S8E15 - Stefano Vaccino, Founder and CEO @ Yapily

Happy Wednesday from James Pringle, Hector Mason and the Riding Unicorns team!

Stefano Vaccino is the Founder and CEO of Yapily, a leading open banking infrastructure provider.

Stefano shares his unique journey from a career in nanotransistor research and investment banking to discovering his passion for technology and founding Yapily. We explore how open banking regulations like PSD2 inspired him to create a mission-driven company and the challenges he faced as a solo founder building one of the leading players in this competitive space.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Stefano’s career transition from corporate life at Goldman Sachs to becoming a tech founder

• Key insights on when to take the entrepreneurial leap and how to manage the risks

• The evolution of open banking, its global potential, and the massive opportunities it unlocks in payments, lending, and identity verification

• Lessons on building credibility as a solo founder, raising funding from top VCs and fintech leaders, and navigating a competitive landscape

• The importance of resilience, family support, and maintaining balance as a founder

Stefano’s insights into open banking’s future and the role Yapily plays in transforming financial services are invaluable for founders, operators, and anyone curious about fintech innovation.

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Have a great Wednesday,

The Riding Unicorns team