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MATTEO
RIZZI
INNOVATION  •   FINTECH  •   ECOSYSTEMS100%
Matteo Rizzi

Building the Future of
Finance, Talent & Innovation

Founder, investor, advisor, and global keynote speaker with 30+ years of experience across fintech, venture capital, and ecosystem building.

Meet Matteo Rizzi

20+ years shaping the future of FinTech — browse his photo journey.

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Matteo Rizzi

Senior Partner · Author · Investor

Lisbon, Portugal

Bio in 6 languages

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Matteo Rizzi is an unconventional entrepreneur with two decades of experience in Financial Services, constantly referred amongst the top executives in the industry. He spent 13 years at SWIFT - where he co-founded Innotribe, the innovation arm of the cooperative, launching the first global startup challenge. Since 2013, he has had a FinTech Investor and/or Venture Partner role with global VCs and CVCs (20+ deals, 5 exits). In 2015, he co-founded FinTechStage (FTSGroup.eu) - a platform for Investors and Innovators to boost FinTech innovation globally. In 2019, Matteo founded Timepledge a global initiative to foster financial inclusion and entrepreneurship. In 2025, Matteo aligned FTS and Timepledge's into a single mission and founded the African Talent Academy. In 2019, he also launched Breaking Banks Europe (as the Executive Producer) and in 2025 the spin-off Breaking Banks Africa. In 2026, he took over Executive Production for the CXO Conversations show. In 2023, he was appointed Senior Partner for Elevandi (MAS) now GFTN.com. He is the author of "The FinTech Revolution" and "Talents & Rebels" and is fluent in 5 languages.

Experience

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Senior Partner - Africa & Middle East, Global Strategic Initiatives

Global Finance & Technology Network · Contract

Jan 2025 - Present · 1 yr 9 mos

Founder

Timepledge.org

Dec 2014 - Present · 11 yrs 10 mos

Co-Host & Executive Producer

Breaking Banks Africa

Oct 2019 - Present · 7 yrs

Founder & Startup Coach

TimePledge · Full-time

Sep 2009 - Present · 17 yrs 1 mo

Venture Partner

NEVA Finventures

Jun 2018 - Jun 2024 · 6 yrs 1 mo

Strategic Advisor

Finnovating · Contract

Sep 2022 - Jan 2023 · 5 mos

Venture Partner

Bamboo Capital Partners · Contract

Jan 2021 - Jun 2022 · 1 yr 6 mos

Venture Partner - SG Ventures

Société Générale

May 2019 - Dec 2020 · 1 yr 8 mos

Advisor

Omidyar Network

Oct 2015 - Mar 2017 · 1 yr 6 mos

General Partner

SBT Venture Capital

Sep 2013 - Dec 2015 · 2 yrs 4 mos

Co-founder Innotribe @ SWIFT

SWIFT

Jun 2009 - Sep 2013 · 4 yrs 4 mos

Head of Community Channels - www.swiftcommunity.net

SWIFT

Jan 2001 - Jun 2009 · 8 yrs 6 mos

Trusted By Industry Leaders

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What People Say

Trusted by Industry Leaders

"Working with Matteo during the 3iAfrica Fintech Innovation Challenge was a valuable experience for our team. His mentorship helped us sharpen our fintech solution, improve our strategic thinking, and present our ideas with greater clarity and confidence. Matteo combines strong industry expertise with a practical approach to innovation, making him highly impactful to founders and startup teams navigating fast-paced environments."
YA

Yaw Awuku Adu

UGBS | Banking & Finance Student Certified Data Protection Officer

Areas of Expertise

Thought Leadership

He delivers high-impact global keynotes focused on fintech innovation, talent transformation, and ecosystem building across Europe, Africa, and beyond.

Book Matteo

Advisory & Venture

Working with corporates, venture funds, and startups to navigate innovation and growth. Senior Advisor at GFTN, Venture Partner at SG Ventures & NEVA.

Work With Me

Ecosystem Building

Connecting startups, corporates, investors, and regulators. Founder of FinTechStage, TimePledge, and Co-Founder of the SWIFT Innotribe initiative.

Explore Ecosystems
Knowledge Hub

Media & Insights

Thought leadership, interviews, and expert analysis on fintech, innovation, and the future of finance.

Let's Build Together

How would you like to collaborate?

Pick what fits — Matteo's team will follow up within 48 hours.

Not sure?

Let's Build Something Meaningful

Whether you're looking for a keynote speaker, an advisor, or to collaborate on an event, reach out.

Get in Touch

Response Time

We typically respond within 24-48 hours. For urgent inquiries, please email us directly.

Send a Message