IBS Intelligence Global FinTech Interviews

 eToro is a global multi-asset investment platform with some 12 million users worldwide. It was one of the first platforms to offer 0% commission on stock trades. The eToro platform claims to be the only venue where investors may hold traditional assets such as stocks or commodities alongside ‘new’ assets such as Bitcoin. The firm has also pioneered social trading – allowing investors to follow other successful traders. Robin Amlôt asked Iqbal Gandham how he sees investing evolving in the future. 

Cube is a global wealth management services company that helps people, across 50 countries, invest in emerging markets including India and other developed markets.  In this Podcast, Cube’s Founder Satyen Kothari talks about how technology can help the millennials and aspirational salaried class to be able to invest smartly to grow their personal wealth instead of depending on bank savings, fixed deposits or recurring deposits. Cube is largely focused on the busy young urban professionals, who do not have time or expertise to make their own investment decisions. Cube has dedicated advisors who recommend plans after checking a persons risk profile of investors. It  is also Satyen’s fifth start-up and second in the FinTech space. He founded India’s leading digital payments company Citrus, which was later acquired by Naspers-backed PayU. Satyen is an angel investor and has backed over 14 companies. He is also an active member of the Stanford Alumni Association of India and Stanford Angels. 

 Yobota is a London based FinTech. It has developed a cloud-based core operating platform for financial services. In 2018, Yobota enabled Chetwood Financial to launch its LiveLend and SmartSave Bank brands. Chetwood was the only bank fully authorised by the UK’s Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) in 2018. Yobota co-founder James King spoke to Robin Amlôt about the company’s platform and the advantages of being cloud-based. 

 Digital identities benefits both companies and customers across onboarding and KYC processes, but are potential pitfalls, such as data safety, risks that are too substantial for financial services? Hardik Shah, Group Head of Product at Currencies Direct, discusses the concept, as well as what a universal solution could mean for the industry, with Sunniva Kolostyak. 

In this episode, Sunniva Kolostyak speaks to Jason Harrell from the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) about operational resilience and the risks associated, industry and regulatory responses such as public-private partnerships, and the idea of a third-party resilience framework. 

 Founded in 2010, Netherlands-based five°degrees offers a next-generation, digital core banking software platform. The company’s Matrix product offers a fully automated banking services solution that supports any segment, product, or channel via a mid-office environment, connected either to legacy back-office, or to the Matrix back office. Robin Amlôt sat down with Thomas Muth of five°degrees to discuss the future of banking. 

 How do financial technology companies adapt to accommodate for changing consumer behaviour and rising online commerce? In this episode, Peter O’Halloran from Fiserv discusses the rise of digital commerce with Sunniva Kolostyak, and how it forces merchants and regulation to change with it. 

 iFAST Financial India is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore-based iFAST Corporation Ltd, which is in the race to bag a digital banking licence in Singapore. iFAST is competing with Alipay and 20 other big players for the licence. Hon, speaks with IBS Intelligence, on the rationale behind the company’s plan to go for a digital banking licence and his views on the future of banking. Hon is optimistic of getting the licence in Singapore.iFAST in India is a SEBI Registered Investment Advisers (RIAs) and the platform is one of the first to help users invest in mutual funds. 

 Rehan Yar Khan, Partner and Founder of Indian VC fund Orios Venture Partners. The VC, which started with its investments in consumer-facing Internet start-ups such as ride-sharing Unicorn Ola Cabs, the focus is now to invest in the booming Indian FinTech ecosystem. The VC now plans to invest a third of its fund in FinTech start-ups in 2020. Rehan, however, doesn’t follow the herd. He talks to IBS Intelligence about his strategy and thesis for the “Next India or rural India.” Rehan feels India is a different market and that urban consumers behave differently from those in rural areas. Orios has some impressive line-ups in its portfolio for this year! Besides, Rehan is also a writer and speaks to us about his latest book  “Make Your Own Luck”.Let’s listen to this Podcast for more details. 

Time is money! In December 2019 it was revealed by The Times newspaper that access to a back-up communications system had resulted in those paying for a Bank of England audio feed, via a third party, receiving details of the Bank’s news conferences up to eight seconds before those using the video feed. The UK central bank referred the matter to the Financial Conduct Authority and investigations are continuing. The case highlights the importance of time and timing in the financial markets. Simon Kenny of Hoptroff joined Robin Amlôt to discuss the problem and a solution.