Generative AI is moving from experimentation to enterprise adoption—what will it take for banks to scale AI securely, build trusted data foundations and deliver measurable business value? Puja Sharma of IBS Intelligence speaks to Fanis Mesologitis, Managing Director, Banking at Profile Software, about how financial institutions can move beyond AI pilots, strengthen data quality, balance innovation with governance and regulation, and identify where AI is delivering tangible ROI across banking. 

Digital banking provider Fimple is helping financial institutions across the GCC modernise their banking infrastructure through cloud-native, API-first and composable technology. Its real-time core banking platform can support banks as they integrate AI across customer experience, fraud detection, risk management and compliance, while improving data readiness and operational agility. Puja Sharma of IBS Intelligence speaks to Sena Bahadir, Senior Sales Manager – GCC at Fimple, about how AI is reshaping banking in the region and the role of modern banking infrastructure and technology partnerships in enabling GCC banks to scale AI-driven financial services.

Fraudio claims to decomplexify and disrupt the payment fraud detection and anti-money laundering industries with its patent pending AI super brain. CEO João Moura speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence, discussing where AI is delivering real value now and what comes next for fraud, financial crime and payment risk. 

Digital banking provider Fimple is focused on using cloud-native, API-first banking technology to expand financial access for underserved SMEs and NGOs across Africa. Its composable banking architecture, real-time payments, digital onboarding and embedded finance capabilities can help financial institutions deliver more accessible and tailored services. Puja Sharma of IBS Intelligence speaks to Fayza Benayad, Global Partnership Head at Fimple, about the role of digital banking in advancing financial inclusion and how partnerships between banks, FinTechs, NGOs and technology providers can accelerate access across African markets.

Digital banking provider Clayfin has acquired voice technology platform Louie Voice to strengthen its AI-driven customer experience and accessibility capabilities. The acquisition adds advanced voice AI to Clayfin’s Cognitive Banking platform, enabling customers to interact with banking services and perform transactions using natural voice commands. Puja Sharma of IBS Intelligence speaks to Pramit Bhargava, Founder of Louie Voice at Clayfin, about the rise of voice-first banking, the role of AI in accessible financial services, and how banks can balance automation, security and human interaction.

Financial services providers have been reassessing their communications compliance strategies, according to a recent report by Global Relay. The report found that 66% of financial services firms now ban communications channels – the highest percentage in the annual survey’s four-year history and a significant jump from 2025 when the figure was 41%. At the same time, AI adoption continues to accelerate with 54% of firms not currently using AI for compliance or surveillance planning to introduce it within the next 12 months. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Rob Mason of Global Relay.

In the background, data that shows 80% of organisations reporting that AI agents are taking unintended actions left to their own devices. Indeed, agents are mutating irrespective of being denied access to systems. Agents need intent-based authorisation, not policy-based authorisation. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the evolving challenges of managing AI with Chandra Gnanasambandam, CTO of SailPoint.

There is a growing shift to FinTech actors in cross-border payments. Capi Money was established on the belief that this will also happen in Africa. Last year the London-based payments FinTech raised around $18 million in Series A funding. In January, the firm secured an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) licence from the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and, most recently, was granted a licence for cross-border payments in Ivory Coast, the first cross-border payments FinTech in the 8-country UEMOA bloc to receive such authorisation. Scott Liddle, Co-Founder of Capi Money speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

As banks move beyond AI experimentation to enterprise-wide deployment, Puja Sharma speaks with DN Prahlad, Founder and Chairman, Surya FinTech, on why the industry must shift its focus from AI hype to measurable business outcomes, how agentic AI is reshaping financial services, the critical role of data readiness, and the strategic priorities bank boards should embrace to unlock AI's long-term value.

As banks look beyond traditional core modernisation, the industry is increasingly focused on building a modern bank operating system that combines real-time payments, AI-driven intelligence, and connected financial ecosystems. Puja Sharma speaks with Booshan Rengachari, Founder and CEO of Finzly, about overcoming legacy constraints, enabling low-risk transformation, and preparing banks for a future shaped by agentic AI, tokenised assets, and next-generation payment infrastructure. 

We review the top trends that will transform how businesses make and take payments in the modern world. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Pat Bermingham, CEO of UK-based B2B digital payment processor Adflex. The company is Europe’s leading processor of commercial card payments, processing over 7 million transactions a year for more than 4,000 businesses. Among the topics discussed: the consumerisation of B2B payments, digital identity, ISO 20022, straight-through processing and the role of agentic AI.

As the Middle East prepares for a massive intergenerational wealth transfer and rising demand for personalised financial advice, wealth management firms are rethinking how they engage clients, empower relationship managers, and scale operations. Puja Sharma speaks with Deepak Dastrala, CEO, Purple Fabric, IDA, about the growing role of AI-driven intelligence in wealth management, the shift from technology-led to insight-led advisory models, and how firms can balance growth, productivity, trust, and compliance in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Global InsurTech funding remained strong in 2025, but what will it take to make sure the hype does not outpace deliverables? Ross Sinclair, Founder and CEO of EIP believes the pressure is now on for many firms to deliver on their ‘pitch deck’ promises, including AI use cases, and justify them to investors with strong revenue streams.

The Swift ISO 20022 deadline of 22 November 2025 is now past history. Isn’t it? Well, it appears not, with many banks continuing to rely on translation tools to bridge legacy systems. Yet stopgap measures come at a cost. Nick Fernando, Co-founder and Director at Aqua Global Solutions, warns that translation tools won’t cut it in the long run. Banks that are ISO 20022 native stand to gain far more than compliance – from faster straight-through processing to fewer manual errors and richer data insights.

UK businesses across a variety of sectors are increasingly looking to offer financial services to their customers, including payments, lending, and savings accounts. Embedded finance is widely perceived as a growth driver and a new opportunity for revenue growth. Chris Newman, Head of Corporates at ClearBank, which offers embedded banking solutions to corporate clients, speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about the prospects for explosive growth over the coming years in ‘white label’ banking.

London-based Cruxy has delivered growth strategy to 40+ capital markets FinTechs and advised 20+ private equity firms (ranging from $1bn up to $100 billion AUM) on value creation through product, packaging and pricing. More than 80% of Cruxy's clients are based in the USA. The firm’s Founder and CEO, Carrie Osman talks FinTech value creation with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

Instant settlement has a downside – the potential for fraud and compliance exposure. Continuous verification is likely essential for stablecoin-based disbursements to function safely. Banks must look to design stablecoin systems that combine speed with enterprise grade integrity. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Ben Turner, Founder and CEO of Verituity. 

As banks and insurers accelerate their AI ambitions, the challenge has shifted from experimentation to enterprise-wide adoption. Puja Sharma speaks with Alfred Quertier, Field Chief Technology Officer at Azentio, on the barriers to scaling AI, emerging production-grade use cases across banking operations and insurance claims processing, and how financial institutions can balance innovation, governance, resilience, and explainability as they prepare for a more autonomous future. 

As Islamic banking gains global momentum amid rising demand for ethical, Shariah-compliant financial services, Puja Sharma speaks with Rajesh Saxena, CEO, Consumer Banking, and Rami Roukoss, Product Expert at Intellect Design Arena Limited, on the evolving role of digital transformation, AI-driven pool management, and how eMACH.ai is helping Islamic banks modernise products, operations, and customer experiences. 

In an era where growth is defined by ecosystem depth rather than customer count, Puja Sharma speaks with Deepa Santhanam, Partner & SVP - Business Consulting at Intellect Design Arena, on how banks can outperform by embedding themselves into industry value chains—leveraging APIs, AI, and platform models to drive stronger liquidity, resilience, and competitive advantage in wholesale banking.

In an era of geopolitical volatility, cyber risk, and regulatory pressure, Puja Sharma speaks with Raj Jathar, SVP Sales Engineering at Azentio, on redefining tech resilience through strategic partnerships, domain expertise, and modernisation that balances compliance, continuity, and customer trust.

Banks now view failure to modernise core systems as an existential risk. In APAC, 93% of banking leaders admitting the right platform is critical to future success – presumably the remaining 7% are contemplating career change! Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence talks banking transformation with Karthik Sethuraman, Chief Delivery & Risk Officer of Singapore-based digital banking solutions provider audax. Banks must address their core infrastructure to compete effectively while meeting customers’ increasing digital expectations.

Securing the future of your bank means securing the next generation of customers. It is a fact that once people pick a bank, they very rarely switch. But how should incumbents square up to the challenges posed by the rush of neobanks coming to the market? How best to pivot without losing sight of core compliance, trust and scale? Fernando Zandona, CEO of cloud-native, software-as-a-service (SaaS) core banking platform Mambu speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence.

As central banks globally explore digital currencies, India’s Digital Rupee pilot marks a significant step toward rethinking monetary infrastructure. Beyond faster payments, CBDCs have the potential to reshape settlement systems, enable programmability, and unlock new fintech innovation.

In this episode, Vriti Gothi speaks with Edul Patel, CEO & Co-founder of Mudrex, to explore the role of CBDCs in addressing inefficiencies in the financial system, their impact on banks and payment ecosystems, and the emerging opportunities for fintechs. They also discuss the balance between privacy and control, the coexistence of CBDCs and cryptocurrencies, and what it will take for India’s Digital Rupee to scale meaningfully in the years ahead.

Consolidation in the banking and finance sector is set to continue. Around 180 bank deals were announced in 2025 and there are going to be more to come in 2026. The pressing need to take advantage of developing technologies is one notable cost factor that may drive smaller institutions into the arms of their larger counterparts. White Clay Founder and President Mac Thompson speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence.

Describing itself as the world's broadest and fastest risk engine, martini.ai aims to redefine how financial professionals access and interpret credit risk data through a free, platform. CEO Rajiv Bhat is leading a movement toward open, transparent credit data as investors and lenders around the world seek real-time visibility into risk. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses how transparency and better data are reshaping credit, lending, and portfolio management with Rajiv Bhat of martini.ai.

As regulatory expectations shift from periodic compliance to continuous supervision, financial institutions are rethinking how they manage operational resilience, risk governance and regulatory accountability. Against this backdrop, Puja Sharma speaks with Bhavana Mallesh, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of Gieom Business Solutions, about embedding AI-driven intelligence into compliance and resilience frameworks, navigating complex global regulations and emerging RBI guidelines, and how financial institutions can move from reactive, deadline-driven compliance to building transparent, future-ready resilience operating models.

What happens when money becomes programmable? In this edition of The Big Interview, we spotlight how TransBnk is re-engineering transaction banking from the ground up.

Speaking with Co-founder and CEO Vaibhav Tambe, we explore how programmable finance allows businesses to embed logic directly into payments - releasing funds on milestone verification, automating sweeps, and reconciling in real time. The company’s recon-first architecture replaces end-of-day processes with continuous, rule-driven matching.

We also examine how Escrow-as-a-Service is opening secure, conditional fund flows to MSMEs, startups, and real estate players - capabilities once limited to large corporates. With 220+ clients and 40+ bank integrations, TransBnk is positioning itself as a treasury operating layer, built compliance-first and API-driven.

The larger ambition is clear: democratise sophisticated banking infrastructure and make intelligent money movement accessible at scale.

The discussion moves beyond buzzwords like AI and cloud-native, arguing that most institutions are still in early transformation stages. True AI-driven lending, he suggests, will emerge only when every transaction continuously trains the system. Uncia’s Zero Implementation and Self-Serve model challenges traditional, time-heavy deployments - shifting control to institutions through configurable, low-code tools like Uncia Studio.

We also explore how the Pay-As-You-Grow model is reshaping cost economics for SME lenders and NBFCs, turning technology from upfront capex into scalable opex.

The broader shift? Lending platforms are evolving from static systems into adaptive ecosystems - where cloud, AI, and embedded learning quietly redefine how credit is designed, deployed, and scaled.

As artificial intelligence reshapes the future of lending, financial institutions are rethinking how credit is assessed and delivered across underserved sectors. Against this backdrop, Puja Sharma speaks with Brajesh Khandelwal, EVP and Head – Lending at Intellect Design Arena, about embedding AI at the core of SME and agri lending, unlocking deeper financial inclusion, driving measurable impact through large-scale implementations, and how banks can build intelligent, future-ready lending ecosystems by 2030.

i-exceed explores the future of digital banking through three key pillars: AI-powered personal financial management, real-time risk mitigation, and unified customer profiles. By leveraging predictive AI and low-code platforms like Appzillon, banks can modernize quickly while maintaining transparency, enhancing customer trust, and improving financial wellness. As banks shift from reactive to anticipatory engagement, i-exceed is driving innovation with solutions that balance legacy integration challenges and accelerate digital transformation. With a roadmap focused on next-generation explainable AI and expanded Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), i-exceed is poised to lead the future of intelligent, customer-first financial services.

Loyalty programmes and credit card rewards promise value, but for many consumers, the reality is complexity, fragmentation, and missed opportunities. As digital finance evolves, technology is beginning to change how users track rewards, optimise spending, and make more informed credit decisions.

In this episode, Vriti Gothi speaks with Ashish Lath, Founder & CEO of Save Sage, about the biggest challenges consumers face in managing loyalty points and credit benefits, and how AI, automation, and Open Banking are enabling smarter rewards management and credit optimisation. They discuss the role of intelligent tools in improving financial wellbeing, the shift toward unified and interoperable rewards ecosystems, and how companies can balance engagement with ethical design and responsible borrowing. 

From soundboxes in small-town kirana stores to APIs running national banks, India’s FinTech stack is quietly rewriting how participation scales. Puja Sharma speaks with Debiprasad Sarangi of iServeU, on the infrastructure powering this shift.

Salary-linked finance is reshaping how Indian employers think about retention, responsibility, and financial wellbeing. Puja Sharma speaks with Piyush Bagaria, Co-founder, SalarySe, on how salary-linked finance is pushing financial wellness from the HR desk to the boardroom. 

For years, banks have been pouring money into app development, yet the next revolution in customer interaction may not happen in an app at all. A global shift is underway towards conversational finance – where relationships begin and end in a message thread. Consumers don’t want to download another app, they want to chat, ask and act. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence has been in conversation with Kevin Flood, Director of Payments Ecosystem Strategy at FIS.

Blockchain has long been associated with hype and experimentation, but its real value is now emerging in highly regulated environments like banking, insurance, and financial services. As institutions prioritise security, compliance, and transparency, enterprise-grade blockchain is becoming a practical foundation for next-generation financial infrastructure.
 
 In this episode, Vriti Gothi speaks with Siddharth Ugrankar, CEO and Co-Founder of Qila.io, to unpack how blockchain can strengthen trust in banking systems, the role of private blockchains in CBDCs and cross-border settlements, and how tokenisation and smart contracts are reshaping financial markets. They also discuss India’s evolving regulatory stance on data localisation and explore real-world use cases where blockchain is already delivering measurable impact across BFSI.

Trade-based money laundering is how criminals move dirty money across borders disguised as legitimate trade. Banks are spending millions but are still missing most suspicious activities, in part because 80% of global trade operates on open account terms with minimal documentation. So, what can be done? Anar Qasem, Vice President of MENA for Cleareye.ai, discusses solutions with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

Artificial Intelligence is moving beyond experimentation to become a core driver of transformation across banking, financial services, and FinTech. But as institutions grapple with legacy systems, regulatory scrutiny, and the need for responsible innovation, translating AI vision into real-world impact remains a challenge.

In this episode, Vriti Gothi speaks with Jeeja Gopinath, Managing Director at Zentis AI and Techvantage.ai, about where AI is delivering tangible value today, how financial institutions can move from strategy to execution, and the role of governance in scaling AI responsibly. They explore real-world enterprise use cases, the balance between speed and compliance, and the emerging AI trends shaping the next wave of FinTech innovation.

Humanity Protocol aims to verify people, not passwords through palm biometrics converted into zero-knowledge proofs so platforms can block bots and fraud while keeping biometric data private and off-chain. It works on a smartphone and is already rolling out to users and enterprise pilots in finance. The firm is backed by Animoca and was most recently valued at over $1 billion. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Veena Nair, Head of Content at Humanity Protocol.

dLocal simplifies cross-border transactions in emerging markets, connecting global enterprise merchants with billions of emerging market consumers across APAC, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa. Through the "One dLocal" concept (one direct API, one platform, and one contract), global companies can accept payments, send payouts, and settle funds globally—without the need to manage separate processors or set up local entities of their own. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Pedro Arnt, CEO of dLocal.

OpenFX is building a real-time, open and transparent FX network, aiming to solve the last-mile problem in international money movement by using stablecoins as an intermediary – bringing FX transactions kicking and screaming into the 21st century! Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the future of FX, and how spreads and fees are already being compressed, with Prabhakar Reddy, Founder and CEO of OpenFX

The business of trade finance is traditionally exhaustively documented but mix in a large language model (LLM) and that business can suddenly become much less of a challenge for those who must review the documentation. Chandrasekhar Somasekhar is CTO of cleareye.ai and also leads the firm’s Product Engineering team. He discusses the adoption and use cases of LLMs in trade finance with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

India’s digital lending space is shifting toward trust, compliance, and responsible growth. Puja Sharma speaks with Mahesh Shukla, Founder and CEO of PayMe, on building a sustainable, AI-enabled lending model for Bharat. The conversation unpacks instant credit access, data-driven underwriting beyond CIBIL, and what responsible FinTech scale looks like in 2025.

Life insurance in India is undergoing a pivotal shift from traditional, agent-driven models to digitally enabled, inclusion-led experiences. Rural and emerging India, once underserved, has now become the next frontier for financial protection and long-term security.
 In this episode, Vriti Gothi sits down with Casparus Kromhout, MD & CEO at Shriram Life Insurance, to explore how the industry is evolving with technology, simplified onboarding, and trust-driven distribution. They discuss the unique needs of rural India, the rise of digital channels, the role of AI in risk evaluation and customer engagement, and Shriram Life’s approach to building accessible financial protection for every Indian household. 

Increasing architectural complexity and ever-changing regulatory demands have left the global payments ecosystem at a critical inflection point. Transformation and compliance are now a matter of business survival. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence talks to Buddhadeb ‘Deb’ Das Gupta of Yethi Consulting about the economics of competitive positioning and how to build sustainable competitive advantage.

Form3 offers a cloud-native, real-time account-to-account payment platform. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the recent introduction of verification of payee with Mike Walters, CEO of Form3. What do the new requirements mean for payment services providers (PSPs) and banks, and what does the future hold for FinTechs in payments processing? We also discuss Nationwide’s recent ‘strategic’ investment in Form3 and what it will enable the company to do.

Small businesses in the US now have more choice in financing but closing the lending gap comes at a price. Small loans don’t make economic sense to the banks, At the same time bank loans are still taking too long to arrange.  Addressing both those issues allows alternative lenders to carve out a profitable niche and provides SMBs with solutions to their funding needs. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence talks to Kunal Bhasin, Founder and CEO of platform provider 1West. 

India’s AI landscape is entering a golden phase, with enterprises rapidly moving from basic workflow automation to intelligence-driven decisioning across core operations. Against this backdrop, Puja Sharma speaks with Mathangi Sri Ramachandran, Co-Founder & CEO of YuVerse, about building an “Intelligent Core” for enterprises, spanning voice automation, document intelligence, video personalisation, and decisioning at scale for leading banks and regulators, and what responsible, compliant, multilingual AI deployment will mean for the next wave of AI-led enterprise transformation. 

What lessons can the US learn from open banking in the UK and Europe? Three areas spring to mind – data privacy, user empowerment and government-industry coordination. The question is how likely is progress in these areas? In the last case, probably none at all (!) with open banking in the US being market driven. Matt Whetton, Chief Technology Officer at Acquired.com discusses open banking with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence.

Eton Solutions offers a platform that helps family offices across 15+ countries manage $1 trillion in ultra-high-net-worth family wealth, pulling together investment, accounting, tax, and additional data from countless sources. UHNW families can see their net worth in real time from a mobile app. Robert Mallernee, CEO of Eton Solutions discusses the challenge of building FinTech for the most complex and private clients in the world with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence.

If your bank is not ready for the transition to support the new messaging format, the risk is that transactions may get derailed with payments being refused. With the deadline just weeks away, what steps should treasurers put in place, including how to lead on communication with banks and corporates? There is also an opportunity to leverage the ISO project for greater Treasury transformation, including enhanced data analysis and real-time treasury. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Melissa Stevenson and Annemarie Bona, both Product Managers at ION Group.

Some 87% of UK wealth managers believe that AI is crucial to the future of the wealth management industry yet over half believe their current technology systems still need to be upgraded. Alternative investments, from art and wine to vintage cars, are booming, but UK firms are struggling to access and track them. Peter O’Brien, Head of Global Growth+Partnerships, at Addepar speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about how wealth managers can attract both new clients and young talent, by investing in smarter technology tools.

What’s next for embedded financing? Business platforms are already emerging as critical providers of capital for their SME clientele – customers who have been traditionally underserved when it comes to funding options. Now, the fastest growing platforms may well be making more money from embedded financial services than from their core business! Max Schertel of embedded finance provider finmid speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about the business opportunity being created. 

iProov's threat intelligence research shows an unprecedented escalation in attacks designed to bypass KYC checks across not only neobanks but also banking in generaal, crypto exchanges, e-wallets, and digital payment platforms. Andrew Bud, Founder & CEO of iProov discusses what can be done to block such attacks with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence, explaining how facial biometric verification with certified liveness detection, tied to a government-issued ID, should be a non-negotiable security measure for secure identity verification in financial services. 

Ultra high-speed access to global, multi-currency instant payments appears to be the new backbone of payments infrastructure. The aim is to overhaul legacy payments using interoperable APIs. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Mishal Ruparel of Banking Circle about next generation banking and the increasing role likely to be played by stablecoins.

Justin Kuruvilla is a former UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) advisor and ex-US Department of Defense technical director. He speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about how cyber operations are evolving in times of geopolitical instability, and the growing risks to both national infrastructure and enterprise supply chains. Most organisations only monitor their first-tier suppliers, but real resilience demands visibility all the way down the chain.

In this episode, Vriti Gothi sits down with Puja Abhishek Singh, CEO of Manipal Fintech, to discuss how the company is bridging India’s credit divide. They explore the role of gold loans in providing quick, reliable access to funds, how AI and technology are transforming onboarding, underwriting, and collections, and the importance of designing customer-centric solutions that reach rural and semi-urban populations. Puja also shares insights from her career across Paytm, Mastercard, SBI Cards, and GE, discussing inclusive leadership, fintech-bank partnerships, and the future of lending in India.

India’s financial inclusion landscape is rapidly expanding beyond cities, with technology-driven models bridging access gaps in rural and semi-urban areas. Puja Sharma speaks with Sameer Mathur about how the company is empowering women entrepreneurs, using AI to drive inclusion, and shaping the next phase of digital financial growth across underserved communities. 

Global business payments platform Airwallex reported triple digit growth in its UK division, driven by an uplift in the volume and value of deals. Revenue in H1 2025 grew by 109% versus the same period last year. Against that background, Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Simon Ellis of Airwallex about the prospects for the business, managing regulatory compliance across 60 licences and registrations worldwide, and the challenges of expanding his team with the right talent.

Fime provides consulting services and testing services in the areas of payments, smart mobility, and digital identity. According to Fime CEO Lionel Grosclaude, digital identity will help in creating the economic resilience that is needed for the future. He tells Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence how digital identity should sit at the heart of payment evolution, offering a faster and more secure way of verifying customers. 

The cost of being on the cloud is rising. It has been suggested that cloud costs are already, on average, the second-largest line item after headcount for FinTechs. Add in the bump up in costs caused by AI adoption and it’s easy to see that while CTOs may be happy with their ‘new toys’, CFOs could be looking worried. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the cloud and financial accountability with Ed Barrow, CEO of Cloud Capital. 

Despite innovation in real-time rails, US small businesses are still stuck waiting days, or weeks for payments to clear. That delay is more than an inconvenience. It’s a cash flow threat that puts jobs and businesses at risk. BillGO CEO Dan Holt explains why simplifying receivables is the next frontier in US B2B payments, how better identity and data infrastructure can accelerate digital adoption, and what banks and FinTechs can do to serve small businesses. 

Banking and financial services are prime targets for cyberattacks – it is going to happen! So, the question you have to answer is what are you going to do to mitigate the risks and ensure a speedy recovery? How should financial organisations best manage data to close any compliance gaps? Simon Jelley of data guardian Arctera discusses the issues with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence.

Gen Z trusts creators and niche financial influencers (finfluencers) more than brand ads. Today financial advice is just as likely to come from TikTok or Instagram as it is from a bank. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – banks and FinTechs may use affiliate partnerships to reach the Gen Z audience efficiently and compliantly with full-funnel visibility and real trackable performance. Nicky Senyard of partnership solutions provider Fintel Connect speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

Trillium Surveyor, a provider of trade surveillance software, signed a deal in May with Blue Ocean Technologies to provide 24/5 trade surveillance to cover overnight trading sessions. Melissa Watras of Trillium Surveyor speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about the tech and regulatory challenges as financial markets move toward 24/7. What are the implications for back-office operations, compliance teams and more. 

WealthTech has evolved from offering simple portfolio dashboards to full-service, AI-powered advisory platforms that are democratising private market access as a mainstream investment category. This increasing inclusivity is benefitting the world’s HENRYs (high income not rich yet).  A mass_affluent audience is being offered solutions that give personalised investment recommendations and onboarding through data-driven platforms. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to digital wealth management platform Vennre’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ziad Mabsout. 

Berenberg is one of Europe’s oldest privately owned banks. The bank chose Profinit to automate contract reviews, reduce costs and support the register of information in line with DORA – the Digital Operational Resilience Act. AI-driven Compliance as a Service (CaaS) has boosted processing speed, reduced manual effort and increased accuracy. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Marcel Pochert and Philipp Söchtig of Berenberg, but we hear first from Rainer Vorwerk of tech supplier Profinit. 

Cross-border payments have long been plagued by high fees, unpredictable exchange rates, and slow settlement times. But with FinTech innovation, real-time rails, and compliance-led product design, the landscape is changing rapidly. In this episode, Vriti Gothi sits down with Nitin Pulyani, Head of Products at Cashfree Payments, to discuss how Indian FinTechs are reimagining global money movement. They explore India’s opportunity to lead in cross-border innovation, why compliance can be a catalyst rather than a constraint, and what it takes to design truly borderless financial infrastructure from India for the world. 

The menace of fraud in the financial ecosystem is no longer a static problem that can be tackled with static solutions. Periodic updates are artifacts of the past. What is needed now is a living defence that is capable of evolving as fast, if not faster, than the cyberthreat it faces. Rivi Varghese, CEO of Clari5 explains the company’s Living Anti-Fraud Operating System to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

Banks’ trade operations are evolving and are under greater pressure than ever before. Documentation is more complex and regulatory scrutiny more intense. Andrew Dalton, VP Sales Europe for Cleareye.ai joins Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence to discuss the role being played by AI and automation in helping financial institutions not only to cope with these pressures but actually to improve the speed and efficiency of their trade ops. 

India’s credit ecosystem is undergoing a digital-first transformation, with issuers navigating modernisation, compliance, and scalability as embedded finance and platforms like Pismo redefine the future of credit. Puja Sharma speaks with Varun Dudeja, Head of Business Development APAC, Pismo, on how India’s credit card market is evolving and what the future holds in the digital-first economy.

It has been suggested that more than a third of businesses globally are affected every year by insider threats – it is the cybersecurity issue that not enough companies are focusing on! Organisations are implementing increasingly sophisticated defences against external cyberattacks but that just makes the dangers of malicious and even unintentional insider threats more acute. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Will Ashford-Brown, Director Strategic Insights at Heligan Group.

AI in financial_services is beginning to move from promise to practical implementation. But, as Scott Barronton, CISO of Diebold Nixdorf, warns, organisations should roll out internal AI solutions before leveraging the technology in their products. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Scott Barronton about what you need to build to ensure safe and responsible adoption of AI.

From being “credit invisible” to becoming financially empowered, millions of Indians are on a journey to build their credit story. But how do technology, AI, and trust come together to bridge this massive gap? In this episode, Vriti Gothi sits down with Manish Shara, Co-Founder & CEO of ZET, to explore how FinTech is unlocking credit access for the 400 million underserved Indians with little or no credit history. They discuss the challenges borrowers face, the role of technology in making credit more transparent, and what it takes to create a credit-ready India. 

Financial institutions could be sitting on a proverbial gold mine of data – yet most banks and credit unions fail to leverage these assets effectively. That failure leaves a strategic resource that offers tremendous growth potential underutilised! Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Preetha Pulusani, CEO of Deep Target, about the strategies that can help unlock the value of your data. 

What does the cybersecurity landscape look like now? What should banks around the world be doing to tackle fraud? Everyone agrees the key could be data sharing but how can we make this happen? Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the role of AI as an accelerator and a tool for good with Carl Slabicki of BNY.

Regulated entities in the financial sphere face increasing complex compliance requirements. This year alone, new regulations such as DORA, AMLA and ECCTA reflect the fact that fincrime is at the forefront of business challenges. However, combine pressure from malign actors with increased regulation and it is easy to see why three quarters of financial services businesses feel overburdened. Indeed 81% of UK financial sector firms worry about their ability to comply with current regulations. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence talks to Phil Cotter, CEO of UK-based provider of digital compliance and AML solutions, SmartSearch. 

Under the spotlight, the challenges and opportunities of cross-border banking, regulatory strategy and payment innovation. One.io is a full-suite financial services solution, providing access to business accounts, global payments, spot FX, crypto trading and payment processing for a global customer base. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to the firm’s Chief Revenue Officer, Andrew Jurgielan. 

Red Hat operates as an independent subsidiary of IBM. It is an open hybrid cloud technology provider and is the world's leading provider of open-source solutions. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Richard Harmon, VP & Global Head of Financial Services at Red Hat. In a wide-ranging conversation about artificial intelligence, topics covered include the need for common infrastructure, the use of synthetic data, agentic AI and the risks involved in the adoption and use of AI.

MANSA is building on-chain infrastructure to make real-time cross border payments a reality in the belief that seamless money movement shouldn't be limited by legacy systems and outdated infrastructure. In many emerging markets, mobile first apps have already displaced traditional banks with stablecoins likely to be the next disruptor of how value moves around the world. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Mouloukou Sanoh of MANSA. 

AI and automation are transforming how records are classified and managed. With growing concerns around issues pertaining to trust and compliance, innovation needs to be balanced alongside accountability. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Arpan Bansal, VP-Marketing (Government & GSI Initiatives) for Newgen Software, getting his perspective on what a modern records management system should be and what information governance is required.

10x Banking, the cloud-native core banking platform, has announced the appointment of Tom Bentley to its Executive Board as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Tom will lead the company’s global commercial and growth strategy expansion across key markets including Europe, APAC, the Middle East and Africa. Bentley brings over 15 years of global experience in core banking and FinTech, having held senior roles at Temenos, Thought Machine, and Vodeno (recently acquired by UniCredit Group). Most recently he was part of the founding team at NatWest Boxed, the embedded finance venture from NatWest Group. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Tom Bentley about his new challenge.

From tedious tasks to complex workflows, automation has come a long way, but what happens when AI, ML, and low-code/no-code converge? Intelligent Automation is reshaping how organizations operate, innovate, and scale across sectors like healthcare, finance, and tech. Vriti Gothi sits down with Sameet Gupte, Co-founder and CEO of EvoluteIQ, to discuss digital transformation, the oppourtunites and challenges, and what it takes to build resilience and agility in a rapidly changing world.

Digital quality is no longer just about bug-free apps; it’s about building resilience, speed, and reliability at scale. From AI-driven risk prediction to Digital Testing as a Service (DTaaS), tech leaders are rethinking software quality in a cloud-native, always-on world. In regulated sectors such as BFSI and telecom, the challenge is striking a balance between compliance and customer experience. Puja Sharma speaks with Amalesh Mishra, Chief Growth Officer at QualityKiosk, on reshaping digital assurance, tackling complexity, and staying ahead of disruption.

audax Financial Technology is a comprehensive digital banking solutions provider empowering banks and financial institutions to scale and modernise at speed. audax has enabled new business models and revenue streams for Standard Chartered under the SC nexus proposition. The result, Standard Chartered became the first global bank to provide Banking-as-a-Service in Asia. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Michael Breen, CCO of audax.

The private markets have lagged on infrastructure but that gap in capabilities is now closing with the development of ERP solutions for the management of private capital. The alternative investment ecosystem is tentatively beginning to embrace AI, offering the prospects of clarity automation and real-time data to a world still running on spreadsheets! Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Edwin Chan, Regional Managing Director Europe for investment platform Carta. 

Banks currently store customers’ biometric data on centralised systems, making it highly vulnerable and attractive to hackers. A successful breach of this data could result in group litigation from customers large enough to destabilise both the bank itself and the surrounding financial ecosystem. In 2016, Michael Marcotte co-founded the US National Cybersecurity Center, which works with companies and governments to improve national security and computer security. Now he is Founder, Chairman and CEO of artius.ID, which offers secure, self-managed individual identity solutions for S&P 500 majors.

Agentic AI helps to simplify complex processes by performing automated tasks without human intervention. Temenos unveiled its FCM AI Agent at the Temenos Community Forum (TCF 2025) in Madrid. It is an AI-enhanced compliance engine, enabling a significant reduction in false positives when screening against global and domestic watchlists in real time. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks at TCF 2025 to Adam Gable, Senior Product Director at Temenos about the evolution of the perennial problem of fincrime and the efforts to counter it.

Venture capital firm RTP Global says it invests in ‘ambitious founders reshaping the world through technology’. The focus in FinTech funding now is very firmly on AI and likely to remain there for some time. The impact of developments in artificial intelligence are only just beginning to be felt. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Thomas Cuvelier, Partner at RTP Global.

Payments by volume have soared, both in domestic markets and cross-border markets but, at the same time, banks margins have come under increasing pressure. Banks simply aren’t making the money out of the payments business that they used to make out of it. How do we create a system of payments that is fair, equitable, secure, and that makes sense for banks as well as their customers? Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence caught up with Mick Fennell, Business Line Director, Payments at Temenos, at the company’s Temenos Community Forum in Madrid. 

Embedded finance is boosting business growth for SMEs as industry dynamics are being changed by the power of partnerships. Thomas Longhurst, Head of Strategic Partnerships at global embedded financing platform YouLend speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence, beginning with his thoughts on the recent Money 20/20 conference in Amsterdam. 

Banks are under increasing pressure to understand how nature-related risks like biodiversity loss, flood risk and soil degradation may impact asset values and long-term resilience. However, many lenders lack the tools and context to interpret this data. Mattie Yeta, Chief Sustainability Officer for CGI in the UK and Australia speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about how financial institutions are moving to incorporate nature data in credit and investment decisions.

Mia Drennan pioneered independent loan administration and trustee services – an area traditionally dominated by banks. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Mia Drennan, Founder and CEO of GLAS, about how she disrupted financial services and thrived in the male dominated financial services – building a global finance business that turns over around £100 million ($137 million) a year. What lessons can the current crop of female entrepreneurs take to heart? 

WonderLend Hubs offers scalable, customisable solutions that adapt to the dynamic needs of modern lenders. It is a no-code, micro-modular solution delivered as a PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) model. Modular architecture or microservices allows the company to offer ‘Micro plans’, i.e. API bundles which are fully business user-configurable. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Ram Ramdas, Founder and Chief Evangelist at Wonderlend Hubs. 

Financial crime compliance is evolving—and even minor lapses like missed STRs can spark major regulatory fallout. Legacy tech adds to the challenge, creating blind spots in AML frameworks. Ruchi Tripathi, VP – Product Management at Azentio’s AMLOCK, speaks with Puja Sharma on applying the ‘Broken Window Theory’, tackling tech debt, and adapting compliance to regional needs.

Physical network isolation is becoming essential in today’s cybersecurity threat landscape. Software-only solutions are no longer enough. The case for hardware-based protection has been thrown into sharp relief in recent months with high profile cases of cyber attacks that have revealed victim organisations to be, in the words of Steve Brodie of Goldilock, ‘over-connected and under-protected’. Goldilock already numbers leading banks among customers in both Europe and Asia for its award-winning network connection controllers. 

Over the past decade, we have seen many FinTechs rise and fall – entering the market to great fanfare only to exit extremely quietly. Why do so many FinTechs fail and what needs to happen in order to reduce the chronic failure rates among FinTech startups. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Cubed CEO Elliott Limb who says a mindset change is needed. 

Credolab is a data analytics platform based on smartphone and web behavioural metadata available to any company with a mobile app and a website. The use of this alternative data acts to bolster risk assessment and credit decisioning in a privacy-safe, predictive way that improves outcomes based on traditional scoring models alone. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the issues with Michele Tucci, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Credolab. 

Payments are a crucial issue in construction where some 98% of firms in the industry are SMEs. The UK construction sector is struggling with outdated financial models and banking structures but to address these challenges needs more than just the introduction of digital payments. A recent report by platform ProjectPay highlights the sector’s cashflow issues. Louise Stewart, CEO of ProjectPay speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

Investigating the opportunities and challenges involved in the implementation of artificial intelligence in the insurance sector – from ensuring fairness and compliance in underwriting via data-driven decision-making to the role AI plays in combatting fraud. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses risk assessment and claims management with Ritesh Varma, VP Business Solutions Consulting of Newgen Software.

Auquan offers AI agents for institutional finance and provides a glimpse into the future of  work in investment banking. Agentic AI is already rewriting the role of humans in financial research and analysis – no long, for example,  will junior investment bankers face ‘death by powerpoint’. AI is reshaping workflows, organisations and careers. However, the changes don’t mean humans are being left out of the loop. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the issues with Chandini Jain, Founder and CEO of Auquan. 

Debanking is not a new issue but despite efforts by jurisdictions like the USA and Australia introducing legislation to remove barriers for crypto firms, debanking remains a significant obstacle globally. The bottom line? Banks are hesitant to engage with crypto due to perceived risk – but could they be mistaken? Liat Shetret, Vice President, Global Policy & Regulation at blockchain data and intelligence platform Elliptic talks through the issues with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

Abacum is a financial planning and analysis platform which recently raised $60 million in a Series B funding round. Businesses are under increasing pressure to forecast accurately, and AI-driven planning tools are themselves seen as a critical component to assist CFOs in forecasting revenue, planning headcount and building in the ability to cope with unforeseen macroeconomic headwinds. Jorge Lluch, Co-Founder and COO of Abacum speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

The financial services sector has been using the predictive capabilities of traditional AI for years in use cases such as liquidity management and cash forecasting. However, the introduction of generative AI has created a vast range of opportunities for firms to improve customer support, drive smarter decision-making, and speed up content creation. Rachel Levi, Head of AI at Swift takes Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence through the impact of AI in financial services. 

There is a global AI talent gap. Rising demand for skilled staff in the area of artificial intelligence has seen AI expertise become the most in-demand skill set in technology with firms struggling to fill roles. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the problem together with the uses of data-driven decisions with Daniel Sanchez Grant, SVP International Corp Sales & UK Country Director of AlphaSense. 

India’s banking sector is sprinting through a marathon of digital disruption—and the smartest players are using regulation not as a roadblock, but as guardrails for innovation. In this episode, Shalini Sankarshana, Managing Director at Planview®—an expert in Strategic Portfolio Management and Digital Product Development—tells Gloria Methri of IBS Intelligence why banks like Axis and SBI are racing ahead, how speed and security must go hand in hand, and why the future belongs to those who collaborate, not compete. 

The focus on AI implementation in asset management has so far been largely on improving efficiency in routine, low value tasks. Building data lakes and warehouses is the foundational work necessary to enable AI-driven decision-making at scale. True value will emerge when AI is fully integrated into portfolio management and risk analysis. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Russell Andrews, Head of Wealth & Asset Management Vertical EMEA at FIS.

Topics in the spotlight include the workplace and compliance benefits of AI, and the integration of AI in existing financial systems. You’ll also hear comment on the role of smart audit AI in combatting expense fraud. Aidana Zhakupbekova, Chief Financial Officer of expense management platform Rydoo, speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence.

India’s FinTech journey is at an inflection point—where building digital rails is no longer enough. True financial inclusion demands solutions rooted in a local context, blending the physical with the digital to meet users where they are. Sarika Agarwal, Chief Business Officer at FindiPay, speaks with Puja Sharma on embracing cash as a bridge, not a barrier, to align with public infrastructure while plugging access gaps. The focus must shift from scale alone to trust, usability, and sustainable execution. 

The payments sector is facing its biggest transformation in a decade. Traditional models are no longer sustainable, and firms need to rethink their strategies, harness real-time transaction data and look to more adaptive infrastructures. Indeed, real-time payments will become the norm, likely to reach 27% of all global payments by 2028. At the same time, growing fraud and compliance burdens are forcing a rethink of data strategies. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Yoann Vandendriessche, Group Chief Product Officer of Intix and NetGuardians.

The ‘big bang’ core replacement model is no longer a viable option for many banks. Instead, a step-by-step approach that overlays new modules over an existing core banking system may offer a way for financial institutions to bring their services up to date. Ben Goldin, Founder and CEO of Plumery speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about the path to progressive modernisation. 

Biometric authentication solutions are about more than just security. While multi-modal authentication is reducing fraud, it also holds the potential to create a more seamless and personalised payment experience. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the opportunities with Patrick Lemay, Head of Corporate Development at PayRetailers.

Technology has revolutionised lending and the loan origination process. Increasing speed of approval is a huge advantage. SMEs may now access the funds they need almost instantly. Modern digital lending platforms are more flexible, lending practices are more transparent – as examples of this, Kaushal Verma, Head of Global Banking CoE for Newgen Software cites the changing lending market in the UAE. In conversation with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence, he also highlights how the use of AI in lending decision-making may help narrow the SME funding gap. 

Will Marwick describes IFX Payments as a service-led alternative banking partner for its clients. With FX markets excessively volatile in recent days (thanks in no small part to President Trump’s wild ride on tariffs), the need for a digital FX and payments solution that offers businesses a quick, secure and easy to use treasury service has been thrown into sharp relief. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Will Marwick of IFX Payments.

AI-powered customer experience is evolving to meet consumers’ needs for a personal relationship with their bank. With a mission to democratise financial wellness, cognitive banking offers a fundamental shift in how financial institutions engage with their customers, leveraging advanced data analytics and predictive modelling. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Udi Ziv, CEO of Personetics.

SaaS innovation, UPI integration, and strong banking partnerships are reshaping spend management and prepaid card solutions, driving smarter, more efficient financial operations. Dr. Raj Narayanam shares insights with Puja Sharma of IBS Intelligence on how these trends are redefining the FinTech landscape. As technology evolves, agility and collaboration will be key to staying ahead. 

The US Treasury’s decision to phase out paper cheques for government payments by September may well be one of the biggest digital payments tests the US has faced. It is a FinTech challenge that will require banks, FinTechs and payers to align on identity verification, fraud prevention and equitable access at scale. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the issues with Ben Turner, Founder and CEO of PayTech specialist Verituity.

AI is fast emerging as a powerful enabler in India’s wealth management landscape. In this episode, Priyank Shah, Co-founder of The Financialist, joins Gloria Methri of IBS Intelligence to discuss how technology is reshaping financial advisory, the evolving regulatory framework, and what the future holds for WealthTech in India.

Payments move money; high-performance payments make money. Conversely, failed payments don’t just lose money for merchants, they damage trust in the brand and directly undermine brand value. Trust and confidence are fragile things – needed in online commerce but easily undermined if the payment experience is problematic. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Rory O’Neill, Chief Marketing Officer of Checkout.com about ensuring payments work as they should.

Forecasts that up to 10% of global GDP could be tokenised by 2030 set the scene for a fundamental change in the economic landscape. Alongside these forecasts, the new US administration is now developing crypto regulations and exploring the potential of a crypto strategic reserve. Manthan Dave, Co-CEO of digital asset custody provider Palisade, speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about tokenisation and how it will change the way we do business.

IBM reports that just 8% of banks were systematically developing generative AI in 2024 but that this percentage is set to soar in 2025 as businesses move from pilot to execution in pursuit of profits. Artificial intelligence is set to become the core driver of innovation, transforming AI from a tool into the foundation of a bank’s business model. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Prashant Jajodia, Financial Services Sector Leader and Managing Partner of IBM Consulting.

Crown Agents Bank (CAB) is a UK-regulated, certified B Corp bank and provider of wholesale foreign exchange and cross-border payment services across developing, emerging and frontier markets. Claire Gates, Head of Payments for CAB speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about collaboration between FinTechs and banks, and why it is critical for scaling secure cross-border payments. The conversation also includes discussion about moves towards cashless remittances.

Investigating the use cases for stream processing technology, such as fraud and anomaly detection; we quantify the value of real-time data analytics for business intelligence and decision-making. Ben Gamble, Field CTO of Ververica talks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about the convergence of technologies such as agentic AI and stream processing, and how it can help in the drive towards personalisation.

Two aims to make it as simple for businesses to purchase online as it is for an end-consumer. When Two’s founders were busy scaling their previous ventures, they kept running into the same problem. Businesses were forced to use consumer-based payment solutions that simply didn't meet their needs with convoluted net terms processes often leading to delayed business payments. Now, things are changing with BNPL evolving into the B2B space and AI being used to secure transactions. Andreas Mjelde, Co-Founder and CEO of Two, speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence.

Powered by open banking, Brite Payments claims to offer transparent, faster, smarter, and more secure payments. Open banking-powered account-to-account payments enable a user to pay for goods or services directly and instantly with their bank account. Brite Payments CEO Lena Hackelöer is a returning guest to the podcast – having appeared first in April 2023. Two years is a long time in FinTech! She discusses the transformation in European consumer payments with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence… and how Brite Payments itself has evolved.

Conventional blockchains rely on encryption that is vulnerable to quantum threats. Quranium is the first natively quantum-uncrackable Layer 1 blockchain. Kapil Dhiman, Co-Founder and CEO of Quranium discusses the future of digital trust and cryptography with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. Dhiman is a founding member of the Davos Web3 Roundtable and a leading voice on the challenges of quantum resilience in blockchain.

Breaking into a new market takes more than ambition—it demands clear insight. What works in one region may fail in another. Start with a bird’s eye view of the industry, map the ecosystem, and test the product through the eyes of the end user. Early validation and expert input are key to building a strategy that sticks.

Eventus focuses on leveraging big data and low latency technologies. Its flagship product, Validus, is a FinTech focused software platform that manages and protects trading firms. Eventus CEO Travis Schwab speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about the shifting regulatory landscape and the potential for lighter touch regulation as governments around the world look to promote growth and competitiveness.

We review the changing dynamics of Europe’s payments ecosystem, taking in digital wallets, virtual cards, open banking, cross-border transactions, and regional payment preferences. We also discuss the rise of eCommerce in Europe, notably across borders, and in second-hand and social commerce. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Alexander Berrai, Deputy CEO of emerchantpay about some of the findings in the company’s latest Global Payments Outlook.

X-Biz TechVentures, with its AI-Diagnostics approach, is reshaping cybersecurity for the BFSI sector by uncovering hidden threats like Shadow APIs and third-party vulnerabilities. Dipak discusses with Puja how AI is transforming the cybersecurity playbook - from tackling blind spots in traditional audits to tightening vendor risk management and exposing hidden threats like Shadow APIs. 

A successful go-to-market strategy demands deep cultural understanding, rigorous due diligence, and the power of structured research—IBSi’s Delphi-based approach helps FinTechs decode complex markets and build impactful, insight-led expansion blueprints. 

Making international payments and handling multiple currencies can introduce significant risk, especially for SMEs. Exchange rates fluctuate all the time, and many banks simply do not cater to the currency risk management needs of smaller companies. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Pierre Antoine Desoulier, CEO of cross-border payments platform iBanFirst, which provides custom FX risk strategies to more than 1,000 SME clients.

BaaS provider NatWest Boxed has gone live with its first customer, the AA, which will use Boxed’s embedded finance platform to offer financial products to millions of personal breakdown members and insurance customers as well as the broader market. The venture marks the first time 2 leading UK brands have agreed a strategic partnership to embed financial services into the customer journey. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the new offering with NatWest Boxed’s CCO George Toumbev.

A successful go-to-market strategy in new territories requires a thorough assessment of critical factors, including market demand, competition, regulation, talent availability, partnerships, and key risks. By combining in-depth secondary research with primary insights, organisations can develop a comprehensive approach to navigate these challenges effectively.

From predictive analytics to AI-driven automation, banks and financial institutions are rethinking how to leverage data in order to make better decisions. The current challenge? Separating innovation from hype and ensuring that AI is both explainable and effective. Carrington Labs provides enhanced credit risk scoring and loan management solutions powered by explainable AI. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Jamie Twiss, Chief Executive Officer of Australia-based Carrington Labs.

Established in the wake of the global financial crisis, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF) promotes  the implementation and use of the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI). GLEIF is a supra-national not-for-profit organisation headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. Originally aimed at the derivatives market, the use cases for the LEI have mushroomed, as Alexandre Kech, Chief Executive Officer of GLEIF explains to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence.

TransBnk is a comprehensive transaction banking platform that facilitates all kinds of financial transactions for corporates and NBFCs. The range of services on offer includes digital lending, supply chain solutions, marketplace solutions, capital market services, and custodial services, alongside cash management and payments. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Pulak Jain, Co-founder, Chief Business Officer and Head of Strategy at TransBnk.

India’s Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) landscape is at a turning point, with technology redefining fund administration, investor access, and regulatory compliance. In this episode, we explore how emerging tech, evolving regulations, and new market opportunities are transforming the way alternative investments work in India.

What makes digital payments better than cash? It’s a simple question with complex answers that change from country to country as digital payment solutions are shaped by the cultures in which they are embedded. It is clear, however, that fast or slow the rising trend in digital transactions is leaving cash behind. Srinivas Nidugondi, Chief Operating Officer FinTech for Comviva Technologies speaks on all things payments to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence

Headlines in the UK and Europe still talk of bank branch closures, However, in the US there are signs of a resurgence in traditional banking, with almost 100 net new branches opening in 2023 and almost double that number in 2024. Despite the digital shift, even in Gen Z, when asked their preference, a majority would opt for personalised advice. There is an opportunity here for banks to re-imagine the in-person experience. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Emily Steele, President of banking tech provider Savana.

Rivero is a SaaS FinTech, offering software to banks to assist in dispute management and fraud recovery, as well as payment scheme compliance management. The company’s solutions address inefficiencies in the back office of banking institutions. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks with Rivero Co-founder Thomas Müller.

Consumers want fast and seamless payments but with frictionless payments comes the potential for increased risk of fraud. Rajesh Pai Fondekar, Group VP & Head of Product Management, Digital Financial Solutions, at Comviva Technologies, speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about the evolution of payments and the innovations that aim to ensure both security and convenience in payments now and for the future.

A one-size-fits-all approach won’t succeed in today’s dynamic FinTech market. Achieving market fit requires strategies aligned with customer needs and industry shifts. Product review and roadmap planning must prioritise flexibility and customisation for sustainable growth and competitive advantage. 

Banks have historically viewed FinTechs as disruptors – a view that many FinTechs would themselves take. However, times change, and technology evolves. Now the bank/FinTech relationship is more complex and nuanced. Competition is fierce in some areas while mutually beneficial collaboration is the order of the day elsewhere. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Bindesh Pandey, Group Vice President of Digital Financial Solutions at Comviva about the factors dictating the shape of relations between banks and FinTechs.

Monument Technology’s Banking-Platform-as-a-Service model is a tribute to Monument Bank, which has scaled from £1 billion in assets to £5 billion in the last 12 months. The bank created its tech stack through a combination of best-in-class solutions together with its own tech where the latter could act as a differentiator. Steve Britain, now CEO of Monument Technology was previously COO of the bank. He speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about the decision to go into the bank-in-a-box business.

The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) is developing an open finance regime that encompasses both banks and insurers. Biju Suresh-Babu, Managing Director, Banking & Financial Services with Fiorano Software discusses the framework being put in place by the CBUAE with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence, comparing progress with solutions being implemented elsewhere in the world, and with special emphasis on how financial institutions are responding and what open finance will mean for end-customers.

Bringing insurance and wealth management to semi-urban and rural India requires more than just access—it demands trust, simplicity, and security. Finhaat is tackling this challenge with a tech-driven distribution network that connects underserved communities to essential financial products. By leveraging digital tools, the platform makes insurance and investments easier to understand and adopt. Fraud prevention remains a priority, with robust security measures ensuring safe transactions. Sandeep shares insights with Puja Sharma of IBS Intelligence on how Finhaat is shaping the future of financial services.

Italy’s Unicredit finalised the takeover of Aion Bank and sister company, tech provider, Vodeno in early March 2025. The deal was first announced in July 2024. Ahead of the confirmation of the Unicredit deal, Aion Bank CEO Neil Chandler spoke with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence, discussing the evolution of Banking-as-a-Service and the difference between fully regulated BaaS platforms and BNPL services.

Last year’s CrowdStrike failure firmly put the need for robust scenario testing under the global spotlight. Online and app outages at some of the UK’s biggest banks in early 2025 have only served to underline the need to ensure operational resilience. Davis DeRodes, Lead Data Scientist at Fusion Risk Management speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about current trends in scenario testing and says 2025 will be the year of the AI agent.

Acquisitions have already become the norm in the payments space, with the wider FinTech sector now set to follow suit. Many startups have transitioned into the growth stage and the marketplace has become crowded, with competition at an all-time high. Victor Basta, Managing Partner at new investment bank Artis Partners, tells Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence that significant consolidation should be expected in the FinTech space, with exit values rising.

The end is in sight for direct debits and card on file payments with the coming of VRPs, allowing flexible, automated payments between bank accounts… also in focus, virtual cards, slower payments (!) tokenisation and embedded payments, including the grow of B2B BNPL. Pat Bermingham, CEO of B2B digital payment processor Adflex, speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence

Every business hopes to maximise the benefits of investing in technology, but can we be sure that money is being spent wisely, and value actually being derived? Apptio recently released the findings of a global study entitled Guiding Technology Investments: Insights for Business Leaders. It examined how organisations are navigating their tech spend and investments, especially considering the rapid adoption of all things AI. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Greg Holmes, Field CTO in EMEA for Apptio.

Robin AI is a secure LegalTech provider for private markets players. Tight private equity markets have seen fewer deals and fiercer competition – pre-emptive bids and faster due diligence are becoming the norm. Adopting AI can enable firms to reduce deal analysis timelines from weeks to hours, allowing faster more informed decisions. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Frederik Muelke, Head of Alternative Assets at Robin AI about the firm’s report AI in Private Markets 2025.

The BFSI sector is evolving rapidly, with AI-driven hyper-personalisation, ‘phygital’ customer experiences, and the rise of super apps reshaping financial services. As digital ecosystems expand, financial product consumption in India is seeing a significant shift. Manish Aggarwal, CEO & Founder of FINQY, speaks to Gloria Methri of IBS Intelligence about these emerging trends and what the future holds for the industry. 

ZAMA is a newcomer specialising in cryptography, with a focus on fully homomorphic encryption. This technology allows computations to be performed on encrypted data but, crucially, without the need to decrypt it first – thus preserving data privacy and security – useful attributes for banks and others in financial services. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the problem, the potential and the use cases with Ghazi Ben Amor, VP Corporate Development of ZAMA. 

Uncia is redefining FinTech with AI-driven solutions that enhance banking, lending, and credit assessments. Inspired by the agility of the snow leopard, Uncia empowers financial institutions with customisable onboarding journeys. Hari shares insights with Puja Sharma of IBS Intelligence on how Uncia is shaping the future of financial services.

By end-2028, it has been suggested that 80% of testing engagements will have quality engineering transformation as a core component. One recent survey has a similar percentage of banks (81%) warning of an imminent ‘automation Armageddon’. Against that background, Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Srirang Srikantha, CEO of Yethi Consulting, a leading provider of payment solutions, quality assurance, and testing automation services tailored for the global banking and financial services sector. 

Embedded finance solutions allow banks to extend their reach and potentially offer more personalised services. BNPL is still growing but also still in need of a regulatory framework. The Jifiti Group is a US-based global technology company. One of its main products is a white-labelled embedded lending platform for banks, lenders and merchants. Yaacov Martin, the company’s CEO speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about the consumer lending ecosystem. 

Disclosure: Cogniquest is a Cedar-IBSi Capital portfolio company. It is a context-aware AI platform with the ability to capture key data points and generate actionable insights from complex documents and information repositories. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelliigence speaks with Satish Grampurohit, CEO and Co-Founder of Cogniquest about how AI can make the KYB process faster, more efficient and more transparent for both businesses and banks. Quite simply, AI-powered document intelligence can cut the time taken in the KYB process from several weeks to just a few days.

Blockchain’s impact on asset management is growing but key challenges over privacy, decentralisation and usability remain to be addressed. However, together with tokenisation, blockchain holds out the promise of more power to the individual to secure their financial future while having more control over their assets. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the economy of the future with Violet Abtahi, CEO of Platonic. 

Recent research reveals that consumers around the globe are increasingly concerned about climate change and want to take individual action, but many feel constrained by their financial situation. Not feeling in control of their finances makes it hard for people to focus on living sustainably, and there is a lack of meaningful action from traditional leaders. This, according to Mathias Wikström, CEO of Doconomy, speaking to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence, offers an unprecedented opportunity for banks to evolve, take a leadership role, and create a fundamental shift in what banking and wealth means in the 21st century.

After more than a decade of digital transformation, being digital is no longer a differentiator for banks, it’s a baseline. Looking ahead, financial institutions must embrace emerging DREAM-C technologies: Distributed Ledger Technology, Robotics, Extended Reality, AI, Mutualisation & Shared Innovation, and advanced Computing (cloud and quantum) to stay competitive. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Niamh Kingsley, Director and Head of AI & Product Innovation at Delta Capita.

How to tackle risk management and financial credit underwriting, using AI to provide accurate, real-time credit risk assessments for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Through the use of an AI-powered platforms for underwriting and onboarding, it is possible to eliminate manual tasks and offer real-time, predictive risk monitoring. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Sal Rehmetullah, CEO and Co-Founder of Worth.

In Q4 2024, the UK government reaffirmed its commitment to moving ahead with a regulatory framework for crypto assets and stablecoins. Welcome news for Cassie Craddock, UK & Europe Managing Director of digital asset infrastructure provider Ripple. She speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about her hopes for regulation, the need for digital asset custody, and how large financial institutions have begun preparing for a future in which digital assets play an increasingly important role. 

We investígate global payment trends and the role of payment orchestrators as Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Juan Pablo Ortega, Co-Founder and CEO of Yuno. The company, based in Colombia, operates in more than 80 countries around the world and allows merchants to connect with over 300 payment methods and providers with a single, no-code integration, making it easier for companies to scale across geographies and build their customer base.

MufinPay, a PPI license holder, is redefining digital payments with its Super App, PPI Wallet, Gift Cards, GPR Cards, and Bank in a Box. Offering seamless UPI payments, secure prepaid cards, and a robust e-banking experience, it simplifies everyday transactions like bill payments, FASTag top-ups, and P2P transfers. Ankush Julka, CEO of MufinPay, speaks with Puja Sharma of IBS Intelligence on the future of digital payments and FinTech’s role in financial inclusion. 

myTU is an e-money institution (EMI) registered in the European Union and headquartered in Lithuania – regarded as one of the FinTech hubs of Europe. The firm also has a consumer credit licence and is working towards obtaining a full banking licence. Raman Korneu of myTU speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about what makes myTU different in the way it is offering banking services. 

Matiss Ansviesulis co-founded Creamfinance (rebranded to AvaFin.com) in 2012 in Latvia. The firm was taken over by Capitec in 2024. Ansviesulis has not been idle, co-founding a string of FinTechs including Spanda Capital, NewSchool, Esketit, FU Capital, and Money.jo. Here, he talks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about the challenges of helping the unbanked in emerging markets, and how Latvia and the other Baltic states have developed a thriving FinTech ecosystem.

In Q4 2024, the UK government unveiled plans for a Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO), aiming to reduce the burden for businesses hoping to bring new products and services to market. It will support regulators to update regulation, speeding up approvals, and ensuring different regulatory bodies work together smoothly. But will it be successful in fostering innovation? Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Rob Israch, President of SaaS accounting software provider and PayTech Tipalti.

How is AI driving hyperpersonalised wealth management experiences for Indian users? Sarvjeet Singh Virk, Co-Founder of Finvasia, joins Gloria Methri of IBS Intelligence to discuss this and more, including the vision behind Finvasia’s AI-powered superapp, Jumpp and the challenges of driving financial inclusion in smaller cities. Explore how AI can reshape India’s FinTech landscape over the next decade.

Without proactive strategies to drive debit card usage, financial institutions are leaving money on the table. Many mobile banking apps offered by community Fis have no mechanism for identifying who should be prompted to use their cards more. The answer is tech that can leverage data-driven insights to deliver personalised, real-time notifications. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Sarah Martin of platform provider Pulsate.

It is said the most stressful thing any of us is likely to do is buy a property. Why is this so and what can be done to make the UK mortgage experience faster and less painful? Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Jerry Mulle, UK Managing Director of Ohpen, about the mortgage process and about how bringing core banking into the cloud makes it easier for financial institutions to innovate, modernise and grow. 

Financial services providers are under increasing pressure to tackle risk in critical digital systems. AJ Thompson, CCO at UK IT consultancy Northdoor speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about the impact of DORA, the prospect of itchy feet on the part of VC investors, and what established institutions and FinTechs can do better to prepare themselves for the challenges that 2025 is going to present.

APAC is a big region! We review general trends in regional payments and developments in domestic payments as well. In crossborder payments we look at the speed of adoption of the ISO20022 standard and at the prospects for stablecoin and tokenisation. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Maxim Neshcheret of CMA Small Systems.

Most financial institutions are working on their ISO 20022 migration plans with some in advanced stages and already adopting the new rules for specific use cases. Others are still assessing their needs, but time is pressing. Structured data is not just a technical requirement but also a regulatory one. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the progress on CBPR+ migration with Biju Suresh-Babu of Fiorano and Akhil Rao of Nth Exception. 

Low code and no code solutions aren’t the same, so which makes sense for your bank or financial institution’s lending strategies and products? Why does democratising  application development make business sense? These questions and others about the changing lending landscape are answered in this conversation between Pradeep Varma of Pennant Technologies and Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence.

The NBFC sector is embracing cutting-edge technologies and strategic innovations to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market. Puja Sharma of IBS Intelligence speaks with Sarangapani on how Muthoot is leveraging technology and innovation to drive growth and navigate the evolving NBFC landscape.

Stablecoins are increasingly being used as a crossborder payments solution on the African continent, as a more efficient way of making payment when faced with illiquid local currencies and slow and expensive traditional solutions. This is one of the key trends in FinTech in Africa, according to Ola Oyetayo of Verto. He also tells Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence how artificial intelligence is being used to combat fraud in the African markets

Spanish FinTech Abacum’s financial planning and analysis platform addresses the day-to-day challenges faced by CFOs. The company’s biggest market is the USA, but we begin our discussion with Abacum’s Chief Executive Julio Martinez by reviewing trends in FinTech in Spain. He tells Robin Amlôt that the country’s tech ecosystem is booming.

As digital banking and embedded finance reshape the financial ecosystem, risk management has become a cornerstone for resilience and innovation. In a conversation with Gloria Methri of IBS Intelligence, Jaya Vaidhyanathan, CEO of BCT Digital, delves into how open APIs, FinTech partnerships, and evolving regulatory frameworks are reshaping banks’ risk mitigation strategies. Jaya also sheds light on pressing concerns, from credit and fraud risks to the growing emphasis on climate resilience.

Pennant Technologies offers a composable, API-driven lending platform that unlocks innovation by simplifying loan origination, management, and collections for any type of loan or line of credit. CEO Rama Raju explains to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence the key reasons behind banks’ need to modernise their lending stack and why a loan management system plays a crucial role in such a transformation. 

The relationships between banks and SMEs are inevitably problematic. Banks don’t have the data they need from businesses in order to make informed decisions, and SMEs don’t have the time they need to provide the information to them! But there is a solution that can help, addressing the challenges small businesses face in accessing finance while offering improved intelligence to banks. Anurag Rastogi of Hylobiz and Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence go beyond banking to discuss innovative finance solutions designed to meet the needs of modern SMEs.

Barb Morgan was recently appointed Chief Product & Technology Officer by Temenos. Just six weeks into her post she spoke with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about her priorities in her new position, and about the company’s collaboration with AI hardware/software leader Nvidia in powering on-prem GenAI for real-time banking. Morgan also outlines her take on the unique challenges to the adoption of AI in banking.

ToneTag, with its innovative VoiceSe platform, is redefining accessibility in digital payments by enabling voice-based transactions on feature phones and low-connectivity networks. Vivek discusses with Puja Sharma of IBS Intelligence how AI drives this transformation in voice commerce and financial inclusion. 

Launched in 2015 Maxwell offers US mortgage lenders solutions that address the entire mortgage loan process, from intake of application to the secondary market. The firm’s Mortgage Solutions Suite aims to help non-depository mortgage banks, credit unions, brokers, and local banks connect their communities with homeownership. Rutul Davé of Maxwell explains to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence how artificial intelligence can and is being used in the context of the US mortgages business.

Banks and financial services firms are turning to next-gen security solutions to better protect themselves and their customers. Ravi Yadav of TCS reviews the biggest cyber threats banks are now facing and tells Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence how cyber fusion centres, merging security and fraud staff, processes and technologies, may provide an answer.

What role do nano enterprises play in India’s economy? In this episode, Gloria Mathias sits down with Yashraj Vakil, CEO of CaptainBiz, to uncover the unique challenges faced by these often-overlooked businesses. Yashraj explains why nano enterprises deserve separate recognition from MSMEs. Want to learn more about these silent yet powerful drivers of India’s economy? Tune into the podcast. 

Digital financial literacy is key to driving financial inclusion and empowering underserved communities in India. The conversation explores how FinTechs are revolutionising access to banking services in rural areas and the pivotal role of government policies in fostering innovation and digital awareness. Amit Nigam, COO of BANKIT, shares his expert insights with Gloria Methri of IBS Intelligence.

M1NXT simplifies global trade financing by helping exporters and importers access quick liquidity through the conversion of trade receivables into cash. Its platform addresses the challenges of working capital constraints and delays in cross-border transactions. Puja Sharma of IBS Intelligence speaks with Verma on how M1 NXT is establishing itself as a trusted trade finance solution provider. 

Since its incorporation in 2018, Cashinvoice has focused on empowering MSMEs in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities, including women-led businesses, by providing diverse and accessible financial solutions. Arun shares insights with Puja Sharma of IBS Intelligence on how supply chain finance can tackle operational challenges and foster stronger supplier relationships in the MSME sector.

For the Gen Z or millennial in your life a virtual payment card (there is no piece of plastic) sits on the smartphone as an adjunct to your digital wallet, and the group virtual payment card acts as a bill-splitter. It allows for payments to be made together at the same time, connecting one virtual card to multiple bank accounts. This means, for example, that there is no more argument about who owns what to whom after a restaurant bill is split. Virtual group payment solution Cino is already available across Europe and has plans to launch in the UK. Elena Churilova, CEO of Cino explains the concept to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

It is important for merchants operating across borders to create a true local experience that consumers and business can have confidence in. Data from PPRO shows that US citizens now spend $130 billion a year with merchants based outside the US, up from $106 billion in 2020. Elsewhere, Brazilians spend more than $3 billion a year with foreign merchants, and Indians spend over $20 billion a year on goods and services provided by eCommerce merchants based in other countries. Angela Hull, VP Global Payments Partnerships with PPRO offers Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence insights in how consumers in different regions prefer to pay and what that means for merchants. 

Financial institutions may build customer interaction, share of wallet, transaction frequency and spending, in addition to brand loyalty. Consumers increasingly view ‘rewards’ as a form of currency that they ascribe a value to that is integral to the shopping experience. Such loyalty programmes can influence purchasing decisions and spending habits. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Denis Brosnan, Portfolio Manager at CORA Group (pictured) about building a portfolio of loyalty businesses, and to Beth McCoy, President of RewardOps, which sits at its nexus.

Lack of access to finance for SMEs is not a new trend but it remains an acute issue that traditional lenders still struggle to solve. For many SMEs the need for capital is immediate, without which firms run the risk of failing to capitalise on business opportunities and, potentially, losing their customers to competition. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Bilal Bajwa, Chief Product & Technology Officer of Stenn about how the technology behind alternative finance providers can make the lending decision-making process a more streamlined journey.

In this episode, Gloria Mathias chats with Jayatri Dasgupta, CMO of PayNearby and Program Director of the Digital Naari Initiative. Jayatri highlights the challenges women face in accessing financial services in India. She discusses how PayNearby's Digital Naari Initiative is addressing these barriers, focusing on making formal finance accessible to women in Rural India. 

Banks, FinTechs and their customers face a barrage of advice on how to spot and avoid fraudulent IDs. Unfortunately, many of the tips on offer simply create a false sense of security! Among the myths being perpetuated include:

• Deepfakes may be spotted via inconsistent reflections and jerky movements
• Security features such as holograms and microprints are proof of an ID document’s authenticity
• Sanctions checks prevent money laundering

As Ofer Friedman, Chief Business Development Officer at AU10TIX, tells Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence, these three statements are not true!

Venture capital firm Edenbase recently made its first FinTech investment, into digital business account provider wamo. Eric Van der Kleij of Edenbase (pictured) explains the thinking behind the fund’s investment decision. We also hear from Yanki Onen, CEO and Founder of wamo, some 2 years on from our first conversation with the company. Here’s the link to Onen talking about an SME ecosystem in 2022. This time Onen talks about how his company has grown over the last 2 years and about his plans for the future.

Cogniquest is a context-aware AI platform that aims to capture key data points and generate actionable insights from complex documents and information repositories. The solution helps unlock the potential of data through cutting-edge AI solutions, empowering business users with smarter decision-making capabilities. Full disclosure, Cogniquest is a portfolio company of Cedar-IBSi Capital. The company’s Co-Founder and CEO, Satish Grampurohit, discusses the challenges and opportunities in the intelligent document processing space.

Global data intelligence business Curinos recently carried out its 2024 Great Britain Shopper Survey, which canvassed the views of 2252 people across England, Scotland and Wales who have switched primary banks in the past 3 years. The UK’s big 7 banking providers remain the go-to for ‘new to banking’ customers, and, overall, 59% of primary current account recent purchasers are being captured by the big 7. Notably, a large majority of shoppers prefer to open their primary current account digitally (83%), with smartphones (52%) being the most preferred channel. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Kurt Vogt Gwerder, Strategy Consultant at Curinos about the survey’s findings.

On the fringes of the ATMIA Europe and Emerging Markets conference held for stakeholders from the ATM industry, Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence caught up with Brendan Thorpe, Customer Success Manager at Auriga to discuss ATM strategies and the intelligent management of data derived from cash machine networks. There is a lot to be learned from the ATMs themselves about how self-service banking channels are performing. 

The right supply chain finance program can materially assist in managing cashflow and optimise capital deployment, weaving together a network of buyers and sellers with banks and financial institutions. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the opportunities available, and the challenges involved in establishing a supply chain program with Ankit Bhatnagar, Group Chief Product and Technology Officer at Vayana Group, India’s largest network for trade financing.

Fintilect is the new identity for digital banking platforms ieDigital in the UK and Connect FSS in the USA, together with AI-powered recommendation engine ABAKA. Combining these 3 firms, Fintilect aims to deliver advanced hyper-personalised digital banking solutions to banks, credit unions and building societies in the UK and USA. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Fintilect CEO Rami Cassis, asking him first for his views on the evolution of FinTech.

Financial services need to be regulated but over-stringent regulation may stifle innovation. Lithuanian lawyer Justinas Jarusevicius represented ABC Projektai in a case that went all the way to the European Court of Justice, helping the firm to regain its payment institution licence. It’s a case that, he believes, highlights the need to strike a balance between regulatory freedom and oversight. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Justinas Jarusevicius. 

Effective cash flow management is essential for the success of India’s MSMEs, providing crucial real-time financial insights and growth opportunities. Puja Sharma of IBS Intelligence speaks with Kunal on how CredFlow is transforming financial management for MSMEs, helping them transition from cash-strapped to cash-rich.

Ahead of Money20/20 in Las Vegas at the end of October, Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence spoke with Scarlett Sieber, Chief Strategy Officer at Money/2020, discussing the dynamics shaping the global FinTech investment landscape and the development trends in FinTech. Here’s a clue – AI! Now in its 13th year, Money20/20 runs annual shows in Amsterdam, Bangkok and Las Vegas.

Appsbroker CTS has a new name, Qodea. Dharmesh Ghedia, the firm’s Technical Director, explains the reasoning behind the new identity. He also tells Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence that 71% of financial services organisations are struggling to make use of the data that they have. One answer could be to embrace the concept of a ‘data brain’. More details may be found in the firm’s data maturity report. 

ABN AMRO Bank recently went live with Norwegian software vendor Commercial Banking Applications’ Transaction Due Diligence (TDD) functionality within CBA’s IBAS GBF - Global Banking Factory. The bank is now using TDD across its global trade finance operations to monitor transactions and flag suspicious activity, helping to combat financial crime and ensure full compliance with national and international regulation. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence spoke to Frans Westdorp of ABN Amro (pictured) and Richard White of CBA about the implementation and the efficiencies it has created. 

Integrated payment and software solutions that cover every aspect of the retail journey can resolve many headaches faced by merchants across Europe. Solutions on offer include online purchases and in-store mobile point-of-sale systems to final settlement and essential business processes. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Robert Bueninck, Chief Executive Officer of Unzer about the continent’s current FinTech landscape and his own company’s journey. 

Open banking in Europe has promised much but has it delivered on expectations? Not yet, according to Martynas Bieliauskas, CEO of Klarpay. A veritable explosion of transaction and asset types together with a fragmented global payments landscape that encompasses a variety of infrastructures and regulator environments has left open banking struggling. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Martynas Bieliauskas about what open banking currently offers and what it should be offering. 

Cross-product manipulation happens when an individual or entity places orders or trades in one financial instrument to unlawfully influence the price of another, either on the same platform or on different ones.  This kind of manipulation can be tricky for firms to spot because it often leaves only subtle clues. But regulators in the US and UK are paying more attention to it. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Matt Storey, Chief Product Officer of SteelEye, a provider of integrated financial markets surveillance.

What does the future hold for digital banking and credit in India? Gloria Methri of IBS Intelligence speaks with Sivaram Kowta of Zeta, who delves into the transformative potential of the Unified Lending Interface (ULI) introduced by the RBI. Explore how Zeta envisions a UPI-driven credit ecosystem that could fundamentally reshape the banking landscape in India.

What is slowing the growth of SaaS? We review the current state of the SaaS sector and the challenges to growth that it is facing. Does the key answer lie in the potential of embedded payments to generate more revenue? Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to James Greaves, President and Co-Founder of Fractal, a FinTech specialising in payments for verticalised SaaS solutions. 

Apromore recently launched updates to its platform, including a dedicated module designed to streamline compliance management. The company’s Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer Marlon Dumas speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about how process mining makes it easier for companies to use complex data and AI to accelerate process delivery and gain a better understanding of their business processes. 

It is a cliché but that’s because it is true – there is a massive funding gap between what Europe’s SMEs need and what lenders are prepared to offer. It would also appear that the gap is only getting larger – even though there have been several new lenders entering the lending market in recent years focusing on SME needs. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Mantvydas Štareika, CEO of Sweden-based FinTech CapitalBox about making financing easier for underserved businesses across Europe. 

In this episode, Saumya Shah, CEO & Co-founder of Tarrakki, joins Gloria Mathias of IBS Intelligence to discuss the future of embedded finance in India. With embedded finance still in its early stages, how is Tarrakki shaping the future of financial services and revolutionizing the way businesses and consumers engage with investment products?

The investor relations landscape is changing – key factors include the ongoing great wealth transfer, the largest in history, and evolving investor expectations. The market is oversaturated with information and that means targeted and relevant personalisation is essential. Many financial services organisations have yet to take a step forward in modernising their face-to-face and digital engagement efforts. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Matt Ryan, Chief Transformation Officer of Reef, a platform for a financial firm’s digital touchpoints.

AI software provider Lynx recently launched a money mule detection tool for banks and financial institutions. The company uses supervised machine learning to identify illicit sources of funds and mule accounts in real-time and provides actionable insights. The company has also entered a partnership with NTT DATA, offering Lynx’s fraud and financial crime prevention solutions to NTT DATA’s network of banks and financial institutions across the UK and Europe. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Dan Dica, CEO of Lynx about the current state of financial crime and how AI can help tackle financial fraudsters. 

FinBox offers an Embedded Finance Stack and data intelligence suite to streamline financial services integration and enhance credit disbursement processes. Puja Sharma of IBS Intelligence speaks with Rajat Deshpande of FinBox about how digital lending platforms are meeting the unique credit needs of SMEs.

10x Banking recently unveiled its new ‘meta core’ platform, designed to streamline and accelerate digital transformation for banks. The new next-gen core solution follows on from the firm’s successful Series D funding round at the start of the year. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses digital transformation, the role of FinTech and the challenges facing traditional banks with Matt Mills, Chief Revenue Officer of 10x Banking. 

There is significant hype around AI/ML and Generative AI in banking. While this technology is significantly changing the technology landscape and offering multiple opportunities for banks, bankers must keep their eye on the ball – the customer and their needs. To this end, Tagit recently launched its Mobeix Family Banking to help banks better serve their customers and the people most important to them. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the importance of family financial planning with Sandeep Bagaria, Chief Executive Officer of Tagit. 

Digital wallet payments are expected to reach $19.6 trillion by 2027. That’s a huge market and a huge opportunity! Among the drivers are increased smartphone penetration, security benefits and government initiatives promoting digital payments. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses how firms can capitalise on the potential of digital wallets and the integral role of tokenisation with Jonathan Vaux, Head of Propositions & Partnerships at issuer processor Thredd. 

Tailored trade financing solutions are revolutionising access for SME suppliers in emerging markets, achieving significant milestones and ensuring ESG-compliant capital distribution. Puja Sharma of IBS Intelligence speaks with Ankit on how Air8 is enhancing trade financing for SME suppliers. 

Northern Trust Asset Servicing offers a range of services designed to meet the needs of an institution’s entire investment office. To keep that range of services up to date, the firm is investing in the future: in ideas, in people and in technology. Peter Cherecwich, President of Northern Trust Asset Servicing discusses the challenges of digital transformation with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence, and what new ways of working mean for the firm’s employees. 

The European Union’s Digital Operational Resilience Act, which comes into force in January 2025, addresses a key issue in EU financial regulation. DORA means financial institutions must follow rules for protection, detection, containment, recovery and repair capabilities against ICT-related incidents. Previously most institutions managed the main categories of operational risk with the allocation of capital, but did not manage all components of operational resilience. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Giles Inkson, Director of Services EMEA for NetSPI. 

The third Payment Services Directive (PSD3) could be unveiled soon. The new legislation in Europe is expected to introduce, among other things, governance relating to consumer consent while also including metrics for improving the performance of open banking APIs. This summer already saw the publication in the UK of Open Banking Standard version 4.0, the first major release since 2018 and including important mandatory updates to the security profile and international messaging standards. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the changing regulatory framework with Huw Davies, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Ozone API. 

Omnichannel banking has yet to achieve its full potential due to financial institutions’ inability to effectively integrate disparate systems of record. This issue prevents customers from experiencing a seamless digital journey both online and in the bank branch. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Emily Steele, President and Chief Operating Officer of Savana, which aims to unlock next-generation, customer-centric banking operations through its digital delivery platform. 

The wealth management sector has shifted from focusing solely on traditional offerings to prioritizing ‘alpha generation’—where the ability to deliver extra returns through innovative strategies is critical. With technology driving change and international trends influencing HNI investing in India, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on the evolving landscape of wealth management. Gloria Methri of IBS Intelligence speaks to Nitin Rao, CEO of InCred Wealth. 

Data integration, personalisation and artificial intelligence need to be combined in order to deliver a better experience to investors. Communify, a Just Build It (JBI) company backed by Stellex Capital Management, has acquired Fincentric from S&P Global and aims to do just that. The newly-merged entity offers a comprehensive digital platform through a SaaS-based product suite. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to John Wise, Chairman and CEO of Communify Fincentric. 

Some 78% of SME merchants surveyed in Southeast Asia are seeking a single integrated payment solution but for more than 70% reality is currently cash-only. This disconnect represents a huge potential market. Closing the gap for underbanked and underserved Southeast Asian is key to unlocking the potential of the region’s digital economy. Reliance on cash transactions is not sustainable. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Christopher Yu, President and CFO of Hong Kong-based KPay, which offers solutions from payment to operations management and financing. 

Neokred aims to be at the forefront of digital transformation, offering cutting-edge solutions that simplify and streamline KYC procedures. Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and blockchain Neokred is building a secure, efficient, and user-friendly KYC process. The company’s platform aims to empower brands to connect with their customers, building trust and loyalty. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Tarun Nazare, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Neokred. 

Cloud computing, data analytics, automation and AI may be about to transform all aspects of how private markets managers run their businesses. The operative word is ‘may’ because while FinTech firms are changing the way financial services firms go about their business and hold out the promise of great potential, private capital firms risk obsolescence themselves by not embracing technology in their own activities. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Demetry Zilberg of Alter Domus. 

Providing accessible financial services to underserved communities in India is a formidable challenge. Puja Sharma of IBS intelligence speaks with Aditi Singh of Satin creditcare about the evolution of last mile credit access. 

Mumbai-based FinTech startup, TechFini has built a feature-rich infrastructure to shape the payment ecosystem in India. As one of the first platforms to secure UPI 2.0 certification, it is at the forefront of enabling frictionless transactions for enterprises across the country. Gloria Methri of IBS Intelligence speaks with TechFini's COO, Atish Shelar, about how the company is empowering banks and financial services with advanced payment solutions and contributing to the growth of a financially inclusive economy. 

Visualized information on banks and credit unions in the US such as metrics, performance, and regulations can help consumers and stakeholders to make informed analyses and decisions by providing actionable insights. Just how significant this data is provides the topic for this conversation between Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence and Brian Pillmore, Founder and CEO of Visbanking,.

Quint Group has scaled its clutch of FinTech businesses without external venture capital for more than a decade. The acquisition of a minority stake in Quint’s Monevo in 2021 by Transunion was and is Quint’s first and only source of external investment. The Group has offices across the UK, USA, Australia, and South Africa, and its businesses provide services to over 200 customers globally, including the likes of Confused.com, Santander, TransUnion, LexisNexis, and Zopa. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Quint Group CEO Greg Cox about the state of FinTech, the need for social diversity in the sector and the equally pressing need for greater financial inclusion. 

Roger Alexander serves as a key advisor to Chargebacks911’s Advisory Board and its CEO, Monica Eaton, assisting the company with its expansion initiatives, including the launch of a dispute resolution solution that aims to address the record spike of authorised push payment (APP) fraud claims. With nearly 40 years of payments experience, Alexander previously served in several leadership roles within the payments and financial services sectors, including more than 20 years in directorial roles at Barclays and as the CEO of Switch (the UK’s debit card). Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Roger Alexander about the key challenges now facing FinTech providers. 

The BFSI sector has gone through a series of transformations over the last couple of decades with yet more to come. Present for and involved in these changes, Karthik Raman, Chief Innovation Officer at Clayfin Techologies, a provider of omnichannel digital systems, looks back with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence at the evolution of the financial sector’s technological changes, and forward to the challenges and opportunities of the future. 

Puja Sharma of IBS Intelligence speaks with Nilay Patel, about the integration of lenders onto the ONDC network, the rising demand for loans among small retailers, and the future of co-lending. Patel offers his perspective on how these trends are transforming financial services for SMBs.

Banks need to invest to innovate and meet users’ needs. Recent service outages have also shown that banks must act to improve the resilience of their infrastructure in terms of both hardware and software. Further, legacy institutions in the UK appear to be rethinking their branch closure programmes, potentially opting instead to make the branch experience one of the building blocks of an omnichannel service offering. Where next for the banks – the topic of this discussion between Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence and Mark Aldred, Vice President, Sales International at Auriga. 

Fraud is projected to exceed $250 billion by 2031. The FinTech sector faces a crucial challenge in advancing its fraud prevention strategies. Evolving market dynamics offer fertile ground for emerging fraud tech unicorns. Liran Amrany, a Partner at Team8’s FinTech foundry, helps portfolio companies launch new products and businesses. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to him about the challenges posed by fraud in financial services. 

AI can certainly help with data collection and processing for ESG but we also need to find ways to reduce the carbon footprint of the likes of chatbots and back office technology. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses AI and sustainability with Eklove Mohan, Senior Director of Technology at the CTO Office of Synechron. 

Sheetal Jain, CEO & Co-founder of LeRemitt, discusses with Gloria Mathias of IBS Intelligence how the evolving financial landscape is transforming MSMEs, India’s second-largest employer. Learn how the creation of digital platforms is driving significant benefits for MSMEs in international trade. 

Bringing together multiple payment technology solutions in one place, payment orchestrators like Br-dge work as independent, trusted partners for the broader ecosystem. These firms work behind the scenes to offer acquirers, platforms and gateways access to the latest technology, allowing merchants to get on with their actual business in the knowledge that their payment stack is futureproofed. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Thomas Gillan, CEO of payment orchestration firm Br-dge. 

The integration of automation solutions is indispensable for banks, large and small alike. The right balance must be struck, allowing financial institutions to leverage technology for seamless customer experiences. What strategies are banks following to optimise their software and hardware offerings to enhance functionality without compromising user experience? US company Diebold Nixdorf specialises in the sale, manufacture, installation and service of self-service transaction systems such as ATMs. Present in 130 countries, the company is the largest provider of ATMs in the USA. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Joe Myers, EVP Global Banking at Diebold Nixdorf. 

Earlier this year, the UK’s HM Treasury published its consultation on improving the effectiveness of the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds Regulations. New rules will inevitably follow – the clock is ticking on that. While we may welcome improved clarity, it will also mean a higher regulatory burden. Staying compliant with constantly changing regulation is a pressing challenge. Smartsearch specialises in providing digital compliance solutions for regulated businesses in the UK. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to the company’s CEO, Phil Cotter.

A luxury purchase demands a luxury experience from start to end and this should extend to the checkout process. Now what can help you achieve this? The answer is open banking and the ease of digital payments. Gloria Methri of IBS Intelligence speaks to Donal McGuinness, CEO at Prommt, on the impact of digital payment transformation on the automotive sector - especially around remote and online high-value transactions. 

Theft of a smartphone used to be about the value of the device. Now it is about the value of the data on the device. What is needed is a simple 'kill switch' solution to protect your data and accounts, a FinTech security platform designed to mitigate the impact of security breaches. Founded in 2023, Nuke From Orbit is currently operating in beta but aims to enable a user to block access to multiple services and accounts simultaneously, avoiding account compromise issues and monetary loss when their smartphone gets stolen. James O’Sullivan of Nuke from Orbit speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

Global enterprise merchants are increasingly recognising the role of payments in creating new commerce experiences, streamlining costs, and accelerating growth. However, the payments ecosystem has become too fragmented, opaque, and complex for businesses to manage, creating unnecessary costs and stifling that growth potential. A fragmented marketplace creates complexity, increasing costs when the whole idea should be to reduce them, allowing merchants to focus on growing their business and not on managing their payments infrastructure. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Gabriel Le Roux, Co-Founder and CEO of Primer. 

Griffin is one of the UK’s neobanks. In the last year it has received its full banking licence, raised funds and begun onboarding customers. Sameer Dubey, Chief Product Officer of Griffin speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about the bank’s product set and its ambitions for its embedded finance and white labelled banking solutions. He has over 20 years’ experience in product, payments, marketing, cryptocurrency, and banking. He was Chief Operating Officer at Bitstamp, led UK operations for N26, and spent more than a decade at Barclays leading its payments business. The conversation begins with a review of current trends in UK banking. 

Former investment banker Avion Gray together with behavioural economist Samantha Rosenberg have launched wealth-building platform Belong in response to inertia in the wealth management sector and among millennials – the FinTech’s target demographic. The new WealthTech  platform secured the largest-ever pre-seed round by a female-led FinTech in Europe. A unique feature of the new offering is a ‘boost loan’ that offers investors the option of a low-cost loan that would double their starting investment. Avion Gray, Co-Founder and CEO of Belong speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

FinTechs in Canada are making waves in a financial services scene that has been traditionally dominated by just 5 big banks. How? As a result of a new approach to partnerships and affiliate marketing. For example, Neo Financial grew customer acquisition by 511% and boosted its credibility through the implementation of performance marketing strategies. Alana Levine, Chief Revenue Officer at Fintel Connect, an affiliate and influencer marketing solution for financial services, speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

A new category of FinTech? Maybe… Flyfish aims to develop a comprehensive marketplace for financial services, hoping to mirror the impact of the likes of Airbnb but doing so in the financial sector. The company wants to be a disruptor and is on a mission to explain to potential clients and partners why that disruption makes sense, integrating diverse financial services into one platform and making it easier for businesses to manage their financial operations. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Shay Merary, Chief Development Officer at Cyprus-based Flyfish. 

Ermes Dajko, is an expert in the field of generative artificial intelligence and its impact on banking. Puja Sharma of IBS intelligence speaks with Ermes about his insights on the potential of generative AI to enhance customer experiences and the future of AI-driven banking.

Fibe's Co-Founder and CEO, Akshay Mehrotra, launched “EarlySalary” in 2015 to address the financial needs of young professionals facing end-of-month fund shortages. Puja Sharma of IBS Intelligence speaks with Akshay about the evolving patterns of borrowing among millennials, highlighting the significant impact of unsecured personal loans. 

How have established financial institutions and challenger banks adapted to changing customer expectations and composable banking? Digital banking solutions can be built quickly but fast doesn’t necessarily mean attractive to customers. We are now entering the third generation of digital banking, moving from basic banking functionality to more sophisticated digital experiences and on to hyper-personalised, AI-driven, and contextually aware banking services. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to FinTech veteran Ben Goldin, Founder and CEO of digital banking platform Plumery.

The new EU Instant Payments Regulation came into force in April 2024 and apply in two phases. PSPs will have 9 months to comply for receiving instant payments, and 18 months for sending them. ACI Worldwide’s 2024 Prime Time for Real-Time report, says by 2028, instant payments are forecast to account for 13% of all electronic payments in Europe, up from 8% in 2023. But Europe is lagging behind other regions – what’s the story and what are the challenges facing instant payment adoption around the world? Thomas Warsop, President and Chief Executive of ACI Worldwide speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

Artificial intelligence is one of the most compelling tools that banks can implement but it is just that – a tool, addressing questions that begin with ‘how’ – it also comes with inherent risks that could leave financial institutions and their customers vulnerable. However, AI is in your organisation now – whether you are aware of it or not – and this is the time to begin setting policy development strategically to ensure compliance, reduce risk and increase efficiency. A long-term AI strategy will assist in the successful implementation of next-gen automation and tools. Connor Heaton, Director AI at Strategic Resource Management, speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

Tune in for an enlightening discussion to uncover how audax is revolutionizing traditional banking infrastructure. Gloria Mathias of IBS Intelligence speaks with Chief Technology Officer, Mathias Faure on the adaptation of Open Banking by traditional banks and financial institutions in an era of growing digital maturity. 

Insurance as a sector has been a latecomer to the tech party. Banks have been embracing FinTech solutions but only recently have insurers come to realise the potential benefits of InsurTech to improve the quality of their products and policies. The reason why should be obvious to all, it is simply a matter of customer-centricity – improve the end customer experience and you improve customer retention and customer acquisition. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence talks insurance ecosystems with Ritesh Varma, Vice President Business Solutions Consulting for Newgen Software.

Founded in 2012, GIEOM is an enterprise productivity company, enabling financial institutions to adopt an operational resilience framework. The company recently revealed that investing platform, Singapore-based Xcelerate had taken a strategic equity stake in GIEOM through a combination of primary and secondary investment. Globally, the digitalisation of BFSI compliance is rising rapidly, driven by increasing regulatory oversight and the need to assure key business stakeholders of operational resilience. Against that background, Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to John Santhosh, Chief Executive Officer of GIEOM Business Solutions.

Digital payments are taking off but already, according to the World Economic Forum, 75% of businesses are apparently struggling with financial performance in dealing with the different regulatory frameworks around the world. While it may be a touch utopian to hope for global standards, there is an answer, and it comes in the form of blockchain, digitisation and tokenisation. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the issues with Michael Carbonara, CEO of digital banking platform Ibanera. 

SMEB Is a new community banking service that aims to revolutionise banking in rural locations in UK, Europe, USA and beyond. The SME FinTech is an authorised payment institution, a principal member with Visa and Mastercard, and is licenced for open banking services. As a first step, SMEB [‘smeeb’] aims to address the void in banking services in the UK’s rural locations, looking to create a payment microenvironment in rural communities, leveraging open finance to offer all payment options, including cash! Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Andrew Martin, Chairman and CEO of SMEB. 

If a deepfake scam succeeds, it is clear that a breakdown in the organisation has occurred – as UK multinational design and engineering company Arup discovered to its multi-million-dollar cost in Hong Kong. The advent of generative AI has brought new risks. What needs to be done to protect against increasingly realistic deepfakes? AI and machine learning have their place but not all the solutions are high-tech. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Hazeltree CISO, Scott Metro. 

Investment trends say that the UK has been paying more attention to greener businesses. The narrative is evolving from viewing sustainability as a niche to recognizing it as a "fundamental necessity" in financial services. Gloria Methri of IBS Intelligence speaks to Oli Cook, CEO & Co-Founder of ekko on the intersection of FinTech and climate action. 

From digital currencies to digital wallets, and financial inclusion to fractional ownership… just some of the glimpses we already have of the shape of the future of finance. Then we must take account of the impact of artificial intelligence on the way we do business, and the way financial institutions interact with their customers. The breakneck pace of innovation shows no sign of letting up, but do we really know where it is leading us? Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Kiya.ai’s Managing Director,  CEO and Co-Founder, Rajesh Mirjankar. 

Using a low code platform to develop business applications on the cloud allows for improved responsiveness to customer needs, from onboarding to service requests, lending to underwriting, and use cases across industries. Newgen Software offers a unified digital transformation platform with native process automation, content services, and communication management. The process begins with a ‘design thinking’ approach. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Ritesh Varma, Vice President Business Solutions Consulting for Newgen Software. 

The biggest challenge facing regulatory technology (RegTech) and the tech firms that provide it to the financial services sector is at once highly complex and yet may framed very simply. In the latter instance, it is simply a matter of keeping up with fast-evolving regulations and doing so across borders. The question is this – is RegTech fit for purpose in the face of the AI revolution? Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Kiya.ai’s Managing Director and CEO, Rajesh Mirjankar 

The LLM (large language model) is the encyclopaedia or library of its time and your AI program bringing together data from that repository of knowledge is your very own assistant librarian. But are you using the most suitable for your business? An LLM agnostic approach may be the way to get the best out of AI with different AI programs offering unique strengths. Being LLM agnostic allows enterprises to choose the best model for specific tasks, optimising performance and efficiency. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Raj Bakhru, CEO of Blueflame AI, which claims to bring financial services focused AI functionality to the alternatives space. 

The key factors in evolving the lending ecosystem of the future are the proper management of data and the increasing impact of artificial intelligence-based solutions. Getting data right means solid ground for accurate risk management and credit decisioning. Getting AI right means significant cost savings and faster decisions – good for the institution and good for the customer. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the current trends in lending with Sireesh Patnaik, Product Engineering Head of Pennant Technologies.

Completing a decade in the Payments ecosystem, NPST aims to be closer to banks and scale-up its value chain to FinTechs and merchants and cater to the end users. Gloria Mathias of IBS Intelligence speaks to Deepak Chand Thakur of NPST as he shares insights on the future trends of UPI in India and globally. 

Integration and accessibility, quality and compliance, and strategic governance – all issues around the security and management of your enterprise’s data. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Paul Mountford, CEO of data protection specialist Protegrity about how businesses are harnessing their data and reviews the key trends in data modernisation, optimisation and monetisation. 

Affordable financing is not just a necessity but a catalyst for growth for businesses. Ram Iyer, Founder & CEO of Vayana shares with Gloria Methri of IBS Intelligence, how easy access to low-cost finance enables MSMEs to manage their working capital and grow business, thereby positively impacting India's GDP. 

Profits alone won’t keep you in business! What you need to stay on top of, is your cashflow. Vishal Gupta, Founder and CEO of Hylobiz discusses the cashflow challenge with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence, and explains how the firm’s solution allows you to accept instant payments and pay to your vendors, automate account receivables, payables, reconciliations, and more… 

Access to financial services remains challenging for billions of people around the world, leaving them unable to access savings, credit, loans and insurance – in other words all the financial products that can help developing economic activity. But as Peter O’Halloran, Head of Enterprise and Digital Commerce EMEA at Fiserv tells Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence, accelerating adoption of digital solutions is enabling increasing financial inclusion. 

A projected $46 billion US digital lending platform value by 2032 reflects the prospects for lending growth but it is growth that harbours risk. One way to reduce the risks of delinquency and default while still growing a loan portfolio is by making digital lending insurance (DLI) part of the lender’s business strategy. How does DLI do this? Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses this and other trends in digital lending with Danielle Sesko, Director of Product Management at US insurance group TruStage Financial Group. 

The payments space is crowded and competitive, so the question is: can Europe create a viable retail payments solution that operates across national borders? The European Payments Initiative and the wero brand are a step forward in the creation of a standard platform for payments and digital currencies in Europe. Will a new European wallet succeed? Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Nabeel Moosa of European PayTech Nexi Group. 

TISE provides financial markets and securities services to public and private companies, its shareholder register platform is a way for SMEs to manage their shareholder base while shareholders have liquidity (in the original meaning of the word – the ability to buy or sell private company shares) without it being onerous, cumbersome, and time-consuming. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Cees Vermaas, CEO of Guernsey-based The International Stock Exchange, which operates TISE Private Markets, offering tailored electronic trading, settlement and registry solutions. 

Payments business Mangopay was launched in 2013. Two years later it was acquired by French bank Crédit Mutuel Arkéa and in 2022 was purchased by private equity firm Advent International. The takeover of Nethone followed, adding cybercrime protection to Mangopay's suite of services, and this was itself followed by the purchase of Irish payments startup WhenThen. Mangopay offers modular payments infrastructure for eCommerce platforms and online marketplaces. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Romain Mazeries, Chief Executive Officer of Mangopay about trends in payments for 2024 and 2025. 

For the last six months, Swift has been working with 38 global institutions on the second phase of sandbox testing on its central bank digital currency (CBDC) interlinking solution. Results from the sandbox include successfully demonstrating the use of CBDCs and other digital tokens across simulated digital trade, tokenised asset and FX networks, and payments. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Nick Kerigan, MD and Head of Innovation at Swift. 

As President Product and Chief Operating Officer, Prema Varadhan is responsible for leading the Product and Technology organisations within Temenos, working directly with customers to identify their challenges and meet market demands. She also leads Temenos’ Global Services and SaaS Engineering. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Prema Varadhan ahead of the annual Temenos Community Forum. 

ISITC is a US-based trade group focused on developing standards and best practices in financial services operations, brings together asset servicers, broker/dealers, asset managers/owners, solution providers and other industry professionals. Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a critical solution for securities firms preparing their systems for the imminent T+1 trading deadline. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the coming transformation of the US capital markets with Dianne O’Boyle, Co-Chair of the Digital Assets Forum of ISITC. 

SaaScada, together with Allica Bank, won 2 Global FinTech Innovation Awards for the bank’s digital wallet deployment. It is great example of the way a project can and, indeed, should evolve in reaction to customer response and in the paths it opened up for Allica. Nelson Wootton, CEO and Co-Founder of SaaScada, explains the story to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence, and outlines the trends he sees in BankTech for the rest of the year. 

LTX, the bond trading platform from Broadridge, recently announced 4 new patents covering innovations in the fixed income trading life cycle. So, what are these patented tech solutions and how do they address issues on both the buyside and the sellside in the US bond market – probably the least digitised of the US financial markets. LTX CEO Jim Kwiatkowski speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence. 

What role does payments data have in personalisation and merchant protection? What benefits do Payment Service Providers (PSPs) confer on merchants who use them? How can businesses optimise their in-store, in-app and online payments? These issues and others are addressed in this conversation between Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence and Jon Horddal, Group Chief Product Officer at emerchantpay. 

Kiwi is India-based Credit on the UPI platform. It offers “credit cards with UPI” facility by issuing virtual RuPay Credit Cards in collaboration with banks. Their mobile app, as a TPAP license holder, ensures secure payments via credit cards or bank accounts." Puja Sharma of IBS Intelligence speaks to Priya Konsam, Head of Partnerships at Kiwi 

There has been a massive increase in deepfakes and in digital identity fraud attacks. Less sophisticated social engineering is also a concern. So, how do you create trust at onboarding and beyond? Automation allows you to acquire new customers and reduce costs while meeting global KYC and AML compliance requirements. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Therese Stowell, Vice President Product at Onfido. 

Key developments in the FinTech sector have been focusing on payments but within that is the increasing need to combat fraud and ensure speedy, accurate and secure identity verification, allowing firms to combat fraud across both enrolment and transactions while also protecting the bottom line. Digital ID is key in the face of tightening regulatory requirements – these issues and more in this discussion. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Ava Kelly, Chief Product Officer at digital payments issuer processor Thredd. 

The countdown to DORA is ticking away. Unlike existing regulations, the coming Digital Operational Resilience Act establishes technical standards that extend to third party tech service providers to identify, assess and mitigate risks that could affect financial services firms’ core business. Final details of the new DORA regime are expected in H2 but the compliance deadline looms – 17 January 2025 – if it is not already marked in your diary… it should be! Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Rich Cooper of Fusion Risk Management.