He smiles and gives himself a mental pat on the back for downloading the app, which meant that he could get a loan at the best market conditions. He had used the app’s interface to submit the documents needed to obtain the loan at around midnight the night before last.

In good spirits, he reads his daily personalised investment advice, sees how his share, crypto and NFT portfolios are doing, and looks at some advice on optimising his personal monthly budget. He is amazed at the wide range of financial services offered by the app.

Thomas is 31 years old. Two years ago, he created an Instagram profile where he shares his passion for motorbikes with more than 400,000 followers every day. Anyway, he should get a move on now because in ten minutes he has a Zoom call with an Indian engine oil manufacturer who wants to place products in his upcoming posts. They have to negotiate the practical and financial terms.

Thomas does not have a fixed schedule. He often works at night, sometimes during the day. He is hyper-connected.

Face-to-face meetings aren’t his cup of tea. What he wants is a simple digital tool to receive advice that he can look at when he needs it, and to get an overview of his assets and investments in real time. He wants investing to be simple, and gains are not his only priority. He also wants to be able to understand and measure the impact that his choices have on society and the environment.

Thomas forms part of the generation of millennials, born between the early eighties and mid-nineties, who are always on the look out for alternative solutions. In five to ten years’ time, they will be among the new millionaires and responsible for more than 90% of wealth creation.