Accion VentureKast

Venture Lab

5.0 (10)
BUSINESS

VentureKast is the podcast about fintech and financial inclusion. Hosted by Vikas Raj, Managing Director of Accion Venture Lab, VentureKast features the stories of the entrepreneurs and investors who are using inclusive fintech to serve the three billion people around the world who are underserved by the mainstream financial system. Accion Venture Lab is a global venture fund at Accion that invests in fintech for financial inclusion.

12/17/2020

Growing digital tools to match workers’ needs: An interview with SmartMEI’s Carlos Dejavite

“Most microentrepreneurs here in Brazil… don’t have a lot of the tools that a bigger business would get. And they were struggling a lot,” says Carlos Dejavite, co-founder of SmartMEI, on the final episode of a four-part miniseries of VentureKast. In this series, we discuss insights from Accion Venture Lab’s latest publication, which explores how fintech startups can “win from within” by focusing on building value for their existing users. SmartMEI’s app offers microentrepreneurs and other workers operating in the gig economy in Brazil — like delivery drivers, street vendors, and electricians — business solutions and a gateway to banking services. SmartMEI continues to evolve their platform and scale new products so these workers can succeed.

16 min
12/09/2020

Deepening support for farmers in East Africa: An interview with Apollo Agriculture's Eli Pollak

Apollo Agriculture co-founder and CEO Eli Pollak joins VentureKast to share how Apollo is staying focused on helping their small-scale farmer customers improve their incomes. Apollo Agriculture empowers small-scale farmers in East Africa with the tools they need to maximize their profits, produce food for their communities, and build financial stability for their families. Through a digital-first approach, they’re reaching rural farmers and building on their services to meet more of their needs.

18 min
12/01/2020

Engaging existing users to drive growth: An interview with Advance's Jaime de los Angeles

An interview with Jaime de los Angeles, CEO of Advance, a salary-on-demand platform in the Philippines that is engaging directly with users in order to “win from within."

19 min
11/24/2020

Three ways startups can grow by focusing on existing users

Accion Venture Lab's Amee Parbhoo joins the first episode of a four-part mini-series of VentureKast to discuss insights and strategies from Accion Venture Lab's latest publication, which explores how fintech startups can grow by focusing on building value for their existing users. Amee also shares highlights from the report's case studies of nine fintech startups that are pursuing these strategies around the world. CEOs from three of the startups featured in the report will be interviewed in later episodes of the series.

16 min
08/27/2020

"The pandemic is a moment to get in touch" — Creditas’ Ann Williams

In episode ten of VentureKast: Rebuild, Creditas COO Ann Williams explains how Creditas has reached out to their customers during COVID-19 to find out how they can help. The company’s digital platform and focus on long-term customer relationships has led them to design fair, transparent, and affordable financial services and consumer solutions for people in Brazil and Mexico. With this approach, the company is continuing to design new ways to engage with their customers, share more information, and innovate with new relevant products.

17 min
08/20/2020

"We need collaboration and a multi-stakeholder approach" — CFI’s Mayada El-Zoghbi

In episode nine of VentureKast: Rebuild, managing director of the Center for Financial inclusion Mayada El-Zoghbi explains how COVID-19 has impacted different populations and sectors of the economy in unique ways depending on existing infrastructures, government responses, and “how digitally connected people are.” Mayada discusses how microfinance institutions are going digital, while digital ID systems, e-commerce, and innovative lending can scale to provide inclusive financial services to vulnerable customers. Mayada’s message is an inspiring one as she emphasizes the importance of collaboration across the ecosystem.

18 min
08/13/2020

“More solutions focused on fluidity, solving for rigidity in our system" LendStreet's Jerry Nemorin

In episode eight of VentureKast: Rebuild, co-founder and CEO of LendStreet Jerry Nemorin explains that customers of traditional lenders struggle to cope with financial shocks caused by events like the COVID-19 pandemic. Data aggregation and a focus on consumer financial behavior has enabled LendStreet “to assess, identify and to structure the appropriate … loan that fits [a] client’s capacity.” Looking forward, Jerry urges us to “acknowledge and understand that consumers’ financial lives are fluid” and expects that “we will see more solutions that are focused on that fluidity and solving for rigidity in our system.”

18 min
08/06/2020

“The pandemic provides lots of new problems for entrepreneurs to solve" – Field's Michael Moreland

In episode  seven  of  VentureKast: Rebuild, Co-Founder and CEO of Field Intelligence Michael Moreland explains how his pharmaceutical supply chain company leverages tech and data to help keep local pharmacies open and stocked during the COVID-19 pandemic. His work is more important than ever as vulnerable populations increasingly rely on community-based health care solutions amidst lockdowns. Although “the COVID pandemic has exposed risks embedded throughout the health system,” Michael is confident in the “ability [of] entrepreneurs to see those risks and think creatively about how we can re-balance them within the system.”

19 min
07/30/2020

“Everyone is out there reassessing how much liquidity they have” – Toffee Insurance’s Rohan Kumar

In episode six of VentureKast: Rebuild, Co-Founder and CEO of Toffee Insurance Rohan Kumar explains how the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a “mass behavioral change” in the form of increased demand for insurance products, and why fintechs are uniquely positioned to meet the increased demand with truly affordable, flexible, and high-quality digital offerings. Toffee leverages its digital infrastructure, including payments and claims management, to offer simple health, home, and income insurance to the 500 million Indians who have historically been overlooked by traditional insurers.

22 min

9 Episodes

out of 5

10 Ratings

If you like Startup, you'll love Venturekast

03/29/2016

MissTaylorTT

Entertaining, informative, funny. Great listen for entrepreneurs or anyone interested in startups generally or financial inclusion startups in particular.

Creator

Venture Lab
Years Active

2015 - 2020
Episodes

9
Rating

Clean
Show Website

Accion VentureKast

Accion VentureKast

Episodes

Growing digital tools to match workers’ needs: An interview with SmartMEI’s Carlos Dejavite

Deepening support for farmers in East Africa: An interview with Apollo Agriculture's Eli Pollak

Engaging existing users to drive growth: An interview with Advance's Jaime de los Angeles

Three ways startups can grow by focusing on existing users

"The pandemic is a moment to get in touch" — Creditas’ Ann Williams

"We need collaboration and a multi-stakeholder approach" — CFI’s Mayada El-Zoghbi

“More solutions focused on fluidity, solving for rigidity in our system" LendStreet's Jerry Nemorin

“The pandemic provides lots of new problems for entrepreneurs to solve" – Field's Michael Moreland

“Everyone is out there reassessing how much liquidity they have” – Toffee Insurance’s Rohan Kumar

Ratings & Reviews

If you like Startup, you'll love Venturekast

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