With an impressive over two-decade experience in global Digital Technology, Business Transformation, and Operations, Dr. Jain has left an indelible mark on the industry. A former COO and Global Head of Digital Tech at HSBC led the future of Payments at VISA and introduced Apple Pay to the world. At Maersk Group he led technology and innovation and built Digital CoE, the foundations of high-availability platforms. He was awarded a PhD in Payments Innovation, OpenBanking, and Financial Inclusion for his contributions. Founding member of the World Metaverse Council Blockchain Associations, IBM/Informa’s AI Community and A visiting faculty to leading business schools, He is also a member advisor of the G20 India GPFI.

He has also advised major payment programs & banks globally, along with PE & VC’s.

Vivek Kumar is a seasoned financial industry executive having held senior leadership positions with global financial institutions including J.P. Morgan Chase, Citibank, Mastercard Worldwide and Bank of America across Asia Pacific region.

With extensive regional experience, Vivek brings deep expertise, insights and understanding of credit products, digital payments and strategic collaborations as Board Mentor to GrowthCap. In recent years, he has played a pivotal role in supporting the operating and business model build out for fintech start-ups across South and South East Asia. Prior to his role as head of loans and payments at UNO Digital Bank in the Philippines, Vivek was President & Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase leading the market expansion to support the acceptance of e-commerce, mobile and wallet payment transactions in Asia Pacific. This role followed several years as the Head for Unsecured Lending at Citibank India and Region Head for Global Account Management at Mastercard Worldwide prior to that, covering consumer and commercial payment solutions across Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. At Bank of America, Vivek led key portfolios including supporting the development of a coherent strategy for the bank’s India retail business and later as a Product Manager for retail liabilities.

Vivek currently works as Managing Partner, Asia Pacific, for Pinnacle Payment Consulting Limited, a UK headquartered specialist payment practice, and is a resident of Hong Kong where he has been based for over twenty years.

Shankar Vailaya, an industry veteran,  has more than 25 years of rich experience in financial services. Shankar was an integral part of Sharekhan where he held strings to the company’s purses and built Sharekhan from a start-up into India’s one of the largest stock broking companies with a strong online presence. His contributions played a pivotal role in attracting prominent Private Equity investors for Sharekhan with investors like Intel, Carlyle, HSBC, GA Partners, Citi Ventures, and Barings Private Equity.

Currently serving as the Director of Cognigix Digital Learning Private Limited, a custom learning solutions and technology company, and one of the Board Members at Equirus Capital, a full-service Financial Services provider. He’s also an active angel investor and his wealth of knowledge will be a valuable asset to our  InvestmentTech and WealthTech portfolio companies.

Prasanna Lohar is a seasoned professional with over 24 years of experience in the banking and technology sectors, recognized for his groundbreaking work in digital innovation. A pioneer in initiatives that span across banking, innovation, blockchain, regtech, and government advisory, Prasanna has been at the forefront of shaping the digital economy’s future. 

Prasanna currently holds several prominent roles, including President at India Blockchain Forum (IBF) and Technology Expert at the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) National Committee, where he serves as a bridge between traditional industries and digital transformation strategies. His guidance and expertise are highly sought after, providing key insights and support to the ICC and its members. 

As CEO of Block Stack, Prasanna is driving the vision of a Web 3.0 world, focusing on harnessing transformative technology to impact industries on a global scale. In his role as Chief Innovation Officer at PayCircle, he brings his knowledge of distributed ledger technology to orchestrate a cutting-edge global payment platform, renowned for its speed, security, and cost-efficiency.

 Prasanna is a fervent advocate for the potential of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, microfinance, cloud computing, and big data to shape the future of deeptech and fintech startups. His leadership and passion continue to fuel innovation, positioning him as a key figure in driving digital transformation and industry disruption.

Prasanna’s expertise and vision make him a valuable mentor and thought leader in the rapidly evolving world of digital finance and technology.