2021: A Year in Reflection

When we built DX we wanted to build a global-born startup from day one. We haven’t set about this in the typical tech startup way (using large amounts of other people’s money, administered by third parties) instead, we have always ensured that we put our own money, where our mouth is, and have continued to do this successfully in 2021, and will continue to do so in 2022.

Being in a global market is a huge privilege. While Fintech traditionally is a more localised Game, and globalisation is expensive and often requires a large number of licenses. Regtech is global. Our Vision was to build the Atlassian for Compliance, and this has continued to be true in 2021.

While on our Mission we see many people following us on the root to profitability which is not only a different approach it also gives much more confidence in a very unusual time.

2021 was mostly Growth & Learning: Personally, Professionally, and as a team. While we all have the objective of winning we all enjoyed this year and its challenges. Challenges are are often fun to discuss, but let us first share some highlights. Learning from Failure is an important part of every startup so is learning from Success.

DX Dublin, Ireland:

Ireland is a great place for Startups. And while working hybrid and now again fully remote the team has enjoyed the collaboration with our customers and our UK and UAE Offices. The customer base and team have grown, as has our NPS.

Dublin is a great place to be. It has attracted big names in tech and a high amount of multinationals and European Startups of which most have their EMEA HQs in the city. That is of course not only a blessing in terms of talent. Against all odds, we have built a tech company here from Day 1 with a dedicated, stable team of very talented people.

Our HQ in Dublin is supported by our London Office in Canary Wharf. As remote and hybrid working conditions made it possible for some of our team to work 100 % remotely work has changed and being in the office is a thing of the past. The Silicon Docks are not only a playground for collaboration it is also an open invitation to explore Irelands homegrown companies.

DX Abu Dhabi, UAE: Here we are - we moved in...

With Digital Transformation by applying new(er) and new(est) Technologies plays a crucial role DX Abu Dhabi is perfectly positioned for the future. DX has set up in the Middle East.

Our Team of dedicated R&D people is growing as is our customer base. The UAE had an important year with its 50th-year Celebration and the Expo 2020. Hub71 and its amazing support have helped us tremendously establish a presence in the Region.

We have built a dedicated Customer Facing Team and a dedicated R&D Unit for the needs of the MEASA Region. Software made in the UAE, made in Abu Dhabi wasn’t always possible.

While the UAE was historically not famed for its software development capabilities. In fact, many startups in the UAE had their engineering teams and back offices based in Egypt, Jordan, or farther afield in Pakistan, India or Eastern Europe. Hiring a team of engineers in the emirate is costly, particularly when tech talent is scarce.

At DX we have been fortunate to get the right initial talent which is key, we weren’t building small for day one, we were building something big. The UAE is dedicated

The team took its time to develop and adapt the software purposely designed to solve a critical problem.

We spent the initial few months in 2021 with potential clients, spending time with different Compliance teams in various sectors to better understand their challenges and what they needed for a potential software solution.

This research highlighted common problems across the board – teams were still operating manually most of the time, using paper and Excel.

As most organizations here are in the Digital Transformation most of them are on their Regtech Adoption and Journey.

Innovators vs. Imitators

DX is a team of Innovators. Being an innovator is a mode of thought and sets us apart. Putting the customer first is not just a sentence, it is a commitment and a way of life. Customer trust is built. While there are many traditional KPIs both within enterprise tech and Regtech, Customer Trust as a true North Star is the thing we really take seriously at DX.

What to expect from DX in 2022:

The year will start with pretty exciting news and of course New Year’s resolutions of our Product + R&D Team. To transfer the new features into reality and to execute at speed while growing the team in size and knowledge.

The DX Way:

Putting the customer first means dedicating time and resources to all parts of the experience not just to the sales process. Buying software is an experience and just a click in our industry. While in 2020 and 2021 our goal was mostly slipping under the radar (today most startups would call it stealth mode) 2022 is a great year for showcasing our company, our people, our products, and, of course, a few selected customers.

What sets us apart: A long term Vision

When we started DX we thought it is Vision & Speed. But we learned what really matters. As a B2B Tech company, we have been very fortunate to go our own way and to find the right ways and partners of doing things even in very challenging times and to adapt to the new normal. Traditionally tech companies don’t age gracefully. The reason for this has less to do with working capital, rather more often than not, they get bought because their Investors are looking for an in-and-out moment. In an industry like ours, we deliver a long-term commitment to our clients so is our vision for the next 50 years.

Closing the year means saying thank you. Thank you to all the people who made our success story possible.