Fintech in Asia: what a difference 6 months make…

Fintech in Asia: what a difference 6 months make…

I was in Asia 6 months ago – for Finnovasia and Rise in Hong Kong. After spending some more time in Singapore, I came back to Europe very excited about the potential of Fintech in Asia. This wasn’t of course a big surprise since I had been involved with Fintech HK and SuperCharger for a long(…)

Want to join The Disruptive Group?

Want to join The Disruptive Group?

I launched The Disruptive Group 6 weeks ago, and it’s time to slowly, but surely, build the business. I am therefore starting by hiring one or two interns. I am looking for young, smart, enthusiastic people who want to revolutionise finance. They’ll be working directly with me, and I’ll be coaching and training them personally(…)

Big month for Fintech in Asia: Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam

Big month for Fintech in Asia: Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam

I’ve had a particular interest for the developments of Fintech in Asia, and am always fascinated by the speed of change in the region. The next month will be packed for Fintech in Asia, and perhaps one of the best times to organise a trip there… First, the Supercharger – based in Hong Kong. This project(…)

French regulators say Oui a la Fintech

French regulators say Oui a la Fintech

The last two weeks have been a treat for those in London who wanted to know the views of the UK and French regulators about Fintech. Last week were the presentations of the Bank of England and the FCA at the BBA Fintech Conference, and the previous week saw the French AMF and ACPR present(…)

What’s the main challenge for Fintechs and banks to work together?

What’s the main challenge for Fintechs and banks to work together?

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure to co-chair the BBA Fintech Conference with the immensely knowledgeable Imran Gulanmhuseinwala. It’s the second time in a week that I attend a conference with two regulators (loosely speaking…) presenting their views. This time, it was the Bank of England and the FCA, the previous week, it was the French(…)

Why Fintech has made finance courses obsolete

Why Fintech has made finance courses obsolete

Finance is changing at a dramatic pace – from robo-advisors to Artificial Intelligence, from big data to blockchain -, but many universities have barely adapted their finance courses, and include no reference to technology or innovation. As a Managing Director in a US bank, I saw many young graduates who felt very lost because their jobs(…)

Can France be big in Fintech?

Can France be big in Fintech?

For the last few years, there has been a huge competition for the title of “Fintech capital of the world”. My view was that London had an ideal combination of 1) ecosystem, 2) talents, 3) Fintech-friendly regulator and 4) political willingness to support entrepreneurship. Which made it the most active Fintech place in the world, well(…)

Launch of The Disruptive Group!

Launch of The Disruptive Group!

As you might have noticed, Disruptive Finance was a bit quiet during the summer months… It was a good time to take a (well-deserved?) break, but also to work on the launch of The Disruptive Group. Today is TDG’s launch, so we’re back in business! If you’ve been craving Disruptive Finance (!), rejoice because I’ll start posting(…)

Alibaba now 3rd largest money market fund in the world

Alibaba now 3rd largest money market fund in the world

Almost 2 years ago, I wrote about the incredible rise of Yue Bao, Alibaba’s money market fund (Can a disruptor grow 10x faster than an incumbent?).  At that time, the numbers were as follows: Whereas it had taken 10/15 years for Vanguard, Fidelity and JP Morgan to reach $100bn under management, it only took 9(…)