Searching for Mana with Lloyd Wahed

Shachar Bialick (Founder and CEO of Curve) joins Lloyd to discuss how Curve helps its users consolidate multiple cards, and even allowing them to switch pre-COVID-19 purchases back onto a different card in 2020, and what it takes to build one of the UK’s fastest-growing FinTech firms.And he should know. With his background in computer science and special forces in the military, Shachar has co-founded innovative digital challengers since 2001. He later took on an MBA at INSEAD, and joined a then-10-person startup Checkout.com as Head of Product in London. In 2015, he founded Curve, which simplifies personal finances with a single bank card for multiple accounts from different providers. In 2019, Curve has smashed Crowdcube - the world’s leading equity crowdfunding platform - records after raising £4M within 42 minutes. Almost 10,000 people backed Curve, reaching the highest number of investors in a raise on Crowdcube.In this episode, Shachar and Lloyd talk about Shachar’s path from a military soldier to founder at Europe’s fastest growing fintech, as well as the importance of patience and the right employee culture.Pre Register for Curve’s second 2021 crowdfundFollow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedIn Episode Highlights:02:37: Curve is going crowdfunding again08:32: Explaining the convergence and rebundling13:05: What Formula 1 car do you need to build for fintech?20:06: From a soldier to an entrepreneur28:28: Is it worth taking an MBA?39:12: Growing the team of 400 employees52:10: Shooting for the stars1:00:00: Bonus Story: How Curve successfully migrated away from Wirecard after the outage in less than 60 hours and over the weekend.

Rob Straathof (CEO, Liberis) sits down with Lloyd to talk about how his company offers pre-approved revenue-based SME financing.After entering the industry as an investment banker, Rob developed his expertise in small-business lending at such companies as Wonga, Everline (UK’s first digital SME lender) and Newable BusinessFinance (responsible finance provider backed by the British Business Bank). In 2015, he joined Liberis, which helps SMEs get working capital without fixed repayments, through partnerships with the likes of Worldpay, Sagepay, or Xero. To date, Liberis has provided over $800 million of funding in more than 40,000 transactions across 7 countries.In this episode, Lloyd and Rob discuss the ways Liberis has already helped companies weather pandemic-related crises before outlining the benefits of revenue-based financing with repayments linked to the cashflow, and embedded finance through establishing fintech partnerships. Later they delve into Rob’s entrepreneurial experience, highlighting the value of investing in people and sharing Rob’s story of being the youngest pilot in Netherlands and his dream of becoming an astronaut!Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedIn Episode Highlights:2:48: How SMEs are switching from in-store to e-commerce7:02: What is embedded finance and how flexible repayments work?10:46: The neural network behind the credit decision science14:45: Throwback to Rob’s being one of the first guests of the Mana’s podcast16:42: The dream of becoming an astronaut and Rob’s journey to an entrepreneur24:00: SME lending through partnerships being the embedded finance market worth $3.6Tr29:20: The power of the team and investing in people30:30: Looking forward36:29: Rob’s mana

The future of finance is here as Airwallex’ Jed Rose sits down with Lloyd to discuss how he plans to expand the UK operations of this $2.6B valued fintech unicorn.After starting his career in product at Microsoft in the 2000s, Jed moved into finance leading Paymentsense, and into the venture capital sphere with Antler. Since 2020, he joined Airwallex as EMEA GM with huge ambitions to grow the company’s London presence this year - aiming to double the headcount in just a few months and grow the team by over 500% by the end of the year. Following the recent $100M at its Series D funding round, raising a total of $500M in capital from investors including Seqouia Capital, Salesforce Ventures, and Horizons Ventures, Airwallex is now valued at $2.6B. In 2018, it has knocked back $1B offer from Stripe.In this in-depth conversation, Jed tells us all insights and experience Jed has gained as an investor and former CEO, currently serving as a Venture Partner for Antler, and how this has provided him with key insights into startup lessons, failures and how to approach growth; what are the challenges of building Airwallex’s infrastructure in a market at a different stage of growth compared to its presence in Australia and China, and what lessons can be learnt from this.Plus, Jed lets us in on how is it to study the BA major at Stanford, which produced the likes of Reid Hoffman, Marissa Mayer or Mike Krieger, and training for improv theatre that led to performing at the Fringe Edinburgh Festival. Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedInBooks recommended by Jed:Truth in Comedy: The Manual of Improvisation: AmazonSmile: Halpern: BooksImprov Wisdom: Don't Prepare, Just Show Up eBook: Madson, Patricia Ryan: AmazonSmile: Kindle Store Episode Highlights:02:10: Airwallex raising $100m reaching a $2.6B valuation13:45: How to leverage the global team and remote hiring19:00: Techie at heart, and experience at Stanford University BA Symbolic Systems25:00: How to apply agile thinking mindset in other processes?28:00: Product at Microsoft in the mid-2000, and Bill Gates’ writing team experience30:50: Cambridge University and fintech experience33:25: Venture Capitalist experience and career with impact36:16: Improv theatre as 🧠 muscle training39:00: What the future of finance looks like as lockdown measures start to ease and why the market is more prime than ever for disruption42:25: Jed’s mana

Jacqueline Dewey (CEO, Smart Money People, British Bank Awards) sits down with Lloyd to talk about how her company is helping to build trust and transparency in financial services. Run by Smart Money People, but fully voted for by customers, the British Bank Awards have been named by many as 'the Oscars of the banking world”.After entering the industry with Prudential, Julie developed her expertise in banking and finance leading at such companies as Egg, and later Barclays, or Noodle - now Credit Karma. In August 2020, she joined Smart Money People, which is UK's #1 review and insight platform for financial services.In this episode, Lloyd and Jacqueline discuss the ways Smart Money People delivers industry leading customer insight through the power of consumer reviews and how the British Bank Awards has already been voted for by 90,000 consumers to unearth UK’s best financial companies. Later they delve into Jacqueline’s view on the fintech landscape, the power of fintech influencers, online events, and Jacqueline’s growth mindset!Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedInMentioned in the episode: https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/04/hopin-confirms-400m-raise-at-5-65b-valuation/ Episode Highlights:06:29: How Smart Money People and the British Bank Awards shape the UK’s fintech landscape13:45: Customer focus at the heart of fintech15:57: The power of fintech influencers20:19: Would BBA go online27:44: Jacqueline’s Mana

Dave Birch is an internationally-recognised thought leader in digital identity and digital money. He joins Stefan Ciecierski from Mana Search for a far-reaching conversation that covers the future of money, the coming era of digital currency, digital identity, shared ledgers and blockchain.Dave is an ideal guest to comment on it all. He is named one of WIRED magazine’s global top 15 favourite sources of news from the world of business and finance and was ranked the no.1 influencer in European emerging payments by Total Payments magazine. Listed in the top ten Twitter accounts followed by innovators, along with Bill Gates and Richard Branson (PR Daily); he is also ranked in the top three most influential people in London’s FinTech community (City A.M.), and voted one of the European “Power 50” people in digital financial services (FinTech Awards).To kick off the episode, Dave walks Stefan through his latest book The Currency Cold War. From there, the conversation dives into the ways Dave affects financial regulation and digital currencies, the idea behind the synthetic hegemonic currency, and digital identity.Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedInDave's new book: The Currency Cold War Episode Highlights:02:19: The currency Cold War12:20: The cryptocurrency boom17:00: Bitcoin versus the tulip bubble20:53: On Digital currencies25:47: On Digital identity38:53: Digital diligence and financial transparency41:12: Shared ledgers versus blockchain

Finimize is building the world's largest and most engaged finance community, with over one million subscribers across their app. Max Rofagha, its co-founder and CEO sits down with Stefan Ciecierski to outline how they help casual investors become smarter investors through bitesize content and engaged community.In this chat, Max tells us why neo-brokers democratising access to the stock market has opened a major opportunity to empower retail investors with new forms of information, and how Finimize is helping retail investors make informed investment decisions. Plus, he lays out how he attracts talent from top tier investment banks to work at Finimize full-time, and why it’s important that Finimize content is written by ex-Goldman Sachs or Fidelity analysts.Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedInEpisode Highlights02:15: Empowering retail investors to make informed investment decisions11:00: Max’s journey as an entrepreneur14:30: The power of snowball effect and serendipity leading to Passion Capital’s investment18:55: Lessons from being a founder21:40: Why company culture and priorities matter?27:45: Creating premium content from ex-Goldman Sachs or Fidelity analysts42:13: New opportunities on the market43:58: Max’s Mana

Michael Brown (Senior Market Analyst, Caxton FX) joins Lloyd for a special Post-Easter episode tackling the latest economic developments in the UK.Since joining Caxton FX in 2016, Michael has shown an impressive knack for predicting developments in the foreign exchange markets. In this episode, he shares the economic outlook after Brexit and vaccination programmes and tells us how the equity market will change in 2021. Plus, Michael warns us about zombie businesses, the potential buyer’s remorse on the housing market and the dangers of late stimulus packages.Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedIn Episode Highlights:05:29: Brexit so far09:04: Currency market outlook12:00: How will we travel this year?17:45: Future of office working21:11: Michael’s big advice for this year23:30: Equity Market: Stay-at-home stocks versus Reopening stocks28:00: Is your pension investing in Bitcoin?29:20: UK house prices and potential buyer's remorse32:55: Zombie businesses and unemployment

Sammy Rubin (Founder and CEO of YuLife) sits down with Lloyd to talk about how his company brings together life insurance, wellbeing & rewards in one simple app.After entering the industry with his Computer Science degree from Imperial College London, he co-founded Policy Portfolio with his father from their family’s dining room table and became the youngest Director of a publicly listed company on the London Stock Exchange. He was later a founding CEO of PruProtect, the first life insurance company in the UK to reward healthy behaviour, which later became Vitality Life. Following his personal experience and passion, he is now a Founder and CEO of YuLife - the world’s first lifestyle insurance company, with personal wellbeing at its core.In this episode, Lloyd and Sammy discuss the ways YuLife transforms traditional life insurance and employee benefits into life-enhancing experiences - including mental wellbeing, financial wellbeing and social wellbeing with a healthy dose of gamification. Later they delve into Sammy’s entrepreneurial experience in the life insurance industry since the age of 21, sharing his life changing personal experience that has transformed his values and life ever since. Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedIn Episode Highlights:02:00: Intersecting life insurance & tech & wellbeing11:37: Mental, financial and social wellbeing24:45: A paradigm shift in employee protection and wellbeing28:42: The starts of Sammy’s entrepreneurial journey36:00: YuLife as a purpose-driven company, Serendipity and Gratitude43:15: Looking forward in life post-COVID

The future of money is here as Dawn Capital General Partner Josh Bell sits down with Lloyd to discuss how he finds tomorrow’s behemoths, leading the fund’s Fintech investments.Josh graduated Oxford University in Mathematics, was subsequently a Research Fellow at Harvard University in Economics and Game Theory before his MPhil in Statistics at Cambridge University.After starting his career with strategic consultancy McKinsey, Josh moved into the venture capital sphere with Dawn Capital, which offers B2B Series A/ Series B companies’ funding. In this in-depth conversation, Josh tells us what he looks for when investing in a company, his investment in iZettle that led to a 2.2 Billion deal with PayPal, and why headhunting will become a bespoke, very tailored solution, which requires human knowledge and understanding.Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedIn Episode Highlights2:59 Dawn Capital’s thesis11:30 Who does Dawn Capital invest in?19:40 The future of headhunting26:10 How management consulting equips future leaders30:45 Reflections on the formation of a VC fund44:00 Where are the next Fintech hubs?

James Herbert is the founder and CEOof Hastee - an award-winning earnings on demand technology, offered as a workplace benefit that enables workers to take a portion of their earned pay, on demand, increasing choice and financial flexibility. According to Hastee’s 2020 Workplace Wellbeing Study, nearly half (41%) of workers are now relying on at least one new loan, credit card or overdraft in order to make ends meet, with over a quarter (27%) are needing to sacrifice essential purchases due to a lack of available money. This week, Searching for Mana dives deep into financial wellbeing, as James sits down with Lloyd to talk about the ethical alternative to taking on debt from sources of credit and is designed to stop the cycle of accumulating interest fees facing those borrowing money month to month.On the podcast, James tells Lloyd about his entrepreneurial journey from setting up a T-shirt printing business, through founding Brightsparks, a staffing business that has employed over 20,000 people from his dorm room, to raising $270 million with Hastee on a mission to allow workers to immediately access up to 50 percent of their earned pay at any point during a month.Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedInCheck out Hastee’s 2020 Workplace Wellbeing Study Episode Highlights03:20: The Workplace Wellbeing Study06:45: Payment cycles and it’s impact on our productivity13:19: Biggest challenges for James so far16:12: The power of financial flexibility and discipline23:20: The journey of an entrepreneur29:23: James’s mission and mana