A Financial Platform Built
for Enduring Partnerships
Deep Finance Capital was founded on a simple premise: the financial industry needs a new kind of institution — one that combines the rigour of regulation with the precision of technology, the depth of experience with the agility of a modern platform, and the alignment of genuine co-investment with the independence of a fiduciary model.
We are not a traditional bank. We are not a technology company pretending to be one. We are a regulated financial services firm with the analytical capability of a research institution and the operational discipline of an enterprise that takes its responsibilities seriously.
Our Principles
AI-Native, Institutionally Governed
We describe ourselves as "AI-native" because artificial intelligence is not an add-on — it is embedded in every layer of our operating model. But we are equally clear about what AI is not. It is not a replacement for human judgment. It is not an excuse to remove accountability.
- AI as capability — never as replacement for human judgment
- Governance as the foundation of every client relationship
- Transparency as a standard, not a service level
- Co-investment as proof of alignment
- Long-term orientation over short-term optimisation
The Leadership Team
Experience across institutions. United by conviction. Our leadership team combines decades of experience from the world's foremost financial institutions with entrepreneurial drive and deep technical expertise.
Operating Core
Axel Walek
CEO & Founder
17+ years in corporate governance, compliance, AML, and risk management across the GCC and internationally. Former partner at a Viennese asset management company where he helped scale from zero to €1.6 billion AUM as part of Austria's largest private investment group. Master in Strategy from the University of Arts London.
Paul Pilstl
Head of Commodity
Third-generation commodity leader who took over and strategically expanded his family enterprise, now trading over one million tonnes annually across 30+ countries. Deep expertise in risk management, logistics, production, and physical trading across global markets.
Christian Kutscher
Head of PE Funds
30+ years working for leading blue-chip financial organisations including 14 years as Managing Director at J.P. Morgan London. Former Head of Origination and Strategic Partnerships at Lansdowne Partners. CEO of an EV battery start-up. University of Vienna; CFA Charterholder.
Dr. Hashem Naboulsi
Head of Compliance & MLRO
17+ years in corporate governance, investment product development, compliance, AML, internal audit, and risk management across Kuwait, the UAE, and internationally. Executive Director at Rasameel Investment House. DBA from ESC Clermont; Executive MBA from Grenoble.
Benedikt Hofmann
CTO
Co-founder and CTO. Full-stack developer with experience in neural networks, banking-standard software, and large-scale data models. Studied Biotechnology at BOKU Vienna. Responsible for data processing, data management, and rolling out asset management models for financial institutions.
Yvonne Siegmeth
COO
25+ years in the financial industry. Extensive experience as executive assistant to board members and management. Known for building robust organisational structures and delivering execution excellence across international project structures.
Research & Development
Prof. Dr. Niki Kilbertus
Head of AI Research
Working on mechanistic ML, causality, and dynamical systems. PhD in Machine Learning from the University of Cambridge / Max Planck Institute. Group Leader at Helmholtz AI Munich and Professor at the Technical University of Munich.
Sofia Kostiunina
100VP / Venture Capital
15+ years in venture ecosystem building. Expert in AI, entrepreneurship, and international business development across healthcare, fintech, sustainability, and proptech. Particular expertise in MENA region operations.
Advisory
Walter Mussil
Senior Risk Advisory
Senior Risk Advisor and executive advisor with PwC Strategy&. Former founding partner of a quant risk and asset management company. Partner at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. Over five years at Oliver Wyman London. MSc in Technical Mathematics from Vienna University of Technology.
Prof. MMMag. Dr. Stephan Klinger
Legal & Compliance
Former Head of Legal at the Austrian National Bank. Head of Group Compliance at the Austrian Volksbanken Group. Assessor at the Financial Market Authority Austria. 20 years of teaching experience. PhD in Business Philosophy from the Vienna University of Economics.
Institutional Affiliations
Our team members have worked with some of the world's leading financial institutions.
Why DIFC
Regulatory Excellence
DFSA supervision with active oversight and institutional-grade standards.
Common Law Framework
Independent legal system modelled on English law.
Global Connectivity
Strategic time zone bridging three continents. Ranked 11th globally, 4th in FinTech.
Institutional Infrastructure
$1 trillion+ in total AUM. 32% DIFC growth. Home to the world's leading financial firms.