Innovating Investment Management

In this exciting episode of FinTech Focus TV, host Toby Babb sits down with Polina Kyriushko, Co-Founder and CEO of EdgeConnect AI, to explore the innovative world of portfolio data management. As a leader in FinTech recruitment, Harrington Starr is dedicated to bringing you the most insightful discussions that explore the intersection of finance and technology. This episode is essential listening for anyone in the FinTech industry, especially those interested in the transformative role of data in investment management.

A Journey from HG Capital to Startup Success

Polina begins the conversation by sharing her extensive experience in the financial markets. With over a decade in the field, most recently at HG Capital, Europe’s largest software fund, she gained first-hand insight into the intricacies of investment processes. It was during her time at HG Capital that she identified a critical pain point in the industry: inefficiencies in portfolio management operations, particularly the underutilisation of proprietary data.

Polina explains how this revelation led to the creation of EdgeConnect AI. "During my time at HG, I saw first-hand how powerful data can be and the technology that we adopted to analyse our investment processes," she says. However, she also observed that smaller funds lacked the resources to harness this power effectively. EdgeConnect AI was born out of the need to automate data collection, standardise it, and turn it into actionable insights that could drive value creation for investment funds.

Revolutionising Data Management in FinTech

EdgeConnect AI is a cutting-edge portfolio data management platform designed to help investors collect, standardise, benchmark, and derive insights from their data automatically. Polina emphasises the importance of actionable insights in today’s data-driven world. She notes that while data has been a buzzword for the last decade, the financial services industry has lagged behind in its use of data. EdgeConnect AI is at the forefront of changing this, enabling investors to leverage their data more effectively to drive strategic decisions.

Polina elaborates on the unique value proposition of EdgeConnect AI: "Fundamentally, what EdgeConnect is about is sharing the know-how and using innovation for the funds to manage their portfolio holistically, while emphasising individual strengths of each business in the portfolio."

She explains that the platform’s core technology focuses on the automated collection and standardisation of data from various sources, such as ERP systems, CRMs, and data lakes. By cleansing and standardising this data, EdgeConnect AI provides investors with benchmarks that highlight areas of potential value and pinpoint where improvements are needed. This approach not only saves time but also ensures that data-driven decisions are based on accurate, reliable information.

The Importance of the Right Team and Customer-Centricity

As a FinTech recruitment business, Harrington Starr understands the critical role that a strong team plays in the success of any venture. Polina’s story reinforces this. She credits much of EdgeConnect AI’s success to the exceptional team she has built, including her co-founders and key hires who have helped translate her commercial vision into a reality.

"A large part of it is having an exceptional support network from some of the leading funds in the space, and I've been feeling an incredible amount of support on this journey, which is very important for a young founder," Polina shares. She also emphasises the importance of listening to customers, noting that their feedback has been instrumental in shaping the direction of EdgeConnect AI. "Customers are the real book that will guide you through this journey. You cannot really learn it from ideating on your own," she says.

Polina’s ability to listen to her customers and adapt the product accordingly has been a key factor in EdgeConnect AI’s early success. She recalls how initial customer feedback revealed that the real pain point was not just in reporting dashboards, as she initially thought, but in the tedious process of collecting and structuring data. This insight led to a pivot in the product’s development, making it more technically complex but also more aligned with the customers’ needs.

The Challenges and Rewards of Startup Life

Polina also touches on the challenges of transitioning from a formal investment environment to the dynamic world of startups. She shares how her job has evolved over the past nine months, requiring her to wear many different hats and develop a wide range of skills. Despite the challenges, she finds the journey incredibly rewarding, particularly the opportunity to build a product that makes a real difference for customers.

Reflecting on her past experience as a startup founder, Polina recounts how lessons learned from a non-profit venture she started in Ghana have proven valuable in her current role. "No matter what you're building and which space, whether it's a profit-oriented business or non-profit, the fundamental learnings are the same," she says. These include being agile, treating people with respect, and staying excited about the mission.

The Future of EdgeConnect AI and the Role of FinTech Innovation

Looking ahead, Polina shares her ambitious vision for EdgeConnect AI. The company aims to become the "Bloomberg of private company data," providing not only automation of workflow but also a centralised database for investment managers. This vision includes expanding the platform’s data sources, integrating with leading vendors like Snowflake, and building a data warehouse that enables investment managers to access and analyse their portfolio data more effectively.

Polina is particularly excited about the potential for EdgeConnect AI to transform the way investment managers approach data. She notes that while 45 percent of investors currently share their data via email, 90 percent are keen on adopting the right technology for automation. "We’ve never seen so much appetite and ambition to adopt the technology," she says, underscoring the industry’s readiness for change.

As a FinTech recruitment business, Harrington Starr is deeply invested in the future of FinTech innovation, and this episode highlights the critical role that data management will play in the industry’s evolution. Polina’s insights offer a glimpse into the exciting possibilities ahead, not just for EdgeConnect AI but for the entire FinTech ecosystem.

Why This Episode Matters for FinTech Recruitment and Beyond

For professionals in FinTech recruitment and those interested in the broader financial services landscape, this episode of FinTech Focus TV provides valuable insights into the future of portfolio data management. As FinTech continues to evolve, the ability to harness and analyse data will be a key differentiator for companies looking to stay competitive.

At Harrington Starr, we are committed to connecting the best talent with the most innovative companies in the FinTech space. This episode reinforces the importance of finding the right team, understanding customer needs, and staying agile in the face of challenges—key themes that are relevant not only to startups like EdgeConnect AI but to any company operating in today’s fast-paced, data-driven world.

Whether you’re a FinTech professional, an investor, or simply someone interested in the intersection of finance and technology, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in to hear Polina Kyriushko story and learn how EdgeConnect AI is helping to shape the future of portfolio management.