In a recent podcast with Money Majlis, Kim Fournais, Founder and CEO of Saxo Bank, discussed trends in banking, fintech, and investments for 2026. He highlighted artificial intelligence, embedded finance, real-time payments, digital assets, stricter regulations, and more inclusive banking.
Artificial Intelligence in Banking
Fournais said AI will move from assisting to making decisions in banking. “There’ll be no job, no function, nothing that won't be affected by AI,” he said. He added that banks combining data with oversight will benefit most.
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On embedded finance, Fournais described loans and insurance being offered inside apps without visiting banks. He called it “banking as a service,” allowing banks to work behind the scenes while non-financial brands interact with customers.
Digital Assets and Tokenization
He also discussed digital assets. “Crypto is real. It'll be used by all of us to facilitate better transactions,” he said, noting the tokenization of property and commodities and faster, cheaper cross-border payments.
Saxo’s Origins and Growth
Reflecting on Saxo Bank’s origins in 1992 with €7,000 in capital, Fournais said transparency, service, and product diversification motivated him to start the company. The bank launched its first online platform in 1998, offering clients real-time trading access. He described this approach as “common sense is not that common.”
He also cited regulatory and cultural challenges. “You have to build really strong relationships with your employees, with your clients, with your partners and literally build trust,” he said.
Today, Saxo serves nearly 1.5 million clients, manages about $140 billion in assets, and has over 120 white-label partners. Fournais said technology, culture, and client focus are key to balancing innovation with accessibility.
Personalized Investing and Client Focus
On personalized investing, Saxo uses AI to tailor solutions without acting as an asset manager. “By applying AI and technology, you can create something completely outstanding,” he said, highlighting the convergence of human advisors and digital platforms.
He added that energy is becoming a technology rather than a commodity. “Solar power, wind power, battery technology will reduce the cost of energy production and create more independence,” he said. “If we spoke in 10 years’ time, you’re going to see a different world than we see today when it comes to energy.”
Describing Saxo’s client-first approach, he said: “We are 100% focused on what we need to do for the clients. Creating happy clients is one component, but we also need to pay the bills and make revenues. It’s an ecosystem.”
On risk-taking, he reflected on early decisions: “Starting the business was a big risk. Moving onto the internet and spending a ton of money on technology with no revenue, many people thought we were completely crazy.”
Democratizing Financial Markets
Fournais said Saxo aims to democratize financial markets. “Let’s face it, when you get lured into being short-term greedy and maybe a little bit long-term stupid, it can completely undermine the whole notion of investing,” he warned.
He stressed that while “now anyone who wants it can basically open up a multi-asset investment account... what’s lacking is a little more education. A lot of people are uninformed and get lured by influencers.”
Regarding the Middle East and North Africa, he noted Saxo sees “a huge opportunity. We will focus on delivering much more local products but also having both the local and the global approach. The region is flourishing.”
On a recent investment by J. Safra Sarasin, he said: “Saxo will be what Saxo is… with some very professional, strongly capitalized long-term owners… clients and partners are only going to see benefits from this.”
True Wealth Means Meaningful Relations
Looking ahead, Fournais emphasized technology and AI. “We are uniquely positioned. Combining relationship managers with proper technology, more traditional players will have to get onto this and partnerships will be stronger,” he said.
He described his personal ethos of “honest capitalism”: “It is important how you make your money, how you spend your money, how you invest your money… on my island, Vero, we produce energy, grow food, and operate independently. It’s a microcosmos of what the world could look like.”
On wealth, he said: “True wealth is that you are happy in your heart with your loved ones and that you’re a healthy person meaningful work and meaningful relations.”
Fournais concluded: “There’s a big move forward in people’s ability to invest in the right initiatives. We are here to get curious people invested in the world. It’s actually pretty promising.”
