Key facts
- UK fintech Pockit has appointed Anuar Utemuratov, founder of Burger King's Kazakhstan franchise, as a director.
- Utemuratov previously worked as an analyst at JP Morgan.
- He grew the Burger King franchise in Kazakhstan to over 50 restaurants before selling it in 2025.
- Pockit secured debt finance from architect Santiago Calatrava.
- The company raised $10 million in 2023 and acquired Monese in 2024.
UK fintech firm Pockit has appointed Anuar Utemuratov, the founder of Burger King's Kazakhstan franchise, to its board of directors. Utemuratov, who previously worked as an analyst for JP Morgan, built the fast-food franchise into an operation of over 50 restaurants before selling it to Holten Group in 2025. He is the son of Kazakh billionaire Bulat Utemuratov.
Pockit, which provides prepaid accounts for individuals without credit scores, has also secured debt finance from Santiago Calatrava, a renowned Spanish railway architect. The company's shareholder base includes former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and Revolut chair Martin Gilbert.
Founded in 2014, Pockit raised $10 million in 2023 to expand its user base and acquired struggling fintech Monese in 2024. Pockit's founder, Virraj Jatania, stated the company targets the "bottom half" of UK adults, approximately 20-22 million people, who are underserved by traditional financial services, including blue-collar workers, gig economy participants, and freelancers with irregular incomes, as well as individuals with limited or no credit history.