Investing in SmartCoin was an opportunity for us to help fund tech that’s enabling a faster way for people to get the funds they need to manage their everyday cash flow imbalances. When we visited SmartCoin’s office in Bengaluru, we talked to some of the employees about what it’s like to work for an innovative and inclusive fintech company.
With more than eight years of experience in data analytics, Mayank Aggarwal is confident working on the analytics team and processing the vast amounts of data that go into SmartCoin’s alternative credit assessment. “Anything and everything related to data and numbers is all taken care of by my team members and me,” he says. Mayank appreciates being able to turn data into insights about customers so they can get a loan. “That I’m able to contribute in my way to this cause of helping someone in need is quite satisfying,” he says.
SmartCoin’s proprietary score takes into account the borrower’s financial profile, as well as alternative data from social networks and behavior data. From a customer’s initial contact with SmartCoin to the loan disbursement, the whole process is digital, and people like Mayank on the back-end help the process run smoothly for customers using the app.
Even in the most high-tech loan process, sometimes customers need a human touch. That’s where Piyush Pandey comes in. He leads the customer support team to make sure that anytime a customer has an issue, SmartCoin can resolve it quickly and effectively. Customers can contact support through chat, email, or phone, and Piyush’s team will make sure they get the help they need in whichever form is convenient for them.
Even in the most high-tech loan process, sometimes customers need a human touch. Piyush leads SmartCoin’s customer support team.
Convenience is a significant factor in SmartCoin’s success. As Piyush pointed out to us, a vast number of people in India already have smartphones, so having a financial tool they can access from an app makes it easy to use. It’s a smart business strategy, but it’s also about helping people, Mayank emphasizes. People often need loans quickly and only need small amounts for basic needs, but banks either won’t loan to them or require too much time and documentation to process a loan. Many of the customers who come to SmartCoin are students or other people who just need a few necessities, especially at the end of the month. SmartCoin can get those funds to them quickly, and people in need don’t have to turn to predatory lenders.
SmartCoin even goes a step farther by building financial health tools into the app so that customers can build their credit profiles and learn healthy financial habits as they repay their loans. This gives borrowers a strong foundation for interacting with financial services in the future.
In addition to the job satisfaction that comes from having a career that makes a social impact, Mayank and Piyush both appreciate the benefits that come with working at a growing startup. Having worked at startups before, Mayank was drawn to the innovative and fast-paced culture of the industry and jumped at the chance to work at SmartCoin. For Piyush, SmartCoin’s rapid growth has been a springboard for his career. In just a year, he has been able to move up the ladder and take a leadership position on his team. “It’s quite a good opportunity for me,” says Piyush.
Combining the experience of working at a technology-focused startup with a mission to do good is an opportunity that neither Mayank or Piyush takes for granted. As Mayank told us, recalling why he decided to work at SmartCoin: “They were doing something really unique and very helpful for society. I decided that I wanted to be a part of it.”