Fintech Chatter: Conversations with Fintech CEOs and Founders

In this special episode Dexter Cousins chats with Jenny Li and Giles Bourne of Scalare Partners. With Investment in Australian Fintech industry back to 2018 figures, there's no doubt that the no1 challenge facing founders is finding capital.We are seeing a rapidly growing gap in the technology capital eco-system, abandoning early-stage founders exactly when they need access to funding the most. Scalare Partners aims to bridge this gap, helping ensure the best tech innovators can change the world. ​Giles and Jenny share their expertise sharing insights on what investors are looking for when assessing opportunities. They also share top tips and advice on how to run lean and increase revenue.About Scalare PartnersWe fund exceptional game-changers from diverse backgrounds who are preparing to disrupt globally to enable a smarter, cleaner, more connected future.https://www.scalarepartners.com/About Giles Bourne:Giles is an experienced ASX and private company Director & Executive, passionate about bringing disruptive technology IP to the world.Recognised as a commercial leader in technology start-ups and scaleups, he brings more than thirteen years’ experience as Managing Director of a unique ASX-listed entity in the hi-tech semiconductor field, developing breakthrough solutions for laser diodes, LEDs and microLEDs. Operating in bleeding-edge technology arenas has enabled Giles to work with a range of global market leaders - from the brightest scientists to global tech companies, high net worth and institutional investors, advisors, and entrepreneurs.    About Jenny Li: Jenny is a strategy-focused and results-orientated finance leader, with more than 15 years’ experience in improving financial governance, working in and advising multinational businesses to high-growth start-ups undertaking rapid change and growth. During her time with RISQ Group, a local business with less than 20 employees operated in Australia expanded to 6 countries within 8 years hiring more than 250 employees, Jenny as the Finance Director of the company is responsible for establishing and leading the finance function, driving continuous improvement through increasing operational efficiency and growth margin, leveraging financial system for scale, leading new business initiatives, and building long term cross-cultural and professional relationships with key stakeholders internally and externally.Send us Fan MailContact: info@tieronepeople.comConnect on with Dexter Cousins on LinkedinHire Exceptional Fintech TalentSubscribe on LinkedIn

Welcome to part two of a three part Fintech Chatter special recorded live from the British Consulate in Sydney with your host Dexter Cousins.Back in 2018 Tier One People began supporting the work of the UK Department of Business and Trade in their efforts to establish a UK/Aus fintech bridge.Each year a UK Fintech Mission heads down under as part of Intersekt week.It’s a fantastic opportunity not only to showcase what Australia has to offer, but to learn from our UK cousins.So over this 3 part series I’m bringing interviews with the delegates sharing their insights, experiences and their thoughts to the Australian Fintech community.In this episode Dexter chats to three Fintechs about to launch in Australia.Abigail Thornleigh chats about NCC Group. NCC is already established here in Australia as a Cyber solution, they’re about to launch a new business which could help Fintechs and Banks enter into commercial agreements much faster and at a much lower cost. - https://www.nccgroup.com/au/Know It is the first Scottish Fintech we’ve featured on the show. Founder Lynne Darcey Quigley shares her journey as a business owner to Fintech founder undergoing global expansion. - https://know-it.co.uk/And Nigel Bridges is the CEO of Veracity Trust Network - an AI and Machine Learning Fintech helping banks beat Fraud and Scams. - https://veracitytrustnetwork.com/Send us Fan MailContact: info@tieronepeople.comConnect on with Dexter Cousins on LinkedinHire Exceptional Fintech TalentSubscribe on LinkedIn

Welcome to part one of a three part podcast series recorded live from the British Consulate in Sydney.Back in 2018 I began supporting the work of the UK Department for Business and Trade in their efforts to establish a UK/Australia fintech bridge.Each year a UK Fintech Mission heads down under as part of Intersekt week.It’s a fantastic opportunity not only to showcase what Australia has to offer, but to learn from our UK cousins.So over this 3 part series I’m bringing interviews with the delegates sharing their insights, experiences and their thoughts to the Australian Fintech communityGuest one - Michael Ward UK DBTIn this episode I chat to Michael Ward who was the Deputy Trade Commissioner when the Fintech Bridge was established in 2017, Michael now supports the UK DBT in an advisory capacity.Guests two - RaidiamI’m then joined by the founders of Raidiam, Ralph Bragg and Barry O'donohoe for what is a very insightful discussion on open banking and CDR. Ralph and Barry chat about their experiences implementing open banking in the UK and Brazil - it’s eye opening stuff!https://raidiam.com/Send us Fan MailContact: info@tieronepeople.comConnect on with Dexter Cousins on LinkedinHire Exceptional Fintech TalentSubscribe on LinkedIn

Stockspot has received a $28m strategic investment from Mirae Asset. Mirae Asset is a global asset manager with more than USD $548 billion in assets under management around the world. The investment will allow Stockspot to further enhance technology and service for clients. Chris Brycki joins Dexter Cousins to talk about the raise and how his long term approach to building a business has paid off. Applying the same principles to his business as he does to investment portfolios, Chris has managed to build a highly respected business in ten years.Chris is one of the best content marketers out there and he shares his practical tips to grow revenue and find investors during an economic downturn.You can find out more https://www.stockspot.com.au/Send us Fan MailContact: info@tieronepeople.comConnect on with Dexter Cousins on LinkedinHire Exceptional Fintech TalentSubscribe on LinkedIn

Mark Macduffie joins Dexter Cousins on Fintech Chatter to discuss Downsizer, a platform that helps homeowners with enough equity in their current house buy their next house with zero cash deposit. "If we can free up 1.7 million households, that has a cooling effect all the way down through the housing market." - Mark McDuffieDownsizer solves the problem of housing affordability by qualifying downsizers using their proprietary technology to prove that they have sufficient equity to buy their next house. The platform aims to simplify the process for downsizers and help free up 1.7 million households in Australia.Key Takeaways:Downsizer helps homeowners with enough equity in their current house buy their next house with zero cash deposit.The platform solves the problem of housing affordability by qualifying downsizers using their proprietary technology.Downsizer aims to free up 1.7 million households in Australia and have a cooling effect on the housing market.The platform uses a blend of digital technology and a financial instrument to simplify the process for downsizers.Downsizer is in pilot phase with mortgage brokers and is partnering with real estate agents to handhold downsizers through the process.About Mark MacduffieMark Macduffie is the co-founder of Downsizer, a unique blend of digital technology and a financial instrument that helps homeowners with enough equity in their current house buy their next house with zero cash deposit. Mark brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Downsizer team.  A digital, data and innovation executive with 30+ years of experience delivering products and solutions in five countries across multiple business and financial sectors.  Find out more: https://www.downsizer.com/ Send us Fan MailContact: info@tieronepeople.comConnect on with Dexter Cousins on LinkedinHire Exceptional Fintech TalentSubscribe on LinkedIn

Mark Macduffie from Downsizer is this weeks Fintech Chatter Founder Focus interview - available Friday 25th AugustShow your support for Australia's Fintech entrepreneurs and follow us on your favourite podcast player!Send us Fan MailContact: info@tieronepeople.comConnect on with Dexter Cousins on LinkedinHire Exceptional Fintech TalentSubscribe on LinkedIn

Listen to the full interview -  https://www.buzzsprout.com/703249/13395585Send us Fan MailContact: info@tieronepeople.comConnect on with Dexter Cousins on LinkedinHire Exceptional Fintech TalentSubscribe on LinkedIn

Listen to the full episode - https://www.buzzsprout.com/703249/13395585Send us Fan MailContact: info@tieronepeople.comConnect on with Dexter Cousins on LinkedinHire Exceptional Fintech TalentSubscribe on LinkedIn

Ben Webster, founder of Agile Underwriting Services, joins Dexter Cousins to discuss his journey as an entrepreneur in the insurtech space. With a passion for developing innovative insurance platforms, Ben has successfully built and scaled multiple bootstrapped insurtech startups from the ground up, turning them into profitable businesses. His extensive experience spans over 15 years, making him a true veteran in the industry. His deep understanding of the insurance landscape, combined with his technical expertise, enables him to drive transformative change and create meaningful value for both insurers and policyholders."The hardest problem is distribution. You can launch a product after 18 to 24 months of development, and then it's tumbleweeds." - Ben WebsterAbout AGILE UnderwritingInsurance brokers are being asked to do more with less with a range of tasks that drain time and eat profit.  With AGILE, brokers are discovering a more profitable way to sell insurance. AGILE Underwriting Services is a Lloyd’s cover holder and insurtech MGA specialising in Casualty, Construction, Cyber, Financial Lines, Retail Travel, Wholesale and more. Find out more - https://www.agileunderwriting.com/About Todays showWe reflect on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Ben's previous venture, Insured By Us, and the hard lessons he learned from that experience. Ben explains the success of the AGILE model focusing on niche insurance products and the benefits of having a diverse portfolio as he struggled to keep Insured By Us alive.Ben also shares insights into the challenges of finding the right people, navigating distribution and dealing with regulation in the insurance space. Some founder insights Ben shares in this episode:- Agile's diverse portfolio has helped the business ride the wave of market fluctuations.- The insurance industry is highly siloed, making it challenging to find people with expertise in specific niches who can be successful in a startup.- Distribution is the most difficult aspect of launching an insurance product, and AGILE has developed strategies to validate products early on.- Ben emphasises the importance of a growth mindset and the need for entrepreneurs to be comfortable with uncertainty and feeling uncomfortable.​"The writing was on the wall, and I knew that I was going to have to make redundancies. I wanted to do it as early as possible to make sure that people got a good payout." - Ben WebsterSend us Fan MailContact: info@tieronepeople.comConnect on with Dexter Cousins on LinkedinHire Exceptional Fintech TalentSubscribe on LinkedIn

Toby Norton Smith is the head of x15ventures, the venture arm of Commonwealth Bank. x15ventures builds, buys, and invests in ventures to help them scale.In this episode of Fintech Chatter, Dexter interviews Toby Norton Smith of x15ventures. They discuss the xccelerate program, which is designed to help early-stage ventures explore the potential for partnership with CommBank. This year's program focuses on climate tech and helping advance Australia's transition to net zero. Toby explains the benefits and challenges of partnering with a bank and sets realistic expectations for founders seeking partnerships. Toby highlights some of the challenges they are looking to address including measurement, traceability, and other tools in the climate tech space. Toby shares the success of previous program participants and reiterates x15 ventures' commitment to supporting the fintech community in Australia.Apply to this years xccelerate program ​**Key Takeaways:**- x15ventures is a venture scaler that helps fintech startups scale through access to the CommBank divisions and customer network.- The xccelerate program is for earlier stage ventures exploring partnership opportunities with CommBank.- Partnership with a bank comes with trade-offs, including increased regulatory scrutiny and a shift in mindset around risk management and compliance.- Climate tech startups need investment and customers, and corporates, including banks, can help with both.- x15ventures is committed to supporting the fintech community in Australia and has seen success with previous program participants."There's a tremendous amount of help corporates need if they're going to lean into the climate tech space with any authenticity." - Toby Norton Smith"We're certainly invested for the long term. We've definitely got the backing of ComBank." - Toby Norton SmithSend us Fan MailContact: info@tieronepeople.comConnect on with Dexter Cousins on LinkedinHire Exceptional Fintech TalentSubscribe on LinkedIn