From Side Hustle to Global Platform: Building 9fin and Modernizing Debt Markets (Steven Hunter, Co-Founder & CEO of 9fin)

Steven Hunter’s path to building 9fin started with an early entrepreneurial streak, a law degree, and a front-row seat to the inefficiencies of leveraged finance and credit markets. After beginning his career at JP Morgan and Barings, Steven saw how manual, fragmented, and outdated many debt market workflows remained — and believed technology could help solve them.

In this episode, Steven shares the story behind founding 9fin, from quitting his job in the wake of Brexit to building the first product out of a flat in Greenwich, landing early customers, navigating COVID-era volatility, and scaling the company into a global debt market data and analytics platform. We discuss the realities of founder life, the leadership lessons that come with carrying pressure others don’t see, 9fin’s expansion into the U.S. and new markets, and why Steven believes AI will fundamentally reshape credit workflows in the years ahead.

Listen to the episode below:

About Steven:

Steven Hunter is the CEO and co-founder of 9fin, the AI-native platform for global debt markets. Recently valued at $1.3bn, 9fin helps over 350 of the world’s leading banks, asset managers, law firms, and advisory firms work smarter and faster to outperform their peers. Before 9fin, Steven was an Investment Executive at Babson Capital Management, covering the European High Yield Bond and Leveraged Loan market, having started his career in the Leveraged Finance team at J.P. Morgan in London. He graduated from the University of Bristol with a first class honours degree in Law.

This conversation is meant to inform, educate, and hopefully entertain. Nothing we discuss should be taken as investment advice, a recommendation, or professional guidance of any kind. Be sure to do your own research and consult qualified advisors when needed.