3 Questions for Andy Kampf, who leads our U.S. Market Entry Practice
What drew you into cross-border work?
At Klarna, I was tasked with solving myriad cross-border issues from day one. It really wasn't one moment. It was the daily grind of translating U.S. banking norms and business culture into a legal/regulatory framework, and vice versa. At Klarna, that translation work was the most enjoyable part of my job, because it forced me to break things down to first principles. That's the same muscle I'm using at Klaros now — just across a much wider range of clients and business models.
What's the biggest misconception non-U.S. companies have about the U.S.?
That BaaS is dying. It isn't. While the path to a bank charter is easier than it has been in the past, it is by no means easy, and it's also not the right path for everyone. Meanwhile, a state-by-state licensing patchwork is complicated and expensive. For most companies entering the U.S., a partner bank is still the best first option, full stop.
If you were a foreign fintech eyeing the U.S., what would your top priority be for the rest of 2026?
Start now. If you want to be onboarded with a U.S. partner bank before the next administration — and I think the window to do that on favorable terms is closing — you need four things lined up: the right bank partners, the roles/policies/vendors the bank or U.S. law requires, the ability to turn around due diligence requests fast, and a real read on market-standard terms so you're not negotiating blind.
