An Airwallex Program

Built Finance Across Five Jurisdictions and Anchored Blackpanda Inside Lenovo's Channel

Blackpanda deploys cyber incident response, digital forensics, and insurance across Asia-Pacific as a Lloyd's of London-accredited coverholder, backed by Singtel Innov8, Gaw Capital, and Primavera Capital. Imam joined in late 2024 as the firm's first CFO and built investor-grade FP&A and reporting across five jurisdictions, establishing the finance infrastructure the company needed as it entered its fourth consecutive year of roughly 50% year-on-year revenue growth.

He introduced forecasting rigour and closed a bridge round to secure funding ahead of the Series B. Under his tenure, Blackpanda became embedded inside Lenovo's Asia channel, where the company ranks among Lenovo's top-performing software vendors.

Imam also served as interim Chief Growth Officer, building out Marketing and Customer Success alongside the finance function. As CFO within a three-person CXO team, his remit extends across go-to-market. His prior work includes steering MoneyHero Group's Nasdaq listing in October 2023.

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Nawaz Imam

Blackpanda

What Startup Finance 30 is

Finance is one of the most under-leveraged growth levers a startup has.

The best finance leaders don't just keep the books. They extend runway, structure capital that changes what a company can do next, and build the systems that let it scale across borders.

Startup Finance 30 is the first list built to recognise that work. Beginning in 2026 and continuing annually, we name 30 finance leaders at venture-backed, globally ambitious startups. The operators shaping how the next generation of companies grow.

Who's doing the most consequential finance work in the startup world right now?

This list is the answer.

FAQ

More information on how SF30 works.

Who's behind Startup Finance 30?

Startup Finance 30 is published by Airwallex. We built it because we work with globally ambitious companies every day, and the finance leaders driving that growth deserve more recognition than they get. Selection sits with the committee.

Who selects the final 30?

A committee of operating CFOs and finance leaders. They score every candidate against a five-part merit rubric and ratify the final list. See the full selection methodology.

Is there a fee? Can I pay to be included?

No. It's free to enter, and recognition is earned on merit.