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Rishi Khosla, OBE

Co-Founder and CEO of OakNorth

London, UK

Rishi Khosla

Reshma Kewalramani

Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Willow Laboratories

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 US.

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... 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 US.

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. READ MORE VIEW LESS

Rishi Khosla’s Newsfeed

City AM

OakNorth: Shareholders to be handed £40m as US expansion boosts profit

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City AM

Rishi Khosla warns that ‘wealth creators’ are fleeing UK because of tax rises

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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

Rishi Khosla: 3 tips for giving better feedback

Video

Aug 2024

In this short video for the World Economic Forum, Rishi Khosla shares his tips on how to give better feedback.

World Economic Forum's 'Meet the Leader' Podcast: Build Your Own Personal Board of Advisors

Podcast

Jul 2024

OakNorth Bank’s Co-founder Rishi Khosla discusses traits of great mentors, the bank’s 'mentorpreneurship' programme with the London School of Economics, and the value of building a personal board of directors through mentorship.

Ian King Business Podcast: OakNorth profits up

Podcast

Mar 2024

London, UK

Ian King talks to Rishi Khosla about OakNorth's rise in profits.

The Unicorn Podcast: Building a $5bn Company From Scratch

Podcast

Jul 2023

Rishi talks to Simon Squibb about the challenges and triumphs of creating a $5 billion bank on The Unicorn Podcast.

Off to Lunch podcast: OakNorth - Trying to buy Silicon Valley Bank UK

Podcast

Mar 2023

In this Off to Lunch podcast, Rishi recalls how his company bid for Silicon Valley Bank UK over a hectic weekend in March 2023.

Fintech & Web3 podcast: Pioneering the New Era in Banking

Podcast

Feb 2023

Rishi shares his valuable insights on the challenges he faced while building challenger bank OakNorth.

Bloomberg UK Politics Podcast

Podcast

Nov 2022

Rishi Khosla is interviewed on Bloomberg Radio’s UK Politics Podcast and discusses how to make London a more attractive listing option for tech companies and the importance of balancing growth and profitability in business.

OakNorth CEO Rishi Khosla OBE

Podcast

Aug 2022

‘Inside the ICE House’ takes listeners behind the scenes of the New York Stock Exchange. In this podcast, host Josh King talks to Rishi Khosla, founder of challenger bank OakNorth.

Episode 486 Rishi Khosla from OakNorth

Podcast

Feb 2022

John Siracusa, the host of the Bank On It Podcast, chats remotely with Rishi, Co-Founder & CEO of OakNorth.

Rishi Khosla: A Pioneer of Challenger Banking

Podcast

Nov 2021

Rishi joins Timo Boldt on the Boldt Flavours podcast to discuss how he approaches starting a company and his views on becoming a highly successful business leader.

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Interviews

Has the UK lost its fintech crown?

Video interview

May 2024

London, UK

City A.M. talks to Rishi Khosla, the founder of digital bank OakNorth, about entrepreneurship and politics.

Rishi Khosla of OakNorth On 5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective C-Level Leader Of A Fintech Company

Interviewee

Apr 2024

Rishi discusses what it takes to excel as a C-Level leader in a fintech company.

DavosBrainstorm2024: Exclusive With Rishi Khosla, Co-Founder & CEO, OakNorth UK

Video interview

Jan 2024

Davos, CH

Rishi shares insights with Business Today’s Managing Editor, Siddharth Zarabi, at Davos 2024.

Branching out: The AltFi interview with Rishi Khosla

Interviewee

Oct 2023

London, UK

OakNorth’s CEO and co-founder discusses the UK economy, his bank’s ambitious climate targets and its attempted acquisition of Silicon Valley Bank.

Selling SVB to HSBC was the wrong decision for UK startups, says OakNorth CEO

Interviewee

Sep 2023

London, UK

In this interview Rishi claims that HSBC is too large to support high-growth companies, and that an OakNorth-SVB merger would have been a better fit.

Interview with Oaknorth boss, Rishi Khosla

Interviewee

Jun 2023

In an interview with City A.M. Rishi said that the UK needs more talent from outside the country for its fintech sector to thrive.

Rishi Khosla: Those Who Think Young

Dec 2022

In a new series focused on the startup ecosystem, Entrepreneur India talks to co-Founder and CEO of OakNorth, Rishi Khosla, about creating successful fintech businesses, favourite books and India-UK bilateral trade.

Bloomberg UK Politics Podcast

Nov 2022

Rishi Khosla is interviewed on Bloomberg Radio’s UK Politics Podcast and discusses how to make London a more attractive listing option for tech companies and the importance of balancing growth and profitability in business.

OakNorth redefines the way banks lend to the missing middle

Oct 2022

In a video interview for Economic Times’ BFSI FinTech diary, Rishi Khosla shares his vision for OakNorth.

Challenger banks being stifled by regulation

Sep 2022

London, UK

OakNorth's founder, Rishi Khosla, says that smaller digital lenders in the UK are being hampered by overburdensome regulation.

NYSE Floor Talk: Rishi Khosla, CEO, OakNorth

Jul 2022

New York, NY, USA

OakNorth CEO, Rishi Khosla, talks to NYSE Floor Talk about the measures OakNorth is putting in place to mitigate and manage climate change risk.

OakNorth's Khosla on Inflation

May 2022

Rishi talks to Bloomberg TV about working from home, the effects of the cost of living crisis on SMEs, and the possibility of an IPO.

Bain & Company: The Future of Banking

May 2022

In this video interview for Bain & Company's 'The Future of Banking' series, Rishi Khosla discusses how companies and institutions can encourage inclusion and diversity.

The challenges in sustainable finance

May 2022

London, UK

Rishi joins CNBC's ESG Council to discuss the strategies and challenges that businesses face in creating and developing solutions for sustainable finance.

OakNorth chief Rishi Khosla interview

Interviewed

Apr 2022

London, UK

In an interview with This is Money, Rishi discusses his mission to help entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Rishi Khosla on Sky News: lending smarter, faster and more

Apr 2022

London, UK

In this interview with Sky News, Rishi discusses OakNorth Bank and its software project, ONCI Suite, which enables banks to enhance their lending.

OakNorth Bank founder offers mentoring for young entrepreneurs

Mar 2022

London, UK

Rishi speaks to The Times’ Richard Tyler about providing mentoring support for young entrepreneurs following his backing of an initiative with the London School of Economics.

Leadership & Innovator Series: In Conversation with Rishi Khosla, CEO & Co-Founder, Oaknorth

Interviewee

Jan 2021

London, UK

In this series, Innovate Finance speaks to fintech founders, global bank executives, change-makers and influencers to find out what they think the future of financial services looks like. In this episode, Rishi Khosla shares his insights.

Fireside Chat with OakNorth's Rishi Khosla | Adapting to Thrive

May 2020

London, UK

Tunde Olanrewaju of McKinsey & Company chats to Rishi about key lessons learnt from the 2008 financial crises that helped OakNorth weather the Covid-19 pandemic.

OakNorth ranks top in FT 1000 list by providing loans for smaller businesses

Mar 2020

London, UK

Rishi talks to the Financial Times about the rise of OakNorth and why it is one of the few profitable challenger banks.

SoftBank's Vision Fund - an interview with Rishi Khosla, co-founder of OakNorth

Video interview

Feb 2020

London, UK

Rishi Khosla talks about how he and his partner Joel Perlman built their first business with just $60K and why SMEs are so important for society.

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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.

For businesses, a dash of pessimism is the key to resilience

Author

Mar 2023

London, UK

Rishi Khosla, writing in the Evening Standard, advises business leaders and entrepreneurs to ask the question “What’s the worst that could happen?” And then ask: “Where’s the opportunity?”

WEF: This is how entrepreneurship will change in 2023

Author

Jan 2023

This article by Rishi Khosla, Co-Founder and CEO of OakNorth bank, is part of the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos.

We can do more to bring technology companies to list on the London market

Author

Nov 2022

Rishi Khosla discusses how policy-makers need to act to make London a more attractive listing location.

How mentorship helped me

Author

Jun 2022

Rishi wrote an op-ed piece for Business Age in which he explains how mentorship helped him, and how it can help future generations of entrepreneurs.

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Features

Banks on the attack as Jeremy Hunt mulls windfall tax

Oct 2022

London, UK

Rishi Khosla, CEO of OakNorth bank, was featured in this article in The Times.

Beyond The UK Government’s Fintech Review: Scaling Digital Britain Globally

Featured

Feb 2022

Rishi is quoted in this article by Forbes regarding the importance of fit-for-purpose regulation in accelerating growth in a company.

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Publications

Everything banks think they know about risk is wrong

Author

Apr 2021

Rishi writes for Wired about how banks need to rethink their techniques and start using real-time data to minimise lending mistakes in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Commercial Lenders Will Emerge from COVID-19 in a New Light by Embracing Digital Transformation

Author

May 2020

Rishi explores the period of uncertainty caused by COVID-19 in this article for AWS Partner Network (APN), as well as how he believes additional commercial lenders will emerge as a result of digital transformation.

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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.

Entrepreneur of the Year Award

Winner

2019

London, UK

Rishi won the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in association with Edwardian London Hotels.

Asian Achievers Awards

Buisness Person of the Year

2018

London, UK

The Asian Achievers Awards, hosted by global advisory firm EPG, honours innovative and outstanding individuals within the South Asian community. In 2018, Rishi was named Business Person of the Year.

The Maserati 100

Top 100

2018

London, UK

Rishi was recognised alongside business partner Joel Perlman as a game-changing entrepreneur by Maserati, in partnership with The Sunday Times. The list is compiled to celebrate the positive impact entrepreneurs have on the economy and society as a whole.

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award

UK Regional Winner

2011

London, UK

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ is a global program recognizing the entrepreneurial achievement among individuals and companies that demonstrate vision, leadership and success. They work to improve the quality of life in their communities, countries and around the world.

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Speaking Engagements

The Future of Trusted AI with CNBC & Clara Shih at Davos 2024

Panel member

Jan 2024

Davos, CH

Rishi joins CNBC at Davos 2024 in a debate about managing AI risks, reducing biases, and getting your organization ready for AI-driven success.

“No Rain, No Flowers: Funding Start-ups” Lessons From Davos

Panel member

Jan 2024

Davos, CH

Rishi was a panel member of a discussion at Davos 2024 on how to increase access to capital for start-ups.

London Tech Week: Keynote address on UK Fintech

Keynote speaker

Jun 2023

Rishi delivered a keynote speech at London Tech Week about the current status of fintech in the UK.

FT Live: Global Banking Summit

Panel member

Nov 2022

London, UK

Rishi joins panel members to discuss how banks can continue their digital transformation during a downturn.

SVC2UK Summit 2022

Speaker

Nov 2022

London, UK

Silicon Valley Comes to the UK (SVC2UK) gathers the best minds from the world of technology to discuss game-changing ideas for the future.

Founders Forum

Speaker

Jun 2022

Rishi was invited to speak at Founders Forum events in London in June, and in New York in October.

CNBC's ESG Council at World Economic Forum, Davos

Panellist

May 2022

Davos, CH

Rishi joins NN Group CEO David Knibbe, and Clarity AI founder Rebeca Minguela to discuss ways to create sustainable finance.

Innovate Finance Global Summit

Speaker

Apr 2022

London, UK

The Innovate Finance Global Summit, held in London, brings together the best and brightest from the fintech ecosystem to debate and discuss the most pressing challenges confronting the sector and beyond.

Innovate Finance Fintech as a Force for Good Conference

Speaker

Oct 2021

London, UK

Leadership & Innovator Series: In Conversation with Rishi, CEO & Co-Founder, Oaknorth.

Horasis Global Meeting

Speaker

Jun 2021

Cascais, PT

In 2021 Rishi spoke at the Horasis Global Meeting. The topic of the meeting was ‘Fostering the post-COVID Financial System’.

Finsum Fintech Summit

Speaker

Mar 2021

Tokyo, JP

The FINSUM Fintech Summit has become Japan’s largest annual gathering of financial technology leaders. The 2021 Summit explored the role of financial innovation in socio-economic recovery following one of the most turbulent periods in modern history. The Missing Middle Funding Gap is discussed by Rishi, as well as how lenders can address it.

The Great Big Indian Money Show

Speaker

Mar 2021

London, UK

Rishi discusses his journey from mediocre student to thriving entrepreneur with Shalini Khemka of E2Exchange for the Big Indian Money Show.

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Rishi Khosla’s Education

University College London

BSc in Economics

London School of Economics

Masters in Accounting & Finance