Payments Innovation

As one stat after another shows how much venture capital funding is drying up, the most striking figure of all may have got lost in the noise: last year, female-owned companies received just 2.1% of the total capital invested in all startups in the US.This week, host Cara Hayward is joined by Ruth Foxe Blader, CIO of Anthemis Group and Elizabeth Davis, Principal of the Female Innovators Lab Fund at Anthemis Group, to try and get to the bottom of this dispiriting percentage. They discuss the need for more female cheque writers in venture capital, the role VCs have to play in encouraging more female hires, and why the lack of female representation in tech is definitely not a pipeline problem. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For nearly three years China pursued a zero-Covid pandemic containment strategy. One of the strictest in the world, the policy mandated tight lockdowns and kept foreign visitors away. The reopening of China’s borders has been one the biggest economic stories of 2023. The country is projected to be responsible for nearly 35% of global growth this year, thanks to an uptick in consumption and shifting consumer behaviour.But for businesses both inside and outside China, what are the opportunities that this growth presents? What scope is there for inward investment, and how will China engage with its neighbours? This week, host Yi Nah Yeo is joined by Ruben Lim, COO at Singapore FinTech Association, to learn more about what China’s reopening means for the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a sector, Fintech has taken an investment hit, with global funding falling by a third in 2022. It’s a situation that’s leading to a radical reinvention of the way companies approach business planning, with a more strategic evaluation of the market playing a critical role. For years, venture capitalists were telling companies that they needed to grow as quickly as possible — to win market share, and only then worry about how they would actually make money.That formula has been turned on its head now that money is more expensive and valuations have dropped. This week, host Piers Marais is joined by Leda Glyptis, Chief Client Officer at 10X Banking, to speak about the way Fintech business models are now prioritising profitability over growth.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Remittances to developing countries reached $626 billion last year. But with 25% of funds saved or invested, remittances are not just supporting families but transforming economies.  This week, host James Teodorini is joined by Camilla Bullock, CEO and co-founder of the Emerging Payments Association Asia, and Artak Melkonyan, Senior Advisor on Equity, Financing and Funds at the United Nations Development Programme Sustainable Finance Hub. They discuss how remittances are fuelling entrepreneurialism, the part technology can play in reducing costs, and how South Asia is succeeding in keeping fees down. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A recent wave of acquisitions is consolidating part of the foreign exchange sector into the hands of a few major players. But who stands to gain the most?In this episode, host Piers Marais talks to Joe Edwards, Managing Director at Capitex FX, about the benefits of consolidation for companies, the perks and problems for the customer, and why the rising cost of compliance may make it hard for smaller startups to keep up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the economic climate rattling businesses and investors alike, holding on to your customers is more important than ever. But how do you cut through the noise of your most vocal customers to understand how the rest are feeling?In this episode, host Piers Marais talks to Saskia de Jong, Director of Customer Success at Avinode Group, and Sergi Albiol, Commercial Director at Lano, about the need for a company-wide approach to building relationships, why the customer isn’t always right, and the role AI has to play in keeping customers happy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The collapse of FTX and Celsius wiped billions from investors’ portfolios and tarnished the reputation of the entire crypto industry. Could a proper regulatory framework have prevented the crisis? In this episode, Simon Grunfeld, Head of Web3 at Cogni, talks to host Scott Ernenwein about why regulation is the only path to wider crypto adoption, and why, when it comes to managing your digital assets, the only person you can trust is yourself.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cross-border payments have traditionally been slow, costly and unpredictable. But as domestic instant payment systems are being stitched together, more money is flowing across borders in real time. This week, host Piers Marais talks to David Reiss, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Currencycloud, and Leo Lipis, CEO of Lipis Advisors, about emerging real-time payment corridors, the path to global connectivity, and why big banks no longer see Fintechs as the enemy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite an explosive rise in innovative payments technologies, legacy infrastructure and institutional inertia pose significant barriers to their global adoption.This week, host Cara Hayward speaks to Dan Roseberry, VP, Global Fintech Partnerships at Visa, and Emily Man, Investor at Redpoint Ventures, about the promise of new payment methods, why progress varies so much from country to country, and what Europe and the US could learn from India and Brazil. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Women currently hold just 27% of all tech-related jobs. And while progress has been made in raising the profile of women in Fintech, there is still plenty of work to be done. In this episode, host Cara Hayward celebrates International Women’s Day with Currencycloud colleagues Fumbi Banjoko and Sarah Martin, as they discuss their own journeys in Fintech, why women’s progress varies so much from region to region, and how all-female networking is helping more women to break through the glass ceiling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.