Hyperlayer adds Chan & O’Callaghan after GBP £30m raise

Hyperlayer has appointed Louise Chan and Barry O’Callaghan to its board of directors following the London fintech’s GBP £30 million fundraise in the third quarter of 2025.

Chan already serves on the executive team as Chief Operating Officer, while O’Callaghan joins the board with a background in investment and corporate leadership. The appointments add two senior figures as Hyperlayer looks to expand internationally.

Founded in London, Hyperlayer sells technology to banks launching new financial products while maintaining links to existing core systems. Its platform is designed to help lenders move faster in areas such as digital financial services.

Chan joined Hyperlayer in 2023 and has more than 25 years of experience across banking and payments.

Before becoming Chief Operating Officer at Hyperlayer, she held the same role at Ebury, where she oversaw product, data and operations during the company’s international expansion. Earlier, she was Managing Director for Innovation Capability Development at HSBC and also held senior roles in banking and consultancy.

Capital markets

O’Callaghan is Chairman of private investment firm AKLO Capital. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of education company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and earlier built digital publisher Riverdeep through a series of acquisitions.

Earlier in his career, he held investment banking roles at Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse, focusing on mergers and acquisitions and capital markets. That experience brings board-level expertise in fundraising, expansion and dealmaking as Hyperlayer builds on its latest investment round.

The board changes were announced by Rob Rooney, Hyperlayer’s co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Morgan Stanley International. He has led the company as it pursues further growth with banks across multiple markets.

Board changes

The addition of an internal operating executive and an investor with capital markets experience points to a blend of execution and financial oversight at the board level. It also formalises Chan’s leadership role while giving O’Callaghan a direct governance position.

O’Callaghan was already involved with the business as an investor. His appointment shifts that relationship from shareholder backing to a formal board seat as the company enters its next phase.

For fintech companies selling to large banks, board composition can carry weight because customers and investors often look for experience in regulation, operations and institutional relationships. Hyperlayer’s choice of directors reflects that emphasis, with Chan bringing operational banking expertise and O’Callaghan contributing experience in investing and large-scale corporate management.

Hyperlayer has tied the appointments to its recent funding and international plans. It is one of several UK fintechs seeking to win business from incumbent banks under pressure to improve digital services without replacing core systems outright.

Market pressure

Competition in that market has intensified as banks weigh how to use newer forms of automation and software in customer-facing products. Providers that can demonstrate an understanding of both bank infrastructure and governance requirements have tried to stand out as spending by financial institutions remains selective.

“Louise has been instrumental in building our global operating capability, driving our HyperJar B2C business and leading Tier 1 bank client relationships. Barry adds deep experience in capital markets and scaling global businesses, and we’re delighted to see him move from investor to this hands-on leadership role. As we expand internationally and work with larger institutions, their perspective at board level will be critical to our next stage of growth,” said Rob Rooney, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Hyperlayer.