation and Analytics at SS&C, to explore how AI, automation, and digital assets are reshaping the future of asset servicing and investment management.Rob shares his journey with SS&C—from joining in 2010 when the firm was valued at $1 billion, to helping scale it into a
Digitisation: The next 50 years in global finance, with Sandy Kaul
In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Sandy Kaul, Executive Vice President & Head of Innovation at Franklin Templeton, to explore how tokenisation, smart contracts, and wallet-based ecosystems are set to redefine the future of finance.Sandy shares her extensive background at the intersection of finance and technology, explaining how the industry is moving fro
Rethinking AI: Platforms, purpose & simulation in practice, with Robb Wilson
️In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Robb Wilson—pioneer in AI, experience design expert, and author—to unpack the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence and what it really means for the future of financial services.Robb shares why simulation is the next big leap in AI, how outbound and agentic AI will redefine customer interactions, and why the industry ne
Stablecoins & blockchain use cases in modern finance, with Staci Warden
In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Staci Warden, CEO of the Algorand Foundation, to explore the future of crypto, stablecoins, and the role of blockchain in building more inclusive, efficient financial systems.Staci shares her journey from Wall Street and the U.S. Treasury to leading one of the most innovative blockchain foundations in the world. The conversat
The state of AI in financial services – myth vs reality
In this special AI episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark explores the transformative impact of AI in financial services—from practical applications to regulatory challenges, and everything in between.As AI adoption accelerates, Tony goes through a number of key insights covering what it takes to implement AI responsibly, how firms are moving from narrow to generative and Agentic AI mod
Building fintech for frontier markets, with Elizabeth Rossiello
In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Elizabeth Rossiello, CEO and founder of AZA Finance, to explore how she's reshaping cross-border payments and foreign exchange across frontier markets in Africa and beyond.Elizabeth shares her journey from Wall Street to Nairobi, her groundbreaking work with BitPesa in launching digital currencies, and how AZA Finance is solv
Becoming a female entrepreneur in the city, with Mia Drennan
In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Mia Drennan, founder of Global Loan Agency Services (GLAS), to explore her remarkable entrepreneurial journey—from launching a business with just £6,000 to building a global company with over 400 employees managing $500 billion in assets.Mia shares what it takes to succeed as a female founder in a male-dominated fintech space
Inside the Global Payments Engine, with Pete Wickes with Worldpay
In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Pete Wickes, General Manager for Global Enterprise at Worldpay, to unpack the fast-evolving landscape of payments and the innovations redefining how money moves around the world.Pete shares insights from his extensive experience leading Worldpay’s global operations, exploring the rapid acceleration of digital payment methods,
Global bank tech innovation, with Andrew McKibben, Head of International Technology at Bank of America
In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Andrew McKibben, Head of International Technology and CIO for Global Corporate & Investment Banking at Bank of America, to explore how one of the world’s largest financial institutions is using technology, AI, and innovation to stay ahead in a rapidly changing industry.Andrew shares insights on the strategic role of techn
From hype to execution: Deploying AI in banking with EJ Achtner, ex-Head of AI at HSBC
In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark is joined by EJ Achtner, former Group Head of Generative AI Capabilities at HSBC, to explore the transformative power of AI in the financial services industry. They delve into what it really takes to implement AI at scale in highly regulated, complex environments and the potential challenges and opportunities this presents.EJ shares insight
The future of cross-border payments – with Pierre-Antoine Dusoulier, Founder of IBanFirst
Watch the video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUTLS4v9N_MIn this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony sits down with Pierre-Antoine Dusoulier, founder of iBanFirst, one of Europe's fastest-growing fintech companies specialising in cross-border payments.They explore the complexities of international transactions, Pierre-Antoine’s entrepreneurial journey, and what makes
The future of cross-border payments – with Pierre-Antoine Dusoulier, Founder of IBanFirst
In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony sits down with Pierre-Antoine Dusoulier, founder of iBanFirst, one of Europe's fastest-growing fintech companies specialising in cross-border payments.They explore the complexities of international transactions, Pierre-Antoine’s entrepreneurial journey, and what makes IBAN First stand out in a competitive market. From funding strategies to the ro
Finfluencer marketing for FinTechs – with Shameer Sachdev, Founder of Growth Gorilla
In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony sits down with Shameer Sachdev, an expert in FinTech marketing, to explore the rapidly evolving landscape and the strategies that drive growth in a competitive market.Shameer shares insights on the critical role of creativity in FinTech marketing, the power of effective messaging, and the potential of influencer marketing to enhance brand awarene
Unlocking data privacy & financial crime, with Enveil Founder Ellison-Anne Williams
Watch the video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQt73hUb5Zs&t=756sIn the latest episode of the London Fintech Podcast, we sit down with Ellison Anne Williams, founder and CEO of Enveil, to explore the critical role of data privacy and privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) in the fight against financial crime.Ellison Anne shares her expertise in homomorphic encryption and se
Building a fintech ground up – the playbook for launching an InsurTech, with Alistair Heggie
Watch the video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSNW5yhQhq8In this insightful episode of the London Fintech Podcast, we sit down with Alistair Hegge, co-founder of DA Insured, to explore the challenges and opportunities of building a FinTech startup in the rapidly evolving digital asset insurance market.Alistair shares his journey in launching DA Insured, an insure-tech company
Agentic AI – A pivotal moment for humanity, with Simon Torrance
Watch the video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVKwUaypz9QIn this special episode of the London Fintech Podcast, we sit down with Simon Torrance, an expert in AI and business model transformation, to explore the emerging world of Agentic AI and its profound implications for businesses.Simon shares his journey in helping enterprises navigate AI-driven change and the founding of
Exploring the World of Private Credit, with Francesco Filia
Watch the video version on YouTube:In this insightful episode of the London Fintech Podcast, we sit down with Francesco Filia, founder of Fasanara Capital, to explore the transformative landscape of private credit and fintech lending.Francesco shares his journey from traditional banking to building Fasanara Capital, a digital finance asset manager redefining lending practices with cutting-edge tec
Beyond Banks: Technology, Regulation, and the Future of Money, with Dan Awrey
Watch the video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFEJpYz7hgwIn this thought-provoking episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark interviews Dan Awrey, a professor of law at Cornell Law School and the author of Beyond Banks. The conversation delves into the intersection of technology, law, and financial institutions, exploring the evolution of banking and payments, the tra
Digitising Rebates – The Enable Solution, with Nick Rose
Watch the video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7M7njXxafNgIn this insightful episode of the London Fintech Podcast, we sit down with Nick Rose, CFO of Enable, a pioneering FinTech company revolutionising rebate management. This is an episode for CFOs and deal-makers alike. Whilst rebate management as a concept may not be immediately familiar to all, once we understand that it’s any deal stru
Lord Mayor of London, Professor Michael Mainelli
Watch the video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P2WLceLQ8A&t=2sIn this special episode of the London Fintech Podcast, we are privileged to talk with Michael Manelli, the 695th Lord Mayor of London. Michael shares his extraordinary career journey, spanning from his early days in aerospace at Lockheed Martin to becoming a key figure in financial services, fintech, and leadin
Finding £90bn of lost assets - with Duncan Stevens, CEO of Gretel
Watch the video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXa2V8bRufAIn this episode of The London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Duncan Stevens, Founder of Gretel, to discuss the platform’s mission to reconnect individuals with lost financial assets. Duncan shares how his entrepreneurial journey was shaped by his early life experiences and a strong desire to create purpose-d
The State of European Fintech - with Aman Ghei from Finch Capital
Watch the video version on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgYg4tPP48AIn this episode of The London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Aman Ghei to look at the state of Fintech in Europe.Aman shares his journey from M&A banking, working at Accel and Facebook and games development, to building a career in venture capital. Aman reflects on how these experiences have influenced hi
Exploring the future of Digital Assets and Asia's Fintech landscape - with Qin En Looi
Watch the video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1M4ODqxthw&t=973sIn this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Qin En Looi, a leading figure in the Asia fintech space, to explore the future of digital assets and the convergence of fintech and blockchain technology. Qin shares his journey from a traditional Singaporean upbringing to becoming a suc
Robinhood comes to the UK – with Jordan Sinclair
Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Tk_Qg5Lkiw0In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Jordan Sinclair, President of Robinhood UK, to explore Robinhood’s ambitious global expansion, with a particular focus on its UK market entry.Jordan brings a wealth of experience from his diverse career, and is now leading Robinhood’s mission to democratise finan
Risks, Regulations & Remedies – a FinCrime deep dive with Paul Caulfield
Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ny7vDFIVhkoIn this episode Tony Clark sits down with Paul Caulfield for a deep dive into the troubling world of Financial Crime.Paul is a practising attorney. He’s been a chief legal officer and a chief risk officer at major Financial Institutions, and he’s worked with pretty much all the market regulators in the sector, including the Department
Technology and the Law – with Louis Glass, Board Member, CMS
Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7NHLjXfhNqQIn this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark is joined by Louis Glass, the head of CMS’ TMT-sector M&A group in the UK, Managing Partner of the firm’s Tel Aviv office, and a member of the management board.Louis brings a wealth of experience as a corporate lawyer with specialist expertise in tech, internet, and e-comm
Wealth management for the Zillenial Generation with Sarah Levy, CEO of Betterment
Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/go9S3Ta0xtYIn this episode of the London Fintech podcast, Tony Clark talks to Sarah Levy.Sarah has over 25 years of experience launching and growing new brands, however Sarah’s journey to FS is an unconventional one, having crossed over only 4 years ago from a super successful career with Disney, Nickelodeon and Viacom, to leading one of the fas
Changing the game – the new era in banking with ClearBank. A conversation with Charles McManus, CEO.
Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-thOpJvMmF8Which bank was the first UK clearing bank in 250 years, grew income 91%, last year despite the fintech downturn, doubled its deposits and provides banking services to 250 companies, including 16 other banks?In this episode of the London FinTech podcast, Tony Clark is joined by Charles McManus, Founding CEO of ClearBank.Charles is an i
Connections in a FinTech World: A Conversation with Niall Cameron
Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/j5HZhwSuVy4In this episode of the London Fintech podcast, Tony Clark talks to Niall Cameron. They explore Niall’s journey from heading trading teams to leading digital transformation at HSBC and now building a unique Fintech community through FinTech Connex.There are by some estimates over 26, 000 FinTechs globally. However, as this audience wil
The forensic AI that can predict corporate collapse! – The Transparently Story
Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/j5HZhwSuVy4In his inaugural episode of the London Fintech Podcast, host Tony Clark takes over from Mike Baliman and takes a deep dive into the world of AI powered forensic accounting.Research shows that 1 in 10 US firms are cooking the books and that accounting manipulation is a $4.7Tn industry problem, in the US alone. Transparently has built a
LFP 10th Anniversary! The Future of the Global System, FS, Fintech and the LFP! w/Tony Clark CEO Next Wave
This is the 4th and final episode in the mini-series celebrating the LFP’s 10th anniversary. Having looked at the past decade in Fintech, dived into how an LLM really works and discussed what risks AI does or doesn’t pose to humanity in this episode we cover the macro picture right now as the setting for the outlook for FS and Fintech over the next decade as well as revealing the exciting plans f
LFP10th Anniversary Special! A Deep Dive Into the Realpolitik of AI Risk – Are We All Doomed or Is That Sci-Fi Fantasy?
In this episode we discuss the super-hot and super-important topic of what Risks AI poses to humanity and society. There is perhaps not a hotter and more misunderstood topic than that of AI and the risks it poses. Many indeed fear that “it” will eliminate humans. The influential Geoffrey Hinton, co-creator of the seminal backpropagation algorithm, has been all over the media saying we need to worr
LFP10th Anniversary Special! A Deep Dive: Demystifying LLMs, How They Work & the Amazing 81yr Timeline to their Creation!
LLMs, of which ChatGPT is the most well-known, are perhaps the most awesome tech invention of all time. Even experienced AI folk didn’t see this coming. Most if not all of us will have used ChatGPT. However understanding of how they work is for most people either totally missing or totally misled by anthropomorphic language – thinking, learning, hallucinating, learns like a human, is like your br
LFP 10th Anniversary Special! The Story of a Decade Of Fintech Evolution As It Happened at the Time
The past decade has seen the most extraordinary innovation in any business sector in the UK and thence world since the industrial revolution . An amazing outburst of creativity and independent players emerged on the oldest and stodgiest sector of all – FS. The LFP was the first, and most blue-chip podcast to cover this scene starting in 2014. This episode is like a mini-documentary that takes us
LFP251 – WARNING Re Mugging & Banking Apps
This is a super-short extraordinary LFP outside the usual programming schedule to alert listeners to the crime of mugging folks and then getting them to transfer under duress large sums of money to the thieves bank account. This is apparently on the increase in London and is well-known in countries such as Brazil and South Africa where people may routinely take burner phones with them when going
LFP250 – Guide to using PR in Tech Firms w/Ben Goldsmith CEO Goldsmith Communications
If you invent the world’s greatest Fintech App in your garden shed that’s impressive – but something only known to you. At which point you need to get the word out to relevant audiences. PR is an essential component in the modern world to help you refine and target that message and to get you and it into the relevant publications/podcasts et al that will reach your target clients and the market i
LFP249 – Radical Innovation in a Cross-Domain Fashion w/Ani Sane co-founder Terrapay
One major way of innovating is to move into a domain with transferable and out of the box skills/ideas/technology. This presents obvious opportunities for radical change yet naturally produces equally obvious challenges. In this episode we look at how 4 co-founders created a payments infrastructure Fintech that now connects an amazing 7.5 billion bank accounts, 6 billion cards, connect banks in
LFP248 – The Challenges of FS/Fintech Boards esp in the 21stC w/Neil Holden Serial FS NED
The Governance of FS as a whole affects all of our lives as we saw in 2008 let alone in many individual examples of FS/Fintech businesses failing and losing clients money. In our digital age virtually all of our money is digital and next to no-one sees a share certificate any more so all of our investments are digital. Thus what might appear to be a refined topic for a few is at the heart of all
LFP247 – The Long Slow Path To Tech Success, Issues Involved and Moral Choices w/Ruzbeh Bach CEO City Falcon
The tech world focuses heavily on the “succeed fast or fail fast” model of tech growth. In part this is as VC firms generally have limited life funds and hence cannot handle slower models but is also as the tech press loves the hype/condemn cycle implicit in this. However generally most businesses do not follow this model. Whilst rapid success comes to a few, for more it takes rather longer and f
LFP246: The Crucial Role of Venture Accelerators – NEDs, Advisors, Mentors, Mentors of Mentors, Angels et al – w/Nic Lenz
The Founder(s) is(are) at the heart of creating something new that literally never existed before. However they very much do not do this in vacuo needing to entice and hire a team below them but also, less well understood, a team around them. The surround will at some point coalesce into a formal Board (as opposed to a pro forma Board for Day0 – and for many days after – NewCos).
In this episode
LFP245 – Fintech in France w/Louis Carbonnier Co-Founder Hokodo
As always there is a fascinating phenomenon when the globalised world of tech meets the localised worlds of custom, people, rules and regulations. As recently as LFP243 we dived in to the world of tech as a whole in Berlin and today we dive into Fintech in France. Needless to say France is a massive market, well banked and a real venue for Fintech. That having been said there are, as always, some
LFP244 – The Use Of Multiple Models Across The Lending Process w/Jerome Le Luel CEO Triver
In this episode we take the opportunity to talk to one of the most credit risk experienced men in Fintech who has ranged from a dozen years at seminal Capital One through managing Barclay’s £40 bn portfolio, being CRO at Funding Circle to now founding his own Fintech to mechanise further short term SME liquidity financing, Jerome’s stats are that banks automate roughly 5% of this type of lending
2024 New Year Special: A Deeeep Dive Into Creativity and Its Importance In Creating a New World not a New Order
This 2024 New Year Special forms the sixth and final in a series of six (there will be no more) about how technology – and in this episode way wider forces – are changing us directly for the better (read huge software upgrades) in order to overcome, in a velvet revolution, empowered tyrants.
I said in last years 2023 New Year Special that “It is by far the most ambitious, empowering and positive
LFP243 – The Berlin Tech Scene: A Deep Dive w/Ivan Maryasin CEO Monite
In this Xmas special we zoom out from Fintech to Tech as a whole in one of Europe’s coolest capitals – Berlin. Ivan is a great person to guide us through the scene having spent many years in the Ur-tech hub of San Francisco/Silicon Valley. This also means that he understands both the outsiders perspective on Berlin tech as well as now an experienced and well informed insider.
Ivan honestly lays o
LFP242 – Fintech in Saudi Arabia and Collective Savings w/Naif AbuSaida CEO Hakbah
Saudi Arabia is a country that increasingly confounds stereotypes and expectations – an example being a YouTuber who has visited every country in the world choosing it for his honeymoon. At the same time it has undergone a phenomenal journey literally in a lifetime from a very low economic standard of living to super-high. As a result, like China, it shares the “relatively blank canvas from which
LFP241 – A Deep Dive Into Alternate Asset Investment via Fintech w/Dan Harman CEO Darksquare
Why buy alternative assets? Well in extremis what else would you buy?
LFP240 – Mortgage Decisions In Days Or Even Hours Not Weeks w/Stuart Cheetham CEO Mpowered Mortgages
Back in the 70s getting mortgages took months – there was a mortgage queue (&before techies get over-excited about how “bad” this was it was one of the factors restraining insane bull markets in residential property). Fast forward and the median mortgage in the UK is granted in 19 business days which is still a long time to wait given the stresses associated with the UK legal structure of buy
LFP231 – Accelerating Monetary and Banking Change inc Debanking, Gold Repatriation & BRICs Gold Plans w/Mario Innecco
So rapid is the rate of change in banking and the nature of and control of money right now that today we set a record and have a returning guests a mere 6 months later. Mario (YouTube Channel) first joined us in Feb22 for the gargantuan LFP197 “Money in the 21stC: Ballooning Printing of Fiat/QE/”MMT”/Govt Debt, CBDCs, Crypto, Dedollarisation, Hyperinflation, Gold” and more recently in Feb23 for L
LFP230 – Islamic Finance, Fintech & Broader Issues for Ethical Investment w/Umer Suleman CRO Wahed
In this episode we dive not just into the world of Islamic Finance and Fintech but the practical lessons we can learn from the world’s oldest “ethical investment” tradition. In particular in an ever-changing world there is always the need to extend and interpret any given set of “ethical finance” guidelines for new circumstances. The Islamic world has had vastly longer to get to grips with managi
LFP229 – Key Themes in US Fintech, Past, Present & Future w/Michael Fanfant Runa Capital
The next in our geographic coverage series on global Fintech past present and future with a special bonus of a taste of Fintech in Asia as Michael, a former Fintech founder himself turned VC at Runa Capital had just returned from a three week trip all around the region.
Like all regions the US has its peculiarities – not least of which the structure of State and Federal regulation which depending
LFP228 – Does Regulation Need a Phase Shift? w/Alistair Cotton co-founder Integrated Finance
Is the structure of regulation in need of refactoring? Do we have a kind of Reg Debt situation – cf Tech Debt – where organic growth has led to complexity, inefficiency and indeed regulations stretched beyond their original purpose?
In this episode Alistair and I discuss some specific examples that would indicate that after as much as a decade of evolution it is perhaps time for a rethink or a re
LFP227 – Fintech in the Middle East and North Africa w/Said Murad Partner Global Ventures
The latest in the LFP’s coverage of Fintech in geographical regions and this fascinating balance between the bottom-up and the top-down, between localisation and globalisation of Fintech.
As always when covering vast territories containing many nations, “regions” contain widely differing conditions, not least of which background of FS structure and infrastructure in the first place.
Said, a par
LFP226 – How To Trade Sell Your Business w/David Genn CEO Goji
The majority of successful exits for companies are via trade sale (not that given the media hype you’d necessarily imagine it was anything but IPOs). Furthermore the percentage of companies that list on an exchange is falling meaning, that along with the economic circumstances, private companies and remaining in the unlisted space is becoming ever more important.
In this episode we dive into the
LFP225 – A Case Study in Managing Astronomically Rapid Growth – 5 Years from Startup to Trade Sale w/James Hickman CCO Ecospend
It is a well-known trope that although failure is a challenge rapid success, though more desirable lol, can be too. In this episode we dive into the fascinating Case Study of Ecospend who went from startup to trade sale to world open-banking payments leaders Trustly in five years. Along the way they beat off incumbent competition for one of the UK’s largest accounts that of HSBCs self-assessment
LFP224 – Early Stage Investment & VC Winter or Simply a Correction? w/Ric Schaefer Target Global
In this episode we discuss VC early stage investment and whether there is a “VC funding winter” as some have called it or whether just a correction. How should early stage founders who want to raise funds maximise their chances of doing so? Few VCs go down to early stage investing but what factors do they look for? Funding is harder to come by right now but it’s still there. What themes and appro
LFP223 – Fintech in India with Naveen Bindal CEO of Enkash
Fintech is a Big Thing. India is a vast sub-continent. Naveen Bindal, the co–founder of Enkash which is India‘s largest spend management Fintech, joins us to discuss Fintech in India which was one of the first movers in Fintech worldwide and is now by some measures the world’s third largest Fintech marketplace.
Naveen started his career some 23 years ago as a developer in a credit card company
LFP222 – Share Schemes & Equity Management: Opportunities & Pitfalls for Founders and Employees w/Ifty Nasir CEO Vestd
There is a real art to how a founder manages his companies equity. If he gives it, or its derivative, share options, away too fast for too little value – whether funding or staff – he will be giving away his creation on the cheap and losing control fast. Vice versa hoarding it to himself will produce inadequate funding and not top-notch senior staff. If this is the spectrum then there is in addit
LFP221 – AI/ML: Generative AI, Excess Data, AI-API-isation, Quantum Computing & AI w/Tristan Fletcher CEO ChAI
AI/ML has been around for a long time but recently hit the headlines with ChatGPT which has broken every tech record in the book for a piece of tech that attracts users faster than any other tech ever. If Generative AI is the hot topic of the day though what is happening behind the scenes with more prosaic Fintech use cases. Tristan who is CEO of commodity price predictors and now Insurtech ChAI
LFP220 – Has A Century Of The Federal Reserve and 50 Years Off The Gold Standard Directly Led To Monetary and Social Disaster for the West? w/Mario Innecco (@maneco64)
Financial Services is all about Finance which is all about money. However almost all FS employees just accept “money” as a thing in the same way they accept gravity. Which is an odd thing if you think about it. Most of the time this wouldn’t matter but at turning points such as we are at now if can be disastrous, What money is and the regimes around it have varied widely over time and space. Howe
LFP219 – Automating Intelligence Gathering from GCHQ to Scanning 18bn News Articles for Credit/Reg/Biz-Relevance w/Jeremy Annis CEO Ripjar
Increasing automation is what the tech revolution is about – by definition. In this episode we dive into this topic starting at the highest levels – Government intelligence community quality tech at GCHQ (where Jeremy and his four co-founders had been long-term employees) and the immense value of technology transfer between state and private sectors. We then move through some of the more challeng
