Arina

Interviews

March 14, 2026

Founder of Capitalixe Lissele Pratt explains how the payments space has grown to involve consultancies, AI and clarity

For some, starting off humble means a standard job in the local cafe. For Lissele, it meant growing up in a council flat in London and, at one point in her childhood, sleeping on the floor above a noisy bar in Bangkok. Those early contrasts shaped her relationship with security, resilience and ambition – long before she entered the world of fintech. Growing up on the edge of London, Lissele’s financial career began at the age of 19 in the capital’s wallet: the City of London. Known for being ‘the heart of the financial district’, the City is home to some of the biggest finance firms in the UK. “I started right at the bottom to work my way up and it was brutal. I was making 200 cold calls a day,” says Lissele of the career step that served as a vital foundation for her entrepreneurship.

March 14, 2026

Why attitude is everything

Inspired by the lessons learned from being a young entrepreneur, Lissele founded Capitalixe in 2019 after spotting a gap in the market. According to Lissele, the value of a healthy mindset cannot be undervalued, especially in business.

Lissele Pratt, Founder of Capitalixe. Credit: Lissele Pratt

Attitude is everything – and it’s what inspired Lissele to take her biggest risk.

“I can achieve whatever I want if I put in the work and train my mind,” she says. “I knew I always wanted to be a very successful business entrepreneur.”

Lissele developed the idea for Capitalixe when working as a junior broker, recognising that companies were being underserviced, stunting their growth opportunities.

“At 23, I spotted a gap in the market to serve the underserviced industries, and that’s when my business, Capitalixe, was born,” she explains. “I look back now and realise it’s a little crazy to actually think that a 23-year-old who didn’t go to university, with only a few years of experience in finance, could actually just set up her own company in the industry.”

Acting as a financial matchmaker, Capitalixe pairs underserved companies, usually with high-risk needs, to reliable infrastructure. Pairing is only half of the company’s remit, however, as Lissele’s work also covers several other key areas.

“I oversee a lot of the marketing stuff in the business,” she says. “I actually built the marketing team from scratch. I’ve also taken the initiative on building up the partnerships side of the business – the providers. So, I’m networking and building relationships with a lot of new providers around the world. When I go to conferences, I’m meeting new providers to understand what their capabilities are, negotiating contracts, and onboarding with them.”

In addition to scoping out business opportunities, Lissele is also adept at spotting solutions. By helping helping medium- and high-risk industries to obtain reliable and trustworthy payments and banking services, she helps make an actionable difference in the industry

Lissele comments: “When [companies] say, ‘why didn’t I know about you before?’ – that’s like a pat on the back to know that I’ve set up the right business. That makes me feel really good, knowing I have the right solutions and I’m solving real problems.”