Startup success is often explained through geography, capital, or timing.

But the real story is about people, resilience, and long-term commitment.

In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Arjun is joined by Allen Taylor, Managing Partner at Endeavor Catalyst, to unpack how world-class companies are being built far beyond Silicon Valley.

Allen shares how Endeavor identifies and backs the top 1% of founders across emerging and underserved markets, why venture outcomes are shaped over decades not fund cycles, and how resilience and ambition matter more than location. From Latin America and Eastern Europe to the Middle East and frontier markets like Nigeria and Pakistan, the conversation explores what it really takes to build billion-dollar companies from anywhere.

The episode also dives into how venture capital is evolving, why the traditional 10-year fund model no longer reflects reality, how AI is changing both startups and investing, and what creates durable entrepreneurial ecosystems over time.

🎙️ In this episode:

• Why billion-dollar companies can now be built from anywhere

• How Endeavor identifies and supports the top 1% of founders globally

• The power of role models, second-generation founders, and ecosystem flywheels

• Why resilience matters more than ideas in long-term company building

• How frontier markets create asymmetric venture returns

• The limits of the traditional VC model and what needs to change

• Where AI truly adds value in startups and venture investing

• Why ambition should move from regional champions to global companies

👉 Watch the full conversation to understand how global entrepreneurship is shifting, why emerging markets matter, and what the next decade of venture creation could look like.

#CouchonomicsWithArjun #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #Endeavor #GlobalStartups #EmergingMarkets #FounderMindset #AI #FutureOfVenture #Leadership

PARTNERS

Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by:

Adyen → https://www.adyen.com/

Thunes → https://thunes.com/

Mastercard → https://mastercard.com/

e& → https://www.eand.com/

Digit9 → https://www.digitnine.com/

SC Ventures → https://scventures.io/

SOCIAL LINKS

Arjun’s LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/

Couchonomics LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/

Twitter (X) → https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics

Newsletter → https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

CHAPTERS

00:00 Building billion-dollar companies from anywhere
02:10 What Endeavor really does and why it exists

05:30 How Endeavor Catalyst invests differently
09:00 The globalisation of startups beyond Silicon Valley
13:30 Latin America’s rise and why it matters
18:00 Europe’s overlooked innovation markets
22:40 The Endeavor network and founder flywheels

Our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0

Find us on our social media platforms:

• Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/
• CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/
• Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20
• TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics

Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

Banking innovation usually gets reduced to apps and features.

But the real changes are happening underneath.

In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Richard Davies, CEO of Allica Bank, joins the couch to talk about how challenger banks are actually rebuilding SME banking in the UK.

Richard breaks down why established SMEs need a very different banking model, why go-to-market is harder than building the technology, and how value, trust, and low cost structures become the real advantage over time.

The conversation moves through how digital banking has matured in the UK, what open banking really delivers today, how AI is being used inside regulated banks, and where stablecoins and tokenised money actually make sense and where they do not.

An honest discussion on SME credit gaps, the limits of the super-app idea, the role of humans in an AI-led bank, and what the next decade of challenger banking could realistically look like.

🎙️ In this episode:

• Why challenger banks are replacing major banks for SMEs, not just competing with them
• The hidden problem of fragmentation in SME finance
• How Allica is building an all-in-one bank for established businesses
• What open banking gets right and where it still falls short
• AI inside banks: productivity, agents, and the limits of automation
• Why SMEs are not ready for complexity in digital assets
• The real use cases for stablecoins and cross-border payments
• What creates a defensible moat in modern digital banking
• How regulation helps and hinders SME lending in the UK
• What the next 3 to 5 years of SME banking could look like

👉 Watch the full conversation to understand how challenger banks are scaling trust, profitability, and relevance in a post-hype fintech world.

#CouchonomicsWithArjun #SMEBanking #ChallengerBanks #Fintech #UKFintech #DigitalBanking #AIinBanking #FutureOfBanking #Leadership #FinancialServices

PARTNERS

Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by:

Adyen → https://www.adyen.com/

Thunes → https://thunes.com/

Mastercard → https://mastercard.com/

e& → https://www.eand.com/

Digit9 → https://www.digitnine.com/

SC Ventures → https://scventures.io/

SOCIAL LINKS

Arjun’s LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/

Couchonomics LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/

Twitter → https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics

Newsletter → https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

CHAPTERS

00:00 Why SME banking is being rebuilt
02:40 The maturity of UK challenger banks
06:30 The real SME credit gap problem
10:20 Fragmentation vs all-in-one ba

Our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0

Find us on our social media platforms:

• Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/
• CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/
• Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20
• TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics

Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

Innovation in banking is often talked about, but rarely understood.

In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Giovanni Everduin, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer and Head of Ventures at Commercial Bank International, joins the couch to unpack what innovation really looks like inside a regulated bank.

From legacy systems and institutional mindsets to AI, digital assets, and on-chain finance, this conversation goes beyond buzzwords to explore where real value is being created and where the industry may be getting ahead of itself.

Giovanni shares why regulation can act as a catalyst for innovation, how banks and fintechs are moving from competition to partnership, and why the future of finance will be hybrid rather than fully on-chain or off-chain.

A candid discussion on tokenization, stablecoins, privacy, and why understanding the problem always matters more than chasing the latest technology.

🎙️ In this episode:
• What innovation actually means inside a regulated bank
• Why legacy systems, data, and mindsets slow transformation
• How fintechs shifted from challengers to infrastructure partners
• The real opportunities and misconceptions around tokenization and stablecoins
• Why privacy will be critical for institutions moving finance on-chain
• How banks can experiment safely without breaking trust
• Why partnership-driven innovation is becoming the dominant model
• What the next 3 to 5 years of banking could realistically look like

👉 Watch the full conversation to understand how banks are navigating innovation without losing trust, stability, or relevance.

#CouchonomicsWithArjun #BankingInnovation #Fintech #DigitalAssets #AIinBanking #Tokenization #FutureOfBanking #UAE #Leadership #FinancialServices

PARTNERS
Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by:
Adyen → https://www.adyen.com/
Thunes → https://thunes.com/
Mastercard → https://mastercard.com/
e& → https://www.eand.com/
Digit9 → https://www.digitnine.com/
SC Ventures → https://scventures.io/
Hala → https://hala.com/

SOCIAL LINKS
Arjun’s LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/
Couchonomics LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/
Twitter → https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh
TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics
Newsletter → https://bit.ly/3WI

Our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0

Find us on our social media platforms:

• Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/
• CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/
• Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20
• TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics

Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

Banking in the UAE is entering a phase where digital expectations, AI, and trust are forcing banks to rethink everything from processes to culture.

Arjun sits down with Dr. Bernd van Linder, CEO of Commercial Bank of Dubai, to unpack how customer experience, technology and trust are reshaping the future of banking.

🎙️ In this episode:

Why customer experience has become the only real competitive advantage in banking

How digitization moved from a COVID era surprise to a baseline expectation

Why the UAE banking sector keeps evolving faster than global peers

How banks can rewire legacy systems without breaking what works

Why fintechs are now partners, not threats, and how the best banks use them

The real impact of AI on productivity, governance and the workforce

How trust, safety and regulation shape decision making in a digital-first world

What the next five years of banking will look like in the region

👉 Watch now to understand how customer experience, fintech partnerships, AI and trust will define the next era of banking.

#CouchonomicsWithArjun #Banking #DigitalTransformation #AI #Fintech #UAE #CustomerExperience #FutureOfBanking #Leadership #Innovation

PARTNERS

Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by:

Adyen → https://www.adyen.com/

Thunes → https://thunes.com/

Mastercard → https://mastercard.com/

E& → https://www.eand.com/

Digit9 → https://www.digitnine.com/

SC Ventures → https://scventures.io/

Hala → https://hala.com/

SOCIAL LINKS

Arjun’s LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/

Couchonomics LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/

Twitter → https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics

Newsletter → https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

Chapters

00:00 The new realities of customer expectations

02:00 Why UAE banks are evolving faster than global peers

04:00 Customer experience as the only real competitive advantage

07:00 Rewiring people and processes for a digital-first world

10:00 How fintech partnerships are reshaping bank capabilities

14:00 The future role of branches in a digital-first banking model

18:00 Moving from legacy tech to open, integrated systems

22:00 The real impact of AI on productivity, risk and governance

30:00 Trust, safety and how customers choose banks today

36:00 What the next 3 to 5 years of banking will look like

Our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0

Find us on our social media platforms:

• Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/
• CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/
• Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20
• TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics

Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

Core banking is no longer a back-office topic.

Cloud, payments, AI and digital assets are forcing banks to rethink the foundations of how money moves.

In this episode, Arjun sits down with Vishal Dalal, Global CEO of Pismo, to unpack the evolution of modern core banking, the rise of cloud-native architectures, and why migration, resilience and payments complexity are the real bottlenecks shaping the future.

From a startup getting thrown out of buildings in Brazil to powering global banks across 70 plus countries, Vishal breaks down the hard truths of building critical infrastructure in a world that expects zero downtime, instant scalability and absolute safety.

In this episode:

• How Pismo went from a 5,000-card pilot to powering tens of millions of accounts

• Why resilience, recovery and disaster readiness are now core banking table stakes

• The real challenges of migrating 200 million accounts from legacy systems

• Why every country building its own payment rails increases global complexity

• How stablecoins, tokenized deposits and CBDCs force a rethink of the entire backend

• Why digital assets and real-time settlement are pulling core banking into a new era

• How AI is reshaping migrations, operations, debugging and developer speed

• Why being cloud-only opens some markets and immediately disqualifies others

• How leaders should balance velocity with safety in a geopolitical environment full of risk

👉 Watch now to understand the next chapter of core banking.

#CouchonomicsWithArjun #Banking #CoreBanking #Fintech #Payments #Cloud #AI #DigitalAssets #Stablecoins #CBDC #Migration #FutureOfFinance #Innovation

Partners

Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by:

Adyen → https://www.adyen.com/

Thunes → https://thunes.com/

Mastercard → https://mastercard.com/

E& → https://www.eand.com/

Digit9 → https://www.digitnine.com/

SC Ventures → https://scventures.io/

Hala → https://hala.com/

Follow us on social media

Arjun’s LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/

Couchonomics LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/

Twitter → https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics

Newsletter → https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

Chapters

00:00 The Pismo origin story and early Brazil journey

02:00 Winning trust through a 5,000-card pilot

04:00 Landing Itaú and scaling to millions of accounts

06:00 Citi’s 76-country ledger and going global

08:00 What modern core banking must deliver today

12:00 The realities of migrating from legacy mainframes

16:00 Payments rails, localization and rising global complexity

20:00 How digital assets, stablecoins and CBDCs reshape the backend

26:00 AI’s impact on migrations, operations and developer speed

34:00 Why safety, resilience and governance

Our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0

Find us on our social media platforms:

• Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/
• CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/
• Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20
• TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics

Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

Fintech is entering a new phase where technology, regulation and global markets are reshaping value at a deeper level.

Arjun sits down with Sandeep Patil, Partner and Head of Asia at QED Investors, to break down how fintech is evolving beneath the surface.

🎙️ In this episode:
-Why the global fintech reset isn’t over
- How stablecoins are becoming the quiet rails of global trade
- How AI will reshape underwriting and distribution
- Why regulatory fluency is now essential for founders
- Where real value creation will happen over the next 3–5 years

👉 Watch now to understand how AI, stablecoins, global flows and regulation are writing the next chapter of fintech.


Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by our partners:
Adyen → https://www.adyen.com/
Thunes → https://thunes.com/
Mastercard → https://mastercard.com/
E& → https://www.eand.com/
Digit9 → https://www.digitnine.com/
SC Ventures → https://scventures.io/
Hala → https://hala.com/

Chapters
00:00 Episode Teaser
01:00 How global volatility is shaping fintech
03:10 Are we through the fintech reset or not
05:00 Where real value will emerge in the next 3 to 5 years
06:30 Stablecoins and the rewiring of global trade
09:00 How AI is reshaping underwriting, distribution and trust
12:20 What categories are losing momentum
17:00 AI washing vs real AI-led companies
20:10 Why founders must understand regulation deeply
31:00 The Middle East and Saudi. Rising themes and opportunities

Our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0

Find us on our social media platforms:

• Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/
• CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/
• Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20
• TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics

Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

What if the future of money isn’t about new currencies, but about rebuilding how value moves?

Arjun sits down with Keith Grose, Senior Country Director at Coinbase UK, to explore how crypto is moving from hype to real infrastructure.
They talk about the UK’s second-mover advantage in regulation, the role of stablecoins in global trade, and how Coinbase is building the bridge between traditional finance and the on-chain world.

🎙️ In this episode:
→ Why Coinbase’s mission is to increase economic freedom for a billion people
→ How crypto complements, not replaces, real-time payment systems
→ Why stablecoins are becoming the settlement layer for global trade
→ What the UK’s second-mover advantage means for innovation
→ How regulation can balance control with growth
→ Why private stablecoins may move faster than CBDCs
→ What it takes to make crypto secure, compliant, and trusted
→ How on-chain transparency is reshaping user protection

👉 Watch now to understand how crypto, regulation, and finance are converging into the next chapter of global money movement.

Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by our partners:
Adyen → https://www.adyen.com/
Thunes → https://thunes.com/
Mastercard → https://mastercard.com/
E& → https://www.eand.com/
Digit9 → https://www.digitnine.com/
SC Ventures → https://scventures.io/
Hala → https://hala.com/

Chapters
00:00 Episode Teaser
01:02 Introducing Keith Gross and Coinbase
02:07 Coinbase's Mission and Crypto's Promise
03:55 The Role of Regulation in Crypto
04:14 Global Payment Systems and Crypto's Potential
11:11 The Promise and Growth of Stablecoins
13:48 Institutional Adoption and Tokenized Deposits
18:50 The Future of Crypto Regulation in the UK
25:18 Understanding Wholesale CBDC and Stable Coins
25:39 The Role of Stablecoins in Government Bonds
26:27 Yield and Regulatory Challenges of Stablecoins
27:58 Coinbase's Offerings for Retail and Institutional Customers
29:49 Defi Lending and Borrowing Innovations
34:10 Security and Custody in Crypto Trading
41:06 Regulatory Collaboration and Industry Standards
46:53 Balancing Growth and Risk in Crypto
48:57 Future Metrics and Tokenization Trends
50:13 Conclusion and Future Discussions

Our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0

Find us on our social media platforms:

• Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/
• CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/
• Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20
• TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics

Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

What if the future of money isn’t about creating new currencies, but redefining what money really is?

In this episode, Arjun sits down with Tony McLaughlin, CEO and Founder of Ubyx Inc, to talk about why he believes the bank account is dead and how the next version of money could live on public blockchains.

They break down what stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and CBDCs really mean, and how they could quietly replace the systems we’ve used for decades.

🎙️ In this episode:
→ Why blockchain is simply a “who owns what” machine
→ How stablecoins could become the new form of fiat
→ Why tokenization could replace ACH, SWIFT, and cards
→ How Ubyx is building a clearing system for the age of digital money
→ How stablecoins could transform global trade and cross-border payments
→ The balance between privacy, regulation, and innovation

👉 Watch now to understand how the next phase of finance will be built on tokens, trust, and interoperability.


Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by our partners:
Adyen → https://www.adyen.com/
Thunes → https://thunes.com/
Mastercard → https://mastercard.com/
E& → https://www.eand.com/
Digit9 → https://www.digitnine.com/
SC Ventures → https://scventures.io/
Hala → https://hala.com/


Chapters
00:00 Episode Teaser
02:45 What Fintech Really Built: Layers on Legacy Rails
05:30 Blockchain as the “Who Owns What” Machine
09:15 Regulation, Policy, and the Shift to Public Blockchains
11:20 Stablecoins and the Irony of Perfecting Fiat Currency
15:00 The Death of the Bank Account and Rise of Tokens
17:10 CBDCs, Tokenized Deposits, and the Ancient IOU
23:00 How Ubyx Fits into the Global Clearing Puzzle
26:20 Why Banks Will Love Stablecoins for FX Revenue
32:00 The $300B E-commerce Stablecoin Opportunity
37:00 CBDCs vs. Stablecoins: Parallel Systems, Not Rivals
39:10 How Europe Should Respond to USD Stablecoins
41:00 Turning Regulation Fear into Opportunity
45:00 Privacy, Surveillance, and Life on the Ledger
47:40 Ubyx’s Journey from White Paper to Product
50:00 Building the Mastercard of Stablecoins
53:00 Lessons from an Older Founder and What Comes Next

Our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0

Find us on our social media platforms:

• Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/
• CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/
• Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20
• TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics

Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E