In this highly anticipated episode of Fintech Daydreaming, Ville and Pål sit down with Sampsa Laine, CEO of Alisa Bank, to uncover the story behind one of Finland’s most interesting digital banks. From its fintech roots to securing a full banking license, Alisa Bank has been on quite the journey—and Sampsa takes us behind the scenes. We dig into:

🏦 How Alisa Bank came to be and how it balances fintech agility with full banking capabilities

📈 The bank’s sharp focus on SME banking, embedded finance, and banking-as-a-service

🤖 Why going fully digital (without branches!) is a winning strategy in today’s market

🌍 Alisa’s expansion plans—could new markets be on the horizon?

Sampsa also shares insights on navigating regulation, the challenges of running a publicly listed bank, and what’s next for Alisa. Plus, we managed to squeeze in a fintech joke (because traditions matter).

If you’re curious about the future of digital banking and how challenger banks are shaking up the industry, this is an episode you won’t want to miss!

Episode hosted by Pål Krogdahl & Ville Sointu

Episode produced and edited by Femi Apanishile

April's here, the snow is (mostly) gone, and the fintech news is blooming — sort of. In this episode, your favourite fintech trio Ville, Pål, and Janne return with a fresh batch of Nordic headlines, greetings from the Baltic Fintech Days, hot takes, and at least one minor existential crisis.

Here’s what went down:

Ville got us started with some light apocalyptic vibes, as we unpacked Sweden’s Riksbank prepping for war — seriously. The central bank is testing offline payments and backup systems in case of internet outages or full-on conflict. Political aspects aside, the landscape of offline payments is definitely a fascinating technical and governance dilemma.

Janne brought some much-needed positivity with the news that Raisin has landed in Finland. The savings platform promises better deposit rates and a bit of healthy competition in the local market. But is the Finnish public ready to move their money for a few more basis points? Or will it take free buckets?

Pål closed things out with a look at ReceiptHero’s new B2B partnership with Fennoa. It’s a big step for digital receipts and accounting automation — and a small victory in Pål’s long-standing war on paper. Spoiler: he’s still very much winning.

As always, things went slightly off the rails (looking at you, Janne), but we somehow brought it all back. Tune in for fintech insights, occasional wisdom, and the only podcast where Nordic monetary policy and mushroom hunting might share airtime.

Episode hosted by Pål Krogdahl & Ville Sointu

Episode produced and edited by Femi Apanishile

This one’s special! We joined forces with none other than Breaking Banks for a crossover episode featuring the legendary Brett King alongside Pål and Ville. In true fireside chat style, we dove deep into the biggest shifts shaping fintech today and what’s coming next.

Topics? Oh, we covered it all, including but definitely not limited to:

🔥 The Nordic fintech scene — what are the big names from the Nordic scene after all?

🧑‍💻 Q-Day and the rise of quantum banking (yes, really!) and what it could mean for financial services

🤖 Machine-to-machine payments and future industrial economy —because why should humans have all the fun?

📖 A sneak peek into Brett’s upcoming book and the ideas that are keeping him up at night

Packed with insights, bold predictions, and a good dose of banter, this is one episode you don’t want to miss. Tune in as Fintech Daydreaming meets Breaking Banks for a fintech deep dive like no other!

Episode hosted by Brett King, Pål Krogdahl & Ville Sointu

Episode produced and edited by Provoke.fm

We can pay for everything digitally, so why are we still walking away with crumpled paper receipts? In this episode of Fintech Daydreaming, Pål and Ville sit down with Chris Moore, Director of International Business at ReceiptHero, to discuss the journey of bringing receipts into the digital age.

Chris walks us through the challenges of transforming an underserved market, the practicalities of making digital receipts happen, and the business models that could drive adoption. From sustainability benefits to seamless integrations, we explore why digital receipts are more than just a convenience—they’re a fintech opportunity waiting to be unlocked.

Tune in for a deep dive into a space that’s long overdue for disruption—because the only paper we should be dealing with is money, not receipts! And while you’re at it - don’t forget to listen all the way to the end for the most on-topic (and horribly bad) joke so far in this season!

February may be short, but Nordic fintech didn’t hold back! In this Fintech Daydreaming episode, Pål, Ville, and Janne sit down for another round of Nordic Fintech Highlights. As always, we covered the biggest fintech news—but not before Janne cracked a joke so bad it nearly derailed the entire recording. (We survived… barely.)

Here’s what we tackled this time:
🚀 Lunar’s big BaaS bet – Pål took a deep dive into Lunar’s spin-off Moonrise, a Banking-as-a-Service platform set to shake up the Nordic embedded finance space.
 

💰 Lunar’s lending expansion – Janne continued the Lunar talk with their new SME lending partnership with Froda, unlocking more financing options for businesses.
 

🚗 Klarna goes automotive – Ville explored Klarna’s partnership with FINN, bringing flexible payments to the car subscription market. Because who wouldn’t want a BNPL option for their next ride?

With plenty of fintech insights, strong opinions, and a few moments of near-total chaos, this episode is packed with everything you love about Fintech Daydreaming. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!