THE FINTECH INTERVIEW
For some, starting off humble means a standard job in the local cafe. For Lissele Pratt, Founder of Capitalixe, it meant growing up in a council flat in London and, at one point in her childhood, sleeping on the floor above a noisy bar in Bangkok. Those early contrasts shaped her relationship with security, resilience and ambition – long before she entered the world of fintech. Growing up on the edge of London, Lissele’ s financial career began at the age of 19 in the capital’ s wallet: the City of London. Known for being‘ the heart of the financial district’, the City is home to some of the biggest finance firms in the UK.
“ I started right at the bottom to work my way up and it was brutal. I was making 200 cold calls a day,” says Lissele of the career step that served as a vital foundation for her entrepreneurship. Starting her fintech journey at a young age was the beginning of a career, but it was not the beginning of Lissele’ s working journey. Forming skills at just 16, she carried over lessons from her first business, selling jewellery at Camden Market.
“ I learned discipline from a young age, having to wake up at 5am every day during the summer holidays while all my friends were sleeping. Because obviously during summer holidays, kids don’ t want to wake up at 5am – it’ s way too early,” she explains.
“Dream big, make a plan and take action”
Lissele Pratt, Founder, Capitalixe
Why attitude is everything Inspired by the lessons learned from being a young entrepreneur, Lissele founded Capitalixe in 2019 after spotting a gap in the market. According to her, the value of a healthy mindset cannot be undervalued, especially in business. Attitude is everything – and it’ s what inspired Lissele to take her biggest risk.
“ I can achieve whatever I want if I put in the work and train my mind,” she says.“ I knew I always wanted to be a very successful business entrepreneur.” Lissele developed the idea for Capitalixe when working as a junior broker, recognising that companies were being underserviced, stunting their growth opportunities.
“ At 23, I spotted a gap in the market to serve the underserviced industries, and that’ s when my business, Capitalixe, was born,” she explains.“ I look back now and realise it’ s a little crazy to actually think that a 23-year-old who didn’ t go to university, with only a few years of experience in finance, could actually just set up her own company in the industry.”
24 March 2026