The FinTech Report Podcast: Episode 51: Cathy Lyall, Director, Liquidise

In The FinTech Report Podcast: Episode 51, Glen Frost interviews Cathy Lyall, a Director of fintech startup Liquidise.

https://fintechsummit.com.au/the-fintech-report-podcast/

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1643860/15262079

Cathy Lyall is passionate about developing and growing Australia’s fintech ecosystem and markets infrastructure.  As a Founder, Investor, Adviser and Director of several startups and financial services enterprises both in the UK and Australia, Cathy has lived the founder and startup experience and journey for close on three decades.

Cathy co-founded Seismic Foundry in the UK in 2017, a firm that specialises in investing in capital markets fintech. Since moving back to Australia has become a partner in Seed Space Venture Capital and a Non-executive Director of listed fintech Wisr. Cathy is also Executive Director of RedBelly Network, a blockchain network developed by the University of Sydney and CSIRO.

Cathy’s experiences as a Founder, Manager and Investor were a big driver in creating Liquidise – she realises how important it is for staff in startups and growing private companies to actually have a way to realise their ESOPs.

Liquidise allows private companies to trade their shares on an independent platform. Australian regulated, and featuring instant settlement and proof of ownership, Liquidise unlocks private companies equity for shareholders, promotes capital flow (liquidity, hence the name) and gives investors access to unlisted private companies.

Now platforms for private companies share sales aren’t new.  However what Liquidise is doing is providing a guarantee of cash for vendors – in other words liquidity – for all transactions undertaken on their platforms.  Its this guarantee of liquidity – or the pricing of private companies liquidity – that the Liquidise team are hoping will allow their platform to catch on, and their unique point of difference.

In this interview we cover:

1. What is the story behind Liquidise? Who needs Liquidise?
2. What is your vision?
3. Your point of difference. What do you do that is over and above others?
4. Who are your clients? Typical client or all different?
   1. What private companies are using Liquidise … Pipeline?
   2. Investors?
5. Liquidise: self funded or Money raised to date, various rounds, which VCs / angels?
6. Progress so far and next steps/goals? By year end?
7. Will you be global? What are the most likely offshore markets?
8. Will you be looking at tokenising assets and equities?
9. Regulation: who regulates you?
10. Team size, structure
11. Help from other partners?