London Stock Exchange welcomes Endeavor Entrepreneurs to the Market Open
Endeavor, the leading global network of, by, and for high-impact entrepreneurs innovating Elsewhere, opened the London Stock Exchange today, bringing a group of fintech founders from across emerging and underserved markets to the heart of global finance. The Market Open marked the start of a day of conversations about the role that internationally built companies play in the UK's fintech ecosystem.
The ceremony brought together founders, investors, and ecosystem builders whose companies were built and scaled across markets, including Nigeria, Bulgaria, Uzbekistan, Brazil, Japan, and South Africa, and now use London as a gateway to capital, talent, networks, and growth.
Endeavor supports more than 3,000 high-growth entrepreneurs across 50+ countries, with companies operating in over 110 markets worldwide. The community focuses on founders building outside traditional innovation hubs, in markets Endeavor calls Elsewhere, where access to capital, mentorship, and networks of trust has historically been limited.
Among those at the Market Open were Reid Hoffman, Endeavor Global Board Member, and Sherry Coutu CBE, Endeavor Global Ambassador, alongside a group of Endeavor Entrepreneurs building some of the most innovative fintech platforms across Elsewhere markets: Coen Jonker and Tjaart van der Walt of Tyme Group, a rapidly scaling digital bank serving millions across Africa and Southeast Asia; Konstantin Dzhengozov of Payhawk, a global spend management platform for businesses; Ridwan Olalere of LemFi, a cross-border payments platform for diaspora communities; Nicky Goulimis of Tunic Pay, a digital payments infrastructure platform; Yoshi Yokokawa of Alpaca, an API-first brokerage platform powering global investing; Lucas Vargas of Nomad, a fintech enabling Latin Americans to access US financial services; and Gregorio Gilardini of Leasy, a platform simplifying access to mobility and vehicle financing.
Explained that the Market Open reflects a broader shift in where tech companies are being built and scaled.
“We are seeing a generation of founders building across borders from day one, in markets that have historically been overlooked. London plays a key role in connecting that ambition to capital and global opportunities.”
Constanza Castro Feijóo
Head of Endeavor’s Global Hub in London
London is well placed to become a second home for diaspora founders. With nearly 40% of its population born outside the UK and more than half of the country’s fastest-growing companies having at least one foreign-born founder, the city has long been a natural home for global-minded entrepreneurs.
For Endeavor, today was a chance to make that visible. Founders who built their companies far from traditional hubs are now at the center of global finance.
As Constanza Castro Feijóo noted in her opening remarks, "The future of fintech may not be built where we expect. And this is our invitation to look Elsewhere."
