Nicolas Treppides: “Greece is the Blueprint for Our Regional Expansion”

The future of financial services will not be determined by who offers the most products, but by who builds the infrastructure on which tomorrow's businesses will operate.

As embedded finance, artificial intelligence and instant payments redefine the banking sector, Moneygate is emerging as one of the most dynamic financial infrastructure providers in Southeastern Europe.

Starting from Cyprus and now expanding into Greece, the company's founder and CEO, Nicolas Treppides, speaks to Fortune Greece & Cyprus about the future of fintech, Moneygate's growth strategy and the conditions needed for Greece and Cyprus to operate as a unified regional financial services ecosystem.

Drawing on his extensive experience in entrepreneurship and investment, he also explains how to build a business capable of withstanding different scenarios of uncertainty, outlines the role artificial intelligence will play in finance in the coming years, and shares his personal leadership playbook: “Consistency and commitment to your goals, investment in human relationships, deep knowledge of your field and adaptability define entrepreneurial success. Above all, you need to truly believe in what you are building. That conviction is what keeps you going through difficult days.”

After a decade of rapid growth for fintechs and EMIs, we are entering a period of maturity and differentiation. What do you believe will be the next major phase in the sector's evolution, and where is Moneygate currently focusing its efforts and investments?

The first decade of fintech was the era of customer acquisition at any cost. The next phase is the era of specialisation. Simply offering a digital product is no longer enough. You need to understand in depth how each business operates. That is precisely where Moneygate is focusing its efforts.

We are a “transaction-first” financial operating system for businesses with high transaction volumes, operating across borders and in multiple currencies. We do not want to be just another generic gateway. Our ambition is to become the embedded transactional layer on which our clients' businesses run.

Our key differentiator is that we fully own our technology and we are API-first. This means we can integrate IBAN, payment and FX services directly into an organisation's product. We are currently investing in completing our product suite, instant payments and open interfaces, so that clients never need to leave our environment.

The next major phase of the industry will therefore belong to those who combine regulatory credibility with speed and a deep understanding of their clients. That is where we are investing.

Technologies such as generative AI and cloud-native platforms are transforming the financial sector. What are the main trends currently emerging?

We see five trends shaping the industry.

First, instant payments are becoming mandatory at the European level, changing expectations around speed.

Second, embedded finance: financial capabilities are being integrated directly into business workflows rather than existing within a separate banking environment.

Third, the regulation of digital assets through MiCA is creating, for the first time, an institutional and credible market for crypto infrastructure.

Fourth, open banking is opening new distribution channels.

And fifth, the significant impact of artificial intelligence.

Generative AI is not simply a customer service tool. It is simultaneously transforming several important functions. In risk management, it makes transaction monitoring faster, less costly and more transparent. In DevOps, it accelerates the pace of product development itself. And in customer experience, it enables genuine personalisation.

Cloud-native platforms are a prerequisite for all of this because they provide the flexibility and scalability that legacy banking infrastructure simply cannot offer.

For us, the significance of AI is not about replacing people, but about scaling our capabilities without a proportional increase in headcount. This allows us to develop a deeper and more intelligent understanding of each client.

Traditional financial services are increasingly moving away from physical service locations. What will the banks of the future look like?

The bank of the future will not be a building. It will be an infrastructure layer. It will exist within the systems that businesses and consumers already use, invisible but always present.

However, that does not mean the human element will disappear. Quite the opposite. As everything becomes automated, genuine human interaction becomes a premium service. The more digital the industry becomes, the more valuable it is to speak with someone who truly understands your business needs.

At Moneygate, we see this every day. Our clients have access to digital onboarding and instant transactions, while also knowing that there is someone who understands their history and circumstances.

This combination — the speed of technology and the reassurance of a human relationship — is, in my view, the model that will prevail.

The banks of the future will fall into two categories: those that become purely low-cost infrastructure providers and those that offer specialised, almost boutique experiences for specific industries.

Moneygate belongs to the second category. We are not trying to be everything to everyone. We aim to be specialists for those who need us.

How do you assess the growing role of artificial intelligence as an adviser in how people manage their money?

It is a development with enormous potential, but also with boundaries that must be respected. Artificial intelligence can analyse data, identify patterns and suggest options at a speed no human can match.

For the average user, this means better visibility and more informed decisions. In the business world, where we operate, the value is even greater because of the enormous complexity of financial flows, currencies and transactions.

However, AI remains an adviser, not the ultimate decision-maker. Trust is built when there is transparency about how a recommendation is generated and when human judgement remains above the system.

Particularly in financial services, where people's money is at stake, technology should enhance people's ability to make decisions, not replace it. We use artificial intelligence with precisely this philosophy. It helps us understand clients better and faster so that, when the time comes to make a decision, the person supporting them is already informed and prepared.

AI as an adviser is the future, provided it remains a tool that serves human judgement.

Having established its presence in Cyprus, Moneygate is pursuing targeted geographical expansion, starting with the Greek market. What is your objective for Greece, and how is this expansion already taking shape?

Greece represents the first major test of our model outside Cyprus, and we are approaching it in a targeted and methodical way.

The Greek market has a large and growing concentration of businesses, ranging from traditional SMEs that we can serve to promising startups and technology companies with a significant international footprint that have chosen Greece as their base.

The gap we are seeking to address is significant. Our objective is not to become just another option, but the specialised partner for businesses handling high transaction volumes.

Our expansion is taking shape through three pillars.

First, referral networks and local partners, which are the dominant channel in a relationship-driven market such as Greece.

Second, strong initial reference clients who will validate the value we provide.

Third, our technology, which allows us to integrate directly into our clients' operations.

If Greece succeeds as planned, it will validate our entire regional expansion model for Southeastern Europe.

Greece is not simply a new market. It is the blueprint for everything that follows.

Cyprus has developed into an important regional hub for financial services, technology and international business in recent years. What do you consider the country's main competitive advantages today?

Cyprus has a rare combination of advantages.

First, it has a credible regulatory framework aligned with the EU, giving businesses access to the European market with legal certainty. In addition, the market has exceptionally talented and multilingual professionals, with a strong background in financial and professional services.

I would also highlight the size of the market, which is paradoxically an advantage. Although small, it is highly accessible. As a result, a good idea or product can spread quickly and build a reputation almost immediately.

Finally, I would point to Cyprus's geographical and cultural position as a bridge between Europe, the Middle East and the wider region.

What makes the difference today is that Cyprus is no longer simply a professional services centre. It is evolving into a technology and innovation hub. Companies such as Moneygate can build their own technology here, using local talent, and scale it internationally.

The challenge in the coming years will be to maintain this momentum by investing in skills, infrastructure and a regulatory environment that remains stable and supportive of innovation.

Cyprus has demonstrated that it can host businesses with international ambitions, and Moneygate is a clear example.

How can Greece and Cyprus further strengthen their cooperation in areas such as technology and innovation?

Greece and Cyprus share a language, culture and business mindset. This provides an enormous and often underestimated foundation for cooperation.

In technology and innovation, the real opportunity is for the two countries to function as a single market rather than two separate ones.

A company developing a product in Cyprus should be able to scale it in Greece without unnecessary friction, and vice versa.

This requires three things.

First, greater harmonisation of regulatory and licensing frameworks to make expansion from one market to the other smoother.

Second, shared talent and knowledge networks through partnerships between universities, businesses and fintech communities in both countries.

Third, flows of capital and business relationships, so that investors in one market naturally consider opportunities in the other.

We experience this cooperation in practice. Our expansion into Greece is not an entry into a foreign market. It is the natural extension of a Cypriot business into a market with which we share so much.

The more the two countries approach technology and innovation as a joint endeavour, the more competitive both will become at European and international levels.

We are experiencing a period of multiple crises. Geopolitical tensions, market volatility and the need for rapid digital transformation are placing pressure on businesses and institutions. How does an entrepreneur make decisions when geopolitical uncertainty has become the new normal?

Uncertainty is no longer an emergency situation. It is the environment in which we operate. Once you accept that, the way you make decisions changes. You do not try to predict the unpredictable. You build a business that can withstand different scenarios.

For me, this means three things.

First, focus. During a crisis, the biggest trap is trying to do everything. We chose to become excellent at the transactional side of financial services rather than mediocre at many things.

Second, control over the foundations. When you own your technology, you are not dependent on third parties who might leave you exposed at the worst possible moment. Resilience is built when you control the critical parts of your value chain.

Third, speed of adaptation. Geopolitical uncertainty punishes those who move slowly. Decisions must be based on good data, but they must also be made quickly.

Finally, there is the human dimension. In uncertain times, businesses stay with partners they trust. That is why we invest so heavily in relationships.

An entrepreneur today does not make decisions based on whether the next crisis will come, because it will. The question is how well their business has been built to withstand it.

You have significant business interests through Moneygate and Treppides Investments & Holdings. What motivates you every day, and what qualities does an entrepreneur need to succeed today?

What motivates me every day is building something that has genuine value and longevity. The lens through which I evaluate an investment or a business is to first look at it as if I were its customer and determine whether it makes sense from the customer's perspective, rather than the owner's.

You create something that serves people and businesses in a way that genuinely improves their everyday lives.

With Moneygate, the motivation is even more personal because I started with a need I understood firsthand and turned it into a product. When you see a business operating better because you have given it the right tool, that is the greatest reward.

As for the qualities an entrepreneur needs today, I would start with focus and perseverance.

Success rarely comes from the big idea. It comes from consistent execution, day after day. Next, I would highlight deep knowledge of the field in which you operate. You become an expert when you dedicate yourself completely to what you do. There are no shortcuts to knowledge.

Finally, adaptability. Markets change, conditions change, and the entrepreneur who survives is the one who learns and adapts without losing sight of their vision.

Above all, you need to truly believe in what you are building.

That conviction is what keeps you going through difficult days.

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