Sokin It to Them How one fintech is outpacing Revolut, winning sport and scaling borders with laptop-era discipline and global ambition.

In a market dominated by loud valuations and louder personalities, Vroon Modgill is building something bigger. As CEO of Sokin, the UK's fastest-growing payments business, he's steering a 235% growth trajectory with help from AI, strategic pivots, and a mission to connect overlooked markets to global money flows. Backed by the likes of BlackRock, Morgan Stanley and Rio Ferdinand, Sokin isn't just disrupting finance. It's redesigning who gets to play.

What's working for you in 2025 that wouldn't have worked a year ago?
This year, we are seeing the real results of the groundwork we laid last year, mainly from our 2024 funding round, which brought in backing from major institutions like Morgan Stanley and BlackRock. This has reaffirmed to our customers that we're a serious, stable player in the market, directly driving global growth.

On a more operational side, integrating AI and machine learning has allowed our 120-person team to operate with efficiency and compete with players that have employee bases ten times our size. This ultimately means we can onboard our clients faster and handle global payment flows more efficiently. This, combined with a greater ability to spend bigger on brand and marketing have contributed to a 235% annual growth rate over the last 3 years.

What have you stopped doing that's made your company better?
We've evolved significantly from our early days. We started out by building what we believe the market wanted, rather than addressing the demands of today's business leaders. We've spent significant time with founders and finance leaders within global organisations to understand their pain points in order identify the right solution. Recognising this gap and listening to those needs, we pivoted our product to what it is today, which does a great job at providing efficiencies to local and international finance teams - and this shift in focus helped us grow more sustainably. We're not done though, and with continual product investment the product will become even stronger, driving our company growth furthermore.

What's one belief about building a start-up you've completely changed your mind on?
There is a perception that to start a successful business, you need a full team, office space and immediate funding to build something real. That's a myth. I launched Sokin with just a laptop, Wi-Fi, and a couple of talented individuals, and that focused start forced us to be disciplined and strategic. You don't need to raise money every year; you need a clear plan and the ability to execute. If you can get your go-to-market strategy right, everything else will follow.

What's the most underrated edge a UK founder has right now?
The UK has an incredible talent pool that founders can tap into, thanks to a strong education system and a culture that has fostered innovation. As a result, they have the ability to tap into highly skilled, diverse teams – something that's not always easy to find elsewhere. What's more, UK founders have access to the technologies and financial platforms that enable them to compete on a global stage from the very start of their journey, meaning international growth is possible from day one, and doesn't need to be a pipedream. Combined with a well-established legal and regulatory framework, the UK offers a balance of stability and innovation that's incredibly valuable for founders when building and scaling a business, both domestically and internationally.

What's your vision for the UK startup ecosystem in 10 years?
If the current trend continues, with limited government support and founders feeling overlooked, we risk losing great talent and startups to other regions. The UK has the potential to become a global hub for innovation and technology, a place that not only talks about leadership in R&D, but backs it with meaningful investment and policy support. Start-ups need to feel like they're part of something bigger. That means real engagement from the government and a culture that attracts both local talent and global opportunity. If we get that right, we'll see a thriving ecosystem that rivals the very best in the world