Karan Shanmugarajah

Karan Shanmugarajah is the co-founder and CEO of WealthKernel, a London-based provider of embedded investment infrastructure that enables fintechs, banks, and financial platforms to launch digital wealth and investment products via API. Of Tamil heritage, Karan grew up with a deep passion for making financial services more inclusive and equitable — values he channelled into building WealthKernel after completing an MSc in International Accounting and Finance from Bayes Business School.

Before co-founding WealthKernel in 2015, Karan spent several years at Barclays Wealth in London, where he served as a Portfolio Manager overseeing $500 million in client assets. He was a member of the North American Equity Committee and a voting member of the Selection Committee responsible for maintaining multi-asset reference portfolios across the UK and Europe. He also held analyst roles in Canada and Singapore, giving him an early understanding of global financial markets. In 2012, he founded a not-for-profit organisation focused on networking, entrepreneurial growth, and representation for the Tamil community in London.

WealthKernel provides the essential building blocks for any digital investing offering — from ISAs and SIPPs to general investment accounts — all delivered over a single API. The company has raised over $20 million in funding from investors including ETFS Capital and Digital Horizon, expanded into Europe including Spain, and was later acquired by Alpaca Securities. Karan has been recognised by Asians in Tech and is frequently cited as one of the UK's leading wealthtech entrepreneurs.