

Fintech Files: Insights on TECH by BCG Platinion
BCG Platinion
In Season 5 of Fintech Files, our three hosts are traveling across the global fintech landscape, uncovering the most exciting stories from the world’s leading innovation hubs. From embedded payments to crypto, from financial inclusion to the future of millennial finance, they’re diving into the breakthroughs, bold ideas, and unexpected questions defining what comes next.
We’ll be talking to founders and experts behind some of the brightest minds in the industry, exploring how financial technology is becoming ever more invisible, intelligent, and impactful. As financial services touch every aspect of our lives, the opportunity to transform the way the world moves money has never been greater.
About Fintech Files:
Join us on Fintech Files from BCG Platinion as we explore the cutting-edge trends disrupting Fintech today. From NeoBanks to cryptocurrency, we delve into the dynamic landscape of financial technology through insightful conversations with global disruptors. We’ll uncover the most groundbreaking trends shaping the future of Fintech and examine their impact on the financial world. We focus on real-world examples, making financial technology relatable and accessible to both Fintech enthusiasts and professionals alike: https://www.bcgplatinion.com/insights/fintech-files-insights-on-tech-by-bcg-platinion
Hosted by Annika Melchert, a Principal currently based at BCG Platinion in the Middle East, and Nora Hocke, a Principal currently based at BCG Platinion in Sydney, our hosts bring expertise in tech transformations, platform architecture, and digital innovation. Annika and Nora work with Fintechs and incumbent banks, and together they offer unique insights into the evolving financial landscape, drawing on their wealth of experience with leading organizations. Bianca Lopes is an entrepreneur and economist from Brazil with a background in digital identity and biometrics. Having supported over 40 financial institutions and eight governments, Bianca’s work reshapes technology, reimagines identity, and drives innovation.
We’ll be talking to founders and experts behind some of the brightest minds in the industry, exploring how financial technology is becoming ever more invisible, intelligent, and impactful. As financial services touch every aspect of our lives, the opportunity to transform the way the world moves money has never been greater.
About Fintech Files:
Join us on Fintech Files from BCG Platinion as we explore the cutting-edge trends disrupting Fintech today. From NeoBanks to cryptocurrency, we delve into the dynamic landscape of financial technology through insightful conversations with global disruptors. We’ll uncover the most groundbreaking trends shaping the future of Fintech and examine their impact on the financial world. We focus on real-world examples, making financial technology relatable and accessible to both Fintech enthusiasts and professionals alike: https://www.bcgplatinion.com/insights/fintech-files-insights-on-tech-by-bcg-platinion
Hosted by Annika Melchert, a Principal currently based at BCG Platinion in the Middle East, and Nora Hocke, a Principal currently based at BCG Platinion in Sydney, our hosts bring expertise in tech transformations, platform architecture, and digital innovation. Annika and Nora work with Fintechs and incumbent banks, and together they offer unique insights into the evolving financial landscape, drawing on their wealth of experience with leading organizations. Bianca Lopes is an entrepreneur and economist from Brazil with a background in digital identity and biometrics. Having supported over 40 financial institutions and eight governments, Bianca’s work reshapes technology, reimagines identity, and drives innovation.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 5, 2023 • 34min
“Data Powers Finance” with Antonio Martinez from Snowflake
In this episode, the hosts Annika and Nora dive deep into the world of data with Antonio Martinez, Industry Solution Architect at Snowflake, the world's leading cloud-based data platform.
We explore how data has become the lifeblood of the finance industry enabled by Snowflake's cutting-edge technology and advanced data analytics possibilities. Antonio shares how their powerful platform is transforming the way banks and fintechs manage, process and utilize data. Whether you're a bank looking to streamline your data processing, or a fintech striving to gain a competitive edge, this episode is a must-listen. Join us as we uncover the secrets of Snowflake's game-changing technology and learn how it's revolutionizing the world of finance.

Mar 8, 2023 • 28min
“International Women’s Day: Embracing Equity in Banking”
In celebration of International Women's Day, Nora and Annika are joined by two BCG colleagues and renowned leaders in the financial institution's space, Claudia Rasper (Partner) and Jan Koserski (Partner & Managing Director). Together, they co-authored BCG’s "Gender Equality in the European Banking Industry" report, which explores the current state of gender equality in leadership within Europe’s top 50 banks and track their year-on-year development.
Listen in to hear them discuss what needs to be done to break down barriers, advance gender parity in the banking sector, and create an equitable workplace.

Feb 15, 2023 • 26min
“Revolutionizing the Future of Finance in the Middle East through Open Banking” with Emir Isik, Head of Business Development from Tarabut Gateway
Welcome to the world of open banking! In our first episode of 2023, we dive deep into the buzzword that’s taking the financial world by storm. What is open banking? Why is it relevant? And how is it transforming the finance landscape in the Middle East? Join Emir Isik, Head of Business Development at Tarabut Gateway, the largest open banking platform in the region, as he delves into the organization’s challenges, opportunities, the role it plays in Saudi Vision 2030 and its impact on the future of finance.

Nov 2, 2022 • 43min
“Credit Meets Climate: The Role of Banks in Fighting Climate Change” with Hugh Shannon, Head of Sales & Customer Success at OakNorth
OakNorth has rethought credit decisioning with their data-centric credit intelligence platform. Even more interestingly, their first real-life reference was their own bank. Be it the bank or the software provider, both OakNorth companies share a common focus topic: climate change. Listen in to learn what banks can do to address this global matter now!

Aug 10, 2022 • 35min
"Modern Fintechs Are Born in the Cloud” with Anton Langbroek, General Manager DACH & CEE at Mambu
Hardly any other fintech is tied as strongly to the terms “next-gen core banking” and “cloud first” as the unicorn Mambu. Bringing in broad experience across the fintech and banking ecosystem, Mambu General Manager Anton Langbroek shares his views on modern versus traditional core banking systems. What are the implications of a modern core banking system on the customer experience but also operability? How can incumbent banks migrate from a traditional to a modern core banking system? And how can software as a service be realized if the regulator imposes restrictions in terms of hosting location? Listen in to find out!

Jun 29, 2022 • 39min
“Finding the Sweet Spot in B2B Payments: Mondu and Its ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Offering” with Philipp Povel and Malte Huffman, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Mondu
While other “buy now, pay later” players are laying off employees to make up for increasingly pessimistic market expectations, the Berlin-based fintech Mondu just raised €40M in funding. We met with the two co-founders, Malte Huffman and Philipp Povel, and asked them about their secret recipe for building yet another successful start-up, the challenges of integrating into B2B ecosystems, and their approach to create a tech platform that caters to their ambitious growth plans. Listen in and find out what role our previous guest Raisin plays in the Mondu landscape and how Mondu differs from marketplace payments provider Payaut.

May 25, 2022 • 30min
“UpLyvt and Their Plan to Unlock Women’s Financial Health” with Alexa Cotiaux, Cofounder of UpLyvt
We invited Alexa Cotiaux, cofounder of UpLyvt to our first live recording session ever that took place during an internal women’s event! UpLyvt is an early-stage fintech from Berlin that focuses on female wealth management and financial well-being. We chatted with Alexa about UpLyvt’s purpose and product vision and what role a low-code platform plays in their product development approach. In addition, she shared with us her secrets of personal drive and some best practices for balancing parenthood and being a fintech founder.

May 11, 2022 • 29min
“Why API-First Is Not Only Relevant for Fintechs” with Ove Kreison, CTO and Co-founder of Tuum
What makes an Estonian fintech cooler than a Californian one? Probably not just the weather! It’s time to get to know Tuum and its mission to help banks stay in the current digital age. Listen in on this episode with Ove Kreison, CTO and Co-founder of Tuum—formerly known as Modularbank—about what characterizes a state-of-the-art core banking system and why modern APIs are even more important for incumbent banks.

Apr 27, 2022 • 29min
“The Art of Navigating a Company Through Rapid Growth and Post-Merger Integration”—with Michael Stephan, COO and Co-founder of Raisin
The Berlin-based fintech unicorn Raisin has written quite a success story of organic and inorganic growth since it was founded in 2012. Starting with a “savings-as-a-service” offering, it has massively expanded over the years both in functionality and in markets. Most recently, it merged with its former competitor Deposit Solutions to grow even stronger. Listen in to this episode to learn about Raisin’s evolution and the challenges they’ve overcome—both technical and operational—and hear about what lies ahead on their journey to become one of the biggest European open banking fintechs.

Apr 6, 2022 • 11min
About Your Favorite Fintech Podcast
A warm welcome to the Fintech and Digital Banking Podcast hosted by Annika, Manager, and Nora, Senior Consultant, from the BCG Platinion’s Financial Institutions Practice. Join us as we uncover the best-kept secrets of neobank and fintech experts and learn what’s hot and what’s next on the tech side of banking. Any questions? Reach out to us: fintech-podcast@bgcplatinion.com


