Investing in the B2B Fintech sector with Mark Beeston, Founder @ Illuminate Financial

And Illuminate is effectively the fourth thing that I've done, in that journey. But effectively, the arc is I was the consumer or frequent non consumer of these kinds of technologies. And then I was...

From executing acquisitions to building a CVC fund at ICAP

Mark Beeston details his hands-on experience building ICAP's corporate venture capital arm, including successful investments like Acagersoft (acquired by London Stock Exchange) and TriOptima. He shares the tactical work of setting up a CVC fund and executing both investments and acquisitions in the fintech infrastructure space.

Why strategic investors get observer seats but never voting power

Mark Beeston explains Illuminate Financial's approach to managing strategic investor relationships. He discusses how they give strategics observer seats on their investment committee without voting rights, maintaining independence while leveraging these partnerships for portfolio company connections, co-investments, and potential acquisitions to improve fund returns.

How AI could help companies do the same job with 75% fewer people

Mark Beeston explores how automation and AI present opportunities for dramatic workforce reduction, discussing the evolution from traditional buy-versus-build decisions to specialized low-code solutions. He highlights how finance-first platforms like Genesys Global are enabling companies to supercharge operations with significantly smaller teams.

Low-code finance tools plus AI copilots could exponentially accelerate developer productivity

Mark Beeston explains how the convergence of finance-first low-code platforms, AI copilots, and developer tools is creating exponential productivity gains. He touches on how this technology stack enables much faster deployment and scaling compared to traditional development approaches.

Why we resisted blockchain companies promising to solve everything at crazy valuations

Mark Beeston reflects on the challenge of avoiding overhyped blockchain investments during Fund One's deployment. He discusses how blockchain was positioned as a cure-all that would revolutionize operational workflows and eliminate reconciliation, but they resisted investing in these highly-valued companies despite the tempting narrative.