Anchit Singh is Chief Business Officer at Fundbox.
Discover top fintech news and events!
Subscribe to FinTech Weekly's newsletter
Read by executives at JP Morgan, Coinbase, Blackrock, Klarna and more
The Subtle Complexity of Building Fintech for the Underserved
For more than a decade, "small business empowerment" has been a rallying cry in fintech. It’s a clear mission, easy to support, and often harder to deliver on. The sector is full of ambitious solutions, but the businesses they serve remain complex, fragmented, and financially fragile. Building for them means trading in nuance. It’s about trust, timing, and a quiet understanding of how risk really works.
Now that embedded finance is gaining traction, the spotlight is returning to a central question: how do you build financial tools that are both scalable and responsible, especially when they’re targeting companies without CFOs or financial teams? At the heart of that challenge lies credit — not as a product, but as a discipline.
That’s what makes this conversation timely.
Many fintechs have spent the last few years racing toward distribution: faster APIs, better integrations, more seamless UX. Those are real achievements. But they’ve also raised new stakes — because the more invisible and embedded capital becomes, the more disciplined it must be. The future isn’t just about pushing money faster. It’s about making credit work at the margins without increasing risk at the core.
Few people understand that balancing act better than Anchit Singh, Chief Business Officer at Fundbox. Singh’s background is grounded in credit and risk, but his current role spans growth, partnerships, and product strategy — making him a rare bridge between foundational rigor and go-to-market execution.
Our interview with Anchit explores what it really takes to serve the SMB segment at scale: why trust and usability still need to be earned, how product-market fit shifts over time, and why retention is as important as acquisition in embedded finance. Singh also shares how partnerships can accelerate adoption without diluting responsibility, and why building cross-functional fluency is essential for anyone serious about a fintech career.
As always, this interview isn’t about headlines. It’s about learning from the people actually doing the work.
Enjoy the interview!
1) What inspired you to focus your career on developing financial solutions for small businesses?
My journey into fintech and specifically serving small businesses was shaped by a deep appreciation for the challenges that these businesses face when accessing capital. Small businesses are the backbone of the economy, yet they are often underserved by traditional financial institutions. Currently I am focused on that gap by building intuitive, data-driven financial tools that meet business owners where they are. What inspired me then and still drives me today is the tangible impact we can make by improving cash flow and fueling growth for millions of entrepreneurs.
2) How has your experience in credit and risk management shaped your approach to building reliable fintech products?
Credit and risk management are foundational to fintech. The early work at my current role was hands-on, building and scaling our credit models, partnering with data science to continuously refine underwriting, and ensuring we could lend responsibly while keeping user experience seamless. That experience taught me the importance of balancing innovation with discipline. In fintech, it's not enough to build fast - you have to build with trust. Every product decision must reflect a deep understanding of risk, especially when you're embedding capital into business workflows.
3) What do you consider the biggest challenges in scaling fintech solutions, especially when targeting small and medium-sized businesses?
One of the biggest challenges is meeting SMBs where they are, in terms of both technology and trust. Unlike large enterprises, SMBs are incredibly diverse, in industry, size, digital adoption, and financial behavior. That makes scale a very nuanced endeavor. You need flexible infrastructure, precise targeting, and often, partnerships with platforms that SMBs already use. Additionally, fintechs must navigate evolving regulations, manage capital efficiently, and maintain a strong focus on unit economics to scale sustainably.
4) Can you share some of the key lessons you've learned from developing new products and establishing growth strategies in fintech?
One core lesson is that product-market fit is never static, it evolves as your customers grow and your technology matures. We learned to iterate quickly, guided by data but always grounded in customer empathy. Another important lesson is the power of cross-functional alignment, growth strategies succeed when product, credit, marketing, and partnerships move in lockstep. Finally, growth isn’t just about acquisition. Retention, expansion, and lifetime value are just as critical, especially in a space like embedded finance where customer relationships deepen over time.
5) What role do partnerships and marketing play in the success of a fintech business?
They’re absolutely critical. As I further prioritize these symbiotic relationships at work, I see that, through partnerships, fintechs can embed solutions into platforms that users already rely on. This not only accelerates distribution but also enhances the user experience. Marketing, on the other hand, helps build trust and educate customers. Especially in fintech, where the products can be complex and financial decisions are high-stakes, clear, credible communication is key.
6) How do you see the future of embedded lending and payment solutions evolving, especially for small businesses?
We're still in the early innings of embedded finance. I believe the future lies in making capital invisible but available and integrating it so seamlessly into workflows that business owners don’t even think of it as borrowing. Advances in data infrastructure and APIs will allow for more personalized, real-time financial products. For SMBs, this means faster decisions, more flexible terms, and better alignment with their day-to-day operations. The winners in this space will be those who combine intelligent credit with exceptional user experience.
7) What advice would you give to aspiring professionals looking to build a career in fintech, particularly in areas like credit management and product development?
Get close to the problem. Whether it's credit, product, or analytics and understanding your customer’s pain points is everything. Second, don’t be afraid to work across functions. My own career path - from analyst to Chief Business Officer was shaped by a willingness to dive into different areas and connect the dots between them. Fintech is inherently interdisciplinary, and those who can operate at the intersection of data, technology, and business will thrive. Finally, stay humble and stay curious. The space moves fast, and there's always more to learn.
