Neo brokers like Trade Republic have achieved something that many startups want. They teach fear to the traditional top dogs in their industry. In addition, the company encourages younger customers in particular to give stocks and funds a try.
Neo brokers like Trade Republic have achieved something that many startups want. They teach fear to the traditional top dogs in their industry. In addition, the company encourages younger customers in particular to give stocks and funds a try. Trade Republic boss Christian Hecker wants to emphasize something else in the ntv podcast “So techt Germany”: The pension gap in Germany must be smaller. Maybe thanks to an app and some technology.
“This is where the future arises and I work in the past” – that became clear to Christian Hecker when he was involved in the IPO of Rocket Internet in 2014. A little later he was sitting with a friend in his flat share and discussing the pension gap and financial investments. Even then it was clear to them: “This is a problem that will change a lot – with banks and how they work.” A thought that the three of them never let go. Trade Republic is founded – initially under a different name.
“We see ourselves as a technology company with a banking license,” says Hecker in the ntv podcast “So techt Germany”. When three young founders then stood on the mat at the Bafin to get a banking license, that initially aroused one or the other skeptical look. It took a year to reach the goal. The next goal of Hecker and his team: “We want to become the most relevant piggy bank in a person’s life.” Above all, Trade Republic must be easy to use for this. But costs are also important. As a neo broker, Trade Republic is “almost ten times cheaper than the established banks and brokers,” reports Hecker.
The startup is growing and growing – not just in Germany. That is why Hecker is constantly looking for new employees: “We have an incredible need for great, smart people,” says Hecker. And the company is looking for these “great, smart people” all over the world. Be it from Silicon Valley or Asia – Hecker and his team lure many managers to Berlin so that they can work with them to “build this technology company.”
The demands of customers are also growing. “Today at Trade Republic the MSCI World is no longer the most important index in which people invest. Today it is Global Clean Energy,” says Hecker. For him, this is an important sign that the new generation of investors is also promoting topics such as sustainability.
In the new episode of “So techt Germany”, Christian Hecker reports what the studied philosopher thinks of Robin Hood, why Trade Republic initially found it difficult to also offer crypto currencies on the platform and how he deals with critics.
In “So techt Germany” the ntv moderators Frauke Holzmeier and Andreas Laukat ask founders, investors, politicians and entrepreneurs how things are in Germany as a technology location. You can find all episodes in the ntv app at Audio Now, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Also at Amazon Music and Google Podcast you will find it.