Beyond The Capital from SuperTech: Recent Episodes
SuperTech
In this new series of Beyond the Capital, we're celebrating the Commonwealth Games coming to Birmingham. We'll be doing our own baton relay and making virtual visits to Commonwealth countries to explore their start-up and scale-up scenes.
Beyond the Capital is the UK’s first podcast dedicated to showcasing professional services technology outside of London, brought to you by SuperTech. Each episode explores how ProfTech industries and professionals can thrive beyond the capital. Whether you’re part of a FinTech start-up, an established law firm, a policy-maker or a techy entrepreneur dabbling in real estate; this series is designed for anyone interested in the future of professional services and the role of technology.
Hosted by regional Professional Services champion Hilary Smyth-Allen. Want to be part of the regional conversation? Get in touch: hello@supertechwm.com.
In this series of Beyond The Capital, we’re exploring the power of partnerships. The number of Brits owning properties in Spain continues to rise according to recent data. But the process of holiday home ownership is complicated. One Birmingham-based business is working to address this. Bueno is a one-stop platform for property owners.
In this episode, Hilary speaks to Felix Hughes of Bueno. They discuss:
- Bueno's strategic partnerships with 'banking as a service' providers, payment enablers, insurance companies, and home security enablers to offer a comprehensive financial ecosystem
- The company has faced challenges in its first three years, including swapping out technology partners and navigating regulatory requirements
- What the future holds
To find out more about Bueno click here.
To find out more about SuperTech WM click here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series of Beyond The Capital, we’re exploring the power of partnerships.
For this episode, we hear from a Birmingham-based start-up that’s leveraged different types of partnerships to help it grow. Lexverify is an AI-powered risk management assistant that helps identify legal and compliance risks in emails and other electronic communications.
Hilary is joined by Cristian Gherhes, the Founder and CEO of Lexverify. They spoke about:
- Early customers as partners
- The ethical issues of compliance tools and employees
- Investors and how their expertise it crucial to startups’ growth
- Raising seed funding of £900k
To find out more about Lexverify click here.
To find out more about SuperTech WM click here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A West Midlands-based business aims to make owning a car much easier. In this episode of Beyond The Capital from SuperTech, Hilary speaks to Paul Jewell, the founder and CEO of CarCloud Community - an app that manages insurance, car finance, and key dates in one place.
In this series of the podcast, we're talking about the power of partnerships. CarCloud's partnership with Reach Plc has helped it connect with a large audience through Reach's local news apps. Through this partnership, CarCloud reached more than 100,000 users and now has nearly £2 billion worth of cars on the platform.
Hilary and Paul spoke about:
- How the partnership with Reach Plc helped CarCloud reach a larger audience to offer personalised news and car insurance options
- CarCloud's partnership with MoneySupermarket
- The company's plans to expand in Europe
To find out more about CarCloud click here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this series of Beyond the Capital from SuperTech, we're exploring the power of partnerships.
How can an international bank tap into local tech talent and innovation in the West Midlands?
To answer that question and learn more about its regional partnerships, Hilary is joined in this episode by Richard Newland, Chief Customer Officer, BNP Paribas Personal Finance. They discuss:
- BNP Paribas Personal Finance's involvement with The Innovation Lab - a fintech incubator programme in partnership with SuperTech and STEAMhouse
- How collaboration helps BNP Paribas Personal Finance innovate, stay relevant and provide fresh ideas
- How that innovation is crucial for delivering a great customer experience in a competitive banking industry
- BNP Paribas Personal Finance's partnership with charities and local organisations, including Teach First, The Canal & River Trust and the Solihull Business Improvement District
You can find out more about The Innovation Lab here.
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In a brand new series of Beyond the Capital from SuperTech, we're exploring the power of partnerships.
In the first episode, Hilary Smyth-Allen speaks to Indy Johal, COO and interim CEO of Advance Credit Union, to discuss how credit unions work and their role in building a more inclusive financial services sector. They also talk about the level of need for financial inclusion in Birmingham and the West Midlands, and the importance of partnerships in delivering on that need. Indy shares his vision for the future of Advance Credit Union and the credit union industry as a whole.
They discuss:
- Credit unions are member-led organisations that provide lower interest rates and cater to vulnerable members of society.
- There is a high demand for financial inclusion in the region.
- Partnerships with community leaders, MPs, and event organisers are crucial for raising awareness and reaching out to members of the community.
- Technology plays a key role in improving the services and reach of credit unions.
- The credit union industry as a whole needs more recognition and support to be seen as a viable alternative to traditional banks.
To find out more about Advance Credit Union click here.
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Beyond The Capital is back with a new series!
This time, Hilary Smyth-Allen explores the power of partnerships and their crucial role in helping businesses flourish. She speaks to both big and small organisations about some of their most important partnerships.
Beyond The Capital is the podcast series from SuperTech about the professional services tech scene outside London. It's presented by proftech champion Hilary Smyth-Allen. SuperTech is based in Birmingham, West Midlands, and it is the UK’s only professional services tech supercluster. You can find out more about SuperTech and its work in the region here.
Follow Beyond The Capital on your favourite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.
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In this episode, Hilary speaks to Ash Ali, entrepreneur and author of the book, The Unfair Advantage. Ash was the first marketing director of Just Eat and has helped launch numerous businesses, including his most recent venture, Uhubs.
The Unfair Advantage explores how to capitalise on your differences and use them to your advantage.
Ash talks about growing up in Birmingham, imposter syndrome, presentism, dealing with failure (and the mindset that helped overcome this) and how results speak for themselves.
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In this episode, Hilary speaks to William Taaffe, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Lockdown Cyber Security.
They discuss:
Starting the company during the pandemic, targeting finance directors, how an early interest in computers and technology led to a career in cybersecurity and how many businesses still don’t fully appreciate the risks of cybercrime.
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In this episode, Hilary speaks to Mike Brooman, CEO of Vanti, a Birmingham-based smart buildings and technology company.
They discuss the importance of ESB and becoming B Corp certified, the challenge of integrating multiple systems in smart buildings, how Covid-19 and homeworking changed the agenda for office space, how an office should be a cross between a bar and a library and Vanti’s future growth plans.
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In the episode, we hear from someone who’s looking to revolutionise the way digital skills are taught in schools. Tessy Mosindi, founder and CEO of Code Funhouse, talks to Hilary about how her work as a teacher has helped her set up her business. Code Funhouse is a platform that teaches kids coding.
In this conversation, Tessy describes some of the challenges she has encountered as a tech entrepreneur including; the lack of a network, the funding gap for women and building confidence.
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In this episode, we hear from Surayyah Ahmad Sani, the co-founder ofEthco. Surayyah’s career has spanned two countries on two different continents. She founded Ethco to help consumers access their ethnic groceries and to help small shop owners sell online.
Surayyah talks about relocating to the UK from Nigeria, the challenges of being a female entrepreneur with children, how the risks can be greater for a woman if their business fails, the pressure not to talk about family/children as a female entrepreneur, and the funding gap for women, particularly black women.
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In this episode, Mac Alonge, founder and CEO of The Equal Group tells Hilary what inspired him to start the business. The Equal Group is an equality, diversity and inclusion consultancy.
They talk about: Mac’s 10-year career in the energy and utilities industry working in data and regulation, the transition from being an employee to a founder, work-life balance and flexible working.
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FutureMatch - a talent-hiring platform - was registered in February 2020, a few weeks before the country went into lockdown.
In this episode of Beyond The Capital, Hilary speaks to FutureMatch's CEO and founder, Kufa Matiya about launching the company during the pandemic. He also talks about:
- Training as a chef
- Lessons learnt from his previous start-up
- The disconnect between schools and careers
- How machine learning is used by the platform
- His squiggly career
- What 2023 holds for FutureMatch
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In this new series of Beyond The Capital, we’re exploring how to deal with adversity. You’ll hear from entrepreneurs and business leaders about how they’ve overcome major challenges to build thriving businesses.
In this episode, Matthew Adam, Chief Executive and Founder of We Are Digital, talks about the ups and downs of running the company he started in his bedroom 10 years ago. The Coventry-based social impact business has now grown to nearly 100 employees with an aim of £10 million in revenue this year. He tells Hilary:
- How his initial idea was to teach older people how to get
- How We Are Digital grew during Covid-19
- Why business is all about the people employed
- Why it helps to be an optimist
This episode was recorded on 16th February.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Beyond The Capital from SuperTech is back with a new series for 2023. This time, we're exploring how to deal with adversity.
Entrepreneurs and business leaders speak to Hilary Smyth-Allen about how they’ve overcome major challenges including financial, personal or launching during a pandemic. You'll hear how they've made it through ups and downs to build thriving businesses.
Beyond The Capital is a podcast series about the professional services tech scene outside of London.
The first episode is out on 14th March. Follow us on Apple, Spotify, or your favourite podcast app.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This year, the Commonwealth Games are coming to Birmingham.
So to celebrate, we’re doing our own baton relay. We’re making virtual visits to as many of the Commonwealth countries as we can, and exploring their start-up and scale-up scenes.
This is our last episode of the series. We’re hearing from two final Commonwealth countries: Singapore and South Africa. We’re going to find out about how they’ve become regional leaders in lawtech and fintech.
Hilary spoke to:
Lavina Ramkissoon, co-founder and vice-chair of the Fintech Association of South Africa to find out more about the country’s growing fintech ecosystem, how it fits into the wider African region and the big trends Lavina is seeing.
Jennifer Lim co-founder and editor of Lawtech Asia, about Singapore’s role as a legal innovation hub, how government support helps the sector and how Covid accelerated digital dispute resolution.
In this series, Beyond The Capital is celebrating the Commonwealth Games coming to Birmingham. We’re doing our own baton relay, exploring the start-up and scale-up scenes of as many Commonwealth countries as we can.
The Global Talent Visa enables leaders and potential leaders to work in the UK. In this episode, Hilary Smyth-Allen speaks to Josh Winfield, Global Talent Visa Lead at Tech Nation. They discuss:
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How the Global Talent Visa enables leading tech talent to move to the UK.
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Why the UK punches above its weight when it comes to attracting talent.
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Why India, Nigeria and other Commonwealth countries are hotspots for developing tech talent.
In this episode, we explore the links between India and the West Midlands, hearing from two businesses that operate in both places.
Hilary spoke to Ravi Ranjan, co-founder of Voilo, a fintech start-up that provides payments solutions for SMEs, and to Vik Tara, managing director and chief technology officer of Technology Blueprint, an established player in the proptech space.
In this episode, we hear from some of the innovative businesses involved in UK Research & Innovation’s Next Generation Services Challenge. The challenge has invested in projects that are using AI, data and digitisation to transform knowledge-based services, such as legal, accounting and insurance.
This episode was recorded on location at the UKRI Next Generation Services Challenge National Showcase at the NEC. Hilary spoke to:
- Melanie Knetsch, UKRI NGS Deputy Challenge Director & Deputy Director: innovation & impact, ESRC: UKRI
- Anthony Peake, CEO, Intelligent AI
- Shamus Rae, CEO, Engine B
In this episode, we’re exploring the proptech scene in Australia and hearing from one Birmingham-based business that has recently expanded there.
Shelli Trung is the Managing Partner at REACH Australia, a scale-up programme for real-estate companies wanting to expand globally. She explains how the country's proptech industry differs from other jurisdictions. Hilary speaks to Mike Bristow, CEO and co-founder of CrowdProperty, about the advantages of being based in the West Midlands and why launching in Australia made sense.
In this episode, we hear from Bermuda. The island territory has established itself as a global leader for regulating digital asset businesses. Hilary spoke to Rachel Nightingale, Senior Counsel at the law firm Walkers Global.
This episode was recorded on 9th February.
Nigeria is our next port of call. This episode explores Lagos’ start-up and scale-up scene, the cultural differences between doing business in Britain and Nigeria and the opportunities for cross border expansion and partnerships.
Hilary speaks to Birmingham-based Oyinkansola Adebayo, CEO & Founder of Niyo Enterprise and VC Scout for ADA Ventures, and to Lagos-based Faith Adesemowo,CEO of Social Lender, which enables people to borrow money based on their social media footprint.
Kicking off our virtual Commonwealth tour, we’re looking at no-code and low-code in Canada, the Caribbean and the UK.
Hilary Smyth-Allen speaks to:
- Chelsey Cabaj, a Canadian private investor involved in the introduction of no-code to Canada,
- Sergio Pengel - the CEO of Piedata and co-founder of No Code Caribbean,
- Ali Kazmi, the UK-based founder of Ethical Equity, an investment platform that connects ethical start-ups and scale-ups with investors.
SuperTech Seeds is a pre_accelerator leveraging the benefits of no_code for early-stage founders. Applications are open now:
https://www.supertechwm.com/seeds
In this new series of Beyond the Capital, we're celebrating the Commonwealth Games coming to Birmingham. We'll be doing our own baton relay and making virtual visits to Commonwealth countries to explore their start-up and scale-up scenes.
Beyond the Capital is the UK’s first podcast dedicated to showcasing professional services technology outside of London, brought to you by SuperTech. Each episode explores how ProfTech industries and professionals can thrive beyond the capital. Whether you’re part of a FinTech start-up, an established law firm, a policy-maker or a techy entrepreneur dabbling in real estate; this series is designed for anyone interested in the future of professional services and the role of technology.
Hosted by regional Professional Services champion Hilary Smyth-Allen. Want to be part of the regional conversation? Get in touch: hello@supertechwm.com.
In this episode, we’re exploring how virtual reality and augmented reality are changing the professional services landscape. Hilary spoke to Spencer Welch, Commercial Director of Birmingham-based VR company Holosphere and Thomas Toomse-Smith, Head of Innovation and Digital (Regulatory Standards) at the Financial Reporting Council. To find out more about Holosphere's work, click here. To read the FRC Lab report on Virtual and Augmented Reality in corporate reporting, click here.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In this episode, we explore Birmingham's growing clout on the international stage.
We hear from two companies: one that was established in the West Midlands and now operates globally. The other started in Norway and recently opted to open an operations hub in Birmingham.
Hilary spoke to Aaron Powers, co-founder and CEO of Hunit, the Software as a Service firm that allows lawyers to draft digital agreements using no-code.
She also chatted to Chris Purdie, Chief Commercial officer of PM Connect, the payments business which has recently inked deals with the NBA and cloud gaming provider, RemoteMyApp.
With the UK becoming a global fintech leader, this episode of Beyond The Capital explores how the regional scene is flourishing. It also examines the funding gap encountered by many fintechs on their growth journey. Hilary speaks to Michael Baptista, the founder of the venture capital firm Assembly Capital Partners, and Victoria Roberts, Director of the Fintech Delivery Panel at Tech Nation.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In this episode, we’re exploring the ethical challenges for the real estate sector when it comes to data collection. Hilary speaks to Dan Hughes, Founder of the Real Estate Data Foundation and Alpha Property Insight, to explore how the sector can successfully navigate the complexities of data collection, and examine the opportunities ahead.
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As the world moves towards net-zero emissions, this episode explores how fintech businesses are contributing to this transition. We also examine why the UK is becoming a world leader in financial innovation and sustainable finance and how other countries are watching closely.
Three fintech entrepreneurs discuss how their businesses are working towards a greener future. Presenter Hilary Smyth-Allen speaks to:
- Simon Healy, Chief Operating Officer of Ashman Finance
- Joey Jones, Co-Founder of CurveBlock
- Julianne Sloane, Co-Founder of Nossa Data
Diversity is a challenge for both the legal sector and the tech sector. But what about at their intersection, lawtech? What can companies do to encourage diversity and inclusion? To find out, Hilary spoke to Inez Brown, President of Birmingham Law Society and Partner at Harrison Clark Rickerbys; Joanna Goodman a journalist who writes about law and technology, and author of the book ‘Robots in Law: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Legal Services’; and to Professor Tim Vorley, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Oxford Brookes Business School.
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This episode explores the evolution of lawtech and its relationship with location and place.
Hilary is joined by James Quinn, co-founder of Clarilis which is located in Leamington Spa, and Joshua Walker, author of the book: 'On Legal AI' and co-founder of Lex Machina and Stanford University's CodeX, based in Palo Alto, California.
Both founders share their journey into lawtech and discuss the benefits of partnerships, communities and why the UK is fertile ground for start-ups in the sector.
To develop a new app or automate an existing system can cost a fortune. The process may take many months and the end result may be out-of-date by the time it is ready to be launched.
So, one solution is to build it yourself.
No-code development is revolutionising the world of app-building. It enables founders and existing businesses to create an app themselves at a fraction of the cost, without having to learn how to code first.
Hilary Smyth-Allen speaks to Emmanuel Straschnov, founder of a leading no-code platform Bubble, and to Jof Walters, co-founder of Million Labs, which helps launch no-code startups and runs no-code bootcamps.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Beyond the Capital is the UK’s first podcast dedicated to showcasing professional services technology outside of London, brought to you by SuperTech. Each episode explores how ProfTech industries and professionals can thrive beyond the capital.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.