Ankit Suri is the CEO and co-founder of Planto, a fintech company that partners with financial institutions, providing digital banking and open banking solutions that leverage artificial intelligence to offer personalised financial advice and expense tracking solutions. Under his leadership, Planto has evolved from a B2C personal finance app to a B2B provider, boasting over 500,000 users through its partnerships and achieving a milestone of US$100 million in annual recurring revenue, categorising it as a "centaur" company—an achievement that highlights its sustainable growth model in contrast to the more commonly sought unicorn status. Suri emphasises that Planto’s evolution was a natural progression, driven by the desire to solve problems, initially for consumers and then for financial institutions seeking to better engage their customers and cross-sell digitally.

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Before founding Planto in November 2017, Suri held various roles within the financial sector. He began his career at HSBC, where he worked as a Management Associate and progressed through positions such as Associate Manager and Associate Product Manager. His experience at HSBC involved redefining business processes to enhance customer journeys and streamline operations across Asia Pacific markets. He also contributed to CompareGlobalGroup, managing credit card products across multiple markets.

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Suri's educational background includes a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and a second major in Media & Cultural Studies from the University of Hong Kong. Reflecting on his drive to create, Suri notes that his entrepreneurial spirit was evident even in his school days, with side projects focused on community impact, such as "building home for the homeless". This passion for technology and finance is evident in his commitment to building tools that solve real-world problems in the fintech space. The initial idea for Planto stemmed from his own struggles, and those of his friends, to save money despite being in stable employment.

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In addition to his role at Planto, Suri is actively involved in the fintech community as the co-chair of the Digital Banking & Payments committee at the FinTech Association of Hong Kong. This position allows him to influence the development of digital banking solutions and advocate for innovation within the industry.

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On a personal note, Suri values calmness and balance, which he considers essential traits for a founder navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship. He also recognises the importance of having a supportive network, highlighting the role of his co-founders in enabling Planto’s journey. Suri advises aspiring entrepreneurs to "get started" and to embrace the learning process, as "with action comes learnings and with learnings comes insights." He also acknowledges that a degree of naivety and a willingness to take a leap of faith were crucial in the early days of Planto.

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Sources:

• https://www.tatlerasia.com/gen-t/leadership/ankit-suri-stopped-chasing-the-startup-success-dream-and-built-one-instead
• https://www.tatlerasia.com/people/ankit-suri
• https://www.digfingroup.com/planto/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmeAwYTUw4Q
• https://www.stem.hku.hk/mr-ankit-suri
• https://hk.linkedin.com/in/ankitsuri1
• https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ankitsuri1_unfiltered-financialinclusion-fintechhk-activity-7254657986411835392-Anz5
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmjsBGeD3b52gjh5qyCghDQ

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