On the pitch he was famous for scoring goals, winning two Premier League titles and the Champions League with Manchester United. Off the pitch he has become a tech founder, building platforms that help athletes and fans turn inspiration into real progress. Please welcome Louis Saha. Great to have you, Louis.
No pleasure. Thank you for having me.
On the pitch millions watched you. Off it you want stars to watch fans progress. How does KiiMasters make that work?
It is a platform that is optimal because I have seen the impact of athletes, entertainers, anyone in a position where they can make a lot of impact. They have a huge potential to really influence the next generation. There are a lot of people who see them as role models. But what we are aiming at is the purpose — looking at what can be achieved and how. When you are in the attention industry there is a lot of noise, a lot of content, an enormous amount of information. My aim is to dissect and simplify all of that, especially for athletes. We call them masters — those people who can really encourage, really challenge their super fans, the people who respect their journey — and do that in a gamified way.
Why does encouragement land differently when it comes from someone we admire?
Because we are not Messi in your environment. You always have a need for a bit of an echo from advice. Children listen to their parents — but they do not really act on it until they have heard somebody else say the same thing. Imagine someone you respect saying exactly what your parents said — it carries more weight. So these positive pressure builds by committing to something you believe you can achieve, having a simple programme that gets you into motion and really acting — not just scrolling and being inspired. From that moment where you put a bit of pressure on yourself, the master can encourage you, push you, challenge you. I want to do the same with KiiMasters.
Off the pitch, a lot of athletes earn big money young with little guidance. What did building AxisStars teach you about why they need support?
On my own journey I bumped into great people and not so great people. I found myself ill-equipped and unsure about things at a very young age. When you are 18 to 30, you discover a lot — finance, buying your first house, building a business on the side to secure your life and your family’s life. The advice you get is sometimes genuine and sometimes not. And sometimes it takes five years to discover that. At the end of my career I dedicated all my time, energy, and a lot of money into a purpose to solidify platforms that give athletes more control over that learning process. My aim is to avoid those numbers where 53 to 54% of athletes go bankrupt within five years of retirement. That is horrific. And the money and energy wasted there can and should go into the market.
What could a bank or fintech build with KiiMasters?
The facility of payment — definitely fintech is there for that. But the thing is also that a bank’s clients use fintech in so many ways. It has to be convenient and about trust. There is a partnership where institutions can use ambassadors — people who demystify access to finance, to learning how to spend, how to save, how to understand stocks, how to secure the future, especially with AI coming at a very fast pace. A lot of people really trust the endorsement of athletes and entertainers. That is the type of work I am trying to achieve. All the travel I have done in fintech is to simplify access — to understand that finance is extremely important, and that it is about how we move money in a trusted way.
Thank you, Louis. You have been striking goals on the field and off. We look forward to welcoming you back very soon.
Thank you.
