Ep. 56 - Inside ANNA Money: AI, MTD, and the Future of Small Business Finance

In this episode, host Grant Evans is joined by Boris Diakonov and Eduard Panteleev, Co-Founders & Co-CEOs of ANNA Money, for a deep dive into how AI, automation, and regulation are reshaping small business finance.Boris and Eduard share their journey building together — from early ventures in digital banking to launching ANNA — and why they believe a co-CEO model can be a strength, not a compromise. The conversation explores their customer-first philosophy, and why they’ve always focused on solving real problems rather than chasing the “fintech” label.They dive into ANNA’s early bet on being “robot-ready”, how automation now handles a significant portion of tax workflows, and what it takes to balance speed, scale, and trust in AI-led financial services. The episode also unpacks the impact of Making Tax Digital (MTD), ANNA’s bold move to offer free filing, and whether regulation is a burden or a catalyst for innovation.From navigating the Wirecard crisis to scaling toward a £100m+ business, the discussion offers candid insight into leadership, transparency, and building a platform small businesses can rely on.Plus, Boris and Eduard step up for The Payments Shed’s legendary Shelf of Shame — nominating one thing in fintech they’d happily banish forever.***The Payments Shed Podcast is headline sponsored by ISX Financial.ISX Financial, delivers a unified ecosystem with multi-currency accounts, online payments,  real-time UK and EU transfers and global mass payouts. Within that platform, PaidBy® provides Pay by Bank with real-time settlement notifications, automated reconciliation and integrated refund management. One partner, one integration — helping your business transact with confidence. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.isx.financial⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠***The Payments Shed Podcast is sponsored by Cyclops.Cyclops is a crypto and stablecoin infrastructure platform for payments companies, enabling PSPs, acquirers and processors to offer crypto acceptance, stablecoin settlement and payouts without building their own blockchain stack. It provides a unified solution for pay ins, payouts and fiat to digital asset conversion, with simple API or low code integration. Built specifically for the payments ecosystem, Cyclops focuses on making stablecoins practical, scalable and commercially viable.Learn more at - https://www.cyclops.io/***The Payments Shed Podcast is supported by PCN.PCN is a boutique recruitment agency rooted in Amsterdam, driven by a singular mission: connecting top talent with industry leaders. PCN specialises in five core pillars — Fintech, Cybersecurity, SaaS, E-Commerce, and Salesforce — backed by a global network across borders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://teampcn.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠***Disclaimer. Any views or opinions referenced in this podcast episode are our own, or those of our respective guests, and they do not represent any views, opinions, or statements from our respective employers, or those of our guests. Additionally, any views expressed here are not intended as investment, legal, tax, or financial advice.