Funding Circle UK’s Post

Kicking off #WomensHistoryMonth with the Financial Technology Association and Catherine Unertl, our Head of Partnerships and Operations. Read more about her experience in her role, and her advice for women in fintech 👇

I’m excited to continue our Female Founders in Fintech Office Hours series into 2024 with the first session of the year happening on Thursday 29th of February 🗓 (sign-up link below) Myself, D'Arcy Jade Whelan and Victoire de Lavigne started these sessions in 2023 with the aim of opening up the fintech-focussed experience and network of our funds - Augmentum Fintech, Outward VC, Portage  - to more female-led companies. It’s fair to say the response in 2023 exceeded our expectations - across the year we connected with a total of 59 teams  🤝 During the sessions, fundraising strategy was the most popular topic of discussion and, with just 1% and 12% of VC funding going to all-female and mixed gender teams respectively in 2023, there is no question that this is an area that we as individuals, funds and an industry must to do more to address. Advice and network only go so far - capital has to follow - but as far as we can offer support to female-led teams through these sessions we will continue to do so. 2023 in review: - Connected with 59 female-led fintechs across 10 office hour sessions - These teams are building companies across a diverse mix of fintech verticals - Wealth & Asset Management (34% of sign-ups) and Payments (20%) the most popular - 74% of our sign-ups came from Linkedin, 23% via investor and founder networks and 3% through in-person events - thank you to everyone who engaged with our posts and shared the scheme - it really makes a difference in terms of our reach! Sign up for Feb 29th session here https://lnkd.in/eiUCYa9X Note - the meetings are virtual (over zoom) 👩💻 Please do continue to share across your network! 🌍 #fintech #femalefounders

It's #WomensHistoryMonth! We're thrilled to start our spotlight series with Catherine Unertl, Head of Partnerships and Operations at Mercury. Catherine was recently named one of NYC Fintech Women's 2023 Inspiring #Fintech Females. She manages Mercury's work with partner banks and financial institutions to ensure seamless services for their #startup customers. Read her full Q&A to learn about #bankfintech partnerships, her experience joining Mercury as the 20th employee, and her advice for women in #fintech. 💫 Tell us about yourself and your current role. Mercury works with partner banks to provide our core services. This allows us to invest deeply in our product, user experience, and in helping more startups succeed. As Head of Financial Partnerships and Operations at Mercury, my focus is on managing and enriching our relationships with partner banks and financial institutions, ensuring seamless onboarding and smooth financial transactions for our startup customers. This role demands a blend of fintech acumen and relationship-building skills, areas where I draw heavily from my background in education policy and edtech to make strides. 💫 What's an achievement you're most proud of? One achievement that stands out distinctly in my career at Mercury is the successful launch of our corporate credit card, IO, in 2022. Joining Mercury as the 20th employee, I've had the unique opportunity to witness and contribute to the company's growth and innovation firsthand. The IO card project, in particular, represents a significant milestone in our journey to offer financial solutions tailored for startups. The process of bringing the IO card to life was a testament to the power of collaboration and partnership. Working closely with our financial partners, we navigated the complexities of the fintech landscape to design a product that not only meets the dynamic needs of startups but also sets a new standard for banking services in our industry. The IO card's launch required a harmonious blend of technical innovation, strategic planning, and relentless dedication to our vision of empowering startups with the tools they need to succeed. 💫 What's your advice for women in the fintech industry? Invite more women to join your events, whether it is a partner dinner or a quarterly business review. Bring other women with you to observe, learn, and back you up in these spaces. Any time I meet with partners, and I can bring a member of my team with me, I do. There is a ton of power in telling younger women that they belong in all spaces and in rooms where decisions are made. Lean into your strengths - build relationships and run partnerships the way that feels right to you rather than trying to fit the mold of how your peers are doing the work. The banking industry tends to be heavily male-dominated. When you make space for yourself and your way of doing things, you make space for other women as well.

🌈 Championing Inclusivity in Fintech 🌟 Lissele Pratt's dedication to inclusivity at Capitalixe serves as a powerful reminder of the role diversity plays in fintech. Her approach is not just admirable but a call to action for all of us in the industry. Inclusivity isn't just good ethics, it's smart business. Diverse perspectives lead to richer solutions and a more dynamic industry. 🙌 👉 To learn more about Lissele and her inspiring work, check out her Q&A in the comments below! #FintechDiversity #InclusiveLeadership #Capitalixe

Data is a great equaliser. Compared to VCs who (according to a 2022 study) give just 2% of funding to female founders, Wayflyer gives 37%. Why? Because our model is based on data. Makes you wonder how many great female lead companies are finding it harder to get funds purely on the basis of being just that, female lead. #Proud #iwd #iwd2024

This is how we at VizyPay put DEI into action. 🚀 Check out the latest article from The Fintech Times featuring yours truly! 👉🏼 https://lnkd.in/gB4n_Nmp #diversity #equity #inclusion #fintech

A few weeks back, RiseUp and Amplify took to the stage at Money20/20 Amsterdam with a packed agenda for the 2024 cohort of FinTech superstars and future leaders! I was privileged to be a part of a panel discussing ‘Do men also talk about Imposter Syndrome?’ Below are a few points from our discussion: · The term ‘Imposter Syndrome’ is a bit of a headline/catchall, and the terminology has a negative vibe. We need to be specific about what we are experiencing, so we can effectively understand and address it. · Imposter Syndrome is defined as having experiences of self-doubt, a lack of confidence, or an underestimation of our abilities/achievements. It is in our human nature to have these feelings at some point, and therefore important to ‘call it out’ and create a proven process to overcome. · It has been suggested that Imposter Syndrome affects females more than males, this is not the case, over 70% of adults (male and female) said they had been impacted. Females are far more open to discussing the topic though! · Why do men not openly discuss their experiences in this area? In part, we do not do vulnerability that well, also due to social and workplace norms and expectations. Although I do see change occurring! · Fear of Failure and Self-doubt often hold us back. Take confidence from the fact that you are in your position because you have earned it! You have a unique combination of personality, skill, and experience, ‘Own It!’. If ever in doubt, ask yourself ‘What would I do if I was not afraid?’. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic! #Money20/20, Almudena Solera, Danny Levy, Scarlett Sieber  

What a special evening last night 💫 Innovate Finance Women in FinTech Powerlist celebration evening at Google HQ. It felt so good (and a relief!!) to hear people talking my language... ✨ Sabrina Del Prete showing age and sex are no barrier to founding your own rocket ship with a strong culture to punch ✨ Ylva Oertengren raising capital at 8 months pregnant, who says you cant! ✨ Amy Fisher sharing Zopa Banks mission with Code First Girls and all our successes, plus how part time roles in C-Level roles CAN work.❣ We need more VC's backing female founded businesses. We need more women in the FTSE 100. We need more women on boards. We need more equality, we must keep going. We know it pays...we're bloody brilliant 😝 Fintech in the UK is THRIVING💥 If you want to join the fun > https://careers.zopa.com/

Thank you Oge Opara-Nadi, Head of Developer Experience and Operational Excellence at Fintechs for joining me on an episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions. Oge shares: 👏 her career journey, highlighting the systemic barriers faced by women and underrepresented groups in tech and fintech. 👏 the importance of building diverse and inclusive teams by establishing long-term talent relationships and reducing subjectivity in hiring. 👏 retaining team members by aligning their values with organisational goals and focusing on their intrinsic motivations. 👏 best-in-class management advice. 👏 adaptable management styles tailored to individual needs. 👏 how to cultivate awareness and empathy in the workplace to support authentic inclusion and foster a more inclusive and effective fintech industry. #inclusionatwork #FinTechsDEIDiscussions #HumansofFinTech #WalkTheTalk #DiversityinTech

Thrilled to continue our Female Founders in Fintech EU Office Hours series into 2024 with the first session of the year happening on Thursday 29th of February 🗓 (sign-up link below) Myself, Ellen Logan and D'Arcy Jade Whelan started these sessions in 2023 with the aim of opening up the fintech-focused experience and network of our funds - Augmentum Fintech, Outward VC, Portage - to more female-led companies. It’s fair to say the response in 2023 exceeded our expectations - across the year we connected with a total of 59 teams 🤝 During the sessions, fundraising strategy was the most popular topic of discussion and, with just 1% and 12% of VC funding going to all-female and mixed gender teams respectively in 2023, there is no question that this is an area that we as individuals, funds and an industry must to do more to address. Advice and network only go so far - capital has to follow - but as far as we can offer support to female-led teams through these sessions we will continue to do so. 2023 in review: - Connected with 59 female-led fintechs across 10 office hour sessions - These teams are building companies across a diverse mix of fintech verticals - Wealth & Asset Management (34% of sign-ups) and Payments (20%) the most popular - 74% of our sign-ups came from Linkedin, 23% via investor and founder networks and 3% through in-person events - thank you to everyone who engaged with our posts and shared the scheme - it really makes a difference in terms of our reach! Sign up for Feb 29th session here https://lnkd.in/eiUCYa9X Note - the meetings are virtual (over zoom) 👩💻 Please do continue to share across your network! 🌍 #fintech #femalefounders