The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's notability guideline for biographies. (December 2022) |
Ozerk Ozan (born 1979) is a Norwegian IT entrepreneur, best known as the co-founder of Norsk Ideutvikling AS, the social networking service Biip.no and the banking-as-as-service provider OpenPayd.
Ozerk Ozan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Cyprus |
| Citizenship | Norway |
| Alma mater | University of Oslo |
| Known for | founder of Biip.no and OpenPayd |
Early life
editOzan was born in Nicosia, Cyprus, in 1979. At a young age, he moved to Norway with his family. His father, Ozerk Kamil, is a professor at the Department of Education at the University of Oslo.[1]
Education
editOzan studied medicine at the University of Oslo from 2002 to 2008.
Career
editIn 2002, Ozan founded Norsk Ideutvikling AS. In 2005, the company launched the online community Biip.no,[2] which quickly gained popularity, amassing a user base of 450,000 users within two years. In 2008, the majority of shares in the company were sold to Egmont Group and Nettavisen.[3]
In 2015, Ozan transitioned to the fintech industry and began working on various ventures. In 2018, he consolidated his early companies under OpenPayd, headquartered in London.[4][5][6] As of 2024, OpenPayd processes over GBP £50 billion in volume annually.[7]
In November 2018, Ozan founded European Merchant Bank (EMBank).[8] By the end of 2021, EMBank's business loan portfolio reached €29.7 million, and the bank generated an income of €4.3 million.[9]
Personal views
editFinancial Inclusion
editOzerk has frequently mentioned the problems of inclusion facing the underbanked and unbanked, citing the problems arising from the reduced use of cash as currency,[10] the pitfalls of AI that could further discriminate the financially disadvantaged[11] and the growing worldwide inequality gap between the rich and poor.[9]
Fintech industry
editOzerk believes regulators are struggling to keep up with innovations in fintech[12] but that the sector will continue to grow[13] driven by the necessity for Banking-as-as-Service offerings to bridge the gap between traditional and alternative payment methods[14] and the difficulty in businesses obtaining financial licenses.[15] He is similarly bullish on the growth of embedded finance,[16] citing how it can reduce costs, increase profits and drive customer loyalty,[17] with UK brands likely to claim the majority of the £619 billion European financial services market in the next 5 years.[18]
References
edit- ^ Smith, Nick (2022-03-11). "'Embedded finance comes with monumental challenges': OpenPayd founder Ozan Özerk". eandt.theiet.org. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
- ^ "The People of Fintech: Medical Doctor & Serial Fintech Entrepreneur Ozan Özerk". Euro Weekly News. 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
- ^ Næsje, Terje (2010-10-21). "Narvik-lege tjente godt på nettsamfunn". Fremover (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2022-12-07.
- ^ Özerk, Ozan (2022-04-02). "Interview ozan Özerk; words and portrait by Nick Smith". Engineering & Technology. 17 (3): 62–65. doi:10.1049/et.2022.0322. ISSN 1750-9637. S2CID 251416434.
- ^ "Crypto and Regulation: Challenging but Inevitable". Financial and Business News | Finance Magnates. 14 December 2021. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
- ^ Team, OpenPayd Editorial (2021-09-15). "Ozan Özerk | Founder of OpenPayd". OpenPayd. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
- ^ Watson, Melania (2024-06-07). "OpenPayd's annual recurring revenue tops GBP £40 million". itbrief.
- ^ "Ozan Ozerk". European Merchant Bank UAB. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
- ^ a b "Dr. Ozan Ozerk on COVID-19 and the Widening Gap Between Rich and Poor". TechTimes. 2021-05-26.
- ^ "Inside the payments sector: Interview with OpenPayd's founder". X4 Technology. 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
- ^ Özerk, Ozan. "Videos". Dr. Ozan Özerk. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
- ^ EBR, Editor (2021-05-18). "David vs. Goliath: The Struggle of Fintechs in a Traditional Banking World". The European Business Review. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
{{cite web}}:|first=has generic name (help) - ^ Ozerk, Ozan. "Council Post: Off The Rails? The Rails-Agnostic Future Of International Payments". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
- ^ England, Joanna (2022-04-27). "OpenPayd Founder on BaaS Trends & new Marketplace Challenges". fintechmagazine.com. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
- ^ "Episode 330: Ozan Özerk, Founder of OpenPayd - Radio - Webflow HTML Website Template". www.aroundthecoin.com. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
- ^ "Episode 330: Ozan Özerk, Founder of OpenPayd - Radio - Webflow HTML Website Template". www.aroundthecoin.com. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
- ^ Fintech Rewired (2022-07-28). Dr. Ozan Ozerk | S:1 Ep:3 Fintech Rewired. Retrieved 2024-08-19 – via YouTube.
- ^ "How UK brands will reap the most benefits of the embedded finance's rise". IBS Intelligence. Retrieved 2024-08-19.