David Jarvis, CEO @ Griffin

Riding UnicornsDavid Jarvis Co-Founder and CEOSep 18, 202443 min

David Jarvis, CEO of Griffin, breaks down the brutal realities of building a regulated fintech business in the UK. He offers an unvarnished look at why becoming a fully authorized bank is both essential for capturing value and extraordinarily difficult to execute, challenging the VC obsession with capital-light models in financial services.

Key takeaways

  • Authorization with restrictions is just the beginning—expect 40-70 substantial compliance hurdles before achieving full banking status.
  • Non-regulated entities will systematically struggle to capture and deliver value in financial services, making full authorization essential.
  • VCs consistently underestimate the capital intensity of regulated businesses, leading to painful reality checks when compliance requirements hit.
  • The UK regulatory environment uniquely enables innovative tech companies to become fully authorized banks, unlike many other jurisdictions.

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