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.

Matteo Rizzi
Senior Partner · Author · Investor
Bio in 6 languages
1 / 6Matteo 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
Page 1 / 2Senior 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


































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."
Yaw Awuku Adu
UGBS | Banking & Finance Student Certified Data Protection Officer
"i had the privilege of working with Matteo during the 3iAfrica Fintech Innovation Challenge. As a coach, he provided invaluable insights that helped us sharpen our fintech solution on very short notice. His deep understanding of the industry and his ability to challenge our assumptions were instrumental to our progress. I highly recommend Matteo to anyone looking for a high-impact mentor in the fintech space"
Favour Betta
President University of Ghana Finance Students and Associate’s (FINSA)
"When pitching your startup, you want to have a clear story and focused message, that's where Matteo comes in with his vast experience and understanding of not just what makes a great pitch, but also the nuances of storytelling in the Fintech space. Matteo served as my coach for Fintech Islands 2025 and his feedback was critical in refining our story and landing dataffluent in the top 3 startups at the event. "
Raquel Seville
CEO and Founder @ Dataffluent | Techstars ’24
"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."
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 MatteoAdvisory & 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 MeEcosystem Building
Connecting startups, corporates, investors, and regulators. Founder of FinTechStage, TimePledge, and Co-Founder of the SWIFT Innotribe initiative.
Explore EcosystemsMedia & 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?