Aleksandra (Ola) Sroka-Krzyżak

WEALTHON secures €11.5 million in debt financing to boost support for Polish SMEs #Wealthon, a Warsaw-based #fintech startup dedicated to supporting SMEs and offering innovative financial tools, has secured €11.5 million in debt financing (PLN 50 million) from funds managed by CVI Dom Maklerski. This significant investment will enable Wealthon to scale its operations, develop new financial products, and expand its business footprint. Founded in 2018, Wealthon has quickly become a vital player in the financial support sector for SMEs. The company's flagship product, the Wealthon POSCASH loan, utilizes a proprietary scoring system that assesses customer creditworthiness and delivers automatic decisions in record time. Unique to this product, the repayment amount is based on the daily turnover at the payment terminal, making it ideal for businesses with seasonal income fluctuations. Co-founders Aleksander Majchrzak and Aleksander Przetakiewicz have been instrumental in driving Wealthon's innovative approach to SME financing. CVI Dom Maklerski BOŚ SA, an independent investment company established in 2012, manages portfolios for 11 investment funds with a total AUM of €800 million. Their investment in Wealthon was facilitated by the law firm Juzala Salwa and marks a vote of confidence in Wealthon's strategic vision and operational stability. Wealthon's innovative financial solutions cater to the growing demand for fast and convenient financing among SMEs in Poland. In May, Wealthon partnered with IdoSell to create financing solutions tailored to e-commerce stores, addressing the unique challenges of the domestic e-commerce market. With this fresh funding, Wealthon is poised to enhance its product offerings, continue technology development, and solidify its position as a market leader. CEO Aleksander Majchrzak expressed gratitude to their business partners, particularly CVI Dom Maklerski, for their support. He emphasized that this financing move brings Wealthon closer to market leadership and enables them to implement a comprehensive ecosystem of tools and services, a unique offering in the Polish market. The article on #AinCapital in the first comment. Want to stay up to date with the market? Here my newsletter: - Linkedin: https://t.ly/s541W   - Substack: https://lnkd.in/dzfGJzmW

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A stronger global economy? More equities, please....   Yesterday (6 June), the ECB trimmed interest rates but gave the market few clues about future cuts. The US Fed might not reduce interest rates at all in 2024. What is happening? Some leading indicators we (at EnCor) use in our cross-asset allocation model (see our chart) are suggesting the global economy is growing faster than commentators expect. This will mean higher trend inflation, likely implying few or no interest rate cuts from G10 Central Banks in the near to medium term. It also means that Equities should be in favour. As we outlined last month in our latest client webinar, we again increased weights in Equities in our clients' portfolios for Q2 2024. #assetallocation #wealthmanagement #equities

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Period of fast disinflation comes to an end in CEE as economies recover. The 1Q24 GDP growth proved to be solid in the region, driven mostly by private consumption. As households regain purchasing power, private consumption is likely to be the key driver of the growth in 2024. Increased willingness to save may, however, moderate households’ overall spending. We expect GDP growth to be around 1.3% in Czechia and above 3% in Croatia and Serbia. Further, investment activity has slowed or declined, due to the EU funds downturn at the beginning of the new budgeting period. Economic sentiment has so far been stronger than in 2023. In recent months, however, confidence indicators in industry and retail sectors have been moving sideways. PMIs in manufacturing are above the threshold of 50 only in Romania, but recovering German exports allow for optimism regarding growth of industry in the region. In the second half of the year, headline inflation is likely to increase in several CEE countries. External factors provide a mixed bag. In general, however, a period of fast disinflation comes to an end and space for rate cuts has been narrowing in the region. We currently see upside risks to our year-end forecast of the key interest rate in Czechia (currently at 4%). Monetary easing is coming to an end in Hungary. Romania and Serbia are expected to lower key interest rates in the months to come, but the more the central banks wait, the less space they may have. The ECB cut key interest rates by 25 basis points in June. This should be the last missing piece for Romania and Serbia, as inflation has been easing lately. Juraj Kotian Jakub Čery Full report is available at: https://lnkd.in/e-pv4vqn #GDP #inflation #monetarypolicy

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Great solution to enhance customer transactional banking experience indeed. In my view such kind of solution is a must for any modern bank.

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🎉 #CEE24: TOPICS ANNOUNCEMENT 🔊 I'm thinking of forming a separate panel about #embedded #SME #finance at the upcoming #CEE24 SME Banking Conference. While this topic has been discussed much, there aren't many examples when it comes to SME finance. That's why I'd like to 🎉 spotlight two great examples of embedded SME finance from Poland: 1. Embedded #BNPL solutions for B2B by Grupa Pragma (PragmaGO.tech) - non-banking SME lending & factoring company - integrated into the biggest e-commerce platforms in Poland (Allegro, Shoper etc.) In total – 112 e-commerce platforms. Read more➡️ https://lnkd.in/diwf-AFM 2. ING Lease (Polska) launched Lease Now in 2022. Business customers can use Lease Now as a way of payment for their equipment when they buy it online. Read more➡️ https://lnkd.in/duy22HfC ❓Are you interested in diving deeper into this topic❓Are you thinking of offering BNPL for your SME customers? Share your thoughts in the comments🙌 

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20 YEARS IN EU 🇪🇺 Celebrating 20 years since Slovakia entered the European single market in panel discussions with representatives of EIB, European Commission and National Bank of Slovakia. Thanks for the invitation 🙏 and opportunity to share our views on what needs to be done in order to repeat Slovak success story once again! Preparation for demographic changes, increase investments into R&D, support innovation culture and improvement of digital skills are just a few examples we recommend in our Prosperity Index. #Slovenskasporitelna #Research #IndexProsperity

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Centralized or decentralized? Take a look at my interview with Telewizja Biznesowa and see which option we at zondacrypto prefer, and why. Thanks for a great conversation!

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Call for CEE disruptors in #Fintech #Startups or #Tech! See and talk to you here! FinTech Hub CEE | Mastercard

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What is the current crypto market situation? 🔎 Despite recent turbulence in the market, it is still possible to believe that the bull run is not over. We learned this from FXMAG's editor-in-chief Dawid Augustyn's YouTube interview with our product manager Jacek Kubiak. Here are the key points: 1/ Bitcoin and the Halving Cycle ⛏ - Historical Halving Cycles: Each halving cycle has shown some patterns but behaved differently each time. Bitcoin's price does not always align with halving predictions. - Current Valuations: Based on historical data, Bitcoin is currently valued higher than expected, suggesting either a higher bottom or an overestimation influenced by ETF approvals. - Future Price Predictions: A model predicts Bitcoin's price post-halving to reach approximately $200,000 by the end of next year. 2/ ETFs on Cryptocurrencies 🏦 - Current and Future ETFs: Bitcoin ETFs have been introduced, and there's anticipation for Ethereum and Solana ETFs. - Regulatory Uncertainty: Ethereum ETF approval is still pending, and the regulatory environment remains cautious and selective. - Potential Impact of ETFs: If Ethereum ETFs get approved, it could open the door for Solana ETF and other major crypto, potentially enhancing market diversification. 3/ The Altcoin Market 📈 - Current State of Altcoins: There's skepticism about many altcoins, as they often lack practical utility and are seen as speculative investments. - Bitcoin’s Dominance: Despite criticism of Bitcoin's older technology, it continues to maintain a strong market position compared to newer projects. - Speculative Nature: The altcoin market is heavily driven by speculation and hype, with a significant risk of pump-and-dump schemes. 4/ Regulatory Environment ⚖ - MICA Regulations: Upcoming regulations (MICA) are intended to bring more order and safety to the cryptocurrency market but may push smaller businesses into the gray market. - Preparedness for Regulation: Companies that are prepared for regulatory changes will likely fare better, while those unprepared may struggle. 5/ General Advice for Investors 🤝 - Caution Against Pump-and-Dump: Investors should be wary of schemes designed to inflate and then rapidly deflate crypto values. - Focus on Established Cryptocurrencies: Beginners are advised to start with well-established cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum before exploring the broader market. Concluding remarks? 📝 The crypto market is in a dynamic phase, with potential regulatory and market changes ahead. That's why investors should remain cautious, stay informed about regulatory developments, and know the speculative nature of the market. Watch the full video here (in PL): https://lnkd.in/dtc_BHqg

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Absolutely thrilled to have been part of the brilliantly organized #WomenInTechSummit in Warsaw! 🎉 This significant event gathers both women and men interested in further development, new job opportunities, and learning. Business 🏢 and academic 🎓 representatives under one roof share their experiences with participants. 🌐💼 #ESG - I was a panelist, discussing the practical aspects of ESG, expertly moderated by the fantastic Joanna Maraszek from PlanBe.eco. We focused on implementing #carbonfootprint counting in transactions and other practices among B2B and B2C clients, and the potential of green initiatives. 🌍💼💡 We also debated on #ecommerce vs. traditional retail - what’s better for the planet? Plus, we explored the business opportunities related to ESG. In my opinion, ESG offers the greatest opportunities to small and medium-sized enterprises (including FinTech) for rapid development in new directions. 🚀🎯 #Inclusion - What was truly commendable were the inclusive measures taken by the organizers. Children under 18 could join with a parent for free, drinking water was freely available, and non-gender restrooms were provided. They even organized a collection of unused mobile phones and had a kids' corner, making it a family-friendly event. 👪💧📱 Being part of the Women in Tech Summit was a truly enriching experience. Here's to more such empowering events! 👩‍💼💪💫 #WomenInTechSummit #ESG #Finance #Innovation #Leadership #KnowledgeSharing 😊

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#ABSL Conference in Krakow. Debate: Business services sector and FDI go hand in hand. Forget about the past. Transform service center’s to business hubs. Low profiles jobs will be automated or moved to other attractive location. Poland should find its way to respond to transformation strategy. We have employment gap with lowest unemployment rate and attracting talents from other countries is a must. AI is not a game changer, people who possess unique skills to develop AI is game changer. Be brave to reorganise your organisation. Are we playing in local or global league? Change of mentality, behaviour is crucial. Pool of talent is your assets. Math and logic skills are very high in Poland and yet Poland was not on short list for AI competencies. Our role is to build a new narrative and value proposition for future investors. Moving engineers from Ukraine and Bielarus enriched IT talent pool. Don’t ask for permission ask for forgiveness. Take control and take decisions where you see blockers. Try things and form your opinion based on data! Great beginning!

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Krystian Strabanik Adam Kosmala PKO Bank Polski finances the development of open fibre optic networks in Poland Together with a consortium of seven financial institutions, we have signed a loan agreement with a total value of PLN 2.8 billion with Fiberhost, INEA and related companies. Our stake amounts to PLN 600 million. "Open fibre networks are one of the most effective ways to introduce digital services in areas where residents have limited or no access to high-speed fibre internet. Such infrastructure and the services provided through it are crucial for the effective digital transformation of our country and the pursuit of climate neutrality, in line with the assumptions of the European Green Deal. That is why we are glad that we can financially support Fiberhost and INEA in the implementation of their business targets," says Marcin Majewski, Head of the Corporate Clients Relationship Division at PKO Bank Polski PKO Bank Polski supports its corporate clients in the implementation of investment projects. The financing will be used to achieve the group's strategic objectives, a.o. the development of a multi-fibre network, the expansion of the range of services on open networks and the refinancing of existing debt. #PKOBankPolski #PKOBP #loanmarkets #projectfinance #investment

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Next week, I will have pleasure to deliver my contribution to the 15th Global Banking Innovation Forum & Expo in Prague. Looking forward meeting all professionals & colleagues from the European digital banking industry and talk about solutions we can effectively bring to market. Out of many things that are going on, this time, I would like to address the point of creating seamless digital user journeys backed by data. It is of a critical importance for any digital service provider to have mastered its product origination journey, there are very, very big money behind making a sourcing funnel conversion mastered. Every use case we develop in our digital bank involves a longer or a shorter digital journey and every journey has friction points, always, often triggered not by technology, but by regulation. Moreover, we need to connect often more digital journeys together to deliver a great user experience, starting at an e-commerce partner and continued at bank. The game is on making a digital journey short, seamless minimizing frictions, w/o any waiting times & interruptions, all in one session, with great UX maximizing conversion and eventual up-sell, minimizing cost. Will be glad to share our experience and exchange about this and other topics that drive the digital banking industry forwards. #digitalbanking #lending #bankinginnovation #userjourneys #funnel #digitalKYC #digitallending

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The invoice finance marketplace looks like a perfect solution for #SMEs: the customer uploads an invoice once and receives offers from all players on the market in one place. We discussed the pros and cons of such a model both for the factors and customers. Watch in detail below ↙️↙️

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📢 We end this working week by announcing another partner of the network. Please welcome modern and innovative JSC Altbank, the new member of Transparent Network. We appreciate your support. 🤝 More good news is coming, so stay tuned. 👀 #banking #Ukraine #news #payment #finance #economy #TransparentNetwork

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[Save The Date] How to master payment processes while remaining fraud-proof? Expert leaders from UniCredit and Trustpair will share their knowledge and best practices to empower your business in an ever-changing payment ecosystem. 🚀 Learn about the changing financial landscape, from standard to instant payments 💡 Understand instant payment opportunities and risks for effective risk management 🔎 Explore proactive fraud prevention measures for robust payment processes ✅ Acquire actionable insights to enhance payment system security Join us on May 14, 5:00 PM (CET) during a dedicated webinar session. Follow the link to register: https://lnkd.in/eEdPxDiw #fraud #instantpayment #treasurer #process #finance Baptiste COLLOT

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