Lex chats with Luke Voiles, the CEO of Pipe - a modern capital platform built to connect business owners to fast, frictionless, dilution-free funding. Luke kicks off discussing his experience in the FinTech industry. He talks about his transition from being an investor to working in FinTech. Luke shares his background in distressed credit investing and how it led him to focus on lending money to other lenders. He then discusses his role at Intuit, where he helped build QuickBooks Capital and gained valuable experience in tech, leadership, and product development. Luke also talks about his time at Square and Square Banking, where he learned about being a true CEO and P&L owner. He then joined Pipe and discusses the stage at which the company was when he joined and the core concept of revenue-based financing. Luke explains the differences between revenue-based financing, invoice factoring, and other fixed income instruments. He also talks about the pivot that Pipe made and the focus on Pipe Capital as a service. Luke discusses the importance of platforms and embedded finance in reaching small businesses and explains how Pipe works with SaaS vertical software providers. He emphasizes the value of giving small businesses access to credit and criticizes other FinTechs that have made mistakes in scaling their businesses. Luke concludes by providing contact information for himself and Pipe.

MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION

Pipe's Website: https://bit.ly/3WGQrJN

Luke's LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4dpDh9P

Topics: Fintech, revenue-based finance, embedded finance, unicorn, SaaS, entrepreneur, lending, capital

Tags: Pipe, Square, Stripe, PayPal, Intuit, OnDeck, Alloy, Increase

ABOUT THE FINTECH BLUEPRINT

🔥Subscribe to the Fintech Blueprint newsletter to stay at the forefront of Fintech and DeFi: https://bit.ly/3hyhlC2

🤝 Partner with Fintech Blueprint through sponsorships: https://bit.ly/3UZllsV

👉 Twitter: https://twitter.com/LexSokolin

TIMESTAMPS

1’07: From Distressed Credit to FinTech Leadership: Luke's Journey from Sixth Street Partners to Intuit and Beyond

7’17: Square Banking and the Evolution of Leadership: Navigating Single-Threaded and Functional Structures

14’53: Pipe's Transformation: Joining and Steering one of the Fastest Unicorns in History

18’46: Understanding Revenue-Based Financing: Defining Factoring, Merchant Cash Advances, and More

26’39: The Power of Storytelling: How Pipe's Vision and Innovation Led to Unicorn Status

28’39: Pivoting Pipe: Adapting Strategy and Overcoming Growth Challenges

37’25: The Future of Small Business Banking: Embedded Finance and SaaS Vertical Platforms

41’35: Navigating Regulatory Challenges: Pipe's Embedded Finance and Compliance Strategy

46’23: The channels used to connect with Luke & learn more about Pipe

Disclaimer here — this newsletter does not provide investment advice and represents solely the views and opinions of FINTECH BLUEPRINT LTD.

Contributors: Lex, Laurence, Matt, Farhad, Mike, Daniella

Want to discuss? Stop by our Discord and reach out here with questions.

Lex chats with Danielle Sesko about insurance and innovation in the fintech sector. They discuss the purpose of insurance and why it exists, the structure of insurance companies, the challenges of insurance innovation, and the integration of insurance into digital lending platforms. Sesko explains that insurance is necessary because most people cannot sustain a total loss of their assets, such as their homes or businesses. She also discusses the regulatory structure of insurance in the US, which is regulated on a state-by-state basis. Sesko describes the product she is working on at TruStage, which provides insurance coverage for loans in the digital lending space. The insurance is designed to protect both the borrower and the lender in case of unexpected events, such as job loss or disability. Sesko explains the technology integrations between insurance and digital lending platforms and the economics of the product. She also discusses the challenges and opportunities in the insurtech industry.

MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION

TruStage's Website: https://bit.ly/3WibyC1

Danielle's LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3XUZNmp

Topics: InsurTech, Insurance, Digital Lending, Lending, embedded finance, embedded insurance, API, fintech

Tags: TruStage, Payment Guard, Lending Club, FDIC

ABOUT THE FINTECH BLUEPRINT

🔥Subscribe to the Fintech Blueprint newsletter to stay at the forefront of Fintech and DeFi: https://bit.ly/3hyhlC2

🤝 Partner with Fintech Blueprint through sponsorships: https://bit.ly/3UZllsV

👉 Twitter: https://twitter.com/LexSokolin

TIMESTAMPS

1’27: From Financial Consulting to Insurance Innovation: Danielle Sesko’s Journey in Financial Services

4’58: The Role and Necessity of Insurance: Insights on Financial Resiliency and Industry Structure

9’52: Innovation in Insurance: Creating Relevant Products and Navigating Regulations

13’39: Navigating US Insurance Regulations: Engaging State Regulators and Structuring Underwriting for New Products

17’59: Adapting to FinTech: How Established Underwriters Leverage Experience for Digital Lending Innovation

20’48: Assessing the Rise of Digital Lending: Timing, Consumer Preferences, and Regulatory Challenges in FinTech and InsurTech

27’39: Bridging the Gap in Digital Lending: Ideal Customers for PaymentGuard and Their Unique Needs

31’21: Defining Digital Lending Coverage: Target Workflows and Payment Flows for Embedded Insurance Solutions

34’36: Understanding PaymentGuard's Economics: Coverage Duration, Cost Structure, and Value for Digital Lenders

37’42: Integrating InsurTech and Digital Lending: The Technology and Processes Behind Embedding Insurance Solutions

40’11: The channels used to connect with Danielle & learn more about TruStage

Disclaimer here — this newsletter does not provide investment advice and represents solely the views and opinions of FINTECH BLUEPRINT LTD.

Contributors: Lex, Laurence, Matt, Farhad, Mike, Daniella

Want to discuss? Stop by our Discord and reach out here with questions.

Lex chats with Anthony Moro, CEO of Provenance Foundation. Provenance is a blockchain platform for real-world assets and has a focus on financial services. Moro discusses his background in the traditional financial industry, particularly in security servicing, and explains how Provenance is positioning itself as a good control location for ownership of securities. He highlights the inefficiencies and high costs associated with intermediated securities transactions and explains how Provenance aims to provide a more efficient and secure alternative. Moro also discusses the technology stack of Provenance, which is built on the Cosmos network, and explains the importance of purpose-built blockchain networks for financial services. He also touches on the topics of noncustodial networks, ledgering, and the importance of network uptime in financial services. Moro concludes by discussing the future vision for Provenance, including the tokenization of trillions of dollars of financial assets and the role of Provenance in enabling asset issuers and service providers to transact efficiently on the platform.

MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION

Provenance's Website: https://bit.ly/3xLpXx6

Anthony's LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3VIl3Jn

Companies: Provenance, Sofi, Provenance Blockchain Labs, ProvLabs, Ethereum, Cosmos, Merrill Lynch, Figure Technologies, Figure Markets

Topics: Blockchain, tokenisation, capital markets, DeFi, TradFi, NFT, Financial Services, Governance, crypto

ABOUT THE FINTECH BLUEPRINT

🔥Subscribe to the Fintech Blueprint newsletter to stay at the forefront of Fintech and DeFi: https://bit.ly/3hyhlC2

🤝 Partner with Fintech Blueprint through sponsorships: https://bit.ly/3UZllsV

👉 Twitter: https://twitter.com/LexSokolin

TIMESTAMPS

1’28: From Traditional Finance to DeFi: Insights on Provenance and Financial Services

4’48: The Complexities of ADRs: Insights on Traditional and Decentralized Financial Systems

8’54: Provenance and Blockchain Innovation: From SoFi Founders to Cosmos Network Integration

13’17: Transforming Capital Markets: The Evolution of Figure's HELOC Business and Blockchain Integration

17’28: Revolutionizing Mortgages with Blockchain: The Impact of NFT Mortgages and Disinflationary Technology

21’20: Exploring Alternative Investments: The Value of Pork Bellies and the Unexpected Tale of Uranium

26’39: Bridging Provenance and Ethereum: Open Source Development and Financial Services Security

30’01: Revolutionizing Governance in Financial Services: Provenance's Approach and Future Directions

32’56: Navigating Centralized Exchanges: Bringing an Institutional Network to Retail Markets

39’20: Regulatory Shifts in Crypto and FinTech: Navigating the Evolving Landscape Ahead of US Elections

42’49: Embracing the Future of Tokenization: Provenance's Vision for Retail Inclusion and Financial Services

46’31: The channels used to connect with Anthony & learn more about Provenance

Disclaimer here — this newsletter does not provide investment advice and represents solely the views and opinions of FINTECH BLUEPRINT LTD.

Contributors: Lex, Laurence, Matt, Farhad, Mike, Daniella

Want to discuss? Stop by our Discord and reach out here with questions.