Alex Kshutashvili

Fintech. Minimalism. Humanity.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of Neofin. We provide all the essential components for building financial super-apps in e-commerce and telecom.

I build things as a crazy, curious nerd who doesn’t follow the rules. I’m not optimistic about our future, but as much as possible, I want to contribute to the tech world and help young entrepreneurs make their ideas survive—despite the war, despite the lack of cash. I was in their shoes; I have failed enough to know how painful it is to take a beating.”

Journey

  • 2027: The next few years will decide our future. Buckle up.

  • 2026: I’m still not wearing a crisp suit. I’m not a banker, and I’m happy not to be in their shoes. But I play the fintech game exceptionally well. It’s time to choose between the EU and the US, and at a time when our world is breaking apart, I choose Europe. I believe in Europe. It might be slow, but it is the best place for everyday people to live.

  • 2025: Neofin is alive and the product is robust. Our customers are based in Ukraine, the United States, Poland, Moldova, Albania, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. However, it is becoming harder and harder to keep customers in Ukraine.

  • 2023: The company survived. At some point, two happy accidents happened for me. First, I asked my partner to invest in a new version of our product, and he helped us. Second, by the light of candles during a blackout after a Russian attack on Kyiv, we signed our first US customer. That is how Neofin Global Inc. started.

  • 2022: The war arrived in Kyiv. First of all, I believe that the world we experienced over the last few decades before 2022 was probably the most stable and predictable period we will see in our lifetime. Our business is dying.

  • 2019: From 2018 to 2019, I worked for Aventus Group (CreditPlus UA). I eventually left because, during that time, my own lending automation platform was maturing, and I found myself with more buyers for our system than I had ever anticipated.

  • 2018: Against all odds, the idea survived. My first company, Fintech LLC, secured its first account. It was the Bank Clearing House (now Bank.KD). Then, we launched 25+ companies in Ukraine that were running on our lending automation platform.

  • 2017: I left the microfinance company Express Finance. It was a great time in the role of CIO. I met my future partners and developers there. I proposed to upper management that we open a software company to sell a lending automation platform to financial companies and banks, but I was informed that this idea had no chance of surviving.

  • 2015: I joined Bank Mykhailivskyi. I climbed the career ladder from a call center operator to an IT Project Manager for the call center. It was my first IT role, and I used the chance to develop my career in the IT industry.

  • 2014: When the Russians stepped onto Ukrainian soil in Luhansk, my family and I had to move to Kyiv to start life from scratch. It’s not the best feeling to be a refugee in your own country.

  • 2011: I became the happy father of an amazing baby girl. I’m still figuring out the role, but she is the best ‘project’ I’ve ever worked on.

  • 2010: I joined Privatbank, At some point in 2010, after a couple of shots of horilka, I was invited to an interview to work as a financial specialist at a branch. The interview went well, and I accepted my first job. And so, my fintech journey started.

  • 2005: I started at the Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University. I studied engineering because I was dreaming of a career in the automotive industry. But my dream didn’t come true.

  • 1988: “On the 28th of June, I was born in Luhansk. It’s in the eastern part of Ukraine, but unfortunately, later a Russian flag would be hanging above the buildings in my city.

Achievements

  • 2015: Awarded a diploma by PJSC “Bank Mykhailivskyi” for significant contributions to the bank’s development.

  • 2015: Received a finalist diploma at the 4th Startup Competition of the “Sikorsky Challenge 2015” Festival of Innovative Projects.

  • 2020: Recognized at the prestigious PaySpace Magazine Awards 2020, securing 3rd place for ‘Best FinTech Startup’ with NeoFin in a record-breaking year featuring over 300 competing companies.

  • 2022: Graduated from the Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Initiative program.

  • 2023: Completed the acceleration program by “Equifax”, the world’s largest credit bureau. Launched a new product, Underwriting Studio, under the Neofin brand.

  • 2024: Graduated from the Mastercard Start Path Ukraine program. Neofin was included in the Mastercard partner catalog.

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