Couchonomics with Arjun

Couchonomics kicks off its Amsterdam Special with the Chief Commercial Officer at Adyen, Roelant Prins. Having led a career in fintech for over 20 years, Roelant has personally experienced the rapid development of the sector. He worked with the Royal bank of Scotland in early 2000 before moving on to head numerous leadership and management roles in payments technology. Roelant has been a speaker on major platforms such as Money 20/20 Asia, Vivatech 2019 & 2022. In this special episode recorded in Adyen offices in Amsterdam, Roelant talks us through the evolution of commerce and fintech. He describes how the two have slowly merged over the years under a concept known as “unified commerce”.Roelant also shares how Adyen has positioned itself as an industry leader, not just in the payments space, but in the financial technology sector. Other topics discussed include:●      The fine, but vital distinction between multichannel commerce and unified commerce●      The concept of invisible payments and how that may be achieved●      Adyen’s expansion in coming years.Timeline00:00— Introduction03:00— Unified Commerce09:00— Digitization is The Future15:00— Adyen’s Expansion Beyond Payments21:00— Choosing the Right Customers27:00— Leaping into Issuing33:00— What Makes the Middle East Unique39:00— ConclusionAdyen: https://www.adyen.com/The Season 2 of Couchonomics is coming soon, so stay tuned!Follow 'Couchonomics with Arjun Singh' on any app you listen to podcasts.Check out Couchonomics website for all new updates: www.couchonomics.comHOSTBased in Dubai, Arjun is actively engaged with the Fintech & Start-up ecosystem across the MENA Region and beyond- as a passive investor, an advisory board member and as a commentator on the rapidly evolving scene.FINTECH NEWSSubscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter Couchonomics Crunch to receive daily interesting news from the world of Fintech, DeFI, Crypto and beyond: www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6899436665924837377/PARTNERSCouchonomics with Arjun Singh is brought to you by our partners from:Adyen, a reliable end-to-end payments solution that enables businesses to turn payments into a strategic growth driver:https://www.adyen.com/Connect with Couchonomics:Websitehttps://www.couchonomics.com/Twitterhttps://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/TikTokhttps://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLQYGHoa/Our 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

When Dr Bernd van Linder attained his PhD in artificial intelligence over 20 years ago, the field was viewed as intensely academic with few practical applications. Not desiring to pursue an academic career, Dr Van Linder entered the world of finance in the early 2000s. Over his 20 plus year career he has slowly worked his way to CEO of Commercial Bank of Dubai.In his new position, Dr Van Linder is excited to drive innovation and change in the region by expanding how banks view their competition. As consumers become conditioned to interfaces from some of the world’s biggest tech companies, they begin to expect that same level of ease and connection when it comes to dealing with their banks. Dr van Linder believes that the future will see an explosion of banks applying digital innovation across all levels, and he is focused on optimising the process from end to end.Dr van Linder also shares his views onHow decentralized finance will change the world of bankingThe importance of seeking talent beyond the banking industryA few differences between banking in Europe and banking in the UAETimeline00:00 – Introduction04:00 – Practical Applications of AI in Banking10:00 – The War for Talent19:00 – Ideas Accelerated by Covid33:00 – Serving the Under-served41:00 – ConclusionFollow 'Couchonomics with Arjun Singh' on any app you listen to podcasts.Check out Couchonomics website for all new updates:www.couchonomics.comHOSTBased in Dubai, Arjun is actively engaged with the Fintech & Start-up ecosystem across the MENA Region and beyond- as a passive investor, an advisory board member and as a commentator on the rapidly evolving scene.FINTECH NEWSSubscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter Couchonomics Crunch to receive daily interesting news from the world of Fintech, DeFI, Crypto and beyond:https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6899436665924837377/PARTNERSCouchonomics with Arjun Singh is brought to you by ourpartners from:Adyen, a reliable end-to-end payments solution that enables businesses to turnpayments into a strategic growth driver:https://www.adyen.com/LuLu Financial Group, a global financial services provider headquartered in Abu Dhabiand operating in 11 countries:https://www.lulufin.com/M2P, Asia’s leading payment infrastructure company that enables businesses of anyscale to embed financial products:https://m2pfintech.com/Connect with Couchonomics:Websitehttps://www.couchonomics.com/TikTokhttps://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLQYGHoa/InstagramOur 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

Madhusudanan and Prabhu Rangarajan are the Co-founders of M2P, an innovative, India-born fintech company with ambitious expansion goals for Dubai. However, word on the streets suggests that the party is over for startups, fintech companies included. Madhu and Prabhu start the conversation by highlighting what sets them apart from other fintech companies and offer valuable insights into which fintech companies have what it takes to make it through this difficult time.Innovation is one thing; sustainable innovation is a whole other story. Madhu’s unique lens into the true function of fintech suggests that the problem that fintech is solving, actually is inclusion. Prabhu offers the interesting perspective that smaller players possess the drive to go deeper, as opposed to broader, enabling them to occupy an advantaged position in the market.We also discuss:·        Is the party really over for fintech startups or did it just move?·        Will incumbents emerge stronger than ever from the recent fintech bubble?·        What does M2P bring to MENA? Timeline00:00 – Introduction03:00 – Valuation reset or something more foundational?10:00 – Outlasting the downward spiral18:00 – How embedded finance might grow in MENA24:00 – Big banks, small banks and each of their roles30:00 - Motivations for international expansion36:00 – Democratizing financial access41:00 – Conclusion  Follow 'Couchonomics with Arjun Singh' on any app you listen to podcasts.Check out Couchonomics website for all new updates:www.couchonomics.comHOSTBased in Dubai, Arjun is actively engaged with the Fintech & Start-up ecosystem across the MENA Region and beyond- as a passive investor, an advisory board member and as a commentator on the rapidly evolving scene.FINTECH NEWSSubscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter Daily Fintech Crunch to receive daily interesting news from the world of Fintech, DeFI, Crypto and beyond:https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6899436665924837377/PARTNERSCouchonomics with Arjun Singh is brought to you by ourpartners from:Adyen, a reliable end-to-end payments solution that enables businesses to turnpayments into a strategic growth driver:https://www.adyen.com/LuLu Financial Group, a global financial services provider headquartered in Abu Dhaband operating in 11 countries:https://www.lulufin.com/M2P, Asia’s leading payment infrastructure company that enables businesses of anyscale to embed financial products:https://m2pfintech.com/Connect with Couchonomics:Websitehttps://www.couchonomics.com/TikToOur 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

Mihai Draghici joins us on the couch from a busy day on the road. Travelling all the way from Bucharest, he brings with us the exciting story of how the idea for his innovative FinTech company, PayByFace, came about. Coming from an engineering background, Mihai had the bright idea that facial recognition could prove to be a convenient, safe payment system. After all, you never forget your face at home.Mihai paints a picture of how transactions will be affected by facial recognition payments. This reveals Mihai’s vision for the company: he believes there is a way for transactions to transcend payments. With some effort and attention, Mihai hopes to gamify payments and turn them into a fun, enjoyable experience.Mihai also shares with us·        Why he believes facial recognition will out-perform other biometrics·        Applications of facial recognition beyond commerce·        How to face privacy concerns around facial recognitionTimeline00:00 – Introduction03:00 – What sets facial recognition technology apart10:00 – Opportunities for facial recognition16:00 – Data and privacy concerns22:00 – Facial recognition in MENA26:00 - ConclusionFollow 'Couchonomics with Arjun Singh' on any app you listen to podcasts.Check out Couchonomics website for all new updates:www.couchonomics.comHOSTBased in Dubai, Arjun is actively engaged with the Fintech & Start-up ecosystem across the MENA Region and beyond- as a passive investor, an advisory board member and as a commentator on the rapidly evolving scene.FINTECH NEWSSubscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter Daily Fintech Crunch to receive daily interesting news from the world of Fintech, DeFI, Crypto and beyond:https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6899436665924837377/PARTNERSCouchonomics with Arjun Singh is brought to you by ourpartners from:Adyen, a reliable end-to-end payments solution that enables businesses to turnpayments into a strategic growth driver:https://www.adyen.com/LuLu Financial Group, a global financial services provider headquartered in Abu Dhabiand operating in 11 countries:https://www.lulufin.com/M2P, Asia’s leading payment infrastructure company that enables businesses of anyscale to embed financial products:https://m2pfintech.com/Connect with Couchonomics:Websitehttps://www.couchonomics.com/TikTokhttps://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLQYGHoa/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/LinkedInOur 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

The Global P2P Payment Market Size accounted for USD 1,872 Billion in 2021 and is estimated to achieve a market size of USD 9,135 Billion by 2030. The P2P payments market is a very fragmented market. Important players either acquire new rivals or combine with them. The others invest significant money in research and development initiatives. These initiatives lead to market growth for P2P payments and technological advancements, updates, and new P2P payment capabilities.That is why, we are delighted, to present to you the conversation about the possibilities of P2P payments with Andrew Gold and Faisal Toukan, two-thirds of a trio that started Ziina, the UAE’s first peer-to-peer payment app.Andrew is Co-Founder and Head of Engineering at Ziina with Apple and Coinbase on his belt as his previous emprises. Together with Faisal Toukan, Co-Founder & CEO at Ziina, they explained why they believe that their model of P2P payments, which focused on the social component is a winning formula.Faisal provided for us, in this episode of Couchonomics, his overview of the MENA ecosystem and p2p players that are here to stay.Jump in and get to know:-       What Ziina has to offer that no other p2p payment solution provider does?-       Is it worth expanding p2p to p2m?-       Is there a place for crypto in the P2P space? Timeline:00:00 – Intro01.16 – The beginnings of Ziina07.17 – From P2P to P2M and beyond13.58 – Competition in the P2P payment solution segment25.16 – Let’s talk crypto37.31 - Is there a place for crypto in P2P? Follow 'Couchonomics with Arjun Singh' on any app you listen to podcasts.Check out Couchonomics website for all new updates: www.couchonomics.comHOSTBased in Dubai, Arjun is actively engaged with the Fintech & Start-up ecosystem across the MENA Region and beyond - as a passive investor, an advisory board member and as a commentator on the rapidly evolving scene. FINTECH NEWSSubscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter Daily Fintech Crunch to receive daily interesting news from the world of Fintech, DeFI, Crypto and beyond: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6899436665924837377/ PARTNERSCouchonomics with Arjun Singh is brought to you by our partners from:Adyen, a reliable end-to-end payments solution that enables businesses to turn payments into a strategic growth driver: https://www.adyen.com/LuLu Financial Group, a global financial services provider headquartered in Abu Dhabi and operating in 11 countries: https://www.lulufin.com/M2P, Asia’s leading payment infrastructure company that enables businesses of any scale to embed financial products: https://m2pfintech.com/Our 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

Investing has often been viewed as an expensive, costly process that only a privileged few can access. But as technology evolves and grows, companies like Baraka are finding increasingly creative ways to give people access to financial markets.Founder and CEO of Baraka, Feras Jalbout, joins us for a lively discussion that sparks off with a bit of a hot-take. Since Baraka charges no commission, its clients often engage in online trading, a practice that some have described as part-gambling and part-gaming. However, Feras sees things entirely differently.For Feras, the investment philosophy he hopes will shine through his company is long-term appreciation over short-term gain. Although this is the case, he also believes that it the priority is to give people access to markets, and the wealth-app accomplishes precisely that.Our conversation takes us through some other hot topics in the FinTech space, such as:Have Baraka considered an expansion into Saudi Arabia?Zero-commission or robot advisory; what drove Feras’ choice?What role does education play on their platform?Timeline:00:00 – Introduction06:02 – Zero commission V. robot advisory12:17 – Fractional shares and retail investors19:41 – How will Baraka carve a niche for itself?25:10 – Surviving the stock market31:10 – Is Crypto the future?39:01 – ConclusionFollow 'Couchonomics with Arjun Singh' on any app you listen to podcasts.Check out Couchonomics website for all new updates:www.couchonomics.comHOSTBased in Dubai, Arjun is actively engaged with the Fintech & Start - up ecosystem across the MENA Region and beyond - as a passive investor, an advisory board member and as a commentator on the rapidly e volving scene.FINTECH NEWSSubscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter Daily Fintech Crunch to receive daily interesting news from the world of Fintech, DeFI, Crypto and beyond:http s://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6899436665924837377/PARTNERSCouchonomics with Arjun Singh is brought to you by ourpartners from:Adyen, a reliable end - to - end payments solution that enables businesses to turnpayments into a strategic growth driver:https://www.adyen.com/LuLu Financial Group, a global financial services provider headquartered in Abu Dhabiand operating in 11 countries:https://www.lulufin.com/M2P, Asia’s leading payment infrastructure company that enables businesses of anyscale to embed financial products:https://m2pfintech.com/Connect with Couchonomics:Websitehttps://www.couchonomics.com/TikTokhttps:Our 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

Abdullah Al-Othman joins us on the couch today to share his views on an ever-evolving fintech landscape. As the founder of Geidea, one of Saudi Arabia’s leading fintech companies, Abdullah’s first order of business is to solve a small mystery for us: what does the name Geidea mean?Once that’s cleared up, Abdullah shares his view on what makes fintech in Saudi Arabia unique from other places in the world. His insightful opinion sheds light on the disappointing scores of copycats currently flooding the market, as well as many other interesting topics such as:·        The evolving relationship between banks and fintech companies in the region·        New gaps that being identified as future opportunities·        Tailoring solutions for businesses at different scalesTime Line00:00 – Introduction03:10 – Rules of the game09:40 – Banks and legislation15:44 – The growth of Geidea20:47 – Key differences between Saudi Arabia and the UAE31:13 – Constant learning and adaptation41:11 – Finding the perfect match for every role51:55 – Cash ain’t king58:17 – ConclusionFollow 'Couchonomics with Arjun Singh' on any app you listen to podcasts.Check out Couchonomics website for all new updates:www.couchonomics.comHOSTBased in Dubai, Arjun is actively engaged with the Fintech & Start - up ecosystem across the MENA Region and beyond - as a passive investor, an advisory board member and as a commentator on the rapidly e volving scene.FINTECH NEWSSubscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter Daily Fintech Crunch to receive daily interesting news from the world of Fintech, DeFI, Crypto and beyond:http s://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6899436665924837377/PARTNERSCouchonomics with Arjun Singh is brought to you by ourpartners from:Adyen, a reliable end - to - end payments solution that enables businesses to turnpayments into a strategic growth driver:https://www.adyen.com/LuLu Financial Group, a global financial services provider headquartered in Abu Dhabiand operating in 11 countries:https://www.lulufin.com/M2P, Asia’s leading payment infrastructure company that enables businesses of anyscale to embed financial products:https://m2pfintech.com/Connect with Couchonomics:Websitehttps://www.couchonomics.com/TikTokhttps://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLQYGHoa/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingOur 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

In terms of fintech adoption, Egypt has been a little slow on the take compared to other nations. However, companies like ValU are changing that.As innovative companies and dynamic leaders forge a path to the future, Egypt emerges as one of the most exciting regions on the fintech map. Our guest and guide today is Walid Hassouna, founder and CEO of ValU. He breaks down some of the key factors driving Egypt’s recent fintech growth.As regulations and infrastructure start catching up to technical ability in Egypt, fintech starts showing its utility. Companies like ValU are redefining the way people think about money and credit. In this episode, we explore how this marked transition has affected the region, as well as some of the factors that have influenced it. Our conversation takes us far and wide, exploring topics such as:- How regulations have reacted to changing demands- Evolutions in consumer behaviour- Key innovations along the way.Timeline00:00 - Introduction03:00 - Genesis of ValU09:00 - Standout functions of ValU16:30 - Navigating nuanced debt challenges in Egypt22:24 - The merchant challenge31:00 - The future of ValU36:00 - ConclusionFollow 'Couchonomics with Arjun Singh' on any app you listen to podcasts.Check out Couchonomics website for all new updates:www.couchonomics.comHOSTBased in Dubai, Arjun is actively engaged with the Fintech & Start-up ecosystem across the MENA Region and beyond- as a passive investor, an advisory board member and as a commentator on the rapidly evolving scene.FINTECH NEWSSubscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter Daily Fintech Crunch to receive daily interesting news from the world of Fintech, DeFI, Crypto and beyond:https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6899436665924837377/PARTNERSCouchonomics with Arjun Singh is brought to you by ourpartners from:Adyen, a reliable end-to-end payments solution that enables businesses to turnpayments into a strategic growth driver:https://www.adyen.com/LuLu Financial Group, a global financial services provider headquartered in Abu Dhabiand operating in 11 countries:https://www.lulufin.com/M2P, Asia’s leading payment infrastructure company that enables businesses of anyscale to embed financial products:https://m2pfintech.com/Connect with Couchonomics:Websitehttps://www.couchonomics.com/TikTokhttps://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLQYGHoa/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/Our 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

NFTs are a hot topic very few people really understand. For many of us, our first time hearing of NFTs was in 2021 when they suddenly seemed to be a digital gold mine. However, for the patient community that diligently crafts the famed images, NFTs represent an opportunity for profound and fundamental transformation.Kristel Bechara joins us on Couchonmics to share her view as the rising star of the Middle Easter art world. Just a few short years ago, Kristel was a budding artist selling her physical works through digital channels. One day, a friend approached her and introduced her to the concept of NFTs. After doing some initial research, Kristel quickly decided to invest her own talents into the NFT space, and she hasn’t looked back since.In our conversation, Kristel takes us through:Key criteria for evaluating long-term NFT valueThe benefit of 1-of-1s compared to collectionsHow NFTs can transform ownership, protect artist rights and open up new revenue streamsTime Stamp00:00— Introduction02:38— How Kristel Discovered NFTs10:00— How to evaluate NFT value long-term18:46— How NFTs can benefit artists around the world27:00— NFTs from an investor’s perspective31:00— ConclusionFollow 'Couchonomics with Arjun Singh' on any app you listen to podcasts.Check out Couchonomics website for all new updates:www.couchonomics.comHOSTBased in Dubai, Arjun is actively engaged with the Fintech & Start - up ecosystem across the MENA Region and beyond - as a passive investor, an advisory board member and as a commentator on the rapidly e volving scene.FINTECH NEWSSubscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter Daily Fintech Crunch to receive daily interesting news from the world of Fintech, DeFI, Crypto and beyond:http s://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6899436665924837377/PARTNERSCouchonomics with Arjun Singh is brought to you by ourpartners from:Adyen, a reliable end - to - end payments solution that enables businesses to turnpayments into a strategic growth driver:https://www.adyen.com/LuLu Financial Group, a global financial services provider headquartered in Abu Dhabiand operating in 11 countries:https://www.lulufin.com/M2P, Asia’s leading payment infrastructure company that enables businesses of anyscale to embed financial products:https://m2pfintech.com/Connect with Couchonomics:Websitehttps://www.couchonomics.com/TikTokhttps://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLQYGHoa/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/couchonOur 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

Around the world, open banking adoption is rising steadily, embraced by a growing number of banks and fintech companies providing innovative financial products and tapping into new market segments. As of the end of Q2 2022, global research identified 1,578 banking platforms that are making APIs available, representing an annual growth of 8%.To identify all the advantages and the challenges this growing industry faces, we have Mo Aziz on the couch, Co-Founder and CEO of Pluto. Pluto is open banking service that is offering a unique Pluto Corporate Card, that is revolutionizing corporate spending.Mo highlighted importance of not being too disruptive when offering a new technology to SME’s and respecting their ways of doing business.Join us in this interesting conversation about open banking and learn more about:Benefits of Pluto card for SMEPluto’s planned expansion in the MENA regionAn overview of the open banking sector in MENAImportance of chemistry between the co-founders when starting the new businessCheck out Pluto: https://www.plutocard.io/Timeline:00:00 – Intro01:13 – Introducing Mo Aziz02:01 – Beginning and ending of DAPI04:21 – Overview of open banking in the MENA region08:52 – Pluto Corporate Spend14:07 – Co-founders & Ramp investment18:32 – Strategy targeting SME’s24:51 – Dealing with competitionFollow 'Couchonomics with Arjun Singh' on any app you listen to podcasts.Check out Couchonomics website for all new updates: www.couchonomics.comHOSTBased in Dubai, Arjun is actively engaged with the Fintech & Start-up ecosystem across the MENA Region and beyond - as a passive investor, an advisory board member and as a commentator on the rapidly evolving scene.FINTECH NEWSSubscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter Daily Fintech Crunch to receive daily interesting news from the world of Fintech, DeFI, Crypto and beyond: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6899436665924837377/PARTNERSCouchonomics with Arjun Singh is brought to you by our partners from:Adyen, a reliable end-to-end payments solution that enables businesses to turn payments into a strategic growth driver: https://www.adyen.com/LuLu Financial Group, a global financial services provider headquartered in Abu Dhabi and operating in 11 countries: https://www.lulufin.com/M2P, Asia’s leading payment infrastructure company that enables businesses of any scale to embed financial products: https://m2pfintech.com/Our 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