LONDON, Jan. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gemba Finance Ltd (“Gemba”), the leading UK-based banking infrastructure and embedded finance platform, today announced the appointment of Georg Hauer, the former General Manager of N26 and COO/CFO of Hawk AI, as strategic advisor. Hauer will support Gemba’s executive leadership on scaling operations, navigating complex regulatory landscapes, and accelerating expansion strategies for the UK, European Union, and United States markets.
As the fintech industry transitions from a phase of rapid B2C acquisition to a mature era of B2B infrastructure resilience, Gemba stands at the forefront of this evolution. Gemba’s proprietary “sole licensed entity” model provides non-bank organizations with a seamless, fully regulated pathway to offer banking services—from IBANs to corporate cards—without the burden of obtaining their own banking license.
A Blueprint for Scaling
Georg Hauer brings over a decade of leadership experience at the epicenter of the global fintech revolution. During his tenure at N26, he was instrumental in scaling the digital bank from a $500 million valuation to over $9 billion, managing operations across the DACH region and Northern Europe. Most recently, as COO and CFO of Hawk AI, Hauer oversaw expand the company to over 60 countries globally, establishing himself as a thought leader in financial crime prevention and regulatory compliance.
Strategic Alignment for a New Era
“Georg’s track record in scaling financial institutions is unmatched in the European ecosystem,” said Alexander Legoshin, CEO of Gemba. “His dual experience—building a consumer giant at N26 and scaling a B2B infrastructure provider at Hawk AI—aligns perfectly with Gemba’s mission. As we deepen our presence in the UK and prepare for expansion into the US and EU, Georg’s guidance on regulatory strategy and organizational scaling will be instrumental in ensuring we grow not just fast, but securely.”
“Embedded finance rarely fails on technology. It fails because banking and compliance are complex, fragmented, and not a company’s core business. ” said Georg Hauer. “Gemba has built a powerful infrastructure layer that effectively is absorbing the regulatory complexity for its partners. I am excited to work with the Gemba team to scale this model first across the UK and Europe, and then globally, ensuring that innovation and compliance go hand-in-hand with innovation in banking.”
About Gemba
Gemba is a UK-based banking infrastructure provider (FCA Reference No. 804853) that empowers businesses to embed financial services into their products. Through its white-label platform and powerful APIs, Gemba offers accounts, payments, and cards, backed by a comprehensive compliance shield that indemnifies partners against regulatory risk.
About Georg Hauer
Georg Hauer is a fintech advisor and entrepreneur. He formerly served as General Manager at N26 and COO/CFO at Hawk AI. He specializes in scaling digital banking models, regulatory strategy, and organizational design for hypergrowth companies.
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