How did the idea of creating SnapSwap come about?

SnapSwap was inspired by my own personal experience: my son Sasha is studying in London and sending him small amounts of money was always an issue as bank transfers are expensive and can take days to go through. We came up with the idea of designing an app which would allow users to send money right away for free using an instant messaging service.

What achievements are you particularly proud of to date?

We have made enormous progress during our first year in Luxembourg. We purchased Europe’s first ever EMI licence and are therefore the first to offer blockchain payment services. We have formed partnerships with Worldline – one of Europe’s largest card and payment processors, the Luxembourg divisions of BNP Paribas and Banque Internationale à Luxembourg as well as LuxTrust, a secure customer identification provider. We have also been accepted onto acceleration programmes mentored by EY and Facebook. In October 2016, the first version of the mobile app Gloneta was made available to customers across the 28 countries of the European Union.

What are your plans for the future?

We hope to offer new services and launch the app in the Benelux countries, France, Germany and other neighbouring countries.

What is your favourite thing about Luxembourg?

Luxembourg is the ideal country for developing new financial services. We like being part of an ecosystem which leaves room for start-ups to grow. As a financial services provider, we are grateful for the enthusiasm demonstrated by the government and the financial authorities towards new and innovative ideas. We also like the fact that Luxembourg is a very international place where different languages and cultures can commingle harmoniously.