As I mentioned last week, I am attending the New York FinTech Week and Money2020 in Las Vegas later this month.
However, here in Europe, we still have travel restrictions to the US; all the way up to November. Long story short, I need to be outside of Europe for at least two weeks, before I can get into the US.
So, where to go? Curaçao, of course. Why? Because they sponsor AJAX, my favorite team.
Just kidding! Not entirely. They are a sponsor of Ajax but that’s a coincidence.
I do see Curaçao as my second home, and since it’s close to the US, it’s the perfect pit-stop for my trip.
Now that I mentioned Curaçao… well, this newsletter wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t take the opportunity to shine a light on my second home. So please indulge in this 6 minute, forty-second, break of pure bliss.
Disclaimer: this shameless advertisement of paradise is unpaid.
If you liked it, you really need to see the island with your own eyes.
Curaçao relies on tourism and was heavily affected by COVID-19 and travel restrictions. Now that the world is getting back on track and everyone is feeling that post-pandemic boom; why not try the Caribbean? If you are looking for a sunny place to unwind, give Curaçao a chance.
If this can stimulate anybody to travel to my second home one day, I’ve achieved my goal ;).
Looking at last week’s news in the FinTech space, one of the things that stands out for me was the Truelayer funding news. I’ve been following Open Banking closely for years, and the market is really heating up now. As the article mentions:
“Open banking — a disruptive technology that seeks to bypass the dominance of card networks and other traditional financial rails by letting banks open their systems directly to developers (and new services) by way of APIs — continues to gain ground in the world of financial services.”
TrueLayer’s services currently include payments, payouts, user account information, and user verification. While end-users range from neobanks, crypto startups, and wealth management apps through to e-commerce companies, marketplaces, and gaming platforms.
I am bullish on the payments opportunity in open banking and I am actively on the lookout for promising FinTech startups, anywhere in the world. So please let me know if you are, or if you know about, any interesting early-stage FinTech startups that match this profile!
If you follow me long enough, you'll know that aside from open banking, I have another segment that I follow closely: digital banking.
I became intrigued by digital banking years ago. From the moment that I started following the space, Monzo was one of the most engaging neobanks / brands in the market. So, as you can imagine, I was ecstatic when I found the following video:
Last week I already posted a video from Steven Bartlett interviewing Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski. And when I found that video, I scrolled down his other videos on his account and found this gem.
In this great video, that was recorded in June, we get a picture of what it was like for Tom Blomfield during his last few years at Monzo. They also cover some interesting insights on his Starling departure and the reasons behind his departure at Monzo. Again, an inspiring talk that I highly recommend watching.
That’s all folks. Very busy days ahead, so I’ll leave it at this.
I’m watching a rainy Paris - Roubaix this morning before I walk to the beach and enjoy an Amstel Bright for a change.
I hope you are having a great Sunday, as well, and until next week!
Cheers,
Marcel.