In this episode of the AI Interconnect podcast, Laurent Cochet interviews Raghu, the founder of Zolve, a company dedicated to helping newcomers build their banking and credit history from day one. Raghu shares his journey from running a ride-hailing startup in India to identifying the challenges faced by immigrants in accessing credit in the US. He discusses the importance of compliance in the FinTech industry, the significance of customer retention and referral, and the trust needed in lending to immigrants. Raghu also outlines Zolve's future vision for global banking and the lessons learned throughout his entrepreneurial journey.

Takeaways

Raghu's background includes running a ride-hailing startup and angel investing.

Startups in India lag behind those in China and the US.

Building credit history for immigrants is a significant challenge.

Compliance is crucial in the FinTech industry and must come first.

Retention and referral rates are key metrics for Zolve's success.

Migrants represent a valuable customer segment for banks.

Zolve aims to expand geographically and diversify its product offerings.

Listening to customer feedback is essential for understanding their needs.

Trust in lending to immigrants is often underestimated.

Founders should seek advice from industry experts to navigate compliance.

Titles

Building Credit for Immigrants: The Zolve Journey

Navigating Compliance in FinTech: Insights from Raghu

Sound bites

"We are looking at geographic expansion."

"We want to be the flattened world."

"I learned compliance the hard way."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Zolve and Raghu's Background

07:04 The Challenges of Building Credit History for Immigrants

11:18 Navigating Compliance in FinTech

16:44 Understanding Customer Segments and Retention Strategies

22:40 The Importance of Trust in Lending to Immigrants

25:27 Future Vision and Expansion Plans for Zolve

30:35 Key Decisions and Lessons Learned as a Founder

33:26 Advice for Founders in Regulated Markets

Keywords

Zolve, Raghu, credit history, immigrants, FinTech, compliance, customer retention, lending, startup advice, global banking, Raghunandan Gangappa, Zolve, Zolve fintech, cross border banking, immigrant banking USA, international student banking, credit history portability, credit card underwriting, fintech compliance, fintech regulation, B2C fintech scaling, global banking infrastructure, cross border finance, credit cards without credit history, fintech lending, financial identity, AI in fintech, credit risk modeling, compliance driven fintech, global mobility finance, banking for migrants, fintech founders, AI InterConnect podcast

#AIInterConnect, #Podcast, #RaghunandanGangappa, #Zolve,

#FinTech, #CrossBorderBanking, #CreditInfrastructure, #ImmigrantBanking, #InternationalStudents, #CreditCards,

#FinTechCompliance, #FinancialIdentity, #GlobalFinance, #BankingInnovation, #FinTechFounders,

#StartupLeadership, #B2CFinTech, #RegulatedMarkets, #GlobalMobility, #CreditHistory,

#AIinFinTech, #FinTechPodcast, #FounderStory, #ScaleUp, #TechLeadership,

#StartupPodcast, #GlobalStartups, #FinTechInsights, #AIInterConnectPodcast

Raghunandan Gangappa, Founder of Zolve, joins AI InterConnect to explain how cross border credit and banking really work for immigrants and international students.

In this episode, Raghu shares the origin story behind Zolve, why credit history does not travel across borders, and how credit cards became the fastest way to build financial identity in a new country. He breaks down the hidden challenges of fintech, including compliance pressure, capital constraints, interest rate shifts, and migration policy risk.

The conversation dives into real operator lessons on scaling a B2C fintech company, listening to customer calls as an operating system, and building trust in highly regulated markets.

Subscribe to AI InterConnect for weekly conversations with founders and operators building real companies in complex industries.