New York is a big city, but for the Fintech Venture Leaders flying there on September 16th, there’s only one address that matters. Wall Street is synonymous with investment, and Alberto Rama will be taking his Investment Navigator to key players in the industry, hoping they will see the powerful advantages it confers in a complex global marketplace.

This is the 7th part of the Fintech Startup Interview serial powered by Venturelab.

Venturelab brings this autumn 10 Swiss Fintech Startups to New York.

Alberto Rama

Who are you, and what’s your big idea?

Before co-founding Investment Navigator in September 2014, I worked for over a decade within UBS in different product management positions and played a pivotal role for suitability as one of the key contributors to the bank’s rule engine.

Investment Navigator is a suitability platform that efficiently provides regulatory, tax and product-specific information for services, funds and structured products in the local and cross-border advisory process of any financial intermediary. The platform is already used by over 100 financial service providers in Switzerland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Liechtenstein, Singapore and Hong Kong. In parallel we offer a free version sponsored by over 20 fund companies in Switzerland and Hong Kong.

How is the Venture Leaders program beneficial for your startup?

Having officially launched our services in Asia,we will be able to explore further markets and networks through Venture Leaders. Additionally, the admission to the Venture Leaders program gave us the validation of being a leading fintech startup in Switzerland.

Where do you see the biggest opportunities in fintech over the next five years?

My guess is that automation of banking processes will be the next buzzword.

What problems urgently need to be solved?

Financial service providers need to increase their digital footprint, not only in the interaction with their clients, but even more urgently in their operations. An increase in efficiency and quality of their internal processes is the only way to remain competitive in a changing environment, with many aspiring challengers entering the market.

What is pushing you towards international expansion?

Our clients approached us to further develop our solution for their locations outside Switzerland. At the moment our solution is used by banks based in Switzerland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Liechtenstein, Austria, Singapore and Hong Kong.

What do you see as the greatest obstacle to expansion into the global market?

Gaining the trust of customers, especially if you do not have local representation. Further challenges are identifying and hiring local staff who share the same passion for your solution, and setting up internal procedures to ensure support for the local unit and its clients.

What attracts you to New York as a business development destination?

New York is the gateway to the financial sector in the US and home to renowned international banks, asset managers and market data providers, which have to ensure suitability checks in their sales processes.

What do you hope to achieve on the trip?

Access to international banks, asset managers and market data providers which have their headquarters in the US.

What are you most looking forward to?

Getting a better understanding of the local needs.

And what are you nervous about?

I’m not nervous – I’m proud of what we achieved over the last four years, since we started the idea of Investment Navigator on a white paper in a small coffee shop in Zurich. But of course, I am excited to get feedback from the US market.