Lending without guessing, with Christo Georgiev (LenderLink)

This episode was recorded live at Money20/20 in Bangkok, so first and foremost, a huge thanks to the team there that are always exceptionally professional. If it weren't for them, there is no way you'd be getting this episode just a day after it was recorded. Still, it's no substitute for being there, especially now with shows in Europe, Asia, America, and the Middle East, so head on over to https://www.money2020.com/ to get yourself a pass for the one closest to you.

Earlier in my career, I spent 5 years flying in and out of Manila, helping to build the country's first comprehensive credit bureau... and then it seems, the very day I left, Christo Georgiev arrived on the local credit scoring scene wth a pioneering alternative data product. 

Years have passed and jobs have changed since then, but credit information in the Philippines is still dispersed across multiple ecosystems, and lenders and borrowers are both still paying the price. So, to put things right, Christo has spent the last year-and-a-half building LenderLink to aggregate and standardise credit data, and to make it available via a unified API. We'll be discussing Christo's path to this point; the Philippine lending landscape, then and now; the data gaps that still persist and how LenderLink will help to close them; and Christo's vision for the future.

You can find Christo on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/christo-georgiev-40bb0156/

LenderLink is at home at https://lenderlink.ph/

I'm there, too, at https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanlegrange/

Please also follow, share, and talk about the show using https://www.linkedin.com/company/how-to-lend-money-to-strangers/

Oh, and if you remember Suren Rastogi from episode 174 of this show, the Kickstarter for Burnout went live this week. Head on over, take a look at the final product, and if it appeals to you, order your copy - mine's already in the production queue.

Other friends of the show include:

https://www.ogmara.com/ (customised risk management and analytic consulting)

https://www.ontap.co.za/pages/hoedspruit-store-details (for all your Hoedspruit-based bathroom needs)

https://flatwhiteorfoff.com/ (ask for anything other than a flat white, the answer is in the name)

https://www.joinhumoni.com/ (helping international students find accommodation, work, and financial services on day one)

https://www.haboomoney.com/ (making collections personalised, flexible and intelligent)

https://beetlesense.ai (AI-powered day one pest detection for forestry)

And since you like podcasts, I'm also co-create hAIghtened senses with Christo van Zyl, iwhich looks at the intersection between human senses and technology (and this week, flying cars)

Keep well, Brendan

For more info on Money20/20 and their shows around the world, check out https://www.money2020.com/