The Ghost of FinTech Future
Twenty-five years where traditional financial services meet the entrepreneurs rewiring them.
I led product strategy for trading platforms at Goldman Sachs, BlackRock and E*TRADE, ran the Barclays Accelerator at Techstars, and founded Empire Startups. These days I also build software with a team of autonomous AI agents.
AI twin
25+
years building and backing financial technology
$1B+
combined value of investment in accelerated FinTech companies
2010
founded Empire Startups, playing a foundational role in building the global FinTech community as we know it
40
early-stage fintech investments
My software studio is staffed by AI agents.
I design every product. Autonomous AI agents write, test and review the code, inside a governance system I built: who can change what, which checks must pass, and when a human has to sign off. It's the question every financial institution now faces. How do you let AI act on its own and still stay in control?
Builder agent
Writes the change
Up to 18 automated checks
Scope, integrity, tests, screenshots
QA agent
Reproduces it independently
6-model review board
Each LLM reviews what it does best
Me
Final sign-off
Since April, my agents have shipped 646 epics across 13 codebases. 247 of them rewrote the rulebook that governs the agents themselves, and none went in without my approval.
From the trading floor to the startup edge
Ecosystems
Since 2010 Empire Startups has been a meeting point for banks, founders and investors. At Techstars I ran the Barclays Accelerator. I know how bank-fintech partnerships come together, and where they stall.
Capital
Former Techstars Managing Director and investor in 40 early-stage fintech companies. Judge for Innotribe, BBVA Open Talent, Startupbootcamp FinTech and TransferWise.
Infrastructure
Product strategy for institutional trading platforms at Goldman Sachs (REDI Plus), BlackRock, Instinet and E*TRADE: the plumbing banks, brokers and asset managers run on.
Lehigh University · BS, Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
A few of the founders I've backed
Bank Novo
New York · 2017
Sigma Ratings
New York · 2017
RealBlocks
New York · 2017
APPLICA.AI
Warsaw · 2018
vector.ai
London · 2018
Harvest Platform
New York · 2018
SendFriend
New York · 2018
Waffle Labs
2018
Finch
2019
Hubly
Vancouver · 2019
taptrip
Manchester · 2019
Lance
New York · 2019
Ask me anything
An AI version of me, briefed on my career and views. For anything that matters, write to the real me below.
Ask me about strategy, partnerships, investing or AI. Or start with one of these: