What does it take to build one of the UK’s most regulated, capital-intensive fintech startups from scratch?

In this episode of Startup Scaleup People, we sit down with David Jarvis, founder and CEO of Griffin — the UK’s first full-stack banking-as-a-service platform, purpose-built for fintechs and embedded finance platforms. With over $100M raised, Griffin is redefining the future of fintech infrastructure.

🎧 Hosted by Mario Rivas and Tiffany Shown, this conversation explores what it really takes to build a licensed bank from the ground up, scale responsibly, manage investor expectations, and lead with resilience through uncertainty and crisis.

📢 About Startup Scaleup PeopleReal stories from startup, scaleup & enterprise leaders. From boardrooms to founder garages — we bring you insights on growth, leadership, funding, exits, and everything in between.New episodes every Sunday at 4PM UK time.

🧭 Chapters

00:00 Intro & David’s Background

02:00 Entrepreneurial Spirit & Energy Drink Hustle

05:00 From Airbnb & Silicon Valley to Fintech

08:00 Building Griffin: Pain Points & Regulatory Opportunity

13:35 Surviving SVB, Crisis Planning & Execution

18:47 Product-Market Fit, Backlog & Growth in 2025

27:05 Managing Board Dynamics & Scaling a Bank

34:00 Founder Leadership, Lessons & Advice

💬 Key Highlights▸ Raised $100M+ to launch a licensed UK bank for fintechs▸ Scaled Griffin from 3 to 80+ people▸ Pivoted during Brexit & SVB’s collapse▸ Managed investor politics and difficult down rounds▸ Leadership evolution: from servant style to founder mode

👥 Who Should Listen

Fintech founders • Regtech leaders • Scaleup execs • Board advisors • VC partners • Banking innovators

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🧠 Keywordsstartup, scaleup, entrepreneurship, business podcast, leadership, business growth, founder mindset, startup stories, scaleup journey, entrepreneur advice, business strategy, innovation, venture capital, startup founders, startup funding, executive leadership, enterprise leadership, enterprise strategy, business transformation, board of directors, NEDs, startup scaleup people, AI, fintech

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