Ritchie Cotton, CTO and Co-Founder of Valiant Finance talks about their journey on Fintech Chatter Podcast
In this episode of Fintech Chatter, host Dexter Cousins speaks with Ritchie Cotton, co-founder of Valiant Finance, about the company's journey over the past decade.
Key Talking Points
Valiant connects small businesses with the right finance options.
The company has helped nearly 25,000 small businesses with over $2bn in funding.
How Ritchie and Co-founder Alex Molloy met and the genesis for Valiant.
Building one of the best working environments in Fintech.
Valiant's push into embedded finance solutions.
Getting the right combination of technology and human touch.
How COVID-19 was a pivotal moment for Valiant.
Valiant's plans for global expansion.
The companies customer centric values.
Ritchie's leadership style and focus on empowering teams and fostering collaboration.
Find out more https://www.valiantfinance.com/careers
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.
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
The Spriggy Story: The Process To Get One Million Customers.
Alex Badran, Spriggy
The Spriggy story returns to Fintech Chatter Podcast. Five years after his debut, our most-requested guest ever is back sharing his path to one million customers.
Dexter Cousins chats to Alex Badran, the founder of Spriggy, a fintech app designed to help parents teach their children about money management.
Reaching One Million Customers
Spriggy reached the very high bar of one million customers in back in 2022. A massive accomplishment for any Australian consumer focused Fintech App.
This isn't just another success story - it's a masterclass in scaling consumer fintech in a challenging market.
Alex shares his decade-long journey with Spriggy, how they've grown to 1.2 million users, and the importance of real-world financial education for kids.
Join us as Alex walks us through the process of building a category and product that has captured the hearts and minds of millions of Australian families.
Favourite quotes
"We created a category that didn't exist before."
"You can't outsource growth to a partner."
"Your ability to learn is what matters."
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background of Spriggy
03:58 The Problem Spriggy Solves
07:13 Understanding User Needs and Early Development
10:10 Adapting to Growing Users and Changing Needs
13:07 The Impact of Technology on Kids' Financial Education
15:57 Growth Strategies and Market Positioning
19:12 Partnerships and Their Role in Growth
22:12 Lessons Learned and Personal Growth as a Founder
29:10 The Importance of Learning and Enjoying Work
30:59 Authenticity in Leadership
33:33 Navigating Team Dynamics and Cohesion
37:00 Adapting to Economic Changes in Hiring
41:49 Future Vision for Spriggy
47:28 Behavioral Education and Parenting
51:56 Podcast intro vid no audio.mp4
About Spriggy
Spriggy is Australia’s #1 Pocket Money app that helps kids learn about money. Spriggy was founded in 2016 with a clear mission to help parents teach their kids about money.
We believe that financial literacy is a crucial life skill, one that lays the groundwork for a secure and confident future.
By learning how to manage money from a young age, kids are empowered to make informed financial decisions as they grow, mastering everything from saving and spending to setting goals and budgeting.
Dexter and Graham look back at their first meeting and discuss Graham's journey from traditional Banking to Start up. His recognition that he was a transformation guy at heart and wanting to do "cool stuff for customers" was the driver behind founding Citoplus.
He chats about support from great shareholders, and how they funded Citoplus through, what he calls the "Friends, Families & Fools" model, who have shown great faith in their vision.
Graham outlines the plans for the future and how Citoplus aims to reach 100% of the digital broking market through partnerships with Banks and Non-Banks. Watch out for lots of new announcements.
About Citoplus
CitoPlus is the cornerstone of modern, frictionless commercial lending. Designed by industry leaders, they launched a product that streamlines the laborious process of SME lending.
Citoplus has focussed on removing the paperwork-heavy process through automation. The result is a broker-friendly data-rich system that delivers better client service and achieves quicker outcomes, meaning deals are closed faster.
About Graham Strain
Co-founder of Citoplus, Graham’s background is in banking, including 13 years at NAB in product, business bank and corporate development executive roles. He held the position of interim CFO and Product Head at start-up Angle Auto Finance, an asset finance company. He was GM - Business Products at Judo Bank in the SME lending space.
2024 Singapore Fintech Festival Highlights with Kristofer Rogers Ep 199
In this special episode of Fintech Chatter, host Dexter Cousins and guest Kristofer Rogers of Volt.io review the Singapore Fintech Festival 2024, highlighting its scale, the quality of discussions, and the global interest in fintech.
They explore themes of financial health, geopolitical impacts, interoperability, the future of embedded finance and the need for collaboration in the fintech ecosystem.
In this conversation, Kristofer Rogers and Dexter discuss the evolving landscape of FinTech, focusing on the implications of disruption, the changing nature of leadership in Fintech, and the critical importance of talent.
At Singapore Fintech Festival the access to industry leaders is unparalleled. Kristofer and Dexter discuss the significance of Fintech community events and Australia's position in the global FinTech arena.
The discussion highlights the challenges and opportunities facing Australia, the need for a long-term vision, and an optimistic outlook for the future of FinTech.
Highlights from Singapore Fintech Festival 2024
The Singapore Fintech Festival 2024 had 65,000 delegates.
3400 policy makers and even royalty in attended the event.
665 central banks, regulatory authorities and government organisations were represented.
5 zones for Talent, Tech, ESG, Regulation and Founders.
Financial health is a more pressing issue than financial inclusion.
Interoperability is becoming more important than innovation in fintech.
Africa presents unique opportunities for fintech.
Collaboration among fintechs and banks is essential for success.
Embedded finance is maturing, but challenges remain.
The festival highlighted the importance of genuine business connections.
Talent is a critical focus area that is often overlooked in discussions.
Accessibility of industry leaders fosters networking and collaboration.
A long-term vision is necessary for Australia to establish its identity in FinTech.
Optimism exists for the future of FinTech in Australia, with potential growth opportunities.
Global trade and currency are poised for significant changes in the coming years.
The FinTech landscape is evolving, and businesses must adapt to stay relevant.
Chapters
00:00 Overview of the Singapore Fintech Festival 06:04 Global Perspectives on Fintech 12:01 Interoperability vs. Innovation in Fintech 18:00 Collaboration in the Fintech Ecosystem 27:46 The Implications of Global Disruption 33:21 Accessibility and Networking in FinTech 40:05 Challenges and Opportunities for Australia 45:55 Optimism for the Future of FinTech
John Crutchely & Dave Malcolm - Mist Ep 193
In episode 193, Dexter Cousins sits down with Co-Founders John Crutchley and Dave Malcolm, the brains behind Mist, an innovative solution helping students organise their new life in Australia. It doesn’t sound glamorous, but it is an untapped market ripe for digital innovation.
Dave and John share their vision for what promises to be a unique Fintech scaleup. Mist stands out as an ambitious concept. Where many Fintech’s have essentially created a business that could easily be a feature in an app, Mist is an app that makes Fintech a feature of their design.
Dave and John share their Mist journey so far and how their contrasting startup experiences at MarleySpoon and Volt Bank are helping them navigate the pitfalls of a Fintech startup.
Key Take Aways
Finding the right co-founder
Making Fintech a feature of a bigger problem
Is embedded finance hype or solving a huge problem
Building a solution that customers will use for life
Influencing partners and government to create opportunities
The HUGE opportunity for Aussie Fintechs in India
How learning from startup success and failure is shaping Mist’s strategy
About Our Guests:
John Crutchley John gained extensive experience in various leadership roles in the Banking sector before founding Mist. He specialised in migration and international banking for ANZ and Volt Bank, where he was specifically hired as Head of International Banking to lead their go-to-market strategy in the international student market.
Dave Malcolm A passionate C-Level executive and entrepreneur with a proven track record of founding, building, and scaling digital ventures across web2 and web3 in Australia. He pinpoints the co-founding of Marley Spoon & Dinnerly in 2015 as his career highlight, which went on to be listed on the ASX in 2018 (ASX: MMM).
Show Notes:
[00:57] Dave Malcolm introduces Mist.
[01:53] John Crutchley shares the genesis for the idea and how he met Dave.
[04:40] Dave Malcolm on getting into the mindset of a Gen Z customer.
[08:30] Case studies: Embedded finance done right.
[13:32] Big wins and successes so far.
[19:29] Getting the business off the ground, overcoming challenges and obstacles.
[24:10] Busting Fintech startup myths. Move fast and break things vs slow and deliberate growth
[34:29] The complexity of Fintech. Why fixing problems is so hard.
Connect with Dexter Cousins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dextercousins/
Learn more about Tier One People: https://tieronepeople.com/
Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on [Apple Podcasts/Spotify/Your Preferred Platform]. Your feedback helps us bring more engaging content and insightfu
In episode 189 of Fintech Chatter Dexter Cousins is joined by Pablo Gil Brusola, CEO of PropHero.
About PropHero
PropHero, founded in July 2021, is Australia’s leading PropTech platform redefining property investment through cutting-edge data & AI technologies. The platform empowers over 1000 clients worldwide to craft high-return, low-risk property portfolios.
PropHero simplifies the entire investment journey by connecting clients with trusted partners and handling everything from market research to property management. As we fast forward to today, the PropHero team has grown to over 100 dedicated members and expanded to property markets in Sydney, Spain, Bali, and Ireland.
Prophero has sought minimal investment from Jelix and Afterwork ventures as it continues its global expansion.
About This Episode
Pablo dials in from Barcelona to share his secrets on building a global Fintech/Proptech.
Dexter goes in depth with Pablo to understand how he, and his co-founder Mikael Roger, have built a global business with over 100 people across Australia, Spain, Bali and Ireland.
Dexter digs deeper to understand Pablo’s values, principles and motivations that drive him towards success.
Tune in as we discuss:
How to expand an Aussie Fintech globally
Seeking the right investors and the right amount of capital
Why a Bootstrap mindset is essential for success
The secrets to hiring executive talent
Understanding the different stages of growth and the people required for each stage
How to commercialise an idea and find paying customers
Recognising your strengths and what to look for in a co-founder
About Pablo Gil Brusola
As a native Spaniard Pablo moved to Australia to study in 2009. He instantly fell in love with the country and decided he had to come back. Starting his career in a Big 4 consulting firm, he quickly realised he was an entrepreneur and started his first company Growpro. After a successful exit, Pablo teamed up with a friend and fellow co-founder Mikael Roger to launch PropHero.
Find out more www.prophero.com.au
Erica Xie - Tanggram
Erica Xie joins Dexter Cousins to chat about Tanggram, a smart wealth-creating App that integrates investment with shopping rewards.
Congratulations to Erica who has just been announced as Emerging Fintech Leader of the Year at the 2024 Finnies Awards.
About Tanggram
Co-founded with CEO Nick Tang in 2017, Tanggram is unique in that it serves a massively underserved segment of Australia's community, Asian immigrants.
The app provides a seamless wealth building journey to well-educated, young people who have stable income streams and financial goals.
Erica is a results-oriented leader with extensive experience in business management and operations, particularly in startups and the Fintech industry. As the Co-founder of Tanggram, Erica has played a key role in building a cohesive and goal-oriented team, and has contributed to the successful partnerships and market position of the business.
Erica was honored as the "Emerging Fintech Leader of the Year" at Fintech Australia's Finnies Awards and "Young Leader of the Year" at the Women in Finance 2022. Erica has also been nominated for the "Female Fintech Leader of the Year" in both the 2023 and 2024 Fintech Australia Finnies Awards.
Liquidise - Solving the Equity Problem for Startups and Private Companies
In episode 185 of Fintech Chatter Dexter Cousins is joined by Andrew Ward, CEO and Founder of Liquidise.
Hi, Dexter here with another great episode with another great Aussie Fintech founder. This week I chat with Andrew Ward about the launch of his latest venture, Liquidise. I'm excited to bring you this chat as Andrew has developed a solution that almost all of our listeners will benefit from!
And as this isn't Andrew's first Rodeo, he shares some honest and candid advice for founders earlier in the journey.
Key Learning from this Interview
Every episode I take a key learning from my guest. And it helps me create a profile of founders, with qualities they all share.
What stands out to me in this interview with Andrew is the moment he decides to launch Selfwealth (his first ever startup. Andrew explains how he was working at CBA at the time when he rather cheekily organised a meeting with a potential client, only he decided to pitch his start up idea NOT CBA's services.
The worries Andrew had of this move backfired were quickly replaced with worries of how he was going to tell his wife. The person he pitched to loved the idea but insisted Andrew had to quit his job in two weeks. Andrew and his wife went on to make SelfWealth the 3rd largest retail trading platform in Australia and listing on the ASX.
Look, if you had one shot or one opportunity To seize everything you ever wanted in one moment Would you capture it or just let it slip?
Eminem
What strikes me about this story is every founder has a moment in their life - like the Eminem song 'Lose Yourself' you've got one shot, one moment and your life changes forever once you make that choice.
For some founders it may be a life event, a birth, marriage, health scare, job loss that acts as that moment. For others (like myself) it was not being able to live with themselves if they didn't follow their dreams. And for others like Andrew it may be a golden opportunity, a chance meeting or encounter.
Whatever that moment is every startup begins with that choice, that decision. It's one of the most powerful aspects of business/venture building that goes overlooked. We tend to focus on the problem we are trying to solve as the genesis of a business, rather than the emotions that are driving us to risk everything in search of a dream or vision.
About Liquidise
Recorded in the week Liquidise launched into the Aussie market, Andrew shares how he is unlocking private equity for company owners, investors and employees.
Liquidise is a unique platform, giving shareholders and investors access to guaranteed cash and equity with instant cash settlements.
With Liquidise, company owners retain complete control over their cap table and can reward employees meaningfully. Investors get access to pre-vetted unlisted company opportunities, with direct ownership on the Liquidise share registry.
Using blockchain technology, Liquidise is revolutionising the way founders and private companies can grow their companies, attract the best talent and keep control of their business.
About Andrew Ward
The inspiration for Liquidise came from Andrew's own experience of launching, growing and listing SelfWealth.
His shareholders, like those in all unlisted companies, had to wait for either a public listing, company sale or change of control, or transact at a buyer’s set price – if a buyer could be found.
These options for private shareholders can be expensive and value destroying. In founding Liquidise, Andrew and his team are intent on solving this problem to unlock the value in private companies.
Find out more - https://liquidise.com/
Or watch Andrew tell you all about Liquidise in this promo video - https://youtu.be/QbqOklgComM?si=PWZZ4t2oj_88TxCX
Fintech In The Nordics - Pål Krogdahl
In episode 182 of Fintech Chatter Podcast Dexter Cousins is joined by Pål Krogdahl, Director of Advisory at Samlink and co-host of Fintech Daydreaming Podcast.
In this episode, Dexter chats with Pål Krogdahl about the Fintech scene in the Nordics. They talk through Navigating the Transformative Trends in Banking, a report highlighting the latest customer trends and research based on 40-plus banks, revealing the key themes and areas for innovation.
Covering everything from AI to Open Banking, Banking as a Service to Embedded Finance, and everything in between the research reveals where customers are shifting their focus and expectations from their bank.
Pål also shares some key findings on the major issues keeping banking execs awake at night, giving some clear indications on where the next wave of Fintech entrepreneurs should focus their energy.
The Nordics is the birthplace of Fintech OG's like Klarna and Tink. It is a region with a rich history of innovation and Pål gives a rundown on the Fintech scene in his native Finland. There are some startling similarities to the Fintech scene down under and lessons can be learned from our European cousins.
You can follow Pål on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/krogdahl/
Download the report - https://samlink.fi/news/the-samlink-equation-2024-navigating-the-transformative-trends-in-banking/
Listen to Fintech Daydreaming - https://fintechdaydreaming.com/
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.
In episode 181 of Fintech Chatter Podcast Dexter Cousins is joined by Chris Jewell, CEO and Co-Founder of Aussie payments Fintech, Zepto.
Making his Fintech Chatter debut, Chris shares the HUGE opportunity in the global payments landscape as the US and Europe embrace real-time account to account payments.
Chris shares his thoughts on this unique moment in Fintech history and how the Zepto product aims to be in the 'Top 1% of the Top 1%'
Tune in as Chris and Dexter discuss various topics including:
Chris' journey from Banking Exec to Fintech founder
The importance of putting equity into the business
Building a global Fintech from Byron Bay
Why current business owners often come up with the best ideas
Tapping into your creative energy to become a successful founder
How to juggle the challenges of being a CEO
Make sure to follow us on your favourite podcast player and leave a review, it really helps us promote the show and profile more Aussie Fintech companies to a global audience.
About Zepto
Zepto is a real-time, account-to-account payments infrastructure innovator, and Fintech Organisation of the Year 2023. Zepto's API opens a unique set of access points to Australia's payments infrastructure. Businesses can take, make and manage payments in real-time — all the time — between bank accounts. Zepto is a faster, data-rich payments solution that can transform business processes, customer experience and costs.
About Chris Jewell
As CEO of Zepto, Chris focuses on overall operational efficiency, balancing the design and implementation of strategy, objectives and processes to ensure we deliver the best outcome for our clients.
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