Cyril Chiche

Cyril Chiche is CEO and co-founder of Lydia Solutions, the French financial super app he launched in 2013 alongside co-founder Antoine Porte. Lydia has grown to over 7 million users and is a member of the Next40 list of top French tech companies. In December 2020, the company raised 112 million euros, and in December 2021 closed a $103 million investment round that brought its valuation to $1 billion, making it the 22nd French startup to reach unicorn status. That round included investment from Tencent, marking the Chinese conglomerate's first investment in a French fintech company.

Chiche has positioned Lydia around user autonomy and simplified money management, contrasting the company's approach with traditional banking products built by payments specialists. The company has since expanded beyond peer-to-peer payments into a broader range of financial services including micro loans and stock investment. In 2023, Lydia restructured its strategy, rolling back its super app model and separating its neobank activity under the Sumeria brand, while the Lydia application retained its focus on peer-to-peer payments. Lydia Solutions subsequently obtained electronic money institution and financing company licences from the ACPR, enabling it to operate independently of Banking-as-a-Service platforms. Chiche also serves as Vice-President of France Fintech, the French fintech industry association, which he describes as a body connecting fintech startups with financial institutions, regulators, and government ministries. Prior to founding Lydia, he held sales, marketing, and executive positions in B2B tech startups for approximately 15 years. He studied at ISG.