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<p>Technology is constantly evolving, influencing consumer behavior, and driving innovation. Cloud tech is mainstream, device connectivity now standard, and Artificial Intelligence is groundbreaking. Our dedicated industry teams and global financial solutions can help you to grow. With our expertise and global network, you can focus on what matters: innovation. At Citi Commercial Bank, we understand the goals of Digital, Technology, and Communications companies and are here to help you succeed.</p>

MONEY FM Podcast, presented by Citi Commercial Bank. INSPIRING ENTREPRENEURS: What does it take to build your dreams?

Commercial Banking for Digital Technology & Comms Companies

Transcript <div>Wolt:</div>
<div>Wolt as a business was founded in 2014 here in Helsinki in Finland. As we've grown, we've moved from food delivery into over the counter medicine, groceries, chocolates, flowers, anything you want in the city so consumers have access to anything at their doorstep. Right now, Wolt operates in 23 countries, over 300 cities, with about 7,000 employees.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>In the very early days right after founding, we realised that our expansion needs were going to be quite dramatic so as we knew that we were going to expand in a lot of countries, we approached Citi because we knew that they could be a global banking partner.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Citi Commercial Bank Spokesperson:</div>
<div>I remember the meeting with the founders back in the days in 2015, '16, and we had a whiteboarding session. Wolt explained this new business model of having your food delivered, supporting restaurants, local communities, and we were truly fascinated by the entrepreneurial spirit, the energy.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>What was important for Wolt at the time was to really find the global bank, which they could scale with, and we're truly grateful that Wolt decided to go with Citi.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Wolt:</div>
<div>Citi had great customer service, a single point of contact, and gave us lots of advice on how to set up our banking structures.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>As Wolt has grown, we have entered new markets with new currencies and new payment methods, which means that the whole payment landscape has changed and become more complex.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>In addition to cash management, FX, trading guarantee needs, we have also built upon our connectivity, the global connectivity. We were able to make sure that the Wolt Treasury in Finland has the control and access as they needed to commercial flows.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Apart from a robust payment engine, Citi also provides a very good centralised platform, great visibility, and possibility to manage liquidity from centralised treasury,&nbsp; which we do. They have lots of global tools that are really important for us.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Citi Commercial Bank Spokesperson:</div>
<div>I truly enjoy working with the team at Wolt. Trust has been key for our relationship and we continue to build on that.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Wolt:</div>
<div>In our rapid growing environment, having somebody that you can trust, that you can rely on, that is there on that journey for you, we've really loved that partnership with Citi.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Citi Commercial Bank Spokesperson:</div>
<div>I remember meeting one of the founders in the early days and he explained that they're doing this expansion, not because it's easy, it's because it's nearly impossible and they're truly disrupting something, and of course it's super exciting to see what's next, right?</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Wolt:</div>
<div>We've only just gotten started as a company, it's very, very early days with regards to local commerce and our mission is to make cities better places to live and hope we can continue to do that together with Citi.</div> 

<div>Wolt:</div>
<div>Wolt as a business was founded in 2014 here in Helsinki in Finland. As we've grown, we've moved from food delivery into over the counter medicine, groceries, chocolates, flowers, anything you want in the city so consumers have access to anything at their doorstep. Right now, Wolt operates in 23 countries, over 300 cities, with about 7,000 employees.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>In the very early days right after founding, we realised that our expansion needs were going to be quite dramatic so as we knew that we were going to expand in a lot of countries, we approached Citi because we knew that they could be a global banking partner.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Citi Commercial Bank Spokesperson:</div>
<div>I remember the meeting with the founders back in the days in 2015, '16, and we had a whiteboarding session. Wolt explained this new business model of having your food delivered, supporting restaurants, local communities, and we were truly fascinated by the entrepreneurial spirit, the energy.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>What was important for Wolt at the time was to really find the global bank, which they could scale with, and we're truly grateful that Wolt decided to go with Citi.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Wolt:</div>
<div>Citi had great customer service, a single point of contact, and gave us lots of advice on how to set up our banking structures.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>As Wolt has grown, we have entered new markets with new currencies and new payment methods, which means that the whole payment landscape has changed and become more complex.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>In addition to cash management, FX, trading guarantee needs, we have also built upon our connectivity, the global connectivity. We were able to make sure that the Wolt Treasury in Finland has the control and access as they needed to commercial flows.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Apart from a robust payment engine, Citi also provides a very good centralised platform, great visibility, and possibility to manage liquidity from centralised treasury,&nbsp; which we do. They have lots of global tools that are really important for us.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Citi Commercial Bank Spokesperson:</div>
<div>I truly enjoy working with the team at Wolt. Trust has been key for our relationship and we continue to build on that.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Wolt:</div>
<div>In our rapid growing environment, having somebody that you can trust, that you can rely on, that is there on that journey for you, we've really loved that partnership with Citi.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Citi Commercial Bank Spokesperson:</div>
<div>I remember meeting one of the founders in the early days and he explained that they're doing this expansion, not because it's easy, it's because it's nearly impossible and they're truly disrupting something, and of course it's super exciting to see what's next, right?</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Wolt:</div>
<div>We've only just gotten started as a company, it's very, very early days with regards to local commerce and our mission is to make cities better places to live and hope we can continue to do that together with Citi.</div>

Transcript

 Transcript <div>Wolt:</div>
<div>Wolt as a business was founded in 2014 here in Helsinki in Finland. As we've grown, we've moved from food delivery into over the counter medicine, groceries, chocolates, flowers, anything you want in the city so consumers have access to anything at their doorstep. Right now, Wolt operates in 23 countries, over 300 cities, with about 7,000 employees.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>In the very early days right after founding, we realised that our expansion needs were going to be quite dramatic so as we knew that we were going to expand in a lot of countries, we approached Citi because we knew that they could be a global banking partner.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Citi Commercial Bank Spokesperson:</div>
<div>I remember the meeting with the founders back in the days in 2015, '16, and we had a whiteboarding session. Wolt explained this new business model of having your food delivered, supporting restaurants, local communities, and we were truly fascinated by the entrepreneurial spirit, the energy.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>What was important for Wolt at the time was to really find the global bank, which they could scale with, and we're truly grateful that Wolt decided to go with Citi.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Wolt:</div>
<div>Citi had great customer service, a single point of contact, and gave us lots of advice on how to set up our banking structures.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>As Wolt has grown, we have entered new markets with new currencies and new payment methods, which means that the whole payment landscape has changed and become more complex.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>In addition to cash management, FX, trading guarantee needs, we have also built upon our connectivity, the global connectivity. We were able to make sure that the Wolt Treasury in Finland has the control and access as they needed to commercial flows.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Apart from a robust payment engine, Citi also provides a very good centralised platform, great visibility, and possibility to manage liquidity from centralised treasury,&nbsp; which we do. They have lots of global tools that are really important for us.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Citi Commercial Bank Spokesperson:</div>
<div>I truly enjoy working with the team at Wolt. Trust has been key for our relationship and we continue to build on that.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Wolt:</div>
<div>In our rapid growing environment, having somebody that you can trust, that you can rely on, that is there on that journey for you, we've really loved that partnership with Citi.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Citi Commercial Bank Spokesperson:</div>
<div>I remember meeting one of the founders in the early days and he explained that they're doing this expansion, not because it's easy, it's because it's nearly impossible and they're truly disrupting something, and of course it's super exciting to see what's next, right?</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Wolt:</div>
<div>We've only just gotten started as a company, it's very, very early days with regards to local commerce and our mission is to make cities better places to live and hope we can continue to do that together with Citi.</div>  <p><a title="VIEW ALL INSIGHTS" href="https://www.citigroup.com/global/insights/commercial-bank?pk_campaign=view_all_insights"><img src="/rcs/v1/media/citigpa/akpublic/storage/retrieveMediaFile/62cdb786cbd420718de2e713.png" alt="VIEW" /></a></p>

Hear directly from the team at Wolt, an e-commerce company that started in Finland and is expanding into new markets, about how Citi’s global network and solutions has helped them expand internationally.

Helping Wolt grow internationally

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What does 2023 have in store for Digital, Technology and Communications companies? As Citi Commercial Bank’s Global Head for these sectors, I’ve been talking with our mid-sized clients about what they expect from the upcoming year. There is still a large amount of uncertainty, as would be expected, but what is certain is that digital transformation will continue to be critical as businesses worldwide scale up. Innovation will lead to new opportunities, and our clients in this space are already gearing up to take advantage of the shifts. Here are 10 trends that we predict will have a big impact this year. 1. 5G networks and edge computing: With the widespread deployment of 5G networks, we can expect to see a significant increase in the use of edge computing, which allows data to be processed closer to the source, resulting in faster and more efficient responses. 2. Internet of Things (IoT): The continued expansion of IoT will lead to an increased demand for connected devices, data analytics, and security solutions. 3. Cybersecurity: It continues to be an increasingly important concern as the number of connected devices and the amount of data being stored and shared continue to grow, pushing towards a Zero Trust environment. 4. Zero Trust: There is no longer a defined perimeter inside which every user, device, or access point is inherently trusted. Every entry must be validated using all data points available to provide context to the requested connection. The security architecture for this stage requires more automation and large amounts of computing power. It also requires the breakdown of complex processes into more manageable units to contain breaches, all leading to transformational changes to the security organization and the enterprise itself. 5. Cloud-based services: They will become even more prevalent as companies look for ways to reduce costs, increase scalability and improve security. 6. Personalization: E-commerce companies are using data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to personalize the shopping experience for individual customers, from product recommendations to personalized marketing campaigns. 7. Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR): These technologies will continue to be adopted in various industries such as entertainment, education, and healthcare, and will become more mainstream. For example, e-tailers are using VR/AR to enhance the online shopping experience, allowing customers to see products in a more realistic and interactive way. 8. Blockchain: It will continue to be adopted by other industries beyond financial services, such as logistics or healthcare, for its ability to track and manage data securely and transparently. 9. Increased adoption of API-based technologies, allowing for greater interoperability and choice in financial services by consumers and enterprises alike. 10. B2B e-Commerce: We saw the dizzying acceleration of e-commerce in the consumer space during the pandemic; B2B is next, especially along the supply chain, enabled by many of the above trends.

<h3><img style="float: left;" src="/rcs/v1/media/citigpa/akpublic/storage/retrieveMediaFile/63ebf3d835b19671e8b40f8b.png" alt="image_49872335251676407768364.png/" /></h3>
<h2>&nbsp;</h2>
<h2>&nbsp;</h2>
<h2>&nbsp;</h2>
<h2><span style="font-size: 16px;">What does 2023 have in store for Digital, Technology and Communications companies? As Citi Commercial Bank&rsquo;s Global Head for these sectors, I&rsquo;ve been talking with our mid-sized clients about what they expect from the upcoming year. There is still a large amount of uncertainty, as would be expected, but what is certain is that digital transformation will continue to be critical as businesses worldwide scale up. Innovation will lead to new opportunities, and our clients in this space are already gearing up to take advantage of the shifts. Here are 10 trends that we predict will have a big impact this year.</span></h2>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>1. 5G networks and edge computing: </strong>With the widespread deployment of 5G networks, we can expect to see a significant increase in the use of edge computing, which allows data to be processed closer to the source, resulting in faster and more efficient responses.</span></div>
<div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>2. Internet of Things (IoT):</strong> The continued expansion of IoT will lead to an increased demand for connected devices, data analytics, and security solutions.</span></div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>3. Cybersecurity:</strong> It continues to be an increasingly important concern as the number of connected devices and the amount of data being stored and shared continue to grow, pushing towards a Zero Trust environment.</span></div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>4. Zero Trust: </strong>There is no longer a defined perimeter inside which every user, device, or access point is inherently trusted. Every entry must be validated using all data points available to provide context to the requested connection. The security architecture for this stage requires more automation and large amounts of computing power. It also requires the breakdown of complex processes into more manageable units to contain breaches, all leading to transformational changes to the security organization and the enterprise itself.</span></div>
<div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>5. Cloud-based services:</strong> They will become even more prevalent as companies look for ways to reduce </span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 16px;">costs, increase scalability and improve security.</span></div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>6. Personalization:</strong> E-commerce companies are using data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to personalize the shopping experience for individual customers, from product recommendations to personalized marketing campaigns.</span></div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>7. Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR):</strong> These technologies will continue to be adopted in various industries such as entertainment, education, and healthcare, and will become more mainstream. For example, e-tailers are using VR/AR to enhance the online shopping experience, allowing customers to see products in a more realistic and interactive way.</span></div>
<div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>8. Blockchain: </strong>It will continue to be adopted by other industries beyond financial services, such as logistics or healthcare, for its ability to track and manage data securely and transparently.</span></div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>9. Increased adoption of API-based technologies,</strong> allowing for greater interoperability and choice in financial services by consumers and enterprises alike.</span></div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>10. B2B e-Commerce: </strong>We saw the dizzying acceleration of e-commerce in the consumer space during the pandemic; B2B is next, especially along the supply chain, enabled by many of the above trends.</span></div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div><a title="VIEW ALL INSIGHTS" href="https://www.citigroup.com/global/insights/commercial-bank?pk_campaign=view_all_insights" data-link-source="tiny"><img style="float: left;" src="/rcs/v1/media/citigpa/akpublic/storage/retrieveMediaFile/62cdb786cbd420718de2e713.png" alt="VIEW" /></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

What does 2023 have in store for digital, technology and communications companies? As Citi Commercial Bank’s global head for these sectors, I’ve been talking with our mid-sized clients about what they expect from the upcoming year. There is still a large amount of uncertainty, as would be expected, but what is certain is that digital transformation will continue to be critical as businesses worldwide scale up. Innovation will lead to new opportunities, and our clients in this space are already gearing up to take advantage of the shifts. Here are 10 trends that we predict will have a big impact this year.

What’s trending in digital, technology & communications

When it comes to businesses sending and receiving payments, efficiency is everything. Veem has revamped the payment experience and is giving businesses and entrepreneurs the confidence that their international payments will be simple, secure and fast. By working with Citi as its bank, Veem is empowering companies, big and small, with innovative solutions that are often only available to larger businesses. Thanks to Citi’s global scale and networks, Veem’s clients have the ability to pay and get paid in over 160 countries and 140 currencies around the world. This capability can help businesses unlock new opportunities and drive economic growth, and Citi Commercial Bank is here to help. 

Helping Veem empower businesses with seamless international payments

In this episode of Inspiring Entrepreneurs, Rachel Kelly speaks to Shyn Yee Ho-Strangas, Managing Director, Data and Software Solutions at PropertyGuru Group to find out what is her secret sauce to success and how she 'raises the roof' as a leader in a company that helps over 40 million property seekers to find their dream home, every month. Inspiring Entrepreneurs series brought to you by Citi Commercial Bank in celebration of International Women’s Day.

<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 9.8px; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; text-align: left; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px;">In this episode of Inspiring Entrepreneurs, Rachel Kelly speaks to Shyn Yee Ho-Strangas, Managing Director, Data and Software Solutions at PropertyGuru Group to find out what is her secret sauce to success and how she 'raises the roof' as a leader in a company that helps over 40 million property seekers to find their dream home, every month.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 9.8px; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; text-align: left; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px;">Inspiring Entrepreneurs series brought to you by Citi Commercial Bank in celebration of International Women&rsquo;s Day.</span></p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 9.8px; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; text-align: left; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ffffff;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 9.8px; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; text-align: left; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ffffff;"><a title="VIEW ALL INSIGHTS" href="https://www.citigroup.com/global/insights/commercial-bank?pk_campaign=view_all_insights" data-link-source="tiny"><img src="/rcs/v1/media/citigpa/akpublic/storage/retrieveMediaFile/64834692ef207e3f74ae09e1.png" alt="VIEW" /></a></p>

Meet the Makers is a series exploring the joys, pain, challenges, opportunities and rewards of growing a business. In this four-part podcast series, we talk to founder CEOs behind some of the world’s leading organisations to hear first-hand about their own business growth journey. From startup struggles to scaling successes, these makers share their most vulnerable moments, hard-won lessons, and invaluable advice on how to turn a business into a profitable, sustainable venture.

<p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: 300; font-size: var(--fontsize-base); line-height: var(--line-height-base);"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Meet the Makers is a series exploring the joys, pain, challenges, opportunities and rewards of growing a business.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: 300; font-size: var(--fontsize-base); line-height: var(--line-height-base);">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: 300; font-size: var(--fontsize-base); line-height: var(--line-height-base);"><span style="font-size: 16px;">In this four-part podcast series, we talk to founder CEOs behind some of the world&rsquo;s leading organisations to hear first-hand about their own business growth journey.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: 300; font-size: var(--fontsize-base); line-height: var(--line-height-base);">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: 300; font-size: var(--fontsize-base); line-height: var(--line-height-base);"><span style="font-size: 16px;">From startup struggles to scaling successes, these makers share their most vulnerable moments, hard-won lessons, and invaluable advice on how to turn a business into a profitable, sustainable venture.</span></p>

Meet the Makers: Inspired to Startup

Meet the Makers is a series exploring the joys, pain, challenges, opportunities and rewards of growing a business. In this four-part podcast series, we talk to founder CEOs behind some of the world’s leading organizations to hear first-hand about their own business growth journey. From startup struggles to scaling successes, these makers share their most vulnerable moments, hard-won lessons, and invaluable advice on how to turn a business into a profitable, sustainable venture.

Meet the makers

From left: Jaime de Paula, from Abstrato Venture; Rodrigo Loffredo, from Citi; and Leo Monte, from Sinqia, listen to Raketo’s Fred Santoro in a discussion about Corporate Venture Capital, in a panel led by the Digital, Tech and Comms team of Citi Commercial Bank

<p><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="/rcs/v1/media/citigpa/akpublic/storage/retrieveMediaFile/65243e17fd2a0a1a7fb885df.png" alt="Lets" width="741" height="510" /></p>
<p><em>From left: Jaime de Paula, from Abstrato Venture; Rodrigo Loffredo, from Citi; and Leo Monte, from Sinqia, listen to Raketo&rsquo;s Fred Santoro in a discussion about Corporate Venture Capital, in a panel led by the Digital, Tech and Comms team of Citi Commercial Bank</em></p>

Português <h4><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 24px;"><strong>Da IA ao Corporate Venture Capital: como novas tend&ecirc;ncias impulsionam a transforma&ccedil;&atilde;o digital na Am&eacute;rica Latina </strong></span></h4>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><strong><em>Tecnologias emergentes aceleram a transforma&ccedil;&atilde;o dentro das empresas, inclusive na Am&eacute;rica Latina, n&atilde;o apenas no segmento tecnol&oacute;gico, mas tamb&eacute;m em setores tradicionais que aproveitam a oportunidade para refor&ccedil;ar governan&ccedil;a, se transformar e crescer. Esse foi o destaque em um evento organizado pelo Citi no Brasil, que reuniu l&iacute;deres empresariais de diversos segmentos.</em></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Uma conhecida hist&oacute;ria d&aacute; conta de que, no fim do s&eacute;culo XIX, uma empresa com posi&ccedil;&atilde;o de destaque no mercado global de tel&eacute;grafos recebeu uma oferta para comprar a patente do telefone, ent&atilde;o um novo invento, por US$ 100 mil. Mas o presidente da empresa desperdi&ccedil;ou a oportunidade, sem perceber que a nova tecnologia iria revolucionar as comunica&ccedil;&otilde;es.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Para evitar esse tipo de passo em falso, muitas empresas em toda a Am&eacute;rica Latina est&atilde;o atentas &agrave;s &uacute;ltimas tend&ecirc;ncias, como a intelig&ecirc;ncia artificial. Protagonistas do mundo corporativo latino-americano percebem que a transforma&ccedil;&atilde;o digital n&atilde;o est&aacute; restrita a um setor espec&iacute;fico; em maior ou menor grau, todos s&atilde;o impactados pelos novos desdobramentos digitais.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Essa foi uma das conclus&otilde;es alcan&ccedil;adas no evento '<strong>Let's Talk Digital'</strong>, organizado recentemente no Citi Brasil.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Mais de 200 participantes de mais de 100 empresas do Brasil, ou com presen&ccedil;a no pa&iacute;s, discutiram temas como intelig&ecirc;ncia artificial, moedas digitais de bancos centrais (CBDC, na sigla em ingl&ecirc;s) e Corporate Venture Capital (CVC). Um evento relevante n&atilde;o s&oacute; para a regi&atilde;o, como destaca Andr&eacute; Cury, head do Citi Commercial Bank para Brasil e Am&eacute;rica Latina.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><em>&ldquo;As empresas brasileiras de tecnologia s&atilde;o cada vez mais regionais e globais. Diferentemente das ind&uacute;strias tradicionais, as empresas tecnol&oacute;gicas t&ecirc;m menos barreiras quanto buscam avan&ccedil;ar ou se expandir para outros pa&iacute;ses. Entre nossos clientes, vemos uma s&eacute;rie de empresas com esp&iacute;rito empreendedor que ganharam espa&ccedil;o para al&eacute;m da Am&eacute;rica Latina, chegando aos Estados Unidos, ou mesmo alcan&ccedil;ando expans&atilde;o fora do continente</em>.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Cap&iacute;tulos extras na jornada digital</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Entre as lideran&ccedil;as das empresas do segmento Digital, Technology and Communications (D,T&amp;C), h&aacute; um consenso crescente de que a transforma&ccedil;&atilde;o digital &eacute; um processo cont&iacute;nuo, especialmente agora com mais ferramentas chegando &agrave;s prateleiras.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">&ldquo;As novas tecnologias, incluindo a intelig&ecirc;ncia artificial, adicionam cap&iacute;tulos &agrave; jornada de transforma&ccedil;&atilde;o digital das empresas&rdquo;, resumiu Marco Stefanini, CEO e fundador da Stefanini, empresa brasileira presente em 41 pa&iacute;ses que ajuda empresas de diversos segmentos a implementar a transforma&ccedil;&atilde;o digital. Marco Stefanini destacou que a incorpora&ccedil;&atilde;o de ferramentas digitais &eacute; quest&atilde;o de &ldquo;quando&rdquo;, n&atilde;o de &ldquo;se&rdquo;.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Frederico Braga, CFO da Omie, empresa brasileira de tecnologia que oferece solu&ccedil;&otilde;es de gest&atilde;o para empresas de diversos portes e segmentos, ecoou a vis&atilde;o de Stefanini.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">&ldquo;Todos est&atilde;o implementando e sendo influenciados por inova&ccedil;&otilde;es e tecnologias em suas empresas. A Omie &eacute; uma empresa de tecnologia, portanto isso est&aacute; enraizado em nossos processos, mas h&aacute; novas tecnologias surgindo. A IA, por exemplo. N&atilde;o h&aacute; como escapar&rdquo;.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Para al&eacute;m da Intelig&ecirc;ncia Artificial, tend&ecirc;ncias como pagamentos digitais instant&acirc;neos, metaverso, ativos digitais e big data tamb&eacute;m est&atilde;o no radar e apresentam oportunidades de diversifica&ccedil;&atilde;o de neg&oacute;cios.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Novas oportunidades, desafios familiares</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Se por um lado as inova&ccedil;&otilde;es catalisam desenvolvimento e crescimento, desafios de longa data ainda podem impor obst&aacute;culos &agrave; acelera&ccedil;&atilde;o digital.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">&Eacute; o caso, por exemplo, da infraestrutura de telecomunica&ccedil;&otilde;es. &ldquo;O desafio &eacute; levar conectividade a locais mais remotos, considerando que o Brasil &eacute; um pa&iacute;s de dimens&otilde;es continentais&rdquo;, disse Rui Gomes, CEO da Um Telecom e presidente do Conselho da Connectoway.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">O uso correto dos dados, disse o empres&aacute;rio brasileiro Jo&atilde;o Vianna, tamb&eacute;m &eacute; um &ldquo;pain point&rdquo; para v&aacute;rias empresas. Ele acrescenta que quem &ldquo;consegue gerenciar informa&ccedil;&atilde;o com o apoio de ferramentas avan&ccedil;adas pode fazer a diferen&ccedil;a&rdquo;. Vianna est&aacute; agora por tr&aacute;s da Invisto, uma startup fundada por ele para criar oportunidades de investimento na reconstru&ccedil;&atilde;o de resid&ecirc;ncias familiares em locais privilegiados nos EUA.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Solu&ccedil;&otilde;es: Corporate Venture Capital e a independ&ecirc;ncia para inovar</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Em busca da agilidade e autonomia necess&aacute;rias para impulsionar a inova&ccedil;&atilde;o, um caminho trilhado por diversas empresas &eacute; a cria&ccedil;&atilde;o de estruturas de Corporate Venture Capital (CVC).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">S&atilde;o iniciativas que utilizam a criatividade e a velocidade das startups para avan&ccedil;ar no desenvolvimento de novas solu&ccedil;&otilde;es, ou, segundo Fred Santoro, fundador da Raketo Venture Market, o CVC &eacute; uma &ldquo;forma de grandes empresas permanecerem relevantes e sobreviverem em um mercado tecnol&oacute;gico em r&aacute;pida mudan&ccedil;a<a target="_blank" name="_Hlk143250325" data-link-source="tiny"></a>&rdquo;.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">A empresa tecnol&oacute;gica brasileira Sinqia &eacute; uma das que v&ecirc;m investindo em inova&ccedil;&atilde;o por meio do CVC. A Torq, iniciativa de CVC da Sinqia, j&aacute; acelerou o desenvolvimento de mais de 200 startups que trabalham com B2B, segundo Leo Monte, diretor da Torq. Ele afirma que a abordagem do CVC foi feita para impulsionar a inova&ccedil;&atilde;o internamente, evitando as complexidades do setor financeiro.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Mas liberar o potencial dos CVCs, dizem os l&iacute;deres, requer aten&ccedil;&atilde;o a fatores como o delicado equil&iacute;brio entre a autonomia &agrave; empresa investida e um alinhamento s&oacute;lido entre a corpora&ccedil;&atilde;o investidora e a startup.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Jaime de Paula, empreendedor experiente que &agrave; frente da Abstrato Ventures, entre outras iniciativas, mencionou outro fator-chave para o sucesso de uma startup: os fundadores. &ldquo;Eles fazem a diferen&ccedil;a. Eles acreditam tanto no neg&oacute;cio que s&atilde;o vendedores.&rdquo; A cren&ccedil;a no poder dos empreendedores &eacute; tanta que, na Abstrato Ventures, analisa-se primeiro o perfil dos fundadores e, s&oacute; depois, o potencial do neg&oacute;cio.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Seja por meio de CVC ou por meio de desenvolvimentos internos, as empresas brasileiras de tecnologia se consolidam como players relevantes internacionalmente.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Para as necessidades e esfor&ccedil;os de expans&atilde;o das empresas dos segmentos de D, T&amp;C no Brasil, al&eacute;m de apoiar players digitais globais que atuam no pa&iacute;s, o Citi Commercial Bank conta com uma equipe especializada que fornece servi&ccedil;os e solu&ccedil;&otilde;es sob medida.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">&ldquo;Nossos bankers t&ecirc;m profundo conhecimento e conex&otilde;es no setor para apoiar nossos clientes em seus processos de tomada de decis&atilde;o, encontrando as estruturas financeiras que melhor atendem &agrave;s suas necessidades, fornecendo solu&ccedil;&otilde;es financeiras e oportunidades para explorar os mercados de capitais, bem como compartilhando insights que podem ser &uacute;teis para o crescimento estrat&eacute;gico das empresas&rdquo;, afirma Rodrigo Loffredo, Head de D,T&amp;C do Citi Commercial Bank no Brasil.</span></p> 

<h4><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 24px;"><strong>Da IA ao Corporate Venture Capital: como novas tend&ecirc;ncias impulsionam a transforma&ccedil;&atilde;o digital na Am&eacute;rica Latina </strong></span></h4>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><strong><em>Tecnologias emergentes aceleram a transforma&ccedil;&atilde;o dentro das empresas, inclusive na Am&eacute;rica Latina, n&atilde;o apenas no segmento tecnol&oacute;gico, mas tamb&eacute;m em setores tradicionais que aproveitam a oportunidade para refor&ccedil;ar governan&ccedil;a, se transformar e crescer. Esse foi o destaque em um evento organizado pelo Citi no Brasil, que reuniu l&iacute;deres empresariais de diversos segmentos.</em></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Uma conhecida hist&oacute;ria d&aacute; conta de que, no fim do s&eacute;culo XIX, uma empresa com posi&ccedil;&atilde;o de destaque no mercado global de tel&eacute;grafos recebeu uma oferta para comprar a patente do telefone, ent&atilde;o um novo invento, por US$ 100 mil. Mas o presidente da empresa desperdi&ccedil;ou a oportunidade, sem perceber que a nova tecnologia iria revolucionar as comunica&ccedil;&otilde;es.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Para evitar esse tipo de passo em falso, muitas empresas em toda a Am&eacute;rica Latina est&atilde;o atentas &agrave;s &uacute;ltimas tend&ecirc;ncias, como a intelig&ecirc;ncia artificial. Protagonistas do mundo corporativo latino-americano percebem que a transforma&ccedil;&atilde;o digital n&atilde;o est&aacute; restrita a um setor espec&iacute;fico; em maior ou menor grau, todos s&atilde;o impactados pelos novos desdobramentos digitais.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Essa foi uma das conclus&otilde;es alcan&ccedil;adas no evento '<strong>Let's Talk Digital'</strong>, organizado recentemente no Citi Brasil.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Mais de 200 participantes de mais de 100 empresas do Brasil, ou com presen&ccedil;a no pa&iacute;s, discutiram temas como intelig&ecirc;ncia artificial, moedas digitais de bancos centrais (CBDC, na sigla em ingl&ecirc;s) e Corporate Venture Capital (CVC). Um evento relevante n&atilde;o s&oacute; para a regi&atilde;o, como destaca Andr&eacute; Cury, head do Citi Commercial Bank para Brasil e Am&eacute;rica Latina.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><em>&ldquo;As empresas brasileiras de tecnologia s&atilde;o cada vez mais regionais e globais. Diferentemente das ind&uacute;strias tradicionais, as empresas tecnol&oacute;gicas t&ecirc;m menos barreiras quanto buscam avan&ccedil;ar ou se expandir para outros pa&iacute;ses. Entre nossos clientes, vemos uma s&eacute;rie de empresas com esp&iacute;rito empreendedor que ganharam espa&ccedil;o para al&eacute;m da Am&eacute;rica Latina, chegando aos Estados Unidos, ou mesmo alcan&ccedil;ando expans&atilde;o fora do continente</em>.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Cap&iacute;tulos extras na jornada digital</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Entre as lideran&ccedil;as das empresas do segmento Digital, Technology and Communications (D,T&amp;C), h&aacute; um consenso crescente de que a transforma&ccedil;&atilde;o digital &eacute; um processo cont&iacute;nuo, especialmente agora com mais ferramentas chegando &agrave;s prateleiras.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">&ldquo;As novas tecnologias, incluindo a intelig&ecirc;ncia artificial, adicionam cap&iacute;tulos &agrave; jornada de transforma&ccedil;&atilde;o digital das empresas&rdquo;, resumiu Marco Stefanini, CEO e fundador da Stefanini, empresa brasileira presente em 41 pa&iacute;ses que ajuda empresas de diversos segmentos a implementar a transforma&ccedil;&atilde;o digital. Marco Stefanini destacou que a incorpora&ccedil;&atilde;o de ferramentas digitais &eacute; quest&atilde;o de &ldquo;quando&rdquo;, n&atilde;o de &ldquo;se&rdquo;.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Frederico Braga, CFO da Omie, empresa brasileira de tecnologia que oferece solu&ccedil;&otilde;es de gest&atilde;o para empresas de diversos portes e segmentos, ecoou a vis&atilde;o de Stefanini.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">&ldquo;Todos est&atilde;o implementando e sendo influenciados por inova&ccedil;&otilde;es e tecnologias em suas empresas. A Omie &eacute; uma empresa de tecnologia, portanto isso est&aacute; enraizado em nossos processos, mas h&aacute; novas tecnologias surgindo. A IA, por exemplo. N&atilde;o h&aacute; como escapar&rdquo;.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Para al&eacute;m da Intelig&ecirc;ncia Artificial, tend&ecirc;ncias como pagamentos digitais instant&acirc;neos, metaverso, ativos digitais e big data tamb&eacute;m est&atilde;o no radar e apresentam oportunidades de diversifica&ccedil;&atilde;o de neg&oacute;cios.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Novas oportunidades, desafios familiares</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Se por um lado as inova&ccedil;&otilde;es catalisam desenvolvimento e crescimento, desafios de longa data ainda podem impor obst&aacute;culos &agrave; acelera&ccedil;&atilde;o digital.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">&Eacute; o caso, por exemplo, da infraestrutura de telecomunica&ccedil;&otilde;es. &ldquo;O desafio &eacute; levar conectividade a locais mais remotos, considerando que o Brasil &eacute; um pa&iacute;s de dimens&otilde;es continentais&rdquo;, disse Rui Gomes, CEO da Um Telecom e presidente do Conselho da Connectoway.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">O uso correto dos dados, disse o empres&aacute;rio brasileiro Jo&atilde;o Vianna, tamb&eacute;m &eacute; um &ldquo;pain point&rdquo; para v&aacute;rias empresas. Ele acrescenta que quem &ldquo;consegue gerenciar informa&ccedil;&atilde;o com o apoio de ferramentas avan&ccedil;adas pode fazer a diferen&ccedil;a&rdquo;. Vianna est&aacute; agora por tr&aacute;s da Invisto, uma startup fundada por ele para criar oportunidades de investimento na reconstru&ccedil;&atilde;o de resid&ecirc;ncias familiares em locais privilegiados nos EUA.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Solu&ccedil;&otilde;es: Corporate Venture Capital e a independ&ecirc;ncia para inovar</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Em busca da agilidade e autonomia necess&aacute;rias para impulsionar a inova&ccedil;&atilde;o, um caminho trilhado por diversas empresas &eacute; a cria&ccedil;&atilde;o de estruturas de Corporate Venture Capital (CVC).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">S&atilde;o iniciativas que utilizam a criatividade e a velocidade das startups para avan&ccedil;ar no desenvolvimento de novas solu&ccedil;&otilde;es, ou, segundo Fred Santoro, fundador da Raketo Venture Market, o CVC &eacute; uma &ldquo;forma de grandes empresas permanecerem relevantes e sobreviverem em um mercado tecnol&oacute;gico em r&aacute;pida mudan&ccedil;a<a target="_blank" name="_Hlk143250325" data-link-source="tiny"></a>&rdquo;.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">A empresa tecnol&oacute;gica brasileira Sinqia &eacute; uma das que v&ecirc;m investindo em inova&ccedil;&atilde;o por meio do CVC. A Torq, iniciativa de CVC da Sinqia, j&aacute; acelerou o desenvolvimento de mais de 200 startups que trabalham com B2B, segundo Leo Monte, diretor da Torq. Ele afirma que a abordagem do CVC foi feita para impulsionar a inova&ccedil;&atilde;o internamente, evitando as complexidades do setor financeiro.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Mas liberar o potencial dos CVCs, dizem os l&iacute;deres, requer aten&ccedil;&atilde;o a fatores como o delicado equil&iacute;brio entre a autonomia &agrave; empresa investida e um alinhamento s&oacute;lido entre a corpora&ccedil;&atilde;o investidora e a startup.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Jaime de Paula, empreendedor experiente que &agrave; frente da Abstrato Ventures, entre outras iniciativas, mencionou outro fator-chave para o sucesso de uma startup: os fundadores. &ldquo;Eles fazem a diferen&ccedil;a. Eles acreditam tanto no neg&oacute;cio que s&atilde;o vendedores.&rdquo; A cren&ccedil;a no poder dos empreendedores &eacute; tanta que, na Abstrato Ventures, analisa-se primeiro o perfil dos fundadores e, s&oacute; depois, o potencial do neg&oacute;cio.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Seja por meio de CVC ou por meio de desenvolvimentos internos, as empresas brasileiras de tecnologia se consolidam como players relevantes internacionalmente.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Para as necessidades e esfor&ccedil;os de expans&atilde;o das empresas dos segmentos de D, T&amp;C no Brasil, al&eacute;m de apoiar players digitais globais que atuam no pa&iacute;s, o Citi Commercial Bank conta com uma equipe especializada que fornece servi&ccedil;os e solu&ccedil;&otilde;es sob medida.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">&ldquo;Nossos bankers t&ecirc;m profundo conhecimento e conex&otilde;es no setor para apoiar nossos clientes em seus processos de tomada de decis&atilde;o, encontrando as estruturas financeiras que melhor atendem &agrave;s suas necessidades, fornecendo solu&ccedil;&otilde;es financeiras e oportunidades para explorar os mercados de capitais, bem como compartilhando insights que podem ser &uacute;teis para o crescimento estrat&eacute;gico das empresas&rdquo;, afirma Rodrigo Loffredo, Head de D,T&amp;C do Citi Commercial Bank no Brasil.</span></p>

Português

<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">A well-known story says that at the end of the 19th century, a company holding a prominent position in the telegraph market was offered the patent for the telephone for US$ 100,000. But the company's president passed up the opportunity, not realizing that the new technology was going to revolutionize communications.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">To avoid this kind of faux-pas, many companies across Latin America have been proactively staying on top of the latest trends in technological advancements, such as artificial intelligence. There&rsquo;s wide recognition that digital transformation is not restricted to a particular industry; to a greater or lesser extent, everyone is affected by technological change.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">This was one of the conclusions reached at the &lsquo;<strong>Let&rsquo;s Talk Digital&rsquo;</strong> event, hosted by Citi Brazil recently.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Over 200 participants from over 100 companies from Brazil, or with a presence in the country, discussed topics such as artificial intelligence, Central Bank Digital Currencies and Corporate Venture Capital. An event relevant not only for Latin America, as the Citi Commercial Bank Head for Brazil and Latam, Andr&eacute; Cury, highlights:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;"><em>&ldquo;Brazilian technology companies are increasingly regional and global. Unlike traditional industries, tech companies have fewer barriers to entry when pursuing advancement or expansion to other countries. Among our clients, we see a number of companies with an entrepreneurial spirit that have expanded beyond Latin America, going to the United States, or even reaching global expansion beyond the Americas</em>.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Extra chapters in the digital journey</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Among the leadership of Digital, Technology and Communications (D,T&amp;C) companies, there&rsquo;s growing consensus that digital transformation is a continuous process, especially now with more tools available.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">&ldquo;New technologies, including artificial intelligence, add chapters to the digital transformation journey of companies&rdquo;, summarized CEO and founder, Marco Stefanini, from Stefanini, a Brazilian company present in 41 countries that helps companies from different segments to implement digital transformation. Marco Stefanini stressed that the incorporation of digital tools is a case of &ldquo;when&rdquo; not &ldquo;if&rdquo;.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Frederico Braga, CFO of Omie, a tech company from Brazil that offers management solutions to firms of different sizes and segments, echoed Stefanini's vision.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">&ldquo;Everyone is implementing and being influenced by innovation and technologies in their companies. Omie is a technology company, so this is rooted in our processes, but there are new technologies emerging. AI is a big topic. There is no way to escape: it is a matter of time and speed&rdquo;.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Putting AI to one side, trends such as instant digital payments, the metaverse, digital assets and big data are also on the radar and present business diversification opportunities.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>New opportunities, familiar challenges</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">New innovations enable development and growth, yet familiar challenges can stand in the way of digital acceleration.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">This is the case, for example, in the telecommunications infrastructure sector. &ldquo;The challenge is to bring connectivity to more remote locations, considering that Brazil is a country of continental dimensions&rdquo;, said Rui Gomes, CEO of Um Telecom and chairman of the Board of Connectoway.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">The correct usage of data, said Brazilian entrepreneur Jo&atilde;o Vianna, is also a &ldquo;pain point&rdquo; for a number of companies. He adds that those who &ldquo;manage to master information with the support of advanced tools can make a difference&rdquo;. Vianna is now behind Invisto, a startup he found to create investment opportunities in family home re-construction in prime locations in the U.S.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Solutions: Corporate Venture Capital and the independence to innovate</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">In search of the necessary agility and autonomy to boost innovation, a path taken by several companies is setting up Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) structures.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">These are initiatives that use the creativity and speed of startups to advance the development of new solutions, or, according to Fred Santoro, founder of Raketo Venture Market, CVC is a &ldquo;way for large companies to remain relevant and survive in a rapidly changing technological market&rdquo;.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">The Brazilian tech company Sinqia is one of the companies that has been investing in innovation through CVC. Torq, Sinqia's CVC initiative, has already accelerated the development of more than 200 startups that work with B2B, according to Leo Monte, Director of Torq. He says that CVC approach was made to boost in-house innovation, as it avoids the complexity of the financial sector.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Unleashing the potential of CVCs, the leaders say, requires paying attention to factors like the delicate balance between the autonomy granted to the invested company and solid alignment between the investing corporation and the startup.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Jaime de Paula, an experienced entrepreneur who heads Abstrato Ventures among other initiatives, mentioned another key factor for the success of a startup: the founders. &ldquo;They make the difference. They believe so much in the business that they are salespeople.&rdquo; Belief in the power of entrepreneurs is such that, at Abstrato Ventures, they analyze the founders&rsquo; profiles first and, only then, the business potential.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Whether through CVC or through internal developments, Brazilian technology companies are establishing themselves as relevant players internationally.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">To support the needs and expansion efforts of companies in the D,T&amp;C segments in Brazil, in addition to supporting global digital players operating in the country, Citi Commercial Bank has a specialized team focused on providing tailored services and solutions to the clients within the industry.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">&ldquo;Our bankers have deep industry knowledge and connections to support our clients' with their decision-making processes, finding the financial structures that best suit their needs, providing financial solutions and opportunities to tap capital markets as well as sharing their knowledge about the sector that can be useful for the strategic growth of their companies&rdquo;, says Citi Commercial Bank Head of D,T&amp;C in Brazil, Rodrigo Loffredo.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a title="VIEW ALL INSIGHTS" href="https://www.citigroup.com/global/insights/commercial-bank?pk_campaign=view_all_insights" data-link-source="tiny"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong><img src="/rcs/v1/media/citigpa/akpublic/storage/retrieveMediaFile/64834692ef207e3f74ae09e1.png" alt="VIEW" /></strong></span></a></p>

From left: Jaime de Paula, from Abstrato Venture; Rodrigo Loffredo, from Citi; and Leo Monte, from Sinqia, listen to Raketo’s Fred Santoro in a discussion about Corporate Venture Capital, in a panel led by the Digital, Tech and Comms team of Citi Commercial Bank Português <h4><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 24px;"><strong>Da IA ao Corporate Venture Capital: como novas tend&ecirc;ncias impulsionam a transforma&ccedil;&atilde;o digital na Am&eacute;rica Latina </strong></span></h4>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><strong><em>Tecnologias emergentes aceleram a transforma&ccedil;&atilde;o dentro das empresas, inclusive na Am&eacute;rica Latina, n&atilde;o apenas no segmento tecnol&oacute;gico, mas tamb&eacute;m em setores tradicionais que aproveitam a oportunidade para refor&ccedil;ar governan&ccedil;a, se transformar e crescer. Esse foi o destaque em um evento organizado pelo Citi no Brasil, que reuniu l&iacute;deres empresariais de diversos segmentos.</em></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Uma conhecida hist&oacute;ria d&aacute; conta de que, no fim do s&eacute;culo XIX, uma empresa com posi&ccedil;&atilde;o de destaque no mercado global de tel&eacute;grafos recebeu uma oferta para comprar a patente do telefone, ent&atilde;o um novo invento, por US$ 100 mil. Mas o presidente da empresa desperdi&ccedil;ou a oportunidade, sem perceber que a nova tecnologia iria revolucionar as comunica&ccedil;&otilde;es.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Para evitar esse tipo de passo em falso, muitas empresas em toda a Am&eacute;rica Latina est&atilde;o atentas &agrave;s &uacute;ltimas tend&ecirc;ncias, como a intelig&ecirc;ncia artificial. Protagonistas do mundo corporativo latino-americano percebem que a transforma&ccedil;&atilde;o digital n&atilde;o est&aacute; restrita a um setor espec&iacute;fico; em maior ou menor grau, todos s&atilde;o impactados pelos novos desdobramentos digitais.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Essa foi uma das conclus&otilde;es alcan&ccedil;adas no evento '<strong>Let's Talk Digital'</strong>, organizado recentemente no Citi Brasil.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Mais de 200 participantes de mais de 100 empresas do Brasil, ou com presen&ccedil;a no pa&iacute;s, discutiram temas como intelig&ecirc;ncia artificial, moedas digitais de bancos centrais (CBDC, na sigla em ingl&ecirc;s) e Corporate Venture Capital (CVC). Um evento relevante n&atilde;o s&oacute; para a regi&atilde;o, como destaca Andr&eacute; Cury, head do Citi Commercial Bank para Brasil e Am&eacute;rica Latina.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><em>&ldquo;As empresas brasileiras de tecnologia s&atilde;o cada vez mais regionais e globais. Diferentemente das ind&uacute;strias tradicionais, as empresas tecnol&oacute;gicas t&ecirc;m menos barreiras quanto buscam avan&ccedil;ar ou se expandir para outros pa&iacute;ses. Entre nossos clientes, vemos uma s&eacute;rie de empresas com esp&iacute;rito empreendedor que ganharam espa&ccedil;o para al&eacute;m da Am&eacute;rica Latina, chegando aos Estados Unidos, ou mesmo alcan&ccedil;ando expans&atilde;o fora do continente</em>.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Cap&iacute;tulos extras na jornada digital</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Entre as lideran&ccedil;as das empresas do segmento Digital, Technology and Communications (D,T&amp;C), h&aacute; um consenso crescente de que a transforma&ccedil;&atilde;o digital &eacute; um processo cont&iacute;nuo, especialmente agora com mais ferramentas chegando &agrave;s prateleiras.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">&ldquo;As novas tecnologias, incluindo a intelig&ecirc;ncia artificial, adicionam cap&iacute;tulos &agrave; jornada de transforma&ccedil;&atilde;o digital das empresas&rdquo;, resumiu Marco Stefanini, CEO e fundador da Stefanini, empresa brasileira presente em 41 pa&iacute;ses que ajuda empresas de diversos segmentos a implementar a transforma&ccedil;&atilde;o digital. Marco Stefanini destacou que a incorpora&ccedil;&atilde;o de ferramentas digitais &eacute; quest&atilde;o de &ldquo;quando&rdquo;, n&atilde;o de &ldquo;se&rdquo;.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Frederico Braga, CFO da Omie, empresa brasileira de tecnologia que oferece solu&ccedil;&otilde;es de gest&atilde;o para empresas de diversos portes e segmentos, ecoou a vis&atilde;o de Stefanini.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">&ldquo;Todos est&atilde;o implementando e sendo influenciados por inova&ccedil;&otilde;es e tecnologias em suas empresas. A Omie &eacute; uma empresa de tecnologia, portanto isso est&aacute; enraizado em nossos processos, mas h&aacute; novas tecnologias surgindo. A IA, por exemplo. N&atilde;o h&aacute; como escapar&rdquo;.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Para al&eacute;m da Intelig&ecirc;ncia Artificial, tend&ecirc;ncias como pagamentos digitais instant&acirc;neos, metaverso, ativos digitais e big data tamb&eacute;m est&atilde;o no radar e apresentam oportunidades de diversifica&ccedil;&atilde;o de neg&oacute;cios.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Novas oportunidades, desafios familiares</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Se por um lado as inova&ccedil;&otilde;es catalisam desenvolvimento e crescimento, desafios de longa data ainda podem impor obst&aacute;culos &agrave; acelera&ccedil;&atilde;o digital.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">&Eacute; o caso, por exemplo, da infraestrutura de telecomunica&ccedil;&otilde;es. &ldquo;O desafio &eacute; levar conectividade a locais mais remotos, considerando que o Brasil &eacute; um pa&iacute;s de dimens&otilde;es continentais&rdquo;, disse Rui Gomes, CEO da Um Telecom e presidente do Conselho da Connectoway.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">O uso correto dos dados, disse o empres&aacute;rio brasileiro Jo&atilde;o Vianna, tamb&eacute;m &eacute; um &ldquo;pain point&rdquo; para v&aacute;rias empresas. Ele acrescenta que quem &ldquo;consegue gerenciar informa&ccedil;&atilde;o com o apoio de ferramentas avan&ccedil;adas pode fazer a diferen&ccedil;a&rdquo;. Vianna est&aacute; agora por tr&aacute;s da Invisto, uma startup fundada por ele para criar oportunidades de investimento na reconstru&ccedil;&atilde;o de resid&ecirc;ncias familiares em locais privilegiados nos EUA.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Solu&ccedil;&otilde;es: Corporate Venture Capital e a independ&ecirc;ncia para inovar</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Em busca da agilidade e autonomia necess&aacute;rias para impulsionar a inova&ccedil;&atilde;o, um caminho trilhado por diversas empresas &eacute; a cria&ccedil;&atilde;o de estruturas de Corporate Venture Capital (CVC).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">S&atilde;o iniciativas que utilizam a criatividade e a velocidade das startups para avan&ccedil;ar no desenvolvimento de novas solu&ccedil;&otilde;es, ou, segundo Fred Santoro, fundador da Raketo Venture Market, o CVC &eacute; uma &ldquo;forma de grandes empresas permanecerem relevantes e sobreviverem em um mercado tecnol&oacute;gico em r&aacute;pida mudan&ccedil;a<a target="_blank" name="_Hlk143250325" data-link-source="tiny"></a>&rdquo;.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">A empresa tecnol&oacute;gica brasileira Sinqia &eacute; uma das que v&ecirc;m investindo em inova&ccedil;&atilde;o por meio do CVC. A Torq, iniciativa de CVC da Sinqia, j&aacute; acelerou o desenvolvimento de mais de 200 startups que trabalham com B2B, segundo Leo Monte, diretor da Torq. Ele afirma que a abordagem do CVC foi feita para impulsionar a inova&ccedil;&atilde;o internamente, evitando as complexidades do setor financeiro.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Mas liberar o potencial dos CVCs, dizem os l&iacute;deres, requer aten&ccedil;&atilde;o a fatores como o delicado equil&iacute;brio entre a autonomia &agrave; empresa investida e um alinhamento s&oacute;lido entre a corpora&ccedil;&atilde;o investidora e a startup.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Jaime de Paula, empreendedor experiente que &agrave; frente da Abstrato Ventures, entre outras iniciativas, mencionou outro fator-chave para o sucesso de uma startup: os fundadores. &ldquo;Eles fazem a diferen&ccedil;a. Eles acreditam tanto no neg&oacute;cio que s&atilde;o vendedores.&rdquo; A cren&ccedil;a no poder dos empreendedores &eacute; tanta que, na Abstrato Ventures, analisa-se primeiro o perfil dos fundadores e, s&oacute; depois, o potencial do neg&oacute;cio.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Seja por meio de CVC ou por meio de desenvolvimentos internos, as empresas brasileiras de tecnologia se consolidam como players relevantes internacionalmente.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Para as necessidades e esfor&ccedil;os de expans&atilde;o das empresas dos segmentos de D, T&amp;C no Brasil, al&eacute;m de apoiar players digitais globais que atuam no pa&iacute;s, o Citi Commercial Bank conta com uma equipe especializada que fornece servi&ccedil;os e solu&ccedil;&otilde;es sob medida.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">&ldquo;Nossos bankers t&ecirc;m profundo conhecimento e conex&otilde;es no setor para apoiar nossos clientes em seus processos de tomada de decis&atilde;o, encontrando as estruturas financeiras que melhor atendem &agrave;s suas necessidades, fornecendo solu&ccedil;&otilde;es financeiras e oportunidades para explorar os mercados de capitais, bem como compartilhando insights que podem ser &uacute;teis para o crescimento estrat&eacute;gico das empresas&rdquo;, afirma Rodrigo Loffredo, Head de D,T&amp;C do Citi Commercial Bank no Brasil.</span></p>  <p><span style="font-size: 16px;">A well-known story says that at the end of the 19th century, a company holding a prominent position in the telegraph market was offered the patent for the telephone for US$ 100,000. But the company's president passed up the opportunity, not realizing that the new technology was going to revolutionize communications.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">To avoid this kind of faux-pas, many companies across Latin America have been proactively staying on top of the latest trends in technological advancements, such as artificial intelligence. There&rsquo;s wide recognition that digital transformation is not restricted to a particular industry; to a greater or lesser extent, everyone is affected by technological change.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">This was one of the conclusions reached at the &lsquo;<strong>Let&rsquo;s Talk Digital&rsquo;</strong> event, hosted by Citi Brazil recently.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Over 200 participants from over 100 companies from Brazil, or with a presence in the country, discussed topics such as artificial intelligence, Central Bank Digital Currencies and Corporate Venture Capital. An event relevant not only for Latin America, as the Citi Commercial Bank Head for Brazil and Latam, Andr&eacute; Cury, highlights:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;"><em>&ldquo;Brazilian technology companies are increasingly regional and global. Unlike traditional industries, tech companies have fewer barriers to entry when pursuing advancement or expansion to other countries. Among our clients, we see a number of companies with an entrepreneurial spirit that have expanded beyond Latin America, going to the United States, or even reaching global expansion beyond the Americas</em>.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Extra chapters in the digital journey</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Among the leadership of Digital, Technology and Communications (D,T&amp;C) companies, there&rsquo;s growing consensus that digital transformation is a continuous process, especially now with more tools available.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">&ldquo;New technologies, including artificial intelligence, add chapters to the digital transformation journey of companies&rdquo;, summarized CEO and founder, Marco Stefanini, from Stefanini, a Brazilian company present in 41 countries that helps companies from different segments to implement digital transformation. Marco Stefanini stressed that the incorporation of digital tools is a case of &ldquo;when&rdquo; not &ldquo;if&rdquo;.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Frederico Braga, CFO of Omie, a tech company from Brazil that offers management solutions to firms of different sizes and segments, echoed Stefanini's vision.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">&ldquo;Everyone is implementing and being influenced by innovation and technologies in their companies. Omie is a technology company, so this is rooted in our processes, but there are new technologies emerging. AI is a big topic. There is no way to escape: it is a matter of time and speed&rdquo;.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Putting AI to one side, trends such as instant digital payments, the metaverse, digital assets and big data are also on the radar and present business diversification opportunities.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>New opportunities, familiar challenges</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">New innovations enable development and growth, yet familiar challenges can stand in the way of digital acceleration.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">This is the case, for example, in the telecommunications infrastructure sector. &ldquo;The challenge is to bring connectivity to more remote locations, considering that Brazil is a country of continental dimensions&rdquo;, said Rui Gomes, CEO of Um Telecom and chairman of the Board of Connectoway.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">The correct usage of data, said Brazilian entrepreneur Jo&atilde;o Vianna, is also a &ldquo;pain point&rdquo; for a number of companies. He adds that those who &ldquo;manage to master information with the support of advanced tools can make a difference&rdquo;. Vianna is now behind Invisto, a startup he found to create investment opportunities in family home re-construction in prime locations in the U.S.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Solutions: Corporate Venture Capital and the independence to innovate</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">In search of the necessary agility and autonomy to boost innovation, a path taken by several companies is setting up Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) structures.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">These are initiatives that use the creativity and speed of startups to advance the development of new solutions, or, according to Fred Santoro, founder of Raketo Venture Market, CVC is a &ldquo;way for large companies to remain relevant and survive in a rapidly changing technological market&rdquo;.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">The Brazilian tech company Sinqia is one of the companies that has been investing in innovation through CVC. Torq, Sinqia's CVC initiative, has already accelerated the development of more than 200 startups that work with B2B, according to Leo Monte, Director of Torq. He says that CVC approach was made to boost in-house innovation, as it avoids the complexity of the financial sector.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Unleashing the potential of CVCs, the leaders say, requires paying attention to factors like the delicate balance between the autonomy granted to the invested company and solid alignment between the investing corporation and the startup.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Jaime de Paula, an experienced entrepreneur who heads Abstrato Ventures among other initiatives, mentioned another key factor for the success of a startup: the founders. &ldquo;They make the difference. They believe so much in the business that they are salespeople.&rdquo; Belief in the power of entrepreneurs is such that, at Abstrato Ventures, they analyze the founders&rsquo; profiles first and, only then, the business potential.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Whether through CVC or through internal developments, Brazilian technology companies are establishing themselves as relevant players internationally.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">To support the needs and expansion efforts of companies in the D,T&amp;C segments in Brazil, in addition to supporting global digital players operating in the country, Citi Commercial Bank has a specialized team focused on providing tailored services and solutions to the clients within the industry.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">&ldquo;Our bankers have deep industry knowledge and connections to support our clients' with their decision-making processes, finding the financial structures that best suit their needs, providing financial solutions and opportunities to tap capital markets as well as sharing their knowledge about the sector that can be useful for the strategic growth of their companies&rdquo;, says Citi Commercial Bank Head of D,T&amp;C in Brazil, Rodrigo Loffredo.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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Emerging technologies are driving transformation within companies, including in Latin America, not only from the tech segment but also in traditional sectors that are seizing the opportunity to bolster their structures, transform and grow. This was highlighted at an event organized by Citi in Brazil, which brought together leading companies from across the region.

From AI to corporate venture capital: new trends are boosting Latin America’s digital transformation 

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<p>The 2024 Citi Commercial Bank Sector Snapshot Report on Artificial Intelligence, with data from PitchBook, looks beyond the hype around Artificial Intelligence&rsquo;s potential and assesses market conditions, industry shifts, and key trends in investment.</p>
<p>This raises a number of interesting questions:</p>
<ul>
<li>Can the introduction of AI in Enterprise Solutions outweigh the cost of innovation and deployment?</li>
<li>Will VCs&rsquo; push into early stage companies continue unabated?</li>
<li>Will AI continue to fuel all-time highs in tech stocks and private markets?</li>
</ul>
<p>These are some of the areas covered in the report which delivers valuable insights and points to the opportunities with AI.</p>
<p>Read the full report <a href="https://www.citibank.com/icg/sa/flippingbook/2024/Sector-Snapshot-Key-Trends-in-Dealmaking-Artificial-Intelligence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-source="tiny">here.</a>&nbsp;</p>
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<div><strong>Thierry Jenar</strong><br>Global Head of Digital Tech &amp; Comms<br>Citi Commercial Bank</div>
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Key Trends in Dealmaking

<p>The 2024 Citi Commercial Bank Sector Snapshot Report on Artificial Intelligence, with data from PitchBook, looks beyond the hype around Artificial Intelligence&rsquo;s potential and assesses market conditions, industry shifts, and key trends in investment.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

Sector Snapshot: Artificial Intelligence

<p>Learn about Thierry Jenar, Global Industry Head for Digital Tech &amp; Comms at Citi Commercial Bank.</p>

Get to Know Our Leaders: Thierry Jenar

Commercial Bank

Banking & International

<p><sub>*This content was produced by Global Trade Review on behalf of Citi Commercial Bank. </sub></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 28px;">As companies grow internationally, their financing needs shift, calling for more sophisticated solutions that can match their increasing digital requirements. They need a bank with a digital platform to help them transact with speed, security and transparency.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>When companies expand globally, their business and financing needs change. This often means moving from traditional debt-based trade finance to more advanced working capital solutions. A prime example is payables finance and receivables finance. Both solutions aim to help improve the cash conversion cycle and focus on enabling businesses to effectively manage their cash flow and potentially reduce the debt/leverage on its balance sheet through improved cash management.</p>
<p>Over the past decade, large corporates have extensively used payable finance via supply chain finance (SCF) programs to improve their working capital management, a trend now increasingly seen among mid-sized firms with global growth ambitions.</p>
<p>&ldquo;As companies grow and mature and start thinking about external ratings and accessing the capital markets, maintaining a lean balance sheet becomes crucial,&rdquo; says Shrey Daga, Citi&rsquo;s global head of trade and working capital solutions for commercial banking clients.</p>
<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s been a noticeable uptick in the demand for off-balance sheet funding. Our payables and receivables business has grown significantly in the last few years, mainly fueled by clients in North America and Western Europe. However, we&rsquo;re witnessing a similar trend among mid-sized firms growing their businesses internationally, even in emerging markets,&rdquo; Daga says.</p>
<h3>A fully digital offering</h3>
<p>As companies expand into new markets and start leveraging potential off-balance sheet solutions, they need to be able to digitally consolidate information about their supply chains, centralize treasury operations, and oversee the entirety of their banking solutions.</p>
<p>Recognizing the dynamic nature of clients&rsquo; financial needs, the CitiDirect&reg; platform facilitates integration between these solutions to enable clients to efficiently manage day-to-day banking interactions with Citi, all in one place.</p>
<p>&ldquo;This integration between solutions helps keep the process simple. In the case of electronic loans (eLoans) and SCF functionalities, for example, a buyer can vet a purchase order and the funds can be provided to pay the supplier on the same platform,&rdquo; says Daga.</p>
<p>By leveraging Citi&rsquo;s global banking presence in 95 countries, the platform links with a significant number of buyer and supplier networks transacting in 144 currencies and providing data-driven insights to help inform decision-making.</p>
<p>&ldquo;With CitiDirect&rsquo;s comprehensive digital capabilities, we gain access to valuable data on payables and receivables, which means we can provide clients with insight into which of these solutions will be most effective and how to deploy them, allowing us to help our clients meet their specific funding needs,&rdquo; says Francisca Michielsen, Citi&rsquo;s head of trade and working capital sales for the UK, Europe and MEA for commercial banking clients.</p>
<p>In 2023, Citi started rolling out its CitiDirect Commercial Banking<sup>SM</sup> platform to meet the demands of its commercial banking clients. This single-entry digital platform brings together Citi&rsquo;s global products and services, giving clients a comprehensive, real-time view of their Citi banking relationship across cash, trade and working capital solutions, including eLoans, FX, servicing and onboarding.</p>

<p><img src="/rcs/v1/media/citigpa/akpublic/storage/retrieveMediaFile/66abc485ea5e6b6b4d133afb.jpg" alt="GTR-CCB-unlocking-growth-info-graphic2.jpg"></p>
<p><sub>Source: Global Trade Review</sub></p>

<h3>Shaping the future</h3>
<p>Citi has made substantial investments in its technology in recent years as it further enhances and simplifies its offerings to provide a more connected experience for clients.</p>
<p>Across the full trade lifecycle, investments in technologies such as optical character recognition&nbsp;have enabled faster processing of trade documents. Solutions like Citi Digital Bill aim to reduce reliance on traditional paper-based methods. Citi is also exploring emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and natural language processing, to power new solutions.</p>
<p>&ldquo;As digitalization transforms the global trade industry and companies seize new opportunities in business and finance, Citi is taking proactive steps to lead the transformation required from banks,&rdquo; says Daga.</p>
<h3>Case study: Wallbox</h3>
<p>Wallbox, headquartered in Spain, is one of the leading providers of electric vehicle chargers and energy management solutions for electric vehicles (EVs). The company creates smart charging systems that facilitate communication between vehicles, the grid, buildings and chargers. Wallbox&rsquo;s Pulsar EV charger range can be found in many households around the world due to its compact design, power capabilities and the convenience of control through the Wallbox App.</p>
<p>Wallbox is on a mission to expand globally, driven by increasing demand for its smart EV charging and energy management solutions. The company sought innovative digital methods to fund its suppliers across various regions in alignment with its business model. This led Wallbox to reach out to Citi for support.</p>
<p>Given Wallbox was already on the CitiDirect platform, the company could easily leverage the platform&rsquo;s eLoan module to apply and access working capital. This feature facilitates digital loan disbursements across multiple jurisdictions and borrowing entities and offers the convenience of centralized management by Wallbox&rsquo;s treasury team.</p>
<p>The eLoan solution proved to be precisely the self-service tool that Wallbox sought, providing full visibility into the status of each loan. It enhanced the user experience for Wallbox by enabling access to crucial loan information, tracking interest rate fluctuations, and assessing credit line availability through an interactive and intuitive dashboard. Moreover, all loan drawdowns are initiated electronically via the eLoan platform.</p>
<p>The use of a single platform solution has enabled Wallbox to achieve digitization, mitigate risks, streamline processes and effectively meet its core working capital requirements.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p><strong>As companies grow internationally, their financing needs shift, calling for more sophisticated solutions that can match their increasing digital requirements. They need a bank with a digital platform to help them transact with speed, security and transparency.</strong></p>