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Jesse Hemson-Struthers

CEO at BVNK

Professional Background

Jesse Hemson-Struthers is an accomplished entrepreneur, seasoned investor, and a visionary leader whose career spans multiple industries, prominently featuring financial technology and education. With a steadfast belief in proactive innovation, Jesse embodies the philosophy that to navigate the future, one must not only anticipate change but also drive it with determination and creativity. His career is marked by a series of triumphant ventures that reflect his ability to transform ideas into successful enterprises.

Beginning his journey in the digital landscape, Jesse co-founded several companies that diligently addressed modern market needs. His notable early achievement was with an innovative e-commerce venture that demonstrated significant growth over a decade, culminating in its acquisition by the global media conglomerate Naspers in 2014. This landmark deal underlined Jesse's adeptness at spotting market opportunities and leveraging them for substantial returns.

Following this success, Jesse continued to further his impact on the tech industry through his involvement in gaming technology. In 2017, he executed another successful exit, selling a high-growth startup to Sportradar. This venture not only highlighted his strategic foresight but also positioned the enterprise for future growth within a competitive marketplace.

Since pivoting towards financial technology in 2014, Jesse has made significant strides in shaping the future of money. His extensive knowledge in this sector led to the founding of BVNK, a pioneering fintech company that encapsulates his vision for a more efficient and accessible financial world. As the CEO of BVNK, Jesse successfully launched the firm, negotiated essential global partnerships, and expanded its services on a worldwide scale. His leadership has been central to the transition of BVNK from a conception to a flourishing business, underscored by the rapid growth and impressive market presence the company has achieved under his stewardship.

Education and Achievements

Jesse Hemson-Struthers pursued his education at the esteemed University of Cape Town, a prestigious institution known for fostering talent and innovation. This educational grounding, coupled with his entrepreneurial spirit, has equipped him with the skills needed to navigate the complex domains of technology and finance.

Jesse's career achievements are nothing short of remarkable. He has held various key positions that have allowed him to influence the direction of emerging technologies in different arenas. As the former Co-Founder and CEO of BVNK, he took on the challenge of linking traditional financial systems with modern digital solutions—a task that requires not only technical expertise but a deep understanding of consumer behavior and regulatory landscapes.

His previous roles include Chair at MasterStart, where he championed innovative learning solutions, and founding various companies like Balfour Group and Coindirect, each making significant contributions to their respective fields. Jesse's role as a Founding Partner at Niveus Ventures and early innovator at SAcamera, which was acquired by MIH Internet Africa (a subsidiary of Naspers Ltd), further cements his status as a key player in the evolution of technology within business.

Notable Achievements

  • E-commerce Success: Led a startup's growth over ten years, resulting in a profitable exit to Naspers.
  • Gaming Technology Innovation: Successfully exited a high-growth gaming startup to Sportradar, ensuring continued market presence and relevance.
  • Fintech Leadership: As CEO of BVNK, played a pivotal role in launching services that redefine financial interactions globally, with a keen focus on creating a lasting impact in the fintech sector.

tags':['Entrepreneurship','Financial Technology','E-commerce','Investor','CEO','Education','Digital Ventures','Global Partnerships','Leadership','Innovative Solutions','Startup Growth','Market Expansion'],'questions':['How did Jesse Hemson-Struthers develop his expertise in financial technology and entrepreneurship?','What inspired Jesse Hemson-Struthers to pivot towards the financial technology sector?','What strategies did Jesse employ to successfully negotiate global partnerships at BVNK?','In what ways has Jesse’s educational background influenced his approach to innovation and leadership?','What lessons can aspiring entrepreneurs learn from Jesse Hemson-Struthers’ journey through successful startups?']} Additionally, Jesse has held various leadership positions in other organizations, highlighting his knack for empowering new ideas and fostering growth in different sectors.

tags':['Entrepreneurship','Financial Technology','E-commerce','Investor','CEO','Education','Digital Ventures','Global Partnerships','Leadership','Innovative Solutions','Startup Growth','Market Expansion'],'questions':['How did Jesse Hemson-Struthers develop his expertise in financial

Highlights

May 2 · linkedin

There's a lot of buzz about stablecoins in the fintech community right now.

But we're just scratching the surface of what fintechs will achieve.

If the opinions of this cohort of leaders are anything to go by, stablecoins are back on the agenda. In this report, we spoke to leaders at different points in the payments value chain: stablecoin issuers like Paxos, embedded banking providers like ClearBank, B2B payments fintechs like Freemarket and VCs like General Catalyst.

We asked: how are you thinking about stablecoins and what progress will be made this year? Here are a few things they told us:

  • Market timing is a challenge we need regulators, banks and governments to come on board. But with stablecoins we’ll find the next category-defining business.
  • Traditional financial institutions (FIs) are experimenting. When they see clear ROI, they’ll start rolling out stablecoin rails to other countries – this will be a pivotal moment for market readiness.
  • Stablecoins will reach a market cap of $250bn by the end of 2024, growing 2-3x the pace of the crypto market overall.
  • Providers with the right licences will be in a stronger position to launch stablecoin products and offer those to other FIs.
  • By the end of 2024 we’ll see some marquee partnerships where traditional fintechs are launching a full stablecoin solution, wallets pay-ins and payouts.

For those thinking about adding stablecoins to their tech stack, I hope this collection of views, along with summaries of use cases, can provide some useful perspectives.

Apr 2 · linkedin

The next generation of fintechs will build with stablecoins. I believe stablecoins can act as a new base layer for payments. They solve many problems of speed, transparency and accessibility we’re all familiar with in payments:

  1. If you struggle to access US dollars, stablecoins offer an accessible alternative.
  2. If you struggle to move money quickly, stablecoins are 24/7 and settle in minutes.
  3. If you struggle to get visibility into your payments, blockchains give us an immutable, transparent, shared ledger.
  4. If you’re a fintech selling onward services, the technology is permissionless and composable, giving us new opportunities to innovate.

But network effects for stablecoins are not yet in play. Fiat currencies and systems still power global commerce today. So there is value to be delivered by bridging banks and blockchains. I’ve written more about this and about how BVNK is playing a role, in this blog post: https://lnkd.in/d_uABc_g

For this technology to scale in payments, we need infrastructure providers to step in and we need fintech partnerships. If you’re in fintech and want to talk about stablecoins – I’d love to chat.

Jesse Hemson-Struthers
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Location

London, England, United Kingdom