For this week Newcomers article, we introduce Silcube Financial Systems, a company whose objective is to revolutionise private debt and trade finance management. We had a conversation with Jarno Piironen, CEO of Silcube, who shared insights about the company's journey since its creation and its plans for the future.

1 - Please introduce your company and the products/services it offers.

Certainly, Silcube’s mission is to revolutionise private debt and trade finance management. Our product is a comprehensive cloud-based platform designed to streamline the workflow for private debt and trade finance managers. We do payment plans, track covenants, produce reports, manage workflow and store documents. However, we are not the typical financial software provider. Our clients can try our system online, with no strings attached, and without talking to us. There is no need for the RFI before our clients want it. We believe that experiencing the solution firsthand is a much more efficient and pleasant way to start collaboration.

2 - What is the most difficult or unexpected thing you've had to overcome on your journey?

Perhaps the most difficult decision was to focus fully on private debt. We have great advisors and clients, and they are very helpful. However, it took a lot of discipline to focus on one opportunity and not all the opportunities out there. We updated plans and also the team evolved. Only this way can you address the details that need to be addressed, without adding the bloat the large systems often have. Making the complex simple is hard work, and that takes focus.  

3 - How is your offering different from your competitors and other market players?

Firstly, we focus on private debt and trade finance managers and funds. We bring depth rather than breadth for great usability. For breadth, we have great APIs. Secondly, unlike all others, we let prospective clients try our system. Our clients’ work is complex. Our job is to help simplify one part of it, starting from buying a solution.  

4 - What did you find at LHoFT?

LHoFT has been an invaluable partner for us. Being from Finland, I had no previous contacts in Luxembourg. The team at LHoFT was very welcoming and well connected. The team has helped connect us with key players in the industry and otherstartups, provided us with opportunities to increase our visibility, and just made the feeling of being welcome. LHoFT is more than just a partnership; it is business-critical for us. We appreciate the strong base it provides for us in Luxembourg.

5 - What's next?

The try online feature just launched. We are excited to hear feedback about it from the industry and look forward to engaging conversations with private debt and trade finance managers. Long-term, we want to make buying financial software as simple as buying CRM and to be a major contributor to AI and digitalization of fund management. With AI and innovations like what we launched now, we look forward to seeing big, positive changes in the next 12 – 24 months.