Couchonomics with Arjun

Financial innovation in the GCC is often framed around payments, licenses, and launch timelines.But the harder work happens long before a product goes live.In this special Qatar Development Bank series of Couchonomics with Arjun, Arjun sits down in Doha with Mohammed Suleiman, Co-Founder and CEO of Karty, to unpack what it really takes to build a regulated fintech company from the ground up in Qatar.Karty is not trying to out-bank banks or outscale telco wallets. Instead, it is being designed as a financial management layer that sits between spending and understanding money. A digital wallet built around insights, behaviour, and literacy rather than just transactions.Mohammed explains why Qatar’s wallet landscape still leaves a gap for mass-affluent users, how Karty is approaching savings and financial awareness as a bundled experience, and why monetisation in fintech only works when usage comes first.A grounded discussion on fintech realism, ecosystem maturity, and why building the right foundations matters more than rushing to market.🎙️ In this episode:• Why Qatar still needs independent digital wallets• The gap between telco wallets and traditional banking• Financial literacy as a bundled product, not a standalone feature• How wallets monetise without pushing lending too early• Multi-rail payments and the future of wallet infrastructure• Round-ups, savings nudges, and behaviour-led product design• Building fintech under evolving regulation in Qatar• Talent, infrastructure, and the realities of building in-house• AI in fintech, where it works and where it is overhyped• Scaling through partnerships vs direct market expansion• Why Karty sees itself as a layer after banking, not a replacement👉 Watch the full conversation to understand how fintech is actually being built in Qatar, before the headlines, before the hype, and before launch.SOCIAL LINKSArjun’s LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/Couchonomics LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/Twitter → https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_SinghTikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomicsNewsletter → https://bit.ly/3WI4A6ECHAPTERS00:00 Qatar Development Bank series and context02:00 Why Qatar needs another digital wallet05:30 The gap between telco wallets and banks09:00 Financial literacy as a product, not content13:30 Monetisation, margins, and wallet realities17:00 Multi-rail payments and infrastructure thinking21:00 Regulation, licensing, and ecosystem support25:00 Talent, tech, and building in-house in Qatar29:00 AI in fintech and practical constraints33:00 Expansion strategies and infrastructure plays37:00 Launch readiness and what comes nexOur website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0Find us on our social media platforms: Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/ CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/ Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

Most startup stories focus on what companies become.This one focuses on how they are built.In this special Qatar Development Bank series of Couchonomics with Arjun, Arjun sits down in Doha with Hamad Al-Hajri, Founder and CEO of Snoonu, to explore how one of Qatar’s most successful tech companies was built and why its journey matters for the region. Hamad explains why Snoonu was never meant to be just a delivery app, but a speed-led business designed for small, fragmented markets. From brand identity and culture to engineering excellence and profitability, the conversation unpacks what it really takes to scale from Qatar.The episode also covers Snoonu’s acquisition by Jahez, the role of AI in product discovery, and how platform-led expansion could shape the next phase of growth.An honest discussion on super apps, culture as infrastructure, and building globally relevant companies from the Middle East.🎙️ In this episode:• Why Snoonu was built as a speed-first business, not a delivery app• The real meaning behind the Snoonu name and brand identity• Why super apps work in smaller, fragmented markets• How Snoonu achieved profitability while others struggled• Engineering excellence and product craftsmanship as a moat• AI-powered discovery and real-world use cases• The Jahez acquisition and lessons from consolidation• Platform-as-a-service versus direct market expansion• Qatar’s evolving startup ecosystem and founder flywheel• What it takes to build global tech companies from the GCC👉 Watch the full conversation to understand how culture, technology, and long-term vision are shaping the next chapter of Middle Eastern innovation.SOCIAL LINKSArjun’s LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/Couchonomics LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/Twitter → https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_SinghTikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomicsNewsletter → https://bit.ly/3WI4A6ECHAPTERS00:00 QDB series and setting the context02:00 The story behind Snoonu’s name06:30 Why super apps work in the GCC11:00 Profitability and engineering culture16:00 AI, discovery, and product excellence22:00 The Jahez acquisition27:00 Platform-led expansion strategy33:00 Qatar’s startup ecosystem evolution39:00 Building globally from the Middle EastOur website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0Find us on our social media platforms: Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/ CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/ Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

Innovation ecosystems in the GCC are often judged by funding numbers and startup announcements.But the real work happens in how institutions, capital, and regulation move together.In this special Qatar Development Bank series of Couchonomics with Arjun, Arjun sits down in Doha with Mohammed Al-Emadi, Executive Director of Incubation and VC Investment at QDB, to unpack how Qatar is intentionally building its startup and venture capital ecosystem.Rather than operating as a single funding body, QDB plays a lifecycle role across incubation, acceleration, venture capital, regulation readiness, and market access. Mohammed explains how founders are supported from idea stage through to regional and global expansion, with each layer designed to reduce friction rather than add complexity.The conversation explores how Qatar’s ecosystem players collaborate closely, why talent and pilot access matter more than market size, and how capital, regulation, and infrastructure are aligned to support long-term innovation.🎙️ In this episode:• How QDB supports startups from idea to international markets• Why ecosystem coordination matters more than isolated programs• The role of incubation, acceleration, and venture capital working together• Preparing startups for regulation before entering licensing• Venture studios and fund-of-funds as ecosystem building blocks• Talent attraction, education, and retention as infrastructure• Market pilots and testing as a growth advantage• Fintech beyond payments, including insurance and Islamic finance• The role of exits in validating the ecosystem• Positioning Qatar as a regional launchpad, not just a local market👉 Watch the full conversation to understand how Qatar is building its startup and venture ecosystem quietly, deliberately, and with long-term intent.SOCIAL LINKSArjun’s LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/Couchonomics LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/Twitter → https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_SinghTikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomicsNewsletter → https://bit.ly/3WI4A6ECHAPTERS00:00 Qatar Development Bank series and context02:00 QDB’s role in the startup ecosystem05:00 Supporting founders from idea to scale08:30 Ecosystem coordination and institutional alignment12:30 Talent, education, and capability building16:30 Regulation readiness and sandbox pathways20:30 Venture capital, fund-of-funds, and studios24:30 Market pilots and testing environments28:30 Fintech focus areas beyond payments32:30 Exits, maturity, and long-term ecosystem goalsOur website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0Find us on our social media platforms: Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/ CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/ Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

Venture capital is often discussed through funding totals and headline deals.But the real signal sits underneath the numbers.In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Arjun is joined by Philip Bahoshy, Founder and CEO of MAGNiTT, to break down what the latest venture data actually says about emerging markets and where capital is really moving.Drawing from MAGNiTT’s newest annual report, Philip unpacks the divergence across emerging markets, the growing dominance of the GCC in venture funding, and why Saudi Arabia and the UAE are increasingly shaping the region’s venture outcomes. The conversation goes beyond raw numbers to explore liquidity, exits, fund cycles, and what maturity really looks like for venture ecosystems.The episode dives deep into FinTech’s continued dominance, the realities behind mega rounds, why exits remain the biggest unlock for founders and investors, and how AI, private credit, and digital assets are reshaping capital allocation. 🎙️ In this episode:• Why venture funding in emerging markets is diverging• How Saudi Arabia and the UAE came to dominate MENA venture capital• What the data reveals about deal volume versus deal quality• Why exits, not funding rounds, define ecosystem maturity• The real state of FinTech, digital assets, and venture debt• How AI is changing venture economics beyond the hype• What founders should understand about liquidity and long-term outcomes• Where emerging markets could see the next wave of growth👉 Watch the full conversation to understand how venture capital in the Middle East is evolving, what the data is really saying beneath the headlines, and why the next phase of growth will be defined by exits, not valuations.PARTNERSCouchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by:Adyen → https://www.adyen.com/Thunes → https://thunes.com/Mastercard → https://mastercard.com/e& → https://www.eand.com/Digit9 → https://www.digitnine.com/SC Ventures → https://scventures.io/SOCIAL LINKSArjun’s LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/Couchonomics LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/Twitter (X) → https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_SinghTikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomicsNewsletter → https://bit.ly/3WI4A6ECHAPTERS00:00 Venture capital beyond the headlines02:00 What MAGNiTTOur website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0Find us on our social media platforms: Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/ CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/ Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

Startup success is often explained through geography, capital, or timing.But the real story is about people, resilience, and long-term commitment.In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Arjun is joined by Allen Taylor, Managing Partner at Endeavor Catalyst, to unpack how world-class companies are being built far beyond Silicon Valley.Allen shares how Endeavor identifies and backs the top 1% of founders across emerging and underserved markets, why venture outcomes are shaped over decades not fund cycles, and how resilience and ambition matter more than location. From Latin America and Eastern Europe to the Middle East and frontier markets like Nigeria and Pakistan, the conversation explores what it really takes to build billion-dollar companies from anywhere.The episode also dives into how venture capital is evolving, why the traditional 10-year fund model no longer reflects reality, how AI is changing both startups and investing, and what creates durable entrepreneurial ecosystems over time.🎙️ In this episode:• Why billion-dollar companies can now be built from anywhere• How Endeavor identifies and supports the top 1% of founders globally• The power of role models, second-generation founders, and ecosystem flywheels• Why resilience matters more than ideas in long-term company building• How frontier markets create asymmetric venture returns• The limits of the traditional VC model and what needs to change• Where AI truly adds value in startups and venture investing• Why ambition should move from regional champions to global companies👉 Watch the full conversation to understand how global entrepreneurship is shifting, why emerging markets matter, and what the next decade of venture creation could look like.#CouchonomicsWithArjun #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #Endeavor #GlobalStartups #EmergingMarkets #FounderMindset #AI #FutureOfVenture #LeadershipPARTNERSCouchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by:Adyen → https://www.adyen.com/Thunes → https://thunes.com/Mastercard → https://mastercard.com/e& → https://www.eand.com/Digit9 → https://www.digitnine.com/SC Ventures → https://scventures.io/SOCIAL LINKSArjun’s LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/Couchonomics LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/Twitter (X) → https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_SinghTikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomicsNewsletter → https://bit.ly/3WI4A6ECHAPTERS00:00 Building billion-dollar companies from anywhere02:10 What Endeavor really does and why it exists05:30 How Endeavor Catalyst invests differently09:00 The globalisation of startups beyond Silicon Valley13:30 Latin America’s rise and why it matters18:00 Europe’s overlooked innovation markets22:40 The Endeavor network and founder flywheelsOur website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0Find us on our social media platforms: Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/ CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/ Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

Banking innovation usually gets reduced to apps and features.But the real changes are happening underneath.In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Richard Davies, CEO of Allica Bank, joins the couch to talk about how challenger banks are actually rebuilding SME banking in the UK.Richard breaks down why established SMEs need a very different banking model, why go-to-market is harder than building the technology, and how value, trust, and low cost structures become the real advantage over time.The conversation moves through how digital banking has matured in the UK, what open banking really delivers today, how AI is being used inside regulated banks, and where stablecoins and tokenised money actually make sense and where they do not.An honest discussion on SME credit gaps, the limits of the super-app idea, the role of humans in an AI-led bank, and what the next decade of challenger banking could realistically look like.🎙️ In this episode:• Why challenger banks are replacing major banks for SMEs, not just competing with them• The hidden problem of fragmentation in SME finance• How Allica is building an all-in-one bank for established businesses• What open banking gets right and where it still falls short• AI inside banks: productivity, agents, and the limits of automation• Why SMEs are not ready for complexity in digital assets• The real use cases for stablecoins and cross-border payments• What creates a defensible moat in modern digital banking• How regulation helps and hinders SME lending in the UK• What the next 3 to 5 years of SME banking could look like👉 Watch the full conversation to understand how challenger banks are scaling trust, profitability, and relevance in a post-hype fintech world.#CouchonomicsWithArjun #SMEBanking #ChallengerBanks #Fintech #UKFintech #DigitalBanking #AIinBanking #FutureOfBanking #Leadership #FinancialServicesPARTNERSCouchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by:Adyen → https://www.adyen.com/Thunes → https://thunes.com/Mastercard → https://mastercard.com/e& → https://www.eand.com/Digit9 → https://www.digitnine.com/SC Ventures → https://scventures.io/SOCIAL LINKSArjun’s LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/Couchonomics LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/Twitter → https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_SinghTikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomicsNewsletter → https://bit.ly/3WI4A6ECHAPTERS00:00 Why SME banking is being rebuilt02:40 The maturity of UK challenger banks06:30 The real SME credit gap problem10:20 Fragmentation vs all-in-one baOur website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0Find us on our social media platforms: Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/ CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/ Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

Giovanni Everduin, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Commercial Bank International, dives into the intricacies of banking innovation. He explains how regulation can spur rather than hinder progress and why legacy systems pose significant challenges. The conversation shifts to the hybrid future of finance, balancing on-chain and off-chain solutions. Giovanni clarifies misconceptions around tokenization and stablecoins while emphasizing the importance of prioritizing real-world applications over technology hype. Learn how banks can innovate responsibly and partner with fintechs to drive meaningful change.

Dr. Bernd van Linder, CEO of Commercial Bank of Dubai, shares insights on the digital transformation in UAE banking. He discusses how customer experience is now the key competitive advantage and why banks must adopt mobile-first strategies. Bernd emphasizes that fintechs are partners in this evolution, driving efficiency and collaboration. He also highlights AI's potential to enhance productivity while addressing the importance of governance and trust in a digital-first world. The future promises robust growth powered by innovative customer experiences.

In this insightful discussion, Vishal Dalal, Global CEO of Pismo, delves into the evolution of core banking. He shares how Pismo transitioned from a pilot program in Brazil to serving banks globally. Vishal highlights the critical importance of resilience in banking infrastructure and the challenges of migrating from legacy systems. He also explores the impact of digital assets and AI on modern financial systems, emphasizing the need for banks to adapt to new payment complexities while ensuring safety and efficiency.

Sandeep Patil, a partner at QED Investors with rich experience in fintech, discusses the transformative phase of the industry. He explains how the fintech reset isn't over yet and highlights stablecoins as the backbone of global trade. AI's influence in underwriting and distribution is substantial, streamlining processes and reducing costs. Sandeep emphasizes the necessity for founders to be regulatory-savvy, viewing regulation not as a hurdle but as a tool for growth. Emerging opportunities in the UAE and MENA region are also spotlighted.