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Couchonomics with Arjun
Decoding the New World Order of Finance - Unfiltered, global, weekly
As tectonic shifts reshape the financial world, Couchonomics continues to explore the trends transforming commerce, capital, and culture. This season, we expand our lens - building on our deep focus in the MENA region while bringing in voices, stories, and innovations from around the globe.
Why? Because the future of finance is no longer regional - it’s interconnected.
Whether it’s AI in Asia, tokenization in Europe, or fintech policy experiments in Africa, today’s financial shifts cross borders, industries, and disciplines.
Whether you’re in the industry or just fintech-curious, tune in weekly as we decode the big moves, bold ideas, and brilliant minds shaping tomorrow’s economy.
Episodes drop weekly. Arabic subtitles available on YouTube: youtube.com/@couchonomicswitharjunsingh438
Learn more: www.couchonomics.com
Season 4 supported by:
Adyen | Mastercard | SC Ventures | Thunes | Hala | e& | Digit 9
About the host:
Arjun's expertise covers a broad range of areas including Fintech, Payments, Digital Assets, Embedded Finance, Application of Emerging Technologies, and the Emergence of New Business Models within the Financial Services Sector in the MEA region and globally.
Arjun is deeply engaged in the Tech Start-Up ecosystem. He serves as a passive investor, advisory board member, and a notable commentator on the rapidly evolving scene.
In recognition of his impactful contributions, Arjun was honored as a Top Voice of the region by LinkedIn in 2020.
Learn more at www.couchonomics.com.
Couchonomics with Arjun
What VCs Get Wrong About Building Durable Startups with Tim Levene
In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, we sit down with Tim Levene, CEO of Augmentum Fintech, the UK’s only publicly listed fintech venture capital firm.
From going public to backing infrastructure instead of hype, Tim shares what permanent capital allows that traditional VC structures don’t and why he believes the next decade of fintech will be won with discipline, not just disruption.
What we cover:
🛋️ Why Augmentum chose public markets over LP cycles
🛋️ The real story behind growth-at-all-costs and its fallout
🛋️ Why the GCC is becoming central to Augmentum’s investment strategy
🛋️ What it takes to stay relevant when the hype fades
🎧 Now streaming on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by our partners:
Adyen https://www.adyen.com/
Thunes https://thunes.com/
Mastercard https://mastercard.com/
E& https://www.eand.com/
Digit9 https://www.digitnine.com/
SC Ventures https://scventures.io/
Hala https://hala.com/
Find us on our social media platforms:
Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/
Couchonomics LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/
Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics
Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E
Chapters:
00:00 – Episode Highlights
02:45 – Why Augmentum chose to go public
06:10 – Permanent capital vs traditional VC fundraising
10:25 – What LPs and public shareholders want in today’s market
13:55 – How Augmentum balances patient capital with fintech agility
17:20 – The post-2021 correction: resetting the fintech ecosystem
21:40 – Fintech infrastructure or B2C buzz: where the real value is now
25:00 – Operator-led investing and what it means for founders
29:15 – What makes a good VC-founder relationship
33:40 – Augmentum’s evolving interest in the Middle East
37:00 – Dubai and GCC as emerging fintech investment hubs
41:30 – Tim’s take on profitability vs scale in VC
45:05 – Outlook for fintech in the next 3–5 years
48:50 – Closing reflections and final takeaways
Our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0
Find us on our social media platforms:
- Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/
- CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/
- Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/
- Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20
- TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics
Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E
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