With an extensive capital markets background in regulation, policy, product and business development, Akram has deep expertise in how all these levers come together to create a favourable environment for founders and managers of scaling companies and the capital providers that want to support such businesses.

Akram joins Floww from LSEG where she was the Head of Private Markets and played a pivotal role in expanding the Group’s offerings beyond public markets and its links into the private markets ecosystem.

As COO, she will spearhead the expansion of Floww’s commercial activities and business operations, to deliver on the company’s vision for seamless access to capital and liquidity for innovators around the world. Her strategic vision and experience in driving change within the UK’s capital markets will be instrumental in advancing Floww’s objectives.

Commenting on her appointment, Umerah Akram, COO of Floww, said, “Throughout my career, I’ve been dedicated to facilitating efficient access to capital for growing businesses, both in public and private markets. Martijn and I share a passion for innovation and a desire to remove friction from capital flows. Floww’s mission to achieve this using innovative technology with the end user at the heart aligns perfectly with my passion for supporting companies across the funding continuum."

Martijn de Wever, CEO and Founder of Floww, added, “We are thrilled to welcome Umerah on board. With her leadership acumen and extensive experience in private markets, she will be working with me to execute on our plans to build a global, multi-sided private markets platform and will be invaluable to the team as we drive innovation and reshape the private market landscape.”

Floww aims to reboot and rewire private markets by building an integrated infrastructure to support a new generation of ambitious entrepreneurs and investors.

Floww recently introduced FlowwFunds, a comprehensive fund management solution that addresses the issue of illiquidity in private markets. FlowwFunds leverages cutting-edge SaaS technology to streamline fund structuring, raising, and deployment processes, eliminating administrative complexities along the way.

Akram has held various roles at LSEG since 2005, focusing on enhancing the Group’s offering and the UK Capital Markets framework for issuers and investors. She has been an advocate for scaleups through her role on the UK’s Scaleup Institute board for the last four years.