Relentless Founder.
Proud Generalist.
Wicked Problem Solver.
GenAI Enthusiast.
I'm a relentless founder and tech/fintech enthusiast passionate about solving wicked problems and working with great people.
I bring a 30-plus-year track record of launching ventures, solving systemic challenges, and building high-impact companies at the intersection of tech, data, and business. My path blends strategic vision, execution grit, and deep sector expertise across startups, regulatory advisory, and global collaboration.
linkedin.com/in/jvarga for recent activity, experience and engagements.
Innovative Visionary
First-mover advantage: I’ve consistently identified and turned early market gaps into globally relevant products.
Challenger mindset: I question assumptions and disrupt norms.
Passionate Problem-Solver
Complexity into clarity: I thrive on untangling wicked problems and transforming ambiguity into strategic outcomes.
Analytical creativity: I combine systems thinking to solve high-stakes challenges.
Connector and Relationship-Builder
Global trust network: I build high-trust relationships across regulators, startups, and corporates, translating them into long-term partnerships.
Narrative influence: I help shape industry conversations through thought leadership that drives real-world outcomes.
Storytelling for action: I translate complex strategy into language, mobilising teams, investors, and policymakers.
Motivations & Drivers
Real-world innovation: I'm driven to build things that solve meaningful problems, especially in financial inclusion and equitable systems.
Infinite Mindset: I believe in scaling with others through mentorship, advisory work, and cross-functional collaboration.
Strategic challenge: I’m energised by complex, high-leverage problems that require systems thinking and decisive execution.
Habits & Patterns of Growth
Exploration-as-default: I seek new insights and models, applying them quickly through pilots and partnerships.
Structured signal-building: I turn experience into structured thought leadership to educate, provoke, and shape markets.
Opportunity through networks: I use trusted relationships as a source of asymmetric opportunities - accelerating go-to-market, funding, and credibility.
Decade of Multi-Sector Leadership and Impact.
Company builder: Launched and led 13+ ventures across fintech, SaaS, and emerging tech over 30+ years.
Global scale: Built a global SaaS platform serving clients in 46 countries across credit, lending, and risk.
First-to-market execution: Built the UK’s first Open Banking app in partnership with a major bank.
Rapid scaling: Drove 100% YoY growth in revenue and headcount by opening new verticals and entering international markets.
Capital attraction: Raised over $30M in strategic funding, including a €9M investment from IKEA’s Ingka Group for one project.
Ecosystem builder: Co-founded Innovate Finance and Open Banking Excellence, supporting 120+ fintechs and enabling cross-sector growth. Co-chaired the UK Open Banking Working Group and advised HM Treasury on data-sharing frameworks.
Regulatory innovation: Advised governments, agencies and universities on fintech and export strategy, shaping pro-innovation policies across the UK and beyond.
Enterprise traction: Secured 30+ enterprise customers, including Nasdaq, XE, Uber and Deliveroo.
Policy to practice: Serve as a DBT Export Champion and SE/SDI FinTech Champion for Scotland, helping firms expand into Europe, Asia, and North America.
Global voice: Delivered keynotes at Hong Kong FinTech Week, the UN, and other global stages to drive open finance adoption and personal data sovereignty.