Do you have what it takes? Celebrating entrepreneurial success in the UK

Article written by Calum Brewster, Managing Director, Head of UK Regional Offices at Julius Baer

Spectator Economic Disruptor of the Year Awards

The winner of the Spectator Economic Disruptor of the Year Awards 2018 is on a mission to bring financial services to ‘the unbanked’. Pockit - a low cost, easy-access banking app – was the overall winner, establishing itself as a true disruptor in the banking sector.

The judges commented that its clear social purpose – which tackles a very serious problem – is what stood out. Pockit has 500,000 customers so far and that number is growing by 20,000 each month. It’s targets are very ambitious but it’s attracted significant investment from a number of high-profile venture capital investors to achieve these goals.

Fintech has long been celebrated as a truly disruptive sector and a large number of successful companies are making huge strides in rapidly changing the status quo – many of which are based in Scotland. This does not go unnoticed at Julius Baer. While they don’t expect robots to replace humans in the hugely important job of client interaction, they do keep a very focused eye on technology that can help them to better service their clients’ very complex needs.

Partnering with the Spectator to create these awards helps Julius Baer to stay at the forefront of technology enhancements – giving us the opportunity to speak with the companies and individuals who are changing the world of financial services.

Founded in Zurich in 1890, and now a fast expanding player in the UK wealth management scene, Julius Baer has an instinctive sympathy with business-builders that bring new thinking and positive change to established markets.

So, who are the companies that are rewriting the rules in 2019?

Entrants for these awards will be innovators with real passion for their products and customers and the potential to scale up from local to national and international arenas, underpinned by strong financial plans. There will be five regional winners (one from Scotland), chosen from a high-profile judge in each region. The national winner will be named at a gala dinner in central London and will be invited to join The Spectator’s elite private dining club of business leaders as well as benefiting from the extensive media coverage that these awards generate.