The financial services industry is being fundamentally transformed by the advent of GenAI software for finance. As institutions struggle with increasing regulatory pressures and operational inefficiencies, AI-driven automation is emerging as a game-changer. At Unique, we're leading the way in creating agentic AI for banks, redefining how financial institutions automate their back and middle-office operations and ensure compliance and security.
In this interview, we sit down with Anshu Kotak, a seasoned industry leader who has seamlessly navigated both the institutional finance world at Goldman Sachs and the fast-paced landscape of scaling AI-driven startups. She shares insights into why she joined Unique as Chief Commercial Officer, how agentic AI is set to revolutionize processes like KYC (Know Your Customer), and what the future holds for AI-powered financial solutions.
Read on to discover how Unique is shaping the next generation of financial technology and what it takes to drive commercial growth in a rapidly evolving fintech landscape.
You’ve had an impressive career leading commercial teams. What drew you to Unique, and what excites you most about this role?
I’ve had the privilege of working in both the high-stakes, high-complexity world of institutional investing at Goldman Sachs and in scaling innovative startups. What excites me about Unique is the opportunity to be at the intersection of two dynamic forces—cutting-edge AI technology and an industry that is ripe for disruption.
Coming from the financial services industry, I can truly see the applicability of what we do and the significant value we drive. I’m excited to lead the commercial strategy, accelerate the adoption of our solution, and not only deliver clear ROI for our clients, but ultimately for their customers too.
Given your experience at Goldman Sachs, you touched on the applicability of Unique’s solution. Could you provide an example of how it could be impactful in that environment?
One area where Unique's solution could have made a substantial impact is in the KYC (Know Your Customer) process. In my experience, the core value of an investment advisor lies in client engagement and driving new revenue streams. However, a disproportionate amount of time is often spent by front-office teams on administrative tasks related to opening new accounts — such as source of wealth, completing multiple forms, and ensuring compliance.
With Agentic KYC, the account opening process could be expedited to just weeks, accelerating client onboarding and revenue generation. Moreover, the impact on employee morale cannot be overstated; during my time at GS, had another institution offered end-to-end KYC automation, many advisors would have eagerly made the switch. Empowering teams to focus on higher-value tasks is a transformative way to enhance both productivity and employee sentiment.
With your expertise in driving high-value deals and scaling sales teams, what’s your vision for Unique’s commercial strategy?
Our vision for Unique's commercial strategy is built on three core pillars: optimising our go-to-market approach; solidifying our brand and value proposition; and attracting top talent to fuel our growth.
First, by refining our go-to-market strategy, we can evolve beyond a traditional SAAS sales model into a more consultative, advisory approach. In this model, our Account Executives become strategic partners, deeply integrated into the clients’ AI journeys. This shift from transactional sales to long-term advisory relationships will allow us to create lasting value and foster deeper, more meaningful partnerships.
As we continue to expand internationally, with our first clients now secured in London and New York, it’s essential that Unique establishes itself as the category leader in vertical AI for financial services. Unlike OpenAI and DeepSeek, we’re not just another LLM provider—we sit on top of these models as an enterprise layer, enhancing their capabilities and making our solution even more powerful as LLMs continue to improve. This distinction positions us uniquely in the market to drive long-term success.
Lastly, attracting and retaining the right talent is critical to executing this strategy. By building a high-performing team with expertise in AI and financial services, we can scale effectively and ensure we have the capabilities needed to bring this vision to life.
Unique is at the forefront of AI-driven solutions for financial institutions. How do you see AI transforming operations in finance, and what role does Unique play in that shift?
AI is already transforming the financial sector by enhancing operational efficiency, improving decision-making processes, and enabling more personalised customer experiences.
What sets Unique apart is our specialised focus on vertical AI for the financial services industry. Instead of competing with broad, general-purpose AI providers, we tailor our solutions to address the specific, complex needs of financial institutions. Whether it’s automating the due diligence process for private equity firms or optimising investment research and pitch creation workflows for wealth managers, our solutions are designed to directly integrate with clients’ operations, data sources and workflows.
This targeted approach not only accelerates AI adoption but also ensures that our clients derive maximum value by embedding AI deeply into their core processes, driving sustainable growth and a lasting competitive advantage.
What are the biggest challenges fintech startups face when it comes to commercial growth, and how is Unique positioning itself to overcome them?
Fintech startups often encounter significant challenges as they scale, particularly in building technology infrastructure that can handle increased demand and complexity without compromising performance, security, or regulatory compliance.
Unique is strategically positioned to address these challenges. Leveraging our deep industry expertise, we provide a highly scalable, enterprise-grade AI platform that integrates seamlessly with existing systems, allowing financial institutions to adopt our solutions without disruption. Our platform is agnostic to LLMs, tools, data sources, and deployment models, enabling us to remain agile and continually benchmark the latest foundation models and technologies to ensure we deliver best-in-class solutions for our clients.
Furthermore, the experience of our co-founders, who have successfully launched and scaled multiple ventures, adds a layer of credibility and trust. As this is their third successful startup, it reinforces confidence within our organisation, among investors, and with clients, assuring them that we together are truly building a world-class solution.
The Future of Agentic AI for Banks: A Conversation with Unique's Chief Commercial Officer
The financial services industry is being fundamentally transformed by the advent of GenAI software for finance. As institutions struggle with increasing regulatory pressures and operational inefficiencies, AI-driven automation is emerging as a game-changer. At Unique, we're leading the way in creating agentic AI for banks, redefining how financial institutions automate their back and middle-office operations and ensure compliance and security.
In this interview, we sit down with Anshu Kotak, a seasoned industry leader who has seamlessly navigated both the institutional finance world at Goldman Sachs and the fast-paced landscape of scaling AI-driven startups. She shares insights into why she joined Unique as Chief Commercial Officer, how agentic AI is set to revolutionize processes like KYC (Know Your Customer), and what the future holds for AI-powered financial solutions.
Read on to discover how Unique is shaping the next generation of financial technology and what it takes to drive commercial growth in a rapidly evolving fintech landscape.
You’ve had an impressive career leading commercial teams. What drew you to Unique, and what excites you most about this role?
I’ve had the privilege of working in both the high-stakes, high-complexity world of institutional investing at Goldman Sachs and in scaling innovative startups. What excites me about Unique is the opportunity to be at the intersection of two dynamic forces—cutting-edge AI technology and an industry that is ripe for disruption.
Coming from the financial services industry, I can truly see the applicability of what we do and the significant value we drive. I’m excited to lead the commercial strategy, accelerate the adoption of our solution, and not only deliver clear ROI for our clients, but ultimately for their customers too.
Given your experience at Goldman Sachs, you touched on the applicability of Unique’s solution. Could you provide an example of how it could be impactful in that environment?
One area where Unique's solution could have made a substantial impact is in the KYC (Know Your Customer) process. In my experience, the core value of an investment advisor lies in client engagement and driving new revenue streams. However, a disproportionate amount of time is often spent by front-office teams on administrative tasks related to opening new accounts — such as source of wealth, completing multiple forms, and ensuring compliance.
With Agentic KYC, the account opening process could be expedited to just weeks, accelerating client onboarding and revenue generation. Moreover, the impact on employee morale cannot be overstated; during my time at GS, had another institution offered end-to-end KYC automation, many advisors would have eagerly made the switch. Empowering teams to focus on higher-value tasks is a transformative way to enhance both productivity and employee sentiment.
With your expertise in driving high-value deals and scaling sales teams, what’s your vision for Unique’s commercial strategy?
Our vision for Unique's commercial strategy is built on three core pillars: optimising our go-to-market approach; solidifying our brand and value proposition; and attracting top talent to fuel our growth.
First, by refining our go-to-market strategy, we can evolve beyond a traditional SAAS sales model into a more consultative, advisory approach. In this model, our Account Executives become strategic partners, deeply integrated into the clients’ AI journeys. This shift from transactional sales to long-term advisory relationships will allow us to create lasting value and foster deeper, more meaningful partnerships.
As we continue to expand internationally, with our first clients now secured in London and New York, it’s essential that Unique establishes itself as the category leader in vertical AI for financial services. Unlike OpenAI and DeepSeek, we’re not just another LLM provider—we sit on top of these models as an enterprise layer, enhancing their capabilities and making our solution even more powerful as LLMs continue to improve. This distinction positions us uniquely in the market to drive long-term success.
Lastly, attracting and retaining the right talent is critical to executing this strategy. By building a high-performing team with expertise in AI and financial services, we can scale effectively and ensure we have the capabilities needed to bring this vision to life.
Unique is at the forefront of AI-driven solutions for financial institutions. How do you see AI transforming operations in finance, and what role does Unique play in that shift?
AI is already transforming the financial sector by enhancing operational efficiency, improving decision-making processes, and enabling more personalised customer experiences.
What sets Unique apart is our specialised focus on vertical AI for the financial services industry. Instead of competing with broad, general-purpose AI providers, we tailor our solutions to address the specific, complex needs of financial institutions. Whether it’s automating the due diligence process for private equity firms or optimising investment research and pitch creation workflows for wealth managers, our solutions are designed to directly integrate with clients’ operations, data sources and workflows.
This targeted approach not only accelerates AI adoption but also ensures that our clients derive maximum value by embedding AI deeply into their core processes, driving sustainable growth and a lasting competitive advantage.
What are the biggest challenges fintech startups face when it comes to commercial growth, and how is Unique positioning itself to overcome them?
Fintech startups often encounter significant challenges as they scale, particularly in building technology infrastructure that can handle increased demand and complexity without compromising performance, security, or regulatory compliance.
Unique is strategically positioned to address these challenges. Leveraging our deep industry expertise, we provide a highly scalable, enterprise-grade AI platform that integrates seamlessly with existing systems, allowing financial institutions to adopt our solutions without disruption. Our platform is agnostic to LLMs, tools, data sources, and deployment models, enabling us to remain agile and continually benchmark the latest foundation models and technologies to ensure we deliver best-in-class solutions for our clients.
Furthermore, the experience of our co-founders, who have successfully launched and scaled multiple ventures, adds a layer of credibility and trust. As this is their third successful startup, it reinforces confidence within our organisation, among investors, and with clients, assuring them that we together are truly building a world-class solution.