Fintech Chatter: Insights From Fintech Leaders

Stake Co-Founders Matt Leibowitz and Dan Silver join Dexter Cousins in episode 182 of Fintech Chatter Podcast.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 see a much bigger opportunity ahead of them than they first envisaged in 2017 when Stake launchedEntrepreneurs 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.But 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.Download the Stake AppFind out about Stake careers Send us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

Dexter Cousins is joined by Chris Jewell, the CEO and Co-Founder of Zepto, one of an emerging number of Fintechs to base themselves from Regional Australia.Zepto creates real-time, account-to-account [A2A] payment solutions for business. Founded in 2016 and backed by Airtree Ventures, Zepto is one of Australia's fastest growing Fintech.In this first episode of 2024 Chris chats to Dexter about:- The opportunities Payto presents emerging Fintech like Zepto to totally redefine the payments landscape- The origins of Zepto and how a problem in an existing business turned into a whole new opportunity- Why Australia is perfectly poised to lead global innovation in payments- The challenges and benefits of being based from Byron Bay- The pressure of leaving the safety of a banking job and put your life savings into a new businessMake sure to follow us on your favourite podcast player for future episodes and check out our back catalogue of 300 plus episodes on Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.Send us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

Join us for a live recording of Fintech Chatter recorded at the CreditorWatch offices in Sydney.In part one Dexter Cousins is joined by guests from the podcast to review 2023 as we look back at the key events and share the amazing stories of fintech founders.Hear from Constantinople, Parpera, LoanOptions, Primer and Prospend.In part two CreditorWatch CEO, Patrick Coghlan unveils their latest Business Risk Index report and gets expert commentary from Prospa CEO, Greg Moshal and Lendi Group COO, Sebastian Watkins.Each share their insights on consumer behaviour in small business and the home loan market providing an accurate insight into what we can expect in 2024.Will there be a rebound or is Fintech in for another tough year? Tune in as we celebrate the year that was 2023 and get set for another rollercoaster ride in 2024!Check out the CreditorWatch BRI reportThanks to CreditorWatch for making this live recording possible and a special thanks to the audience for making this such a great event.Send us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

In episode 179 of Fintech Chatter Podcast, Dexter Cousins chats to Honey Insurance CEO Richard JoffeMaking his Fintech Chatter debut Richard is CEO and founder of Honey Insurance, arguably Australia's hottest early-stage Fintech! Honey Insurance is the smarter way to protect your home and contents. Backed by RACQ, Honey uses sensors in the home to offer a new type of insurer whose focus is on helping avoid accidents and protect against damage rather than just paying out after events.Dexter chats to Richard in the week he was awarded CEO Magazines Entrepreneur of the Year and Honey featured at #6 in the Deloitte Fast 50. Expect to see some massive announcements from Honey in 2024!As a 3x founder, Richard shares his secrets on:Building successful tech startupsThe key differences between launching in the US and AusAttracting and retaining the best talentBuilding a high-performance cultureWinning investment in a down marketPartnering with incumbentsAbout Honey InsuranceHoney is Smart Home Insurance, and they are on a mission to eliminate the 50% of avoidable accidents that happen to homes. Honey gives customers free technology and services from day 1 to keep homes safer, then rewards them with a lower price on their insurance.https://www.honeyinsurance.com/About Richard JoffeRichard Joffe is the founder of 3 successful startups, and currently the CEO of Honey Insurance. Previously, Richard founded Park Assist which automated the parking industry, and after expanding to 20 countries was acquired by TKH in 2012. Then Stella.ai which automated the recruitment industry using AI, and was acquired as part of a $1.1 billion merger with Trustaff. Formerly, Richard was a strategy consultant with McKinsey and an investment banker with Morgan Stanley.Now with Honey Insurance, Richard has turned his attention to home insurance, where he is on a mission to give Australians free technology and services, to eliminate the 50% of avoidable accidents that happen to homes.Richard believes technology and automation can make everyone’s lives more efficient, so we can spend more time doing the things that matter most in life.Send us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

In episode 178 of Fintech Chatter Podcast, Dexter Cousins is joined by Ada Guan, CEO and Co-Founder of RDC (Rich Data Co).About this episode of Fintech Chatter PodcastIs there a viable use case for AI in banking? 🤔Making her Fintech Chatter debut Ada Guan CEO of Rich Data Co shares how they are reinventing the way banks assess and provide credit to businesses, using AI.It's an awesome episode where we talk about:Real AI use cases for bankingModernising a 70 year old credit modelLeaving a corporate job to start a businessHiring and retaining the best AI and Data engineersHow rock climbing has helped create a high performance cultureHow to consistently win business with major banks (with only 2 people in sales and marketing)About RDCRDC is delivering the future of credit, today!  They believe credit should be accessible, fair, inclusive, and sustainable. By using AI, the team at RDC has developed new techniques that leverage traditional and non-traditional data to get the right decision in a clear and explainable way. Changing customer expectations means credit needs to be offered & consumed in new and different ways. Global leading financial institutions are leveraging the RDC AI decisioning platform to offer credit in a way that aligns to the customers’ needs and expectations.RDC's AI Decisioning platform harnesses the incredible potential of AI and combines it with industry expertise to create the ‘AI brain for a bank’. RDC is accelerating innovation in business lending to deliver transformational and sustainable long-term business success for customers.Find out more https://www.richdataco.com/Careers: https://careers.richdataco.com/About Ada Ada brings over 20 years’ global experience in financial services, software, and retail industries. Leading a Global Client Advisor team at Oracle Corporation, she advised board and C-level executives in large global banks on digital disruption and Fintech strategy, and drove Oracle thought leadership in banking digital transformation for Global Key Accounts. During her time at Westpac Bank in Australia, Ada implemented a multi-million dollar program to deliver a mission critical services layer for the Bank and formulated the IT strategy that formed the basis of the $800m investment program to transform Westpac’s Product and Operation division, and complete the merger with St. George Bank. Ada holds an EMBA from the Australia Graduate School of Management, and a Master of Computer Engineering from the University of New South Wales, Australia.Send us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

Ryan Edwards-Pritchard from Cape joins Dexter as they celebrate the fourth anniversary of the very first episode of Fintech Chatter.Dexter delves through the archives picking his favourite memories from the podcast. And Ryan does a great job of interviewing dexter about the 4 year journey of Fintech Chatter Podcast.Thank you to all of our guests, partners and co-hosts past and present.Almost 500,000 listens4.9 Star ratings in Apple and Spotify250 amazing guests294 showsSpecial mention to Fintech Australia, Patona, NAB, Chloe White, Simon Lee, Ben Ford and Joanne Cousins ❤️And a very BIG thank you to you for listening and supporting the show 🙏❤️Episode list from Todays show002: David M BrearKatherine McConnell Brighte - The Finnies 2020Rebecca Schott-Guppy Intersekt Afterparty088: Matt Baxby - RevolutBusiness Fintech Special048: Lee Hatton - Afterpay025 Anthony Thomson032 Neal CrossSimone Joyce FarewellSend us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

Dexter Cousins invites Datamesh CEO Mark Nagy back on the show. Mark made his first appearance 12 months ago as part of our spotlight on the next wave of Aussie Fintech startups. One year on from his debut Mark shares his tips on how Datamesh secured $30m Series A funding in the midst of the downturn.Mark also shares his secrets for winning contracts with global clients like Deutsche Bank and how to expand an Aussie Fintech internationally.You can check out our original podcast with Mark https://tieronepeople.com/2022/09/16/datamesh-mark-nagy/Send us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

In episode 175 Dexter is joined by a returning guest, Patrick Coghlan of CreditorWatch, a leading Australian data and technology company offering a complete suite of credit reporting products and data insights covering the entire customer lifecycle.About Patrick CoghlanPatrick is the CEO of CreditorWatch. In 2010, he became one of the three founding employees of CreditorWatch. He was appointed CEO in December 2018.Patrick is a specialist commentator on issues in the credit industry and regularly appears in the media as well as presenting to corporate and government stakeholders. He has played an integral role in transforming the approach to the management of B2B credit risk in Australia.Patrick has led the development of CreditorWatch’s values and team-spirited culture, as well as driving the company to considerable growth. He has a Bachelor of Arts from Sydney University and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.About CreditorWatchhttps://creditorwatch.com.au/CreditorWatch is a leading Australian data and technology company that provides businesses with access to unique data and innovative products. By using our platform, our customers can confidently manage their commercial relationships, improve productivity and reduce financial risk. As a commercial credit reporting bureau, CreditorWatch offers a complete suite of credit reporting products and data insights covering the entire customer lifecycle, from customer onboarding and credit decision automation to credit risk management and automated collections.Send us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

Dexter Cousins is joined by Sharon Nouh, Founder and CEO  of Prospend in episode 175 of Fintech Chatter.Prospend automates and digitises all of the business spend processes for businesses.  They build next-generation finance tools that empower businesses to make proactive financial decisions while also enabling their people to be more productive.Sharon pioneered the expense management market in Australia by developing and launching the first locally built expense management platform. At that time, expense management technology was in its infancy. Although the original version was simple, it provided a powerful alternative to businesses managing their processes manually.However, Sharon didn't stop at automating expenses. She foresaw a desire among businesses to automate all their spending processes within a unified platform. Two years later, she incorporated accounts payable automation into the platform, establishing herself as a global pioneer in this technology, not just in Australia.Sharon, who has a deep understanding of the intricacies of financial technology, has been able to leverage and develop technology that addresses real business problems, as opposed to merely following trends.Throughout ProSpend's journey, Sharon has maintained a laser focus on solving challenges for mid to larger businesses and has competed with global players. ProSpend is now recognized as a world-class solution with more than 600 customers, reflecting Sharon’s understanding of customer needs and her ability to provide solutions that address real problems.About Sharon NouhSharon's journey as a female entrepreneur in the predominantly male fintech sector has had its challenges. In the early days, she faced difficulties securing venture capital funding due to a lack of confidence and role models for female tech entrepreneurs. The company's growth is a testament to her unwavering belief in her vision and her dedication to success. She is passionate about fostering diversity in the fintech sector and hopes her story will inspire and encourage more women to pursue fintech careers.Sharon's leadership has been pivotal in guiding ProSpend's growth and development. She has displayed her ability to inspire and lead a team, navigate challenges, foster a positive work culture, and adapt to changes in the fast-paced fintech landscape.Send us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

Julian Fayad is the founder & CEO of LoanOptions.ai.  Australia's first AI powered loan marketplace. It uses AI to match borrowers with the best loan options from over 75+ major banks and lenders to save them thousands of dollars and heaps of time with its one simple application form that does not impact the borrowers credit score. Julian represents the next generation of Fintech founder. He's a pioneer of artificial intelligence in the asset finance finance space. His love for technology  started from a very young age and he built many projects including an app that was deployed onto the apple app store at just 18 years old. Dexter and Julian talk about his experience as a first time founder, leadership lessons and how he has grown LoanOptions from a self funded Covid business to a profitbale Fintech scaleup now employing 40+ people.Find out more https://loanoptions.aiSend us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp