"We're going to be the first banking app in the UK entirely focused on the complexities of human behavior," Matt explained. "We all have unique Financial DNA, and our behaviors are impacted by emotions and psychology."

The numbers backing this approach are compelling. According to the research Matt cites, 27% of Brits acknowledge that their financial behavior is heavily influenced by emotions, while 29% report their finances are in constant flux. Perhaps the most interesting statistic is that almost a quarter of people admit they lack the motivation and discipline to save.

"It's clear to us that the incumbents don't really help with that," Matt noted. The Marygold & Co. app was needed in this space to give people the right incentives and the right nudges to save.

What sets Marygold & Co. apart is their deep integration of behavioural psychology into every aspect of their app. Working with a financial psychologist, they've identified four distinct financial personalities that shape how people manage money. There are the Confident Organised people, who naturally excel at budgeting and planning. The Avoiders‍—‌who Matt suggests might be "most of us" – are simply too busy, putting financial planning at number six on a five-item to-do list. The **Anxious ** group feels uncomfortable making financial decisions, while Spenders need additional friction to help them save rather than spend.

But Marygold & Co.'s vision goes beyond individual banking. They've recognised that businesses, particularly the small ones, face similar challenges. "Companies are run by people," Matt emphasised. "The same people who are subject to these human frailties, complex behaviours, and psychological factors."

Matt shared an example: of the UK's £40 billion tax gap, £24 billion relates to small businesses, with £12 billion in corporation tax alone. "These are companies making probably £50-60 billion worth of profit," he explained. "The whole host of reasons why companies aren't able to pay these taxes often comes down to human factors."

When asked why Marygold & Co. chose to partner with Griffin, Matt's response is focused on culture and collaboration. "You have very good people, and a very strong culture that seems to flow through the whole organisation." He valued Griffin's collaborative approach as a relatively small organisation, noting how responsive we've been to their needs and requests. Through Griffin's infrastructure, Marygold & Co. offers competitive savings rates to small businesses, significantly outperforming the traditional banks' typical 1% or less offering.

But this is just the beginning. Marygold & Co.’s roadmap includes customising feature presentations based on financial personalities and expanding into investments while maintaining their core principle of simplification. "For most people, easy access savings accounts are as far as you would go," Matt explained. "But if you have a longer-term savings horizon, you're more likely to need maybe a bit more risk and investment." Recent FCA permissions will allow them to offer investments on the platform, always guided by their north star principle of simplicity.

They're also tackling the UK's substantial advice gap. With 10 million people having over £10,000 to invest but half lacking investment appetite, Marygold & Co sees an opportunity for what Matt calls "bionic advice" – a hybrid approach bridging the gap between full financial advisory services and basic savings products.

When asked for advice for other fintech CEOs, Matt emphasised the importance of meaningful differentiation backed by a viable business model. He touched on the delicate balance every startup faces: knowing when to compromise on features and when to stand firm on core principles.

As the conversation drew to a close, it was clear that Marygold & Co. represents a new wave in fintech‍—‌one that puts human psychology at the centre of financial services. By understanding and working with our natural behaviours and tendencies rather than against them, they're creating tools that could genuinely help people better manage their money. It's a refreshing approach in an industry often focused on features over feelings.

By acknowledging that behind every transaction, savings goal, and investment decision there's a human being trying to make the best choices they can, Marygold & Co. is charting a path toward more effective, more human-centred banking.

We at Griffin are excited to be part of this journey, providing the banking infrastructure that helps make this innovative approach possible.