Building an API Services Hub for Fintechs

Julian Fayad of LoanOptions.ai chats about Synapses, an API services hub for Fintechs

In this episode of Fintech Chatter, Dexter Cousins interviews Julian Fayad, CEO of LoanOptions.ai about the challenges and advantages of bootstrapping a fintech company from the ground up. 

Having experienced the challenges first hand, Julian has built Synapses, an API Services Hub for Fintechs.

LoanOptions.ai aims to revolutionise the loan application process. Julian shares insights into how they’re using AI to build a mobile first loan application process.

Julian first appeared on the show in 2023. We chat about his progress and the lessons he has learned over the past two years. Julian also talks about the transition from a broking business to a technology-focused company, and the launch of Synapses, the API services hub for Fintech! 

We also discuss the launch of HAILO and LoanOptions.ai, expansion into New Zealand and future plans for market expansion into the US and UAE.

Find out more: https://loanoptions.ai

Chapters

00:00 The Bootstrap Journey of a Fintech Founder

02:12 Innovating the Loan Application Process

10:45 Transitioning from Broking to Technology

18:04 Launching New Products and Partnerships

25:49 Building an API Services Hub for Fintechs

26:48 Navigating B2B Partnerships and SaaS Pricing Strategies

32:05 Transitioning from Brokerage to Tech: Lessons Learned

35:21 Building a Cohesive Team and Company Culture

39:47 Innovative Talent Acquisition Strategies

41:45 Valuable Lessons in Business Partnerships

46:22 Expanding Horizons: New Markets and Future Plans

Stake's Co-Founders on Raising $93.5M and Scaling Globally

Stake Co-Founders Matt Leibowitz and Dan Silver join Dexter Cousins in episode 182 of Fintech Chatter Podcast.

How Stake Raised $93.5M With Tiger Global

In another one of our 'Origin Stories' Matt and Dan share their incredible journey from becoming friends to becoming business partners. Stake is one of Australia's most successful Fintech. They have raised US $93.5m to date with Tiger Global investing in their $50m Series A in March 2022.

Their international success and growth has led Matt and Dan to believe the opportunity ahead of them is much bigger than they first envisaged back in 2017 when they launched the business.

When Co-Founders Should Step Back From the CEO Role

Entrepreneurs are often known for their adaptability in driving scaleups, but many find it difficult adapting to someone else at the helm. For many scaleups, the CEO shuffle is a key part of long term success, but why?

Stake is the latest scaleup to appoint a new CEO,  Jon Howie, seeing Matt return to his roots in product and business strategy.

For many founders, the thought of letting go of their baby is unfathomable.

Dexter chats to Matt and Dan about their thinking in bringing in Jon and their appointment last year of Chair, Geoff Lloyd.

Tune in for an honest, thoughtful and candid discussion on life as co-founders and 'letting go of the baby' as we celebrate the first seven years of Stake.

Dan and Matt share lessons they've learned, the decisions they've made and the people they've brought on board as they Stake a market leading position in the next seven years.

Download the Stake App

Find out about Stake careers 

141: Plenti | Daniel Foggo

In Ep.141 of the Fintech Chatter Podcast, Dexter Cousins is joined by Daniel Foggo, Founder and CEO of Plenti.

About Daniel

Daniel founded Plenti and has acted as CEO since its inception. Prior to that, he worked in investment banking for over a decade, including Rothschild in London and Barclays in Sydney. Daniel was a co-founding director of PartPay, a buy-now-pay-later business, which was acquired by Zip Co Limited in 2019.

He has been recognised for his achievements in the fintech industry, being named the Fintech Leader of the Year at the inaugural Australian Fintech Awards in 2016 and Fintech Entrepreneur of the Year at the Australian Fintech Business Awards in 2017.

Daniel holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Economics (Honours) and a Master of Business, Finance (Distinction) from the University of Otago.

About Plenti

Plenti is a fintech lender, providing Australians with faster, fairer loans through smart technology. Our proprietary technology platform allows us to provide creditworthy customers with automotive, renewable energy and personal loans to help bring big ideas to life.

Since establishment in 2014, our loan originations have grown consistently, supported by diversified loan products, distribution channels and funding, and underpinned by exceptional credit performance and continual innovations. Plenti listed on the ASX in September 2020.

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138: Zeller | Ben Pfisterer

In ep 138 of Fintech Chatter Podcast Dexter Cousins is joined by Ben Pfisterer CEO & Co-Founder of Zeller.

In our opinion, Ben is one of the most talented founders in Fintech. He shares his experience of growing a business to 225 people, raising capital, running a lean operation, and hiring a high-performance, hands-on executive team.

About Ben

Ben is the CEO and co-founder at Zeller, the Melbourne-based fintech reimagining business banking for Australian businesses.

Ben has extensive financial services experience across local and global organisations. Prior to launching Zeller, he held the Aus Country Head role at Square. Ben shares his learnings from working with one of the world's largest Fintech and how he then shaped Zeller.

About Zeller

Zeller is one solution for all of your business finances. From EFTPOS and invoicing, to accounts and cards, it's everything you expect from a business bank, but better. 

Every Zeller product is designed to give you complete visibility over payments, spending, expenses and cash flow.

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007: CANVAS | David Lavecky

In Ep. 007 of Blockchain Chatter Dexter Cousins talks to David Lavecky, CEO and Co-Founder of CANVAS. 

Tune in as they discuss the latest RBA CBDC eAUD initiative and the work CANVAS is piloting on Atomic FX settlements.

As a payments and fintech veteran, David shares his thoughts on the convergence of blockchain and payments and why he feels the time is right for mainstream adoption of the technology.

About CANVAS

CANVAS is a global blockchain company with a mission to digitise finance. They offer decentralized capital market infrastructure that enables financial institutions and governments to easily expand their reach into the digital economy.

Canvas Connect is a privacy focused Layer 2 ZK network built for finance and the digital economy. Connect extends the capabilities of Ethereum with assurances of privacy, high speed and low costs.

Connect uses an API first model that supports easy integration with no solidity skills required.

Capital Markets Applications are built on the network that enable the Transfer, Trade & Investment of Tokenised Real World Assets, Stablecoins, CBDCs & Digital Assets, all with privacy and secured by Ethereum.

With a deep understanding of financial markets and the digital economy, CANVAS is committed to driving the digital transformation of banks, financial institutions, and governments in the modern landscape. By providing innovative solutions that are faster, more secure, and more cost-effective than traditional systems, Canvas is helping to unlock the potential of digital finance globally.

About David Lavecky

David is a highly experienced technology entrepreneur and investor, and CEO and Co-Founder of CANVAS 

He was previously the Co-Founder, COO & EVP of Pure Commerce which was one of Australia’s first high-growth fintech companies, providing electronic payment infrastructure to banks globally. Following the sale of Pure Commerce to Euronet WorldWide (NASDAQ: EEFT), David was retained to continue the global growth, working with major banks and financial institutions across the globe.

As their next venture, David and his brother Daniel Co-Founded CANVAS in the belief that Blockchain technologies, Digital Assets, & Tokenisation will radically transform financial and capital markets over the next decade with trillions of $ of securities and currencies to be tokenized and traded 24/7/365.

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121: Stake - Dan Silver

In episode 121 of Fintech Chatter Podcast, Dexter Cousins chats to Dan Silver, COO and co-founder of Stake. 

What is Stake App?

Stake is a share trading app launched in July 2017 by Matt Leibowitz and Dan Silver with the ambition to open up Wall St to the world.

Since launching, Stake has amassed over 450,000 customers across Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Brazil by spearheading commission-free brokerage.

The Stake App offers investors access to over 8,000 stocks across the US and ASX markets through a sophisticated and seamless platform.

Stake has grown to 135 staff and is booking $20 million in revenue a year. Stake recently completed its $90 million Series A funding from Tiger Global and DST Global Partners.

Dexter chats to Dan about his experience of giving up a corporate career and launching his own business. Dan shares his lessons on scaling, leadership, resilience, global expansion, bootstrapping and capital raising.

Check out the Stake Platform

Check out jobs at Stake


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About Tier One People

102: Sherlok, Adam Grocke

The solo founder revolutionising the lending industry.

The Fintech Chatter Podcast is proud to launch our 2022 initiative, providing a platform for the next generation of Fintech startups to showcase their business. Dexter Cousins will be chatting to 50 founders to discover what is driving them to take a massive leap of faith in what has been a very tough couple of (Covid) years!

This week Adam Grocke Founder and CEO of Sherlok joins Dexter Cousins to chat about his transformation from mortgage broker to fintech entrepreneur and how he is helping brokers be the hero.

More About Sherlok

After 12 years as a mortgage broker (and winner of awards like Broker of the Year and Top 30 Brokers Under 30 in Australia), he was sick and tired of banks offering better interest rates to new mortgage customers while existing customers were being charged a ‘loyalty tax’ (a higher interest rate the longer they’re with the bank). So he came up with a solution: Sherlok, an AI engine that helps mortgage brokers keep their clients for longer, protect their trail book income, and generate valuable refinancing leads.

Sherlok is Australia’s first automated repricing and refinancing tool that

1. Predicts when a client is likely to leave a broker
2. Lowers their home loan interest rate to keep them
3. Runs instant refi comparisons to entice refinancing
All branded as the broker so they are the hero.

Sherlok's next phase is single click refinancing which will reshape the finance industry forever.

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64: Finder, Fred Schebesta

Fintech Australia Podcast #64 Dexter Cousins chats to Fred Schebesta, Co-Founder of Finder and CEO of Schebesta Ventures. 

Fred Schebesta is a world-famous entrepreneur, Co-Founder of Finder, LinkedIn Top Voices of Australia 2020 and AFR Young Rich Lister.

It's been another breakthrough year for Finder, with the launch of the Finder Money App. Fred talks us through the first 9 months, 100,000 users and the upcoming launch of their crypto product.

Fred chats about his newest venture, Schebesta Ventures, a programme where Fred shares his proven systems and strategies to help building realise their ideas and build successful businesses.

To find out more on Schebesta Ventures go to - https://www.fredschebesta.com/

To download the Finder App go to - https://www.finder.com.au/app

A favour to ask

Fintech Chatter is free of sponsors and will always be free content. If you appreciate the interviews please help us promote the show by

Thanks for your support.

About Tier One People

Founded by Dexter Cousins in 2016, Tier One People is on a mission to help Australia become the world leader in Fintech innovation.

Tier One People helps companies like Revolut, TrueLayer and 10x build founding teams for launch in Australia. 

And series A+ / ASX Listed Aussie Fintech like Lendi, Afterpay and 86 400 hire executive talent capable of delivering growth and scale. If you are building a world-class Fintech venture and need help in hiring tier-one people contact us


Stuart Grover, Look Who's Charging

In episode 33 Dexter Cousins chats Fintech with Stuart Grover, CEO and Co-Founder of Look Who's Charging.

A technologist and serial entrepreneur, LWC is the 12th company founded by Stuart and his first foray into the FinTech world. He also founded a 3D printing business that is tackling some of the huge challenges presented with COVID.

LWC is integrated with over 16 banks including all of the big 4 Australian banks. Launched in 2017, the business was acquired by Experian in 2019.

This is a fascinating chat with a true entrepreneur and innovator. Anyone with aspirations of bootstrapping a Fintech through to a successful exit should tune in!

Find out more - https://lookwhoscharging.com.au/

Connect with Stuart on LinkedIn

Stuart is also the Founder and CEO of 3D Printing Studios