At the FF News Tattoo Studio at Fintech Talents Festival 2025, Leonard Burger from Lenvi jokes about what he’s known for in fintech circles: his long-running love for Monzo. Every time he’s asked which company logo he’d get as a tattoo, his answer is always the same – Monzo.
Burger explains he’s not just a fan; he’s an early investor as Burger backed Monzo in its first Crowdcube round in 2016, the famous raise that sold out in about 90 seconds and even crashed the platform. He says that investment is now roughly 25–26x up, but he stresses the return isn’t the main driver.
His interest started with frustration and when Burger moved to the UK in 2012 and banked with traditional players like HSBC, mobile banking apps were poor. As someone who’s naturally organised and into financial services, he could see how bad tools made it harder for people to stay in control of their money. Monzo’s promise of a smart, app-first, all-in-one money management tool instantly appealed. Today he uses Monzo for all his day-to-day banking, his son has an account, and he also uses its investment and pension features.
A turning point came in 2017 when Burger spoke with Monzo co-founder Tom Blomfield at a Crowdcube event. Blomfield’s passion for “democratising access to finances” reinforced his belief that Monzo was building something genuinely impactful. Shortly after, the Current Account Switch Service made it easy for him to move his main banking to Monzo and he hasn’t looked back. He highlights Monzo Flex as one of the best credit products on the market and praises Monzo’s constant stream of innovations that make money management clearer and easier, which strongly appeals to him as a product and innovation geek.
Underneath this sits a personal story, Burger grew up in Rotterdam in a family without much financial security: his parents didn’t own their home, and as a student he sometimes lived on instant noodles at the end of the month. He remembers friends who needed food banks and those experiences shaped his belief in the original fintech mission: giving people better tools and access so they can manage their money more effectively and protect their livelihoods.
That’s why, for Burger, investing isn’t just about financial upside. He looks for products that solve real problems and improve lives. Fintech is his top sector because money underpins everything, but he also points to other purpose-led products like Ecology, a subscription service that funds tree planting and helps individuals and businesses offset their carbon footprint. Whether it’s personal finances or climate action, he’s drawn to products that are well designed, accessible, and genuinely help people do better for themselves and for the wider world.
