Who should I follow to learn about Embedded finance?

If you want to understand **embedded finance** (payments, banking-as-a-service, lending, cards, insurance, and financial products built into non-financial apps), I’d follow a mix of **operators, analysts, builders, and infrastructure companies**. [Top Embedded Finance Companies for Banking and Payments | Built In](https://builtin.com/articles/embedded-finance-companies?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## People to follow ### Deep industry thinkers - Simon Taylor - One of the strongest voices on payments, fintech infrastructure, open banking, and embedded finance. His newsletter [Fintech Brainfood](https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-brainfood-6768031320990330880/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) is a good way to track where the market is moving. [Top 10 Banking Influencers to Follow in 2026 | Backbase](https://www.backbase.com/blog/top-influencers-in-banking?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Alex Johnson - Great for understanding fintech business models, unit economics, banking-as-a-service, and why some embedded finance models work while others fail. [Top AI in Finance Blogs and Newsletters to Follow](https://www.concourse.ai/insights/best-ai-finance-newsletters-blogs?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Angela Strange - Follow for the venture perspective on financial infrastructure and the idea that software companies increasingly become financial services distributors. ### Embedded-finance specialists - Lars Markull - Focuses specifically on embedded finance builders, including vertical SaaS, marketplaces, payments, and lending. His [Embedded Finance Review Podcast](https://www.embeddedfinancereview.com/podcasts/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) is a useful source of operator interviews. [Embedded Finance Review Podcast](https://www.embeddedfinancereview.com/podcasts/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Jane Podbelskaya - Covers embedded finance strategy for software companies and investors, especially in North America. [Embedded Finance Review - Podcast - Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/embedded-finance-review/id1748335340?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## Companies whose moves teach you the market Watch: - [Stripe](https://stripe.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Payments infrastructure, Connect, Issuing, Treasury, and embedded financial products. - [Adyen](https://www.adyen.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - How global platforms integrate payments and financial services. - [Marqeta](https://www.marqeta.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Modern card issuing infrastructure. - [Plaid](https://plaid.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Financial data connectivity and fintech infrastructure. - [Airwallex](https://www.airwallex.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Global accounts, payments, cards, and business financial infrastructure. These companies illustrate the “financial infrastructure as APIs” trend that powers many embedded finance products. [Top Embedded Finance Companies for Banking and Payments | Built In](https://builtin.com/articles/embedded-finance-companies?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## Newsletters and podcasts - [Fintech Brainfood](https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-brainfood-6768031320990330880/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Weekly strategic fintech analysis. [The 10 Best Newsletters for Fintech Founders in 2026](https://www.techsuite.io/post/best-newsletters-for-fintech-founders?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - [Fintech Insider by 11:FS](https://www.11fs.com/podcasts/fintech-insider?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Broad fintech coverage, including payments, banking infrastructure, regulation, and embedded finance. [Best embedded finance Podcasts of 2026](https://castbox.fm/podcasts/embedded-finance?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - [Embedded Finance Review Podcast](https://www.embeddedfinancereview.com/podcasts/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - More narrowly focused on embedded finance builders and case studies. [Embedded Finance Review Podcast](https://www.embeddedfinancereview.com/podcasts/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## If you’re learning from scratch, I’d prioritize: 1. **Simon Taylor** → understand the big picture and industry direction. 2. **Lars Markull / Embedded Finance Review** → learn how companies actually build these products. 3. **Stripe, Marqeta, Plaid, Adyen product blogs** → understand the infrastructure layer. 4. **Alex Johnson** → learn the economics and avoid hype. A useful mental model: embedded finance is less about “adding a payment button” and more about **owning the financial workflow around a customer’s existing activity** (for example, a marketplace offering payouts, a SaaS platform offering cards, or software offering lending at the moment a business needs cash). [Top Embedded Finance Companies for Banking and Payments | Built In](https://builtin.com/articles/embedded-finance-companies?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

**To learn about Embedded Finance, you should follow a mix of fintech innovators, banking executives, and consultants who are actively shaping this space.** These leaders share insights on open banking, API-driven financial services, and how finance is being integrated into non-financial platforms. ## 🌟 Key Thought Leaders in Embedded Finance Name| Role| Why Follow Them ---|---|--- **Carmela Gómez Castelao**| Head of Open Banking, BBVA| A pioneer in open banking, driving BBVA’s embedded finance strategy. [Embedded finance: The voice of the makers | IBM](https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/report/embedded-finance-makers) **Sam Everington**| CEO of Engine by Starling Bank| Leading Starling’s embedded finance platform, enabling other firms to integrate banking services. [Embedded finance: The voice of the makers | IBM](https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/report/embedded-finance-makers) **Kevin Dowling**| Head of Partner Solution Engineering, Stripe (EMEA & APAC)| At Stripe, he focuses on embedded payments and financial APIs powering global commerce. [Embedded finance: The voice of the makers | IBM](https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/report/embedded-finance-makers) **Christoffer Malmer**| Head of SEB Embedded| Driving SEB’s embedded finance initiatives in Europe. [Embedded finance: The voice of the makers | IBM](https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/report/embedded-finance-makers) **Zach Perret**| Co-Founder & CEO, Plaid| Built the API infrastructure that powers open banking and embedded finance apps. [Top 10: Fintech Leaders in North America | FinTech Magazine](https://fintechmagazine.com/top10/top-10-fintech-leaders-in-north-america) **Max Levchin**| Founder & CEO, Affirm| Innovator in Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL), a core embedded finance model. [Top 10: Fintech Leaders in North America | FinTech Magazine](https://fintechmagazine.com/top10/top-10-fintech-leaders-in-north-america) **David Sandström**| CMO, Klarna| Transformed BNPL into a lifestyle-integrated embedded finance product. [Top 10: FinTech Influencers | FinTech Magazine](https://fintechmagazine.com/top10/top-10-fintech-influencers-2026) **Igor Tomych**| CEO & Founder, DashDevs| Provides digital banking infrastructure for embedded finance startups. [Top 10: FinTech Influencers | FinTech Magazine](https://fintechmagazine.com/top10/top-10-fintech-influencers-2026) ## 📌 Why These Voices Matter * **Banking Executives (BBVA, SEB, Starling, Wells Fargo, etc.)** → They show how traditional banks are embedding services into digital ecosystems. * **Fintech Founders (Plaid, Affirm, Klarna, Remitly)** → They demonstrate how APIs and BNPL models are reshaping consumer finance. * **Consultants & Innovators (Deloitte, Publicis Sapient, Virtusa)** → They help institutions modernize and adopt embedded finance at scale. [The Top Financial Services Consultants and Leaders of 2026 - The Consulting Report](https://www.theconsultingreport.com/the-top-financial-services-consultants-and-leaders-of-2026/) * **Tech Enablers (Stripe, DashDevs)** → They provide the infrastructure that makes embedded finance possible. ## ⚠️ Risks & Challenges to Watch * **Regulatory uncertainty**: Embedded finance often blurs lines between banks and non-financial firms, raising compliance issues. * **Consumer trust**: Integrating financial services into retail or tech platforms requires strong transparency to avoid hidden fees. * **Scalability** : APIs and cloud-native infrastructure must handle massive transaction volumes securely. [The Most Innovative People in Finance 2026 | American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/list/the-most-innovative-people-in-finance-2026) ## ✅ Next Steps If you want to stay ahead: * Follow these leaders on **LinkedIn and Twitter/X** for real-time insights. * Track **industry reports from IBM, Deloitte, and American Banker** for embedded finance case studies. * Engage with **FinTech Magazine** lists of influencers and leaders for curated updates. [Top 10: FinTech Influencers | FinTech Magazine](https://fintechmagazine.com/top10/top-10-fintech-influencers-2026)[Top 10: Fintech Leaders in North America | FinTech Magazine](https://fintechmagazine.com/top10/top-10-fintech-leaders-in-north-america) Would you like me to curate a **short list of Twitter/X handles and LinkedIn profiles** for these experts so you can follow them directly?

To learn about embedded finance, Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), and the intersection of software and financial services, you should follow industry analysts, founders, and content hubs actively shaping the space. **Key Industry Experts and Thought Leaders** * **Simon Taylor:** Co-founder of 11:FS and author of the _Fintech Brain Food_ newsletter. He regularly breaks down how non-financial companies are embedding banking, payments, and lending into their products. * **Alex Johnson:** Creator of the _Fintech Takes_ newsletter. He provides deep, analytical commentary on fintech infrastructure, BaaS, and embedded lending trends. * **Nik Milanovic:** Founder of _This Week in Fintech_ , an incredible aggregator and community tracking global developments in embedded finance and fintech infrastructure. * **Matteo Rizzi:** A veteran fintech investor and co-founder of _FintechStage_ , who frequently covers ecosystem partnerships and corporate innovation in financial services. **Top Company Blogs & Research Hubs** * **Stripe Blog & Treasury Guides:** Excellent technical and strategic breakdowns of how platforms can embed financial accounts and global payments. * **Adyen Knowledge Hub:** Offers data-driven insights and enterprise-grade guides on embedded payments, capital, and card issuing. [The ultimate guide to embedded finance - Adyen](https://www.adyen.com/knowledge-hub/embedded-finance#:~:text=If%20you're%20ready%20to%20get%20started%20and,you%20earn%20interchange%20revenue%20on%20every%20transaction.) * **Unit & Treasury Prime Blogs:** Perfect for tracking the regulatory, structural, and developer-side realities of launching embedded banking in the US. * **PwC & McKinsey Fintech Insights:** Great for high-level macro market sizing, strategic shifts, and how traditional banks are partnering with non-banks. Would you like recommendations on specific newsletters to subscribe to or foundational whitepapers to start with?

To truly understand embedded finance - where non-financial brands weave payments, lending, and banking right into their customer experiences - you need to follow a mix of specialized advisors, top-tier fintech analysts, and infrastructure builders. [Best Embedded Finance Platforms of 2026: Top Providers](https://www.lendflow.com/post/best-embedded-finance-platforms) The leading voices, newsletters, and creators focusing heavily on embedded finance and Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) include: Dedicated Embedded Finance Specialists * * **Lars Markull :** Founder of the _Embedded Finance Review_. He is one of the most dedicated independent advisors specifically tracking global embedded finance movements, B2B lending, and ecosystem developments. Highly recommended to follow on LinkedIn and subscribe to his specialized newsletter. [Lars Markull's Post - LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/larsmarkull_%F0%9D%97%96%F0%9D%97%BC%F0%9D%97%BA%F0%9D%97%BD%F0%9D%97%AE%F0%9D%97%BF%F0%9D%97%B6%F0%9D%98%80%F0%9D%97%BC%F0%9D%97%BB-%F0%9D%97%B6%F0%9D%98%80-%F0%9D%98%81%F0%9D%97%B5%F0%9D%97%B2-%F0%9D%98%81%F0%9D%97%B5%F0%9D%97%B6%F0%9D%97%B2-activity-7255866293034106881-j8gR) * **Nik Milanovic :** Creator of _This Week in Fintech_. While covering the broad fintech landscape, he frequently deep-dives into how software companies are becoming fintechs and tracks the infrastructure shifts powering embedded products. * Broad Fintech & Infrastructure Thought Leaders * * * ** _Simon Taylor_ :** Co-founder of 11:FS and writer of the wildly popular [Fintech Brainfood Newsletter](https://www.fintechbrainfood.com/). He routinely breaks down how embedded finance, big banks, and modern compliance intersect without the corporate jargon. * * * **_Ron Shevlin_ :** Managing Director of Fintech Research at Cornerstone Advisors and a regular contributor to _Forbes_. He offers sharp, data-driven perspectives on banking trends, merchant adoption, and whether embedded finance delivers real ROI or just hype. [Top 25 Fintech Influencers \[2026\] | Mint Studios](https://www.mintcopywritingstudios.com/blog/fintech-influencers) Industry Publications & Company Blogs * * **Plaid Blog & Reports:** Essential reading for understanding how data connectivity acts as the foundation for account linking and consumer-permissioned embedded finance. You can explore insights directly on the [Plaid Blog](https://plaid.com/blog/). * **Fintech Infrastructure Providers (Marqeta, Unit, Treasury Prime):** Following the corporate and engineering blogs of top BaaS and card-issuing platforms gives you the technical "how-to" on compliance, ledger architecture, and partner banking. * Are you looking to learn about embedded finance from a **business/product strategy perspective** , or are you trying to understand the **technical and regulatory/compliance architecture**? Let me know so I can point you toward more specific resources or case studies.