Shan Han is the co-founder & CEO of Zetl, a fintech specializing in providing platforms with embedded lending technology, capital, and licenses to offer fully digital business loans to their users.

Launched in 2018, Zetl raised a $700,000 seed led by Workplace Accelerator in 2021. Their platform currently serves customers with up to $50M in annual revenues. They recently partnered with Philippine’s Netbank to finance Filipino SMEs.

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👋🏼 How would you explain your job to someone outside tech?

We help businesses access debt capital much faster so that they can manage their working capital needs.

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🧐 What's something about you or your job that would surprise us?

As our business scales, my role has become all about people. Most of the day is spent speaking to customers, investors, partners, and of course, the team.

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🏆 What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

We supported a lot of businesses' cash flow during COVID. After, a founder took me out for lunch to thank me. He told me that without our financing they would have gone under. Instead, they managed to avoid reducing any headcount and are now profitable and growing! 

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That was the most tangible reward for having started Zetl so far.

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🔍 What's a startup trend or space you're watching this year?‍

AI. Truly seems like the beginning of something generationally transformative. It's hyped, but probably deservedly so. It won't happen overnight but in a decade things will look very different with AI embedded into many facets of our life. It's the biggest tech breakthrough since the web.

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💼 What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry? 

“Most people overestimate what they can achieve in a year and underestimate what they can achieve in ten years.” 

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🗣 What's one thing you can keep talking about for hours? 

The financial services industry. Both its history and where it's going in the future. I'm a big finance geek! 

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🎥 What's your favorite movie/TV show? 

[I] recently watched Beef and was blown away! Strong contender for [my] new favorite. 

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🍨 What's your go-to ice cream flavor?‍

Matcha or black sesame.

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FYI. We’ve edited this interview for clarity.

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