Lex Gielen is the CEO and founder of The Gielen Group – an international network of FinTech companies, driven by a team of around 40 experts.
As the world continues to modernise and technology becomes an integral part of the way in which businesses operate, we rely on the endeavours of pioneers such as The Gielen Group to deliver comprehensive technological solutions.
We sat down with Lex Gielen to learn more about his incredible achievements and see what’s The Gielen Group can offer.
Hi Lex, thank you for taking the time to speak to us today. How did you become involved in the world of financial technology?
My entrepreneurship started in my teenage years. After high school, I had the opportunity to work for a financial service company. My interest in the financial market and service took place. I have been interested in technology from an early age. It was logical for me to combine my finance and technology interests. This led to the creation of my first company called Atlantis Financiers. Atlantis Financiers grew to one of the biggest alternative finance and full-service factoring providers on the Dutch and Belgian markets.
What inspired you to create The Gielen Group?
The Gielen Group is a network of companies. This network came about quite naturally, and it started with Atlantis Financiers. To make Atlantis Financiers a success, I have developed various competencies and expertise’s. Some of these competencies were so complex that they could be standalone companies. I took one of these competencies and developed it into a second company named Paylex. After the success of Paylex, I was inspired to scale into bigger businesses and more companies. Since then, the Gielen Group has grown into a network of companies by in-house development, strategic partnerships, and acquisitions.
What companies exist within The Gielen Group?
The Gielen Group consists of 8 companies spread over 4 countries in Europe, namely:
- Atlantis Financiers: a financing specialist for SMEs in difficult or special times.
- Paylex: a credit scoring platform that offers companies insight into more than 300 million companies around the world.
- Customer Diligence: A platform that provides AML tooling for financial companies and professionals.
- CapiLex: A platform that provides real estate financing for professionals. In other words, it’s a mortgage-backed lending platform.
- Lancelot Vastgoed: an online mediator of high quality commercial and residential properties.
- ViVentor: An alternative investment marketplace and a place for non-banking lenders to receive funding.
- Twinero: An online provider of microloans in Spain.
- Presto: is one of the first non-bank lenders in the Spanish market to offer a credit line solution to consumers.
What kind of services does The Gielen Group offer?
The Gielen Group is an ecosystem where SMEs can find services to grow their businesses. All companies in the Gielen Group specialize in one or two areas of finance. The goal of the Gielen Group is to create a network that is a single-point service for companies concerning FinTech. The companies in the Gielen Group can help businesses scale through financing, finding new investment opportunities, and being compliant with financial laws and regulations.
How would you describe the role of digital technology in the finance industry?
People want tailor-made service, efficiency, and user-friendliness. Traditional finance and banks cannot keep up with these wishes. That is why more and more companies and consumers are turning to FinTech companies and services. FinTech specializes in innovative and customer-oriented financial processes and solutions. Fintech is the solution to what traditional banks offer and what consumers expect. When it comes to innovation and digitalization, Fintech is the future.
What would you say makes The Gielen Group unique?
The companies in the Gielen Group have their own team, software, and specialties. Nevertheless, the Gielen Group works in a multidisciplinary way. Skills and knowledge are shared. As a result, each company has the knowledge and skills of 7 other companies. The Gielen Group consists of a close-knit team divided over different companies that take the Gielen Group as a whole to the next level. Having multiple professionals from various backgrounds allows exploring new opportunities to grow the group.
Thank you Lex for your time!
You can follow up with Lex Gielen at https://gielen-group.com/
