The third of four episodes that we recorded at Pay360, a conference and expo that brought the global payments conversation to London.
Our guests were:
Angelina Kuznetsova, Senior Managing Director at Arma Partners 
Angelina Kuznetsova, Senior Managing Director at Arma Partners, provided an overview of her company and role in an interview with Debbie. Arma Partners is a prominent European investment banking boutique focused on advising businesses in the digital economy, specifically within technology, fintech, data, and IT services. Angelina’s role involves providing advisory services on both the buy and sell side, helping clients in fintech and payments with raising funds, facilitating exit buyouts, and advising on mergers and acquisitions.
In discussing the fintech ecosystem, Angelina highlighted the challenging period of 2022/23, where funding and M&A activity were limited. However, she remains optimistic about 2025, citing pent-up demand for deals and capital, suggesting a more positive outlook for the year ahead.
When asked about current trends, Angelina noted that investors are increasingly focused on the stability, scalability, and security of technology platforms, particularly in relation to their ability to withstand cyber threats and integrate with other systems. She also emphasised the growing importance of artificial intelligence (AI), urging companies to develop thoughtful strategies for AI, whether by partnering with AI providers or adapting to its impact on their business models.
Angelina also serves as a judge for the Pay360 Awards, where she has been involved for nearly five years. She commended the structure and continuous evolution of the judging process, noting the expanded number of categories and geographical reach. The awards place a strong emphasis on fairness, and the judging process includes thorough discussions and regular evaluations to ensure impartiality. As a result, the awards have attracted more entries and innovation, making them a key platform for recognising emerging businesses in the fintech space.0
Dewald Nolte, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Entersekt 
Dewald Nolte, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Entersekt, discussed the company’s mission to improve digital banking and payment authentication. Entersekt was founded after a family member’s bank account was fraudulently emptied, leading the company to focus on simplifying secure online transactions.
Dewald outlined the evolution of fraud, from simple username-password systems to more complex methods like man-in-the-middle attacks and authenticated push payment fraud. He stressed the importance of advanced tools and AI in detecting fraud, while also emphasising the need for high-quality data to make accurate decisions.
He also spoke about the potential of digital identity technology, which could enable secure services like age-gated content and centralised online identities. However, Dewald cautioned about the security risks, especially with deepfakes and AI-driven fraud. Despite the challenges, he is optimistic about the opportunities digital identity presents.
Guy Noble, UK CEO of Guavapay 
Guy Noble, UK CEO of Guavapay, discussed the company’s mission to simplify payments and address financial inclusion challenges. Guavapay, celebrating its eighth anniversary, has focused on building technology to serve both consumers and businesses, offering a wide range of payment solutions.
Guy highlighted the growing global issue of financial inclusion, noting that in the UK alone, 1.1 million adults are underserved by financial services. He also pointed out that many migrant workers globally face similar challenges. Guavapay aims to bridge this gap by leveraging technology to offer accessible services, especially post-COVID, where the demand for immediate financial solutions has increased.
When discussing the business case for engaging with the non-banked population, Guy emphasized that there is still revenue to be made while fulfilling a societal responsibility to support all demographics. He also mentioned the challenges faced by UK SMEs, including fragmented financial services, and how Guavapay addresses these by offering streamlined payment solutions, card acceptance, and multi-channel support to help businesses manage their finances efficiently.
In conclusion, Guy underscored the importance of providing cohesive and customer-centric solutions for businesses and consumers alike.
Abhi Julaniya, Partner at Simon-Kucher
Abhi Julaniya, Partner at Simon-Kucher, discussed how the consulting firm helps businesses grow by focusing on pricing and monetization strategies. Simon-Kucher specializes in driving revenue growth across the entire journey, from proposition design to execution, with expertise in pricing being central to their approach.
Abhi outlined their monetization framework, which consists of five pillars: defining clear objectives (e.g., margins, market share), understanding customer segments based on needs, creating an offer structure that resonates with those segments, setting appropriate price metrics based on usage, and finally, determining price levels that reflect both market rates and the value provided.
Their three-phase approach includes understanding the business and creating proof of concepts, testing them with customers, and refining recommendations based on feedback. This process typically takes 8-14 weeks.
Abhi also highlighted a key trend in the payments industry: the shift from basic payments to more integrated solutions. Companies are now embedding payments into broader workflows, like invoicing and reconciliation, creating additional revenue streams and improving customer experiences.
