DLA: Dear Yulia and Stanislav, why did you found your company?
Yulia: Throughout our professional careers since 1995, Stanislav and I have been involved in the development of the corporate sector. In 2017, armed with extensive experience in the corporate sector, we arrived in Germany. Noticing the insufficient level of digitalisation and significant business opportunities in this market, we decided to use all our accumulated expertise.
We observed that historically, and especially in Germany, the small and medium-sized business segment, although the backbone of the economy, lacks adequate financing and modern digital services. Servicing this client segment is associated with significant operating costs. In terms of the complexity of document processing, these customers are similar to large enterprises, but the profitability for banks from these customers is significantly lower, getting closer to retail business. As a result, this segment often falls to the bottom of the service priority list. We saw business opportunities in this scenario and as a chance to attract investment from professional investors and contribute to economic development.
In designing our product and model, we are addressing two issues simultaneously: helping small and medium-sized businesses manage their cash flow and attracting significant private investment to accelerate economic development.
It was also important for us to be fully German domestic, including directly following financial regulation, thus we initially decided to create a product that is controlled by BAFIN and Bundesbank.
DLA: What exactly is the business model of your company?
Stanislav: Montold Asset Management, being registered German AIFM, in collaboration with the Puls Project, has developed an innovative financial planning system specifically tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. Our platform allows business owners to input projected income and expenses, providing a quick and visual overview of how their balance sheets will change in the future.
By integrating their bank accounts through the Puls Project platform, business owners can instantly calculate and discover available credit limits. This process takes place in real time, giving clients immediate access to funding without unnecessary bureaucracy and additional documentation.
In this way, Montold Asset Management and the Puls Project are effectively addressing cash management issues, providing an efficient financial planning tool and offering quick access to essential funds for small and medium enterprises. Our initiative aims to support entrepreneurs during difficult times and ensure their financial stability.
DLA: Why was it important for you to become a member of our trade body?
Yulia: We see the economic benefit of digital lending as being less operationally costly than the traditional banking system. We can get funds to small and medium-sized businesses more quickly, and participation in DLA serves as a mechanism to communicate to the industry that we are not in competition with banks. Instead, we attract funds from professional or institutional investors.
Stanislav: In the UK, for example, state-owned banks have recognised the benefits of digital lenders and are using them as a distribution channel. We hope that by working with the DLA we can engage with the current financial system, build partnerships that will enable the German economy to develop more quickly and cultivate relationships with like-minded organisations. We want to work with other organisations in this field that share our vision and foster a spirit of cooperation. Our aim is to identify such partners within DLA, promote knowledge sharing, exploit synergies and together drive the future of digital lending.
DLA: Thank you very much for the interview, Yulia and Stanislav. We are very happy that you’re part of the DLA now.
Foto credits: Yulia Yaroslavtseva and Stanislav Surikov