SpanIdea Systems

Yesterday, teams from the NXTGen Programme ran the ING Marathon together as one of our final gatherings before the Pitch Finals at Nexus Luxembourg on June 11. Thank you to all the ladies who showed up, represented the programme, and carried the NXTGen spirit with pride. And thank you to all the mentors, supporters, and friends who crossed our paths during the race. You all made a difference. Step by step, session by session, pitch by pitch, this journey has shown what happens when talented women come together with purpose, courage, and ambition. Next stop: Nexus Luxembourg Main Stage. June 11. We are almost there. Jean Pierre GOMEZ Noémi Zsolnai Elena Volkova Marinês Garcia Astrid Amodeo M.Sc., Miné I. Raihana Wolff Harshita Srivastava Yanli Liu Swati Dogra Aynaz Rajabkhani Andrea Varas Daria Petrashenko Véronique Rivière

In 2000, most countries traded with the US. 🇺🇸 In 2025, most trade with China. 🇨🇳 Few charts explain the shift in global power more clearly than this one. Trade is not only about exports and imports. Trade builds: → supply chains → standards → political leverage → long-term dependence Over 25 years, China moved from regional manufacturing base to primary trading partner for most of the world. The US remains the largest economy. China becomes the default commercial link across more countries. Here is why this matters: → Trade relationships shape influence before military or diplomatic power enters the room → Countries protect links they depend on → Payment rails, logistics, ports, industrial inputs, platforms start to follow trade patterns → Once business flows settle, policy alignment can follow The change did not happen by accident. China scaled through: → manufacturing depth → infrastructure investment → price competitiveness → speed → long-term industrial policy The US kept major strengths in: → capital markets → reserve currency power → technology leadership → defence reach → global institutions But strength in finance is not the same as strength in trade reach. That distinction matters more each year. For Europe, financial centres, and open economies such as Luxembourg, this is not abstract. Cross-border hubs need to read power shifts early. Because the next phase of competition may not start with tariffs. It may start with who controls: → trade corridors → industrial inputs → settlement systems → strategic dependencies My view: China’s rise as the top trading partner for most countries is one of the biggest structural changes in the global economy. Not because it replaces American power. Because it changes how power is exercised. The map of trade now tells a different story from the map of finance. How do you see this shaping the next phase of global power?

Luxembourg just confirmed Europe’s highest minimum wage. The bigger story is what workers can actually keep. On paper, Luxembourg looks unmatched. A very high wage floor. A strong labour market. A country near the top on income, safety, stability, quality of life. But wage leadership alone does not explain lived reality. Here is where the picture gets more complex: → Housing costs remain among the highest in Europe → Daily expenses put pressure on lower and middle incomes → Cross-border work changes how income and spending interact → Competitiveness is no longer only about salary level Luxembourg shows a paradox many economies will face more clearly in the next decade: High wages can attract talent. High costs can push talent away. Both can be true at once. From my perspective, minimum wage is only one signal. For workers, the real metric is purchasing power. For employers, the real metric is sustainable access to talent. For policymakers, the real metric is whether the model still works at scale. Here is what matters more than the headline ranking: 1️⃣ Net disposable income Gross pay matters less if rent, transport, childcare, food, energy eat through it fast. 2️⃣ Talent competitiveness A country can lead on wages and still struggle if key workers cannot build a stable life there. 3️⃣ Economic positioning If labour costs rise faster than productivity, pressure moves through the whole system: → hiring → margins → business models → investment decisions Luxembourg still has major strengths. It remains one of Europe’s most attractive places for international talent, finance, regulation, cross-border business. But minimum wage leadership should start a wider discussion, not end it. The question is not only how much a country pays. The question is how well a country converts wages into real life, real mobility, long-term competitiveness. What’s your take?

Revolut, Monzo, Square, Nubank. Different markets. Same signal: banking is going mobile-first worldwide. Search interest is rising across categories linked to digital banking. Not in one country. Not around one brand. Across multiple markets at once. I see 3 clear implications: 1. Distribution is changing Digital banks do not start with branches. They start with the phone. → account opening in minutes → cards, payments, savings, credit in one flow → lower friction at the point where users decide Legacy scale still matters. Mobile convenience now shapes first choice. 2. The product is becoming the channel Traditional banking built reach through physical presence. Digital banking builds reach through: → app experience → referrals → embedded journeys → daily use cases When the interface is strong, distribution compounds. This is why players like Revolut, Monzo, Square, and Nubank matter beyond their home markets. They show how product design can become a growth engine. 3. Expectations are moving faster than institutions Users now compare banking with the best mobile experiences they have anywhere. Not only with other banks. They expect: → speed → clarity → control → 24/7 access → fewer steps Here is where the shift becomes strategic: Mobile-first banking is not only a UX story. It is a capability story. To compete in the next phase, financial institutions need: → digital talent → stronger execution → compliance built into product design → teams who understand adoption, not only technology This is why digital banking matters far beyond consumer convenience. It changes how banks build. How regulators respond. How talent is trained. How ecosystems compete. Different logos. Different geographies. Same global direction: banking is moving closer to the user, the device, and the moment of need. How do you see mobile-first banking shaping the next phase of financial services?

PwC Luxembourg turned practice into pressure. Next stop: the Nexus Luxembourg main stage. Yesterday, our NXTGen Women in Finance & Technology teams stepped into a Dragon's Den-style pitch training session at PwC Luxembourg. No theory. No safe room. No polished script without challenge. Each team has one job: → present its MVP with clarity → defend the problem it is solving → show why the idea and product matters now From: → broad vision → feature-heavy explanations → cautious delivery To: → clear value proposition → stronger structure → more confident presence Pitch training matters for a simple reason: A good idea or product is not enough. A strong team is not enough. A working MVP is not enough. If people do not understand the problem, the user, the timing, or the value, the opportunity gets lost. Sessions like this help close that gap. Here is what I value most in formats like this: → real feedback under real pressure → direct exposure to tough questions → a space where preparation becomes performance For programmes focused on talent and capability, this is where development becomes visible. Not in a slide deck. Not in a brochure. On stage, under pressure, with the clock running. A big thank you to PwC Luxembourg for hosting a session designed to prepare, challenge, and elevate. Nexus Luxembourg will be the next test. 10 teams. 10 MVPs. One main stage. How do you see pitch training shaping early confidence and execution for women building in finance and technology? A special thank you to Mary Elizabeth Carey, Juliana Macedo Maines , Nana Duah P. , and Hazal Kantarci for sharing their expertise, time, and energy with all 10 teams. And thank you to François Génaux , who will lead the jury panel on the night of the event. Attend the NXTGen Finals at Nexus Luxembourg on June 11 at 5 pm on the Main Stage. https://lnkd.in/dXnFUSn5 Andrada-Teodora Nastase Astrid Amodeo Yanli Liu Marinês Garcia Tamiralech Asress Adriana Urban-Odierna Tsvetelina Uzunova Raquel Franco, MBA, CAMS, ACCA Marina Carnés Calvo Viktorija Pakilaite

180 LinkedIn voices in the Dominican Republic 🇩🇴 🇩🇴 🇩🇴 are doing more than posting. They are making the country easier to see, trust, and invest in. A professional ecosystem grows faster when its experts are visible. Founders, bankers, lawyers, operators, educators, investors, recruiters, creatives, policy voices: when they share what they know, they reduce friction for everyone else. Here is why 180 voices matter: → They make local expertise easier to find → They give international audiences more context on the market → They help talent see opportunity at home → They turn isolated success stories into an ecosystem signal Visibility is not vanity. Visibility is infrastructure. When a country has more credible people explaining what they build, how they work, what they believe, outsiders gain confidence. Confidence drives movement: capital, talent, partnerships, attention. I have seen this pattern in fintech ecosystems again and again. First, a few people start sharing. Then, more professionals join. Then, a market becomes easier to understand. Then, serious opportunities follow. LinkedIn plays a bigger role in this than many people think. Not because posts replace institutions. Because posts amplify institutions, companies, sectors, careers, ideas. In fast-moving economies, knowledge sharing does 3 important things: 1. It builds trust at scale People invest faster when they can understand the people behind the market. 2. It creates professional proof A visible ecosystem signals depth, competence, momentum. 3. It strengthens national positioning Country brands are no longer shaped only by campaigns. They are shaped by people showing up with substance. A stronger Dominican Republic story will not come from one voice. It will come from many credible voices, across many industries, sharing consistent signals about talent, ambition, execution, growth. 180 is not only a list. It is a map of professional momentum. How do you see visible experts shaping the Dominican Republic’s next phase of growth? Access all at 20% discount coupon: favikon https://lnkd.in/d8Ud9mAN

If we teach AI without cyber risk, we fail the next generation of finance talent. Financial services is moving fast on AI. Talent programmes need to move fast too. At our latest NXTGen Programme session with Deloitte , one message stood out for us: AI skills without digital risk awareness are incomplete. In finance, speed matters. Trust matters more. Teams now work with tools that can improve research, operations, compliance, client service, fraud detection, workflow design. At the same time, exposure grows: → data leakage → model risk → third-party dependencies → prompt injection → governance gaps → weak human oversight Here is what I keep seeing across the market: → many professionals are curious about AI → fewer understand where risk enters the process → even fewer know how to manage it in a real business setting Learning AI in isolation is not enough. For finance talent, capability now needs 3 parts: 1. understand what AI can do 2. understand what AI can break 3. understand how to use it with controls, accountability, governance This is why sessions like this matter. Not because cybersecurity is a side topic. Because cybersecurity is now part of digital judgment. Working in education and talent at the LHoFT, I see a clear shift. Employers do not only need people who can use new tools. They need people who can use them safely, explain risks clearly, work across compliance, tech, operations, business teams. That is where talent becomes valuable. My thanks to Deloitte Luxembourg for hosting a timely discussion for the NXTGen community. Strong ecosystems are not built by teaching innovation alone. They are built by teaching innovation with responsibility. For Luxembourg, this matters. For financial services, this is urgent. For young professionals entering the sector, this may become one of the most important skills they build. What do you think? Special thanks to Pascal Martino , Board Member of the LHoFT and Partner at Deloitte Luxembourg, as well as Maurice Schubert , Luisa Diletta Bertoldi , Kunjie Qian , Hatice BASKAYA Baskaya, and Elodie Vandepoorter for the excellent collaboration and support in making this session possible. Pascal Denis Rebeka Selymes Maxime Heckel, CAMS Susanne Schartz John Psaila Petra Hazenberg Thomas Campione, CFA Giulia Pescatore Daniel Brunner

I see a big shift in Europe. Founders now raise from states, angels, and VCs at the same time. For years, many people saw Y Combinator as the main door. Strong brand. Strong network. Strong signal. Europe now builds a wider capital stack. Here is what I see on the ground: → public money helps de-risk early bets → angels bring speed, trust, domain knowledge → VCs bring scale, follow-on capital, reach Taken together, this changes the path for founders. A founder in Europe no longer needs one gatekeeper. A founder can build a round across different layers of capital. Why does this matter? Because Europe is not Silicon Valley. Europe is fragmented. Europe is regulated. Europe is cross-border by default. A blended model fits that reality far better. What makes Europe interesting now is not one fund. It is the system forming around the founder: → government-backed investors → national innovation agencies → family offices → sector angels → specialist early-stage VCs Each piece solves a different problem. State-backed capital can support strategic sectors. Angels can move before consensus forms. VCs can help companies scale beyond one market. This is why “alternatives to YC” is now the wrong frame. Europe does not need one copy of YC. Europe needs its own infrastructure for startup creation. More local. More strategic. More linked to real industry. There is still work to do. Europe needs: 1. faster decisions 2. stronger founder support after the cheque 3. more conviction at pre-seed Yet direction is clear. European founders have more doors than before. More importantly, they can open several at once. For builders in fintech, climate, deeptech, health, or regulated markets, this may become a real advantage. The next winners may not come from one famous program. They may come from founders who learn how to combine Europe’s full capital stack. How do you see this shaping Europe’s next generation of startups? Source: Startup.eu

Same talent, same effort. Luxembourg pays $6,156, Cairo pays $165. A new comparison of net monthly salaries across 69 major cities in 2025 shows how wide the gap still is. At the top of the ranking: → Geneva - $7,984 → Zurich - $7,788 → San Francisco - $7,092 Then other high-income hubs: → Luxembourg - $6,156 → Boston - $5,940 → Chicago - $5,203 → New York - $5,128 At the bottom, large cities remain below $1,000 per month: → Cairo - $165 → Bogotá - $375 → Rio de Janeiro - $439 On its own, the spread between $165 and almost $8,000 is already striking. The second layer is the change since 2020. Salary growth in USD terms is also diverging: → Warsaw: +95.3% → Istanbul: +94.5% → Bangalore: +80.7% While others have moved backward: → Cairo: -40.1% → New York: -14.9% → Tokyo: -13.1% → San Francisco: -10.6% Once pay is converted to U.S. dollars, currency swings reshape the story. A weak local currency can erase wage growth, even when workers gain in local terms. A few points stand out for me: 1️⃣ Switzerland still sets the global salary ceiling. 2️⃣ Luxembourg sits in the very top tier, with strong absolute gains over five years. 3️⃣ Percentage gains can look dramatic when starting from a low base. 4️⃣ Currency strength is now a core part of the talent equation. 5️⃣ We live in a two-speed world: top hubs pull ahead in absolute pay, while others race to catch up. The question is: how should talent, companies, and policymakers think about a world where salary level, currency resilience, and real purchasing power no longer move in sync?