Meet our Premium Member Roger Buerli – CEO and Co-Founder of Brighty (Razz Finanzz AG)

Please tell us more about Brighty

I first met my co-founder, Nik Denisenko by chance at a conference a few years back.
Over a cup of coffee, we discussed what we considered the “failings of the banking industry” at the time, the emergence and future of blockchain technology, and how many of the existing finance apps and similar services don’t really seem to care about the customers’ needs.
Back then, we joked about creating a niche, futuristic app that would combine traditional finance with advanced blockchain-based applications.
The idea did not bear fruit that day, but we remained in touch, regularly corresponding for months regarding interesting developments within the industry and sharing our opinions and thoughts.
Eventually, these correspondences led to the idea of what would later be called “Brighty”.
Naturally, it wasn’t enough to just “come up” with a fancy idea.
Due to our industry connections and the many incredible people we have both had the pleasure to work with over the course of our careers, we were in a position to reach out to individuals with the necessary expertise and – very importantly – the drive to turn our idea into a reality.
After incorporating Brighty in 2021 in Baar, Zug, we managed fairly quickly to bring the first investors on board, while also investing our own funds and putting together a team.
Since then, we have worked tirelessly to turn our dream of creating a truly singular finance/banking experience into a reality.

Tell us more about your plans for 2023. What is your long-term vision?

For 2023, we are focused on completing the launch of our App’s “core features” (EU IBANs, virtual/physical payment cards and various other fiat currency features) as addition to the already available cryptocurrency features. Apart from that, we will continue with expanding our ongoing business activities in the DACH market.
Our long-term vision is to tackle the entire European market (without excluding the possibility of “going fully global”) and to create a product that offers the best of both worlds – fiat & crypto.

What has been the biggest success that you have achieved in your startup?

The creation of a team of extremely motivated and dedicated professionals with incredible skills and years of experience is undoubtedly one of our biggest successes thus far.
We are also really proud of how quickly we were able to turn an idea into a reality (from the “draft” stage to an actual product/service) and of attracting investor capital at such a speed.

If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently? What are your biggest learnings?

It is always difficult to give a truly meaningful answer when asked about what one would “do differently”…
I wouldn’t really do anything differently, I believe.
I would, possibly, move a bit faster in some respects (knowing what I know now about the various regional and global developments that have taken place since 2021) but I do not believe that I would significantly change my approach to things.
The one thing that I “learned” (actually: this one thing is something that I learned a long time ago and that was – once again – “confirmed” by my experience with founding Brighty) is this: it pays to pick highly experienced and driven people to join right at the start of your entrepreneurial journey.

What motivates you to continue your business every day?

The following motivates me on a daily basis:

1. Working with a team of highly professional, really smart and incredibly motivated individuals. 
2. The activity of turning an idea into a reality; the act of creating something concrete out of the “ephemeral realm of dreams and ideas”.
3. Having a direct impact on the future of mobile finance and actively “creating” this future.

One piece of advice for someone who is just starting out with their startup?

This is my advice for someone just starting out with their own startup:

1. Having an idea is not enough. One needs the right people, the right partners to turn it into a reality.
2. One has to believe in one’s ideas, but one also has to remain open to the ideas of others (including those ideas that may not be in line with what you are convinced of yourself).
3. One has to keep in mind that there is a constant struggle to attract the best talent; that is why you have to “offer something” to your people, even if you are an early-stage startup struggling to make ends meet.

What does it mean to you to be a member of the Swiss Startup Association? 

Professionally, being a member of the Swiss Startup Association means a lot to me and my team, as the membership gives us access to an incredible community of like-minded innovators and doers.
On a personal level, the regular interaction and exchange with other entrepreneurially-minded individuals is very important to me. I believe that people can only learn and develop if they actively share observations, thoughts and ideas with one another.

Would you recommend joining the Swiss Startup Association?

Yes, absolutely! Joining the Swiss Startup Association is a must for every entrepreneur who wants to make a mark in the startup space. The Association provides access to an incredible network of established players and driven people – among them even some of the most important and successful companies in Switzerland.

Have you ever visited the events of the Swiss Startup Association? If yes, which ones? Would you recommend them?

No, unfortunately not yet. However, I am planning to do so very soon, as are some of the members of my team.  We are all really looking forward to it!

Is there anything that we haven’t asked you that you would like to share with us/the community?

We at Brighty are really thrilled to be part of the community and are looking forward to stimulating discussions, the sharing of ideas and thoughts; and of course: having a great time at the numerous exciting events hosted by the Association!
One last thing: We invite all of the other members to reach out to us! We are always open for new partnerships, direct cooperation and collaboration… and we love to get feedback from people! Let us know what you think about us and our App!

Reach out to Roger Buerli on LinkedIn.