The On Call Podcast

In this episode of On Call with Insignia, we go on a world tour of fintech innovation with Pat Patel, Co-CEO of GFTN Forums & CEO of USA, LATAM, MEA at the Global Finance and Technology Network (GFTN), the non-profit behind the Singapore FinTech Festival.Over the past decade, Pat has been at the intersection of tech, finance, and policy—shaping ecosystems from London to Kigali, Tokyo to Perth. Drawing from his deep experience building corridors between regulators, founders, and investors, Pat gives us a first-hand look at how fintech markets are evolving worldwide.We cover everything from programmable banking and AI-native fintech stacks to unlocking corridors between Japan, Africa, Australia, and Southeast Asia. Pat also shares what’s next for Singapore as it marks a decade of the FinTech Festival and what the next wave of fintech disruption might look like.Whether you’re a founder expanding globally, a regulator exploring innovation, or an investor scouting cross-border opportunities—this episode is your field guide.Timestamps(00:00) Intro to Pat Patel and GFTN’s global footprint(02:00) Three frontier technologies redefining fintech: AI, tokenization, quantum(04:30) The rise of programmable banking and agent-stablecoin integration(06:30) Key stablecoin use cases: e-commerce, supply chains, cross-border B2B(08:00) Japan’s fintech evolution and why it’s now open for global startups(10:30) Working with the JFSA and navigating Japan’s regulatory shift(12:30) Building corridors between Japan and Southeast Asia(14:00) Tips for founders entering Japan: long lead times, local trust(16:00) What makes Australia’s fintech scene unique—and what to watch(18:00) Why GFTN chose Perth: green energy, academia, and real Black Swans(20:00) Preparing for the next Black Swan through tech-academic collaboration(21:00) How Southeast Asia startups can scale into Africa(22:30) Corridors and harmonization: Rwanda, Ghana, and Project 54(24:30) Africa’s “Singapore”: Why Rwanda could lead in fintech governance(26:00) What advantages SEA fintechs have in African markets(28:00) Opportunities in payments, banking infrastructure, and open finance(29:00) What SEA fintechs can learn from Europe’s consumer UX game(31:00) The next decade of Singapore’s FinTech evolution(33:00) GFTN’s strategy: from forums to advisory to fund(35:00) The three foundational techs of Web3: AI, quantum, decentralized networks(36:00) Where competitive advantage lies: regulator relationships and AI-native stacks(37:00) Why legacy fintechs must reinvent—or be disruptedFollow us on LinkedIn for more updatesSubscribe to our monthly newsletter for all the news and resourcesDirected by Paulo JoquiñoProduced by Paulo JoquiñoThe content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.

Session recorded from the "PR & Comms for Global Growth" as part of the Insignia Ventures Academy StartCXO ProgramOur StartCXO program beginning in September is now OPEN for applications:Gain the skills to transition seamlessly into a start up leadership roleLearn from industry professionals, well versed in the start-up scene.Join our network consisting of Start alumni, andLearn more about IVA’s 12 week program.Book a call with our program director to find out more​Whom you are on call with:Elaine Seeto, Senior Director of Marketing APAC, RipplingJoel Cutinho, Senior Client Director at The P.R. GroupModerated by Paulo JoquiñoFollow us on LinkedIn for more updatesCheck out Insignia Business Review for more insightsSubscribe to our monthly newsletter for all the news and resourcesDirected by Paulo JoquiñoProduced by Paulo JoquiñoThe content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.

You are going on call with Pratyush Prasanna, Group CEO of  @FlipID  , one of Indonesia's largest consumer fintech platforms serving more than 13 million users primarily for their money movement needs, among other financial services. With 20+ years of executive and leadership experience in consumer and fintech companies including Paytm, Poynt, and Gojek, he joined Flip as MD then CEO finding a new mission in building the next epoch making company in Indonesia, inspired by the values and mission of Flip's founders.Timestamps(01:38) Flip's Impact on Indonesian Fintech;(02:58)  Customer-Centric Innovations at Flip;(06:53) Pratyush's journey joining Flip;(13:02) Pratyush's takeaways from being acquired by Paytm; (15:07) India vs Indonesia fintech -- where are the competitive advantages?;(20:06) Insights from his time at Gojek; (21:51) Future of Fintech in Indonesia;(25:47) Guiding principles for Pratyush's leadership;TranscriptAbout who you are on call with:Pratyush Prasanna is the newly appointed Group CEO of Flip.id, one of Indonesia's leading fintech groups. He brings a wealth of experience in the payments industry, with a proven track record of scaling businesses and driving innovation in emerging markets.Prior to joining Flip.id, Pratyush served as the Head of Merchant Payments at GoTo Financial, where he played a pivotal role in expanding their merchant payment solutions and driving adoption among Indonesian businesses of all sizes. His strategic vision and leadership helped GoTo Financial achieve significant growth in the highly competitive Indonesian market.Before his tenure at GoTo Financial, Pratyush was the General Manager of Asia at Poynt, a leading point-of-sale terminal provider. Based in San Francisco, Singapore, and Bangalore, he oversaw product development, partner acquisition, and market expansion across a diverse range of countries in Asia, including India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.Pratyush's career also includes a significant role at Paytm, India's most widely used payments app. As Vice President of Business and Product, he witnessed Paytm's remarkable growth. With his strategic vision and proven ability to execute, Pratyush is committed to expanding Flip's reach and impact, ensuring that all Indonesians have access to fair financial services.Connect with PratyushFollow us on LinkedIn for more updatesCheck out Insignia Business Review for more insightsSubscribe to our monthly newsletter for all the news and resourcesDirected by Paulo JoquiñoProduced by Paulo JoquiñoThe content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.

In a world where nearly 1.4 billion adults still lack access to basic financial services, the promise of technology to bridge this gap has never been more critical. Our exclusive roundtable from the Surfin AI Fintech Forum 2025 in Manila brings together three visionary leaders -- a venture capitalist, a nuclear physicist turned fintech CEO, and Nobel Laureate in economics, who are supporting the growth of a company at the forefront of this transformation.Timestamps(00:05) How a nuclear physicist turned fintech CEO, Nobel laureate in economics, and Singaporean venture capitalist joined forces to bridge AI with financial inclusion;(09:39) Managing Risks of an Increasing Techno Nationalism to Build a Truly Global Fintech;(17:13) Bringing Together Financial Inclusion and Agentic AI;About who you are on call withYanan Wu is is CEO and founder of Surfin. Dr Wu has over 26 years of global investment experience, serving institutions and family offices, including stints at CITIC Prudential Fund and TD Asset Management Canada. He is no stranger to fintech as well, having launched and grown a robo-advisory startup prior to Surfin. He received a Ph.D in statistical physics from University Western Ontario in Canada and completed his post-doctoral research at Los Alamo National Lab in the USA.Michael (Mike) Spence is an American economist who, with George A. Akerlof and Joseph E. Stiglitz, won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2001 for laying the foundations for the theory of markets with asymmetric information. Spence studied at Yale University (B.A., 1966), the University of Oxford (B.A., M.A., 1968), and Harvard University (Ph.D., 1972). He taught at Harvard and at Stanford University, serving as dean of the latter’s business school from 1990 to 1999. In 2010 he became a professor at New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business. He is the author of the book, “The Next Convergence: The Future of Economic Growth in a Multispeed World,” Ferrar, Straus and Giroux, May 2011. Spence holds a BA in philosophy from Princeton University (1966), a BA/MA in mathematics from Oxford University (1968), and a PhD in Economics from Harvard University (1972).Yinglan Tan founded Insignia Ventures Partners and is the Founding Managing Partner. Insignia Ventures Partners is a Southeast Asian early-to-growth stage venture capital firm that debuted in 2017 and manages capital from premier institutional investors including sovereign wealth funds, foundations, university endowments and renowned family offices from Asia, Europe and North America. Portfolio companies include GoTo (IDX: GOTO), Appier (TSE: 4180), Carro, Ajaib, Shipper, Tonik, Flip, Fazz, Aspire, Super, Groww, J&T and many other technology market leaders. Prior to founding Insignia Ventures Partners, Yinglan was Sequoia Capital’s first hire and Venture Partner in Southeast Asia. He also serves on the International Board of Stars – Leaders of the Next Generation, the Singapore Government’s Pro Enterprise Panel. He is also a Board Member at Hwa Chong Institution and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore. Yinglan was educated at Stanford and Carnegie Mellon and completed executive programs at Harvard, Wharton, Cambridge and Oxford.Follow us on LinkedIn for more updatesCheck out Insignia Business Review for more insightsSubscribe to our monthly newsletter for all the news and resourcesDirected by Paulo JoquiñoProduced by Paulo JoquiñoThe content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.

After building brand recognition and educating the market on digital investments in the years leading up to their 2020 inflection point, Finhay set its sights on a bigger goal: becoming Vietnam's first fintech to secure a stock brokerage license.In this final episode of our three-part series with VNSC by Finhay CEO and founder Huy Nghiem, we explore how Finhay acquired VNSC, a securities brokerage, and transformed from a wealthtech startup into a comprehensive digital investment institution.The acquisition process wasn't without challenges - from competing with cash-rich real estate companies to an 18-month restructuring period involving system integration, compliance work, and regulatory discussions. But the result has positioned Finhay to offer all-in-one investment options to Vietnam's young investors.Catch up to Part 1 and Part 2Timestamps(00:00) Why Finhay is not just your ordinary fintech anymore;(00:22) Why Finhay needed to acquire its own license;(01:04) The acquisition journey;(02:50) The post-acquisition journey;(04:53) Impact of the acquisition and the future of VNSC by Finhay;About HuyHuy Nghiem is the founder and CEO of Finhay. Prior to Finhay, Huy built his expertise and experience in the financial markets as a financial advisor at AMP in Australia. He also co-founded and led tech companies and business initiatives during his time in Australia. He graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and Marketing.About VNSC by FinhayVNSC by Finhay is Vietnam's largest digital investment and wealth management platform. The company partners with financial institutions to offer investment products for underserved mass retail investors in Vietnam, from millennials to families in rural areas. Since its founding in 2017 by serial entrepreneur Huy Nghiem, Finhay has helped create millions of financial accounts for Vietnamese to save and grow their wealth.Music from Music from 'KHÔNG SAO CẢ' RAP VIỆT ft 7dnight and BẮC BLING (BẮC NINH) | OFFICIAL MV | HOÀ MINZY ft NS XUÂN HINH x MASEW x TUẤN CRY by Hoa MinzySome footage from Finhay, TossDirected by Paulo JoquiñoProduced by Paulo JoquiñoThe content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.Catch up to Part 1 and Part 2

This is Part 1 of 2 with Zi Yong Chua, Carro COO on his journey driving Gen AI transformation in the pan-Asia used car platform.Timestamps(01:19) How Zi Yong joined Carro after PayPal, Alipay, and his own ventures;(04:41) Zi Yong's first order of business as COO, refining Carro's internal data processes for better productivity;(08:20) How Zi Yong linked productivity gains to end business results; (12:59) Zi Yong's three principles on leveraging Gen AI;(19:18) Stay tuned for part 2 on how these principles impacted Carro's Gen AI journey and the ROI of their Gen AI transformationAbout who you are on call with Zi Yong is the Chief Operating Officer at Carro. He drives the "People, Process, Technology" transformation within Carro, ensuring that Asia Pacific's fastest growing automotive marketplace remains at operational excellence as it continues to grow rapidly. He is focused on digitising workflows, enabling automation and data-driven insights within the organisation.Zi Yong brings more than 15 years of experience from the Internet and e-payments industry, with roles in global giants like PayPal and Ant Group. In his 5 years in Ant Group, he led Product teams and projects with Paytm and Touch N Go Digital, helping them become ‘super app’ in their respective markets. He was also the principal inventor of a patent for payment system decision making during his time in Ant. Back in 2009 while still in university, he founded his own venture-backed mobile payment company, and was one of the early drivers of the Android developer scene in Singapore.Connect with Zi YongFollow us on LinkedIn for more updates: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insignia-ventures/Check out Insignia Business Review for more insights: https://review.insignia.vc/Subscribe to our monthly newsletter for all the news and resources: https://insignia.vc/newsletterDirected by Paulo JoquiñoProduced by Paulo JoquiñoThe content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.

Many startups found an inflection point thanks to the shift to digital in 2020 amidst the pandemic.VNSC by Finhay was one of these startups, at the time a wealth management startup focused on mutual bonds and roboadvisory.But what has set Finhay apart has been its ability to convert this growth inflection into market leadership and an opportunity to become much more than just a wealthtech startup (more on that in part 3).If you ask CEO and founder Huy Nghiem, Finhay's inflection point only came because of they spent the prior two years placing the foundations for brand recognition, educating the market on digital investments, and finding the right partners and investors to develop their corporate maturity.We explore these past three years in Part 2, without which Finhay would not have been able to be the first Vietnamese fintech to secure a stock brokerage license at the time with more than 2.7 million users.More on the stock brokerage acquisition story in the final episode in Huy's story!Timestamps(00:00) How Finhay laid the groundwork for their platform to grow in 2020;(01:02) Validating ideas via Vietnam founders' Facebook group;(01:45) Meeting his first VC + signing his first VC term sheet;(03:07) Learnings from fundraising;(03:37) Subscribe for Part 3: From tech startup to tech securities brokerage;About HuyHuy Nghiem is the founder and CEO of Finhay. Prior to Finhay, Huy built his expertise and experience in the financial markets as a financial advisor at AMP in Australia. He also co-founded and led tech companies and business initiatives during his time in Australia. He graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Marketing.About VNSC by FinhayVNSC by Finhay is Vietnam's largest digital investment and wealth management platform. The company partners with financial institutions to offer investment products for underserved mass retail investors in Vietnam, from millennials to families in rural areas. Since its founding in 2017 by serial entrepreneur Huy Nghiem, Finhay has helped create millions of financial accounts for Vietnamese to save and growth their wealth.Music from XG - Is This LoveSome footage from TechFest Vietnam, Finhay, Tourzy MediaDirected by Paulo JoquiñoProduced by Paulo JoquiñoThe content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.

VNSC by Finhay has been raising the bar for Vietnam fintech for the last 8 years 🇻🇳Taking the industry beyond payments, serving more than 300K+ funded accounts investing across asset classesPioneering compliance for fintechs in wealth management as the first to acquire a securities firm and licenseSetting new standards for user experiences when it comes to unlocking various asset classes on a digital platform, from stocks to gold to bondsAs it celebrates its 8th birthday today, we go back to the company's roots, and the pivotal moments that led the startup to this point in our docu-podcast series Against All Odds:How did growing up in Hanoi's Old Quarter influence Huy's view of entrepreneurship?How Huy found inspiration from Australian entrepreneurs like Chris Brycki and platforms like Acorns (the founder would eventually fund them later on)Why Huy decided to return to Vietnam to start FinhayHow much Vietnam has evolved in fintech and digital banking in the last eight years (even surpassing Australia in some aspects)Part 2 on Finhay's early challenges launching its first product and raising its first round coming next week! Subscribe to get notified.About HuyHuy Nghiem is the founder and CEO of Finhay. Prior to Finhay, Huy built his expertise and experience in the financial markets as a financial advisor at AMP in Australia. He also co-founded and led tech companies and business initiatives during his time in Australia. He graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Marketing.About FinhayFinhay is Vietnam's largest digital investment and wealth management platform. The company partners with financial institutions to offer investment products for underserved mass retail investors in Vietnam, from millennials to families in rural areas. Since its founding in 2017 by serial entrepreneur Huy Nghiem, Finhay has helped create millions of financial accounts for Vietnamese to save and growth their wealth.Music from Suno AISome footage from Canva, Fishburners, TaiwanPlus News, Chris Brycki, FinhayDirected by Paulo JoquiñoProduced by Paulo JoquiñoThe content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.

Welcome to the Manila edition of our AI Transformation event. This all started as a playbook that we developed together with our partners at FileAI, WIZ.AI, NetSuite, and AWS. We launched that playbook last year, and as part of that launch, we organized an event in Singapore, providing businesses from different industries the opportunity to dive deeper into what AI transformation really means for them.Thanks to our partners, we decided to hold this event again here in Manila. Manila is a particularly interesting market to discuss AI because there are a lot of challenges and misconceptions about implementation here. Our guests today are more than qualified to address these topics.We have with us three experts in AI transformation. They’ve helped businesses across various industries, from F&B to banking, and across multiple markets—from Southeast Asia to Japan. WIZ.AI even has clients in South America, bringing a wealth of experience to the discussion. And of course, NetSuite is a global company with deep expertise in this space.Timestamps (00:00) Introduction;(03:49) Clare from File.ai on AI Transformation;(11:10) Aldo from NetSuite on Automation and Upskilling;(16:57) Alex from Wiz.ai on Conversational AI;(21:05) Cybersecurity and Data Privacy in AI;(29:51) Q&A Session: What is really the competitive moat for enterprise AI solutions?;(45:14) Q&A Session: Is it possible and worth it to verticalize as an application layer solution?;(51:32) Q&A Session: How does Gen AI impact tools for VC portfolio management (Business Intelligence)?;(56:12) Q&A Session: How close are we to a 5-6 person multi-billion dollar company?;(01:01:40) Q&A Session: Who really controls the AI supply chain?;(01:05:15) Q&A Session: How do I think about AI Transformation for SMEs?;(01:11:24) Q&A Session: What are AI use cases for professional services?;(01:15:01) Q&A Session: How do I eliminate manual data handling?;Follow us on LinkedIn for more updates: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insignia-ventures/Check out Insignia Business Review for more insights: https://review.insignia.vc/Subscribe to our monthly newsletter for all the news and resources: https://insignia.vc/newsletterDirected by Paulo JoquiñoProduced by Paulo JoquiñoThe content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.

Timestamps(00:00) Highlights;(01:29) Chen Chow's Resilience Index: The Four Factors that Drive Entrepreneurial Resilience;(08:37) What Does Relevance Mean and What Drives Chen Chow; Full episodeTranscriptHe is also a mentor for Insignia Ventures Academy's StartCXO programAbout who you are on call with:Yeoh Chen Chow, or known as CC, is now offering advisory, consulting, executive/biz coaching, keynote speaking, fireside chat, workshops via One PerCent Advisory and Coaching (1% Advisory & Coaching). Clients engage CC for office/coffee hour. CC has extensive experience building up startups (Fave, KFit) from scratch, till being acquired by Pine Labs for USD45mil. Through the process, raised fund from ~20 VCs, corporates & angel investors across the region, and acquired/acqui-hired 9 companies, including 3 subsidiaries of Groupon in MY, SG and ID. He has invested in 30+ startups/companies around the region too.His experience from both sides of aisles, give him good perspectives across the whole process. He has worked at global consulting firm, mid-sized startups, multinational companies as well. He is an Eisenhower Fellow and an alumnus of Cornell University. He is passionate and active in youth/student/entrepreneur empowerment, and he spent quite a bit of his free time in mentoring for various programs, including McKinsey's Youth Leadership Academy since 2010. He started USAPPS, non profit initiative which has been running since 2006, helping Malaysians to achieve their dreams to study at top US universities.Connect with CC on LinkedInFollow us on LinkedIn for more updatesCheck out Insignia Business Review for more insightsSubscribe to our monthly newsletter for all the news and resourcesDirected by Paulo JoquiñoProduced by Paulo JoquiñoThe content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.