First-time founder and New Yorker, Ethan Dobson has reasons to smile. His first venture into the wonderful world of startups has been pretty good so far with iPaymy just closing a US$1m funding round.
For those who don’t know, iPaymy is a platform that lets you manage all your payments easily. Take it from someone who forgets to pay his bills all the time, this is a necessity for most of us.
Though a first-time founder, Ethan comes from the start-up world with over 15 years of experience working with early-stage startups. He channels that experience and drive into iPaymy. He’s also a teetotaller, speaks basic Mandarin and according to his friend doesn’t fit the (unfair or fair, depending on whom you ask) stereotype of a loud New Yorker.
When Ethan isn’t at the iPaymy office or working on everything iPaymy related, you would probably find him working out. His other passion is flying, not piloting, but being on an aircraft, and exploring the hard & soft products (a term, I am told that refers to the seat and services offered on the plane).
Find out more about Ethan and iPaymy below.
1. Sell us your company/service in 300 words?
With iPaymy for Business, SMEs can pay rent, salaries, invoices, and even corporate tax using the credit cards they already have in their wallet today. SMEs love iPaymy because it works like a credit card, but pays like cash.
iPaymy’s secure and easy to use platform reliably delivers payments to vendors while freeing up cash and providing access to interest-free credit. Forget the delays and aggravations that come with traditional SME financing options. Schedule recurring payments, manage invoices, set payment reminders, and monitor payment status all from one dashboard.
It’s never been easier for SMEs to meet monthly payment obligations while keeping cash available to fuel growth, bridge receivable gaps, and make an immediate investment in the supplies, services, and expertise needed to drive a growing business forward.
2. What is stopping you from having the largest company in the world?
It’s never been my motivation to have the largest company in the world, so I guess the primary thing stopping me is lack of motivation.
3. If you could change one thing about the tech industry in Southeast Asia, what would it be?
I’d like to see more young people getting involved.
Building a team here has been tough as it seems a lot of top talent values brand names and paychecks size over the experience of building a business and having equity.
4. Name one person in the region, who is making a difference in Technology?
I couldn’t name one person in the region, but the iPaymy team aims to make a difference in technology.
5. What would you want people to remember you for, 100 years from now?
100 years is a really long time. One of the reasons why I started iPaymy is because I’d love to be remembered for what I am and how I have played a role in the life experience of others. Building a business is not just about one person but everyone involved. We’d like to be able to positively impact the course of each individual’s life to make it a little better in one way or another.
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About Ethan
Ethan has been involved with early-stage tech businesses for the past 15 years and has been a part of
building and exiting multiple businesses in New York. Before iPaymy, Ethan served on the executive team at SinglePlatform, a division of Constant Contact, which was acquired in early 2016 for $1.1B
USD.
Ethan’s career has been largely focused on providing technology-based solutions for SMEs. As a first-time founder and CEO, Ethan’s mission continues with iPaymy, a FinTech company based in Singapore that is changing the way small businesses manage and pay monthly expenses.
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Views expressed by the interviewee are not necessarily shared by Tech Collective and some minimal editing is done for clarity’s sake.
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