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Rishi Khosla, OBE

Co-Founder and CEO of OakNorth

London, UK


Rishi Khosla
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Vertex Pharmaceuticals
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Rishi Khosla’s Biography

Rishi Khosla OBE is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and investor. He is the CEO and Co-Founder of leading financial technology company, OakNorth, which provides banking services to lower mid-market businesses across the UK and the United States.

As a capitalist, he sees entrepreneurs as the driving force behind innovation, economic growth, and social progress, believing that an entrepreneurial mindset can enable anyone to succeed.

Driven by this belief, in 2002 Rishi teamed up with Joel Perlman to found Copal Partners (which would later become Copal Amba). The venture grew substantially under their leadership, employing 3,000 people across 11 different markets. When Moody's Corporation acquired the business in 2014, early investors saw returns of over 200 times their initial investment.

In 2015 Rishi and Joel launched OakNorth with a mission to empower entrepreneurs through providing them with bespoke debt finance and personalized banking services. To date, the bank has lent billions of dollars to businesses across the UK and US, directly helping with the creation of tens of...
Rishi Khosla OBE is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and investor. He is the CEO and Co-Founder of leading financial technology company, OakNorth, which provides banking services to lower mid-market businesses across the UK and the United States.

As a capitalist, he sees entrepreneurs as the driving force behind innovation, economic growth, and social progress, believing that an entrepreneurial mindset can enable anyone to succeed.

Driven by this belief, in 2002 Rishi teamed up with Joel Perlman to found Copal Partners (which would later become Copal Amba). The venture grew substantially under their leadership, employing 3,000 people across 11 different markets. When Moody's Corporation acquired the business in 2014, early investors saw returns of over 200 times their initial investment.

In 2015 Rishi and Joel launched OakNorth with a mission to empower entrepreneurs through providing them with bespoke debt finance and personalized banking services. To date, the bank has lent billions of dollars to businesses across the UK and US, directly helping with the creation of tens of thousands of new homes and jobs.

Through their family Foundation, Rishi and his wife, Milan, aim to support and boost early childhood development, nurturing the agency, creativity and curiosity to unleash every child’s potential. The Foundation supports cutting-edge medical research with institutions such as Boston Children’s Hospital and Columbia University, and is also dedicated to promoting diversity within the entrepreneurial community. This includes encouraging female empowerment in disadvantaged communities, providing support for women setting up micro-enterprises.

Rishi was an early investor in PayPal and has also backed innovative technology companies such as Xometry (3D printing and manufacturing), Spiracheck (biotech), and About Energy (battery technology).

Rishi was awarded an OBE in HM The Queen’s 2020 New Year Honours list for his services to business.
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Rishi Khosla’s Background

OakNorth Bank
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Sep 2015 - Present
London, UK
Launched in 2015, OakNorth Bank helps the UK's most ambitious firms access the rapid, flexible debt finance they need to expand, while helping savers make their money go further. With capital ranging from £250,000 to millions of pounds, the bank has lent several billion pounds to firms across a variety of sectors, directly contributing to the creation of thousands of new jobs and affordable homes.
 
ONCI
Co-Founder
Sep 2015 - Present
London, UK
ONCI (OakNorth Credit Intelligence), founded by Joel Perlman and Rishi Khosla, provides advanced credit intelligence software to banks. It helps lenders make faster, smarter lending decisions by offering insights into borrowers, supporting businesses and aiding economic growth.
 
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Rishi Khosla’s Gallery

Current Board Positions

OakNorth Bank
Board Member
London, UK
OakNorth Bank is a UK bank that provides fast, flexible and accessible debt finance to fast-growth businesses and established property developers.
 
ONCI
Board Member
London, UK
ONCI is a fintech platform that enables lenders to originate, underwrite, monitor, and book bespoke loans to SMEs faster, more efficiently and with more rigour.
 

Philanthropy

Rishi & Milan Khosla Foundation
Co-Founder
London, UK
The Rishi and Milan Khosla Foundation is a private family foundation founded by Rishi and Milan Khosla focused on supporting new and innovative projects which deal with some core societal issues, including early childhood development, female empowerment, the environment.
 

Media

Revolutionizing Banking: How OakNorth Built a Cloud-Native Bank
Video Interview
Feb 2025
OakNorth co-founder Rishi Khosla offers perspectives on creating a cloud-first bank, harnessing technology to stay agile, and supporting the growth of scaling companies. He explores OakNorth’s growth across the UK and US, highlights India’s strength in fintech talent, and reflects on how cloud-based banking is transforming the financial industry.
 
WEF Davos | AI Revolution: Indian Business Leaders Speak On Its Impact At Davos
Video Interview
Jan 2025
Davos, CH
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, OakNorth Co-Founder and CEO Rishi Khosla joined a panel to explore the transformative impact of AI across industries. Khosla emphasized AI’s potential in personalizing finance and strengthening risk management, highlighting its growing influence on business strategy and competitiveness.
 
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Interviews

SoftBank-Backed OakNorth Bank Targets U.S.Expansion to Keep Up Momentum - Interview
Interviewee
Mar 2025
New York, NY, USA
OakNorth Bank's CEO, Rishi Khosla, discusses plans to grow the bank's presence in the U.S., positioning itself to fill the void left by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank two years ago.
 
Leaders' Lives: Rishi Khosla
Interviewee
Feb 2025
Rishi Khosla shares how his entrepreneurial journey—rooted in early exposure to his father's resilience and a passion for problem-solving—led him to build two high-growth companies, including a fintech bank that serves underserved scale-up businesses.
 
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Thought Leadership

WEF: In 2025, businesses will embrace risk. Here's why
Author
Jan 2025
Davos, CH
In 2025, Rishi Khosla believes businesses will embrace risk to drive growth amid economic recovery. The UK's Regulatory Innovation Office aims to reduce red tape, while the US focuses on AI and cryptocurrency advancements. AI adoption will enhance data analysis, improving risk exposure.
 
Talent scout: it’s time to close the UK’s tech skills gap
Author
Jun 2023
London, UK
Rishi Khosla OBE suggests that big tech is experiencing a period of change - and that more can be done in the UK to harness a global talent pool.
 
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Features

How to fix charitable giving (in time for Christmas?)
Nov 2024
London, UK
Rishi Khosla, co-founder and CEO of OakNorth, believes corporate giving should be driven by genuine social purpose and long-term commitment. He shared that OakNorth began donating as soon as it became cash flow positive, later formalising its 1% profit donation model and adding 1% of employee time to charitable causes in 2023. For Khosla, supporting communities is a core value, not just a corporate initiative.
 
With co-founders of firms, great minds don’t think alike
Mentioned
Oct 2024
London, UK
Rishi Khosla exemplifies the power of a strong co-founder relationship through his long-standing partnership with Joel Perlman, with whom he has built two successful businesses. He believes that mutual understanding, constructive disagreement, and complementary skills are essential to driving innovation and long-term growth. Their dynamic showcases how aligned but diverse thinking at the top can fuel success and help avoid stagnation.
 
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Publications

How can banks continue digital transformation in a downturn?
Journal of Digital Banking, Henry Stewart Publications, pp 6-12
Jun 2023
 

Awards & Recognition

New Year Honours
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
2019
London, UK
Rishi, Co-Founder of OakNorth, was awarded an OBE for services to business.
 
The Telegraph's Tech Hot 100
Winner
2019
London, UK
Rishi was voted #1 on The Telegraph's Tech Hot 100 list in 2019.
 
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Speaking Engagements

Fireside chat at Scale Up Scotland
Speaker
Nov 2024
Scale Up Scotland is an 18-month leadership programme designed to support ambitious Scottish entrepreneurs in scaling their businesses. Delivered by The Hunter Foundation, it combines experiential learning, business education, and peer-to-peer networking to address key areas such as leadership, finance, team building, and globalisation.
 
Fireside chat at Grow Summit logo Fireside chat at Grow Summit logo
Fireside chat at Grow Summit
Speaker
Nov 2024
London, UK
Grow Summit, formerly known as Silicon Valley Comes to the UK (SVC2UK), is the UK’s premier event dedicated to scaling high-growth businesses.
 
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Rishi Khosla’s Education

University College London
BSc in Economics
London School of Economics
Masters in Accounting & Finance