The Trillion Dollar Opportunity: Financial Inclusion | Emerging Markets | FinTech

In our season finale, two treasury management CEOs share what keeps them going when building gets hard. John Santillan of Octa discusses building in public and why authenticity beats pretending to have all the answers. David Hanna of Finmo explains why surrounding yourself with people who challenge your thinking is essential for making better decisions.

Two founders are using AI to solve finance problems that keep CFOs up at night. David Hanna, co-founder and CEO of Finmo, discusses replacing the daily ritual of downloading 20+ bank statements with real-time global cash visibility. John Santillan, co-founder and CEO of Octa, talks about using AI to cut payment delays from 120 days to 30 days, unlocking billions in working capital. Discover how these startups are dragging business finance out of the spreadsheet and into the modern age. More on Finmo at: https://finmo.net/ and more on Octa is at: https://weareocta.com/

Linda Yu, Growth Partner at Quona Capital and formerly at SoftBank and Warburg Pincus, shares her journey to becoming an investor deploying billions in global investments. She believes that embedded finance has evolved from a FinTech niche to become the backbone of global commerce. Linda also shares her advice for startup founders pitching venture capitalists.

Maria Jose Aguilar Belmont, an Investment Analyst for Quona, teams up with Santiago Molina, CEO of Finkargo, to unravel the critical role of trucking in the global economy. They discuss how embedded finance is transforming the logistics sector in Latin America, empowering small businesses. Learn about Solvento's innovative solutions for liquidity challenges and the impact of financial support on micro trucking companies. Discover how these advancements facilitate smoother international trade and enhance operational resilience amidst economic challenges.

How can entrepreneurs in Africa navigate today's challenging fundraising environment? Hosts Shannon and Johan, joined by Adrienne Henderson from Quona Capital, share essential insights for founders building FinTech companies in emerging markets. We’ll touch on why asset-light business models matter more than ever and the critical importance of choosing long-term investor partners.  The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see https://quona.com/legal/

In 2023, India accounted for nearly 25% of all global IPOs with 340 public offerings, while the entire Middle East and Africa combined had just 50 IPOs. What created this massive gap, and how can Africa bridge it? Join hosts Shannon and Johan as they explore India's remarkable transformation from a nascent market to home of the world's most sophisticated digital financial infrastructure. With guest Adrienne Henderson, Senior Associate at Quona Capital, they break down the three foundational pillars of India's success: Aadhaar (universal digital identity), UPI (unified payments interface), and open banking APIs. The conversation examines Africa's unique challenges—54 countries, 40+ central banks, and thousands of languages—while highlighting promising innovations like M-Pesa in Kenya and South Africa's new rapid payments program.  The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see https://quona.com/legal/

What does it really take to disrupt traditional insurance markets in emerging economies? In this special minisode of The Trillion Dollar Opportunity, hosts Johan and Shannon share valuable entrepreneurial insights from two founders who are creating entirely new categories in Asia’s InsurTech industry. This is essential wisdom for founders creating new categories in emerging markets. Kulin Shah, co-founder and COO of Onsurity, which provides health coverage to India's 63 million micro, small, and medium-sized employers, emphasizes building startups to solve problems rather than chasing valuations. Cindy Kua from Sunday shares two key pieces of advice: first, recognize the challenges of fundraising and build a team to help navigate capital markets; second, remain committed to your vision while being flexible about the journey to achieve it. The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see https://quona.com/legal/

Forget everything you thought you knew about insurance—it's not just paperwork and policies, it's a financial lifeline keeping millions from falling into poverty. In this episode of The Trillion Dollar Opportunity, co-hosts Johan Bosini and Shannon Austin explore how insurance has become the critical second phase of financial inclusion in emerging markets. When 330 million people in India lack health insurance and coverage rates remain low across much of Southeast Asia, innovative InsurTech companies are stepping in where traditional models have failed. Kulin Shah is the co-founder and COO of Onsurity, which is bringing affordable health benefits to India's 63 million small businesses. Cindy Kua is the co-founder and CEO of Sunday, who's reimagining insurance across Southeast Asia with a digital-first approach to healthcare, automotive, and gadget protection. These entrepreneurs are not just preventing financial catastrophe when disaster strikes but enabling economic resilience and opportunity for millions. The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see https://quona.com/legal/

In Brazil, high interest rates and revolving credit lines can trap borrowers. So how can borrowers break free of these toxic cycles? This week, hosts Shannon Austin and Johan Bosini explore how high-interest rate loans can trap borrowers, and cultural reluctance toward long-term loans. Fabio Zveibil, VP of Auto and Home Secured Lending at Creditas, joins the show again to talk about how better lending products and financial education can revolutionize credit access in Brazil, potentially multiplying available credit by up to 20 times. The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see https://quona.com/legal/

Brazil is one of the most expensive countries to access credit. Credit cards can have 400 percent interest rates. Even business owners face loans with 20 percent interest rates. This week on the Trillion Dollar Opportunity, hosts Shannon Austin and Johan Bosini explore what happens when good credit is hard to come by, and one FinTech that has changed the credit access landscape for the better. We talk to Creditas CEO Sergio Furio, COO Anne Williams, and VP Fabio Zveibil about how Creditas is providing affordable, asset-backed loans to Brazilians. The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see https://quona.com/legal/