Fintech Insider By 11:fs

In this episode Simon interviews Ali Niknam, CEO of Bunq, who firstly, tells us all about where the name Bunq came from, what the brand name means and stands for, and how important that is to the company ethos and their overall mantra of being “the bank of the free”. Bunq is a small company with big ambitions for geographic expansion and scalability; Ali tells us that control and ownership is so important to them (they do not outsource their development); and he deliberately chose to run a small team to deliver the best quality products and experience for the end user. It is also part of Bunq’s USP that they take on user feedback when developing their products and are not afraid to experiment, for example they were first bank in the world to try face recognition software. Ali also explains Bunq’s target market and customer demographics, and the Bunq service-orientated business model, in essence: “not making money with money”. Want to know more? Check out Bunq.com, follow them on Twitter, or connect wi

In this episode We have a whole host of hosts as David, Jason, Simon and Aden are joined by Mariano Belinky and Jamie Campbell for the news. This week in a European-led section of the show the team discuss Swedish giant Klarna getting it’s official banking licence to begin delivering financial services, Spain’s first fully digital bank, European “robo advice”, and the European Central Bank demanding declaration of all cyber security breaches. It’s raining money in Durham as Atom gets a further £30 million investment from the government, and why did Will.i.am became an advisor to Atom – and does it work? Additionally, they also take on the Barclays execs’ fraud charges during the financial crisis in 2008, ahead of their hearing next week; and an equally political story on the other side of the pond: Elizabeth Warren’s attempts to remove 12 Wells Fargo board members. Finally, the guys also discuss whether PayPal are right to dismiss the Apple Pay challenge; and the impact of two thirds of the world’s

In this episode Simon interviews Nathan Bostock, CEO of Santander UK. Nathan explains how Santander is embracing the tech changes facing the banking industry, and the shifting customer behaviours in their interactions with the bank with the help of digital innovation. He also tells us that digital innovation evolves around good customer service so Santander tries maintain “customer-centricity” in all it does, to drive its customer experience forward, and that hiring strong digital talent is so important to them to help them achieve this. Nathan also tells us that the Santander company ethos and mindset is that of a challenger, not an incumbent, so they are always looking for opportunities for innovation that can challenge the status quo, while simultaneously taking customer data security very seriously. One key opportunity for innovation is that of partnership with fintech companies and Nathan explains the success of their partnership with small business lending company, Kabbage. Want to know more?

In this episode: We bring you the highlights from the RFI global banking summit where we were lucky enough to speak to a variety of different guests, on a range of topics. First up, Aden spoke with Louise Beaumont, Co-Chair at Open Bank Working Group, to talk about all things open banking, before he dived into a chat with regular FinTech Insider guest Ghela Boskovich. Later on he chats to Luis Rodriguez, VP Strands Lab and Ricky Knox, founder of Tandem. Later on, Simon Taylor takes the reigns as he chats with Mike Kelly, the Founder of Curl, Jesse McWaters of the World Economic Forum, Charles Green, CEO of RFi Group, the host of the event, and Yarrick, CEO of NBank. Guests: Louise Beaumont – Co chair, Open Bank Working Group Luis Rodriguez, VP Strands Labs Ghela Boskovich Ricky Knox – founder of Tandem Mike Kelly – Founder of Curl Jesse McWaters – Financial Innovation Lead, The World Economic Forum Charles Green – Founder and Group CEO RFi   Enjoying FinTech Insider? Tell a frien

In this episode David is back! He and Aden are joined by regulars Liz and Sarah for the news. This week the team take on The FCA’s cohort 3 and reveals cohort 2 for their sandbox; Amazon flexing it’s financial services muscles; and the “demise of a fintech darling” as Monetise is to be acquired by Fiserv for £70million, when it was previously valued at £2billion. They also ask “what the hell is Zelle?” – the instant transfer app taking the US by storm, a key rival of Venmo, a product of six banks working together with 86million instantly available customers, it looks set to make big waves. The team also tackle Uber upheavals, and the ongoing sexism disputes threatening to tear the company apart,  leaving it currently without a CEO, CTO or COO – is this the beginning of the end for them? Even if it’s not, being the “Uber of banking” may no longer be a thing to aspire to. They also discuss what is the future for the small town bank branches and is honesty the best policy?, as Monzo sends out open commun

In this episode Jason interviews Daphne de Kluis, CEO of commercial banking at ABN AMRO, the Dutch banking giant. Speaking at the Beyond Banking event in Amsterdam, Daphne and Jason discuss the importance of the event to enhance co-creation between partners, external clients, and customers to shape the future of banking and products. She believes in the importance of asking clients for their feedback and what they want from their bank to create more collaborative development that allows ABN AMRO to reach beyond the boundaries of the traditional bank and offer better customer service. They discuss the value of entrepreneurship and ABN AMRO’s ongoing efforts to change the company culture to challenge their employees to think outside the box and work more like entrepreneurs, no small feat in such a giant organisation! Jason also asks her for her views on fintech and challenger banks – does she see them as a threat? They also discuss her thoughts on digitisation in banking – is it almost complete or barely

In this episode Simon and Aden are joined by regulars Ghela and Sarah for the news. This week we discuss all things politics on both sides of the pond, especially THAT Dodd Frank legislation repeal proposed by Trump, that seems to have flown slightly under the radar while we were all looking the other way, watching Comey’s testimony- and what this would mean for banks and their customers if it happens. Also on the table is the UK election result and the potential “Brexit dilemma”: other European fintech hubs could take the talent and budget away from London – will London fight back? They also tackle whether it’s possible for incumbents to ever truly become fintech firms, or will innovation always get bogged down in middle management? On the flipside is Coinbase, who has just achieved unicorn status with their latest valuation – is it a game-changer to have a cryptocurrency firm inducted into unicornland? The team also debate whether it’s a big deal that Apple have announced a peer-to-peer payment serv

In this episode Jason and Simon catch up with ABN AMRO’s Freek de Steenwinkel & Roland Booijen, and Ali Niknam, CEO of Dutch challenger bank, Bunq to discuss traditional banking vs challenger banks and fintech in the Netherlands. Are fintechs competing with incumbents or assisting incumbents? They find out how our guests feel about hackathons, hiring developer talent, APIs and the up-coming PSD2 directive. They also discuss regulations, compliance and new product development, in particular ABN AMRO’s Tikkie – an easy-to-use payment management tool, allowing peer to peer transfers via WhatsApp. Freek, Roland and Ali also give their predictions on the future of the Dutch fintech market as a whole, and its impact on existing banks and financial products. Guests Freek de Steenwinkel – Lead Product owner Tikkie (ABN AMRO) Roland Booijen –  Director of Digital Strategy & Innovation – ABN AMRO Ali Niknam – CEO of Bunq Enjoying FinTech Insider? Tell a friend about us and please leave us a revie

In this episode David interviews Paul Lipman, CEO of Bullguard, the consumer cyber security experts. Following very topical compromises of ransomware around the world, Paul explains how Bullguard are always fighting a constant battle with the “bad guys” to stay ahead of cyber threats to protect their customers across all their devices. We learn how institutions are still too reliant on old software, exposing their vulnerability and that “patching up” fixes are not enough. Paul reminds us that any software can be hacked and that cyber security education across all businesses and industries is paramount as often it’s us humans that let the side down, no matter how secure the internal systems are! Paul also discusses his new product, Dojo by Bullguard, a smart home security solution that is designed to protect all your smart devices in the home from being compromised and inadvertently sharing your data to unwanted third parties; and the Dojo Pebble, a notification device that updates you on the data secur

In this episode In the third of our three part Blockchain Special, Simon and Colin are joined by some very special guests to discuss EEA, ZCash and the potential similarities between blockchain and the rise of cryptocurrencies and the dot-com bubble in the 90s, and asks the question: “Why should we be paying attention?”. They also debate the anonymity of blockchain and user privacy; and centralisation vs decentralisation in blockchain APIs – do we still need the middle man? In the second half they discuss highly topical news stories such as the EU’s pledge to invest in blockchain research and Theresa May’s proposal for greater internet security and access to public data – is she asking for the impossible?  Like what you heard? Look out for Blockchain Insider – a dedicated podcast to all things blockchain, coming soon! Guests Jack Gavigan – COO at Z-Cash (The Zerocoin Electric Coin Company) Alex Batlin – Co-Founder at Enterprise Ethereum Alliance and Global Head of Emerging Business & Technology

In this episode Aden and Simon are joined by regulars Kadhim and Liz for the news. This week we find out if it’s really necessary to use VR in banking; and, as ATMs are dying and costing banks to run, we discuss the pros and cons of hard cash versus digital transactions – and the various reasons why people are still keen on cash. We also myth-bust the theory that consumers are less trusting of robots or AI for banking and money movements than they would be for major surgery; and if it’s true Google can track what you’re buying online and offline via your credit card purchases – and how do we feel about this? Finally, the team debate the importance of big banks and banking regulators beginning to pay attention to fintech, and why Chicago should be a fintech hub, but isn’t. Guests Elizabeth Lumley FinTech commentator & Author of girl-disrupted.com Kadhim Shubber, Reporter at Financial Times News this week Finextra –  BNP Paribas jumps into virtual reality – Link Finextra – Bank of America pr

In this episode We welcome back Valentin Stalf, CEO of N26 back to the show. Simon spends some time to catch up with Valentin on N26’s growth and how they’ve forged ahead expanding to new countries. Valentin talks about what is needed to be done to enter the UK market. We cover N26’s growing pains related to cyber security, Valentin’s approach to countering it and using bug bounty programs to create a sustained defence. We talk to advantages of digital on boarding and what the future looks like for N26 and open API’s. We then find out what it’s like to be a young CEO and how to stay productive while having the world on your shoulders. You can follow Valentin on Twitter here and learn more about N26 on their website. Enjoying FinTech Insider? Tell a friend about us and please leave us a review on iTunes.   The post Ep258 – Interview: Valentin Stalf, Co-Founder & CEO at N26 appeared first on 11:FS.

In this episode   Part 2 of our Blockchain Special, Simon and Colin with a roster of fascinating guests focus on the recent Consensus conference. We cover what the conference is, who should be attending and where it means to the industry. We give you a crash course on the difference between cryptocurrencies and DLT, what the main impacts ledger technology will have on banks and what is causing the major spikes in crypto currency prices right now. Stay tuned in for our final part next week. Guests Ghela Boskovich Ajit Tripathi, Director, Fintech and Digital Banking at PwC Jeremy Millar, Chief Of Staff at ConsenSys Enjoying FinTech Insider? Tell a friend about us and please leave us a review on iTunes. The post Ep257 – Blockchain Special Part 2: Consensus Recap appeared first on 11:FS. Special Guest: Ghela Boskovich.

In this episode David, Jason and Simon jump into the news accompanied by Richard Davies. This week borderless bank accounts, can your voice be secure and we make Simon talk Apple pay. We also have interviews from Transferwise, Seedrs and Pensionbee to cover their big announcements this week. Guests Richard Davies Global Head of Propositions at HSBC Joe Cross General Manager at Transferwise Jeff Lynn CEO at Seedrs Romina Savova CEO at Pensionbee News this week Techcrunch – TransferWise launches ‘Borderless’ account for businesses, sole traders and freelancers – Link BBC fools HSBC voice recognition security system – Link Apple Pay now supports higher value transactions at most UK contactless tills – Link American Banker – If banks wait for APIs to be mandated, it will be too late – Link British firm Seedrs plans a secondary market for crowd-funded shares – Link afr.com – How Pocketbook went from a Sydney spreadsheet to a fintech with 300,000 users – Link PensionsBee partners

For this very special edition of Fintech Insider Interviews, Simon had the chance to talk to Christopher Giancarlo, Acting Chairman of the CFTC. Christopher walks us through what the CFTC is and how they differ from the SEC. He talks about how the CTFC are trying to foster new innovation through their LabCFTC initiative. LabCFTC is an effort to become an early adopter regulator looking into applications of machine learning, AI, DLT and Blockchain technologies being applied to regulatory challenges. Christopher speaks to Simon about the value of new technology and what an updated regulatory environment could look like going forward. Want more of Christopher? You can follow him on Twitter here. You can find out more about the CFTC on their website. Enjoying FinTech Insider? Tell a friend about us and please leave us a review on iTunes. The post Ep255 – Interview: Christopher Giancarlo, Acting Chairman CFTC appeared first on 11:FS.

In this episode As crypto currency interest and prices reach an all time high Simon and Colin bring you the first of a three part special on Blockchain. We delve into the hurricane of news that surfaced this week talking all time high prices, Bitcoin’s effect on national security and the CFTC’s foray into the blockchain. In our second half tokens and ICO’s are on the table as we explain what exactly an ICO is, what tokens are, what industries are reacting and why you should be paying attention. Keep an eye out for part 2 next week!   Guests Kadhim Shubber, Reporter at Financial Times Euros Evans Enjoying FinTech Insider? Tell a friend about us and please leave us a review on iTunes. The post Ep254 – Blockchain Special Part 1: Tokens appeared first on 11:FS.

In this episode Jason, Simon and Andra are joined by Myke and Liz for the news. We find out if bitcoin to blame for ransomware, whether consumers actually want to cut the banks out of loans. Everyone debates why anyone would want to buy the Co-Op. Jason commits a vile podcast sin and will Google be your next bank? Guests Elizabeth Lumley FinTech commentator & Author of girl-disrupted.com Myke Hurley Co-Founder at Relay FM News this week   BBC News – Massive ransomware infection hits computers in 99 countries – Link The Register – After years of warnings, mobile network hackers exploit SS7 flaws to drain bank accounts – Link Business Insider – Zopa becomes the first of the ‘Big 3’ peer-to-peer lenders to be authorised by the City watchdog – Link Business Insider – Startup bank Tandem cuts headcount after funding setback – Link City AM – Virgin Money walks away from Co-op Bank takeover talks after months of speculation – Link Quartz – The world’s most successful mobile money market

David interviews Claire Calmejane Director of Innovation and Digital Centre of Excellence at Lloyds Banking Group. Claire explains what it means to be leading innovation at Lloyds, we investigate what makes up being a true innovator and what different skills you need to balance to be effective in the space. Better get growing that technology leg! We learn a bit more about what Lloyds is doing to not just promote open banking but foster better education about new developments within the company. Claire discusses the effect of the technology giants in the banking world and the diversification of your companies offerings should be looking to services. Want more of Claire? You can follow her on Twitter here. Enjoying FinTech Insider? Tell a friend about us and please leave us a review on iTunes. The post Ep252 – Interview: Claire Calmejane appeared first on 11:FS.

In this episode On this week’s Insights show we delve deep into the world of consumer Fintech. We speak with the best in the business on how Fintech compares with other technology developments like fitness and communication and what Fintech looks like as people integrate it into their lives. We find out what it takes to get people to try something new and whether Fintechs can be trustworthy compared to incumbent banks. All this and more on Fintech for The Average Joe Guests Charlie Taylor – Analytics & Growth Lead at Curve Ed Maslaveckas – CEO & Co-founder at Bud Lukas Zoerner – Founder at MoBillity Victor Trokoudes – CEO & Co-founder at Plum Enjoying FinTech Insider? Tell a friend about us and please leave us a review on iTunes. The post Ep251 – Fintech For The Average Joe appeared first on 11:FS.

In this episode We discuss what a challenger bank really is – drawing a line in the sand for who is and who isn’t in the cool kids club. Alipay seems to be taking over the world through tourism, we discuss how that strategy might be the best route into the west. Debit cards are finding into the hands on children, how do we make sure kids don’t go crazy with (and power) – is this the new way for banks to acquire customers? All this and more on the news this week. Guests Elizabeth Lumley FinTech commentator & Author of girl-disrupted.com Ajit Tripathi, Director, Fintech and Digital Banking at PwC Dave Tonge,  CTO at Moneyhub James Lloyd, Asia-Pacific Fintech Leader at EY Julian Sawyer, COO at Starling Bank Our community contribution was from Nina Mohanty this week (@ninamohanty) News this week Banking Technology – FinTech companies blast banks over PSD2 direct access angst – Link The Telegraph – Upstart Challenger Banks eye consolidation – Link Banking Technology – Deutsche Bank lea