Former ZestMoney VP, Nikhil Joy joins Tortoise as 3rd Co-founder

By Leandra Monteiro

Save Now Buy Later (SNBL) FinTech Tortoise has announced that it has roped in FinTech product leader Nikhil Joy as its cofounder.

Nikhil joins Tortoise as its third cofounder and brings in over 8 years of experience across lending and payments.

Prior to joining the company, Nikhil was the Vice President and Head of Product at ZestMoney and was previously responsible for driving growth at the consumer lending start-up.

In his new role as co-founder at Tortoise, Nikhil would be overseeing product development and growth.

An employee turned founder, Nikhil is an IIM-K alumnus and is a seasoned player in the FinTech space. He is also a member of the RBIH-UIDAI working group for innovation in KYC and identity management.

Talking about his role as a co-founder at Tortoise, which instills and promotes the habit of savings, Nikhil said, “After having worked in the Buy Now Pay Later space for long, I have realised that the depth of the Indian market requires affordability solutions that extend beyond just credit. Tortoise is a rewarding way for consumers to buy things without having to pay the full cost all at once while getting the best possible value on their purchase. The best part about it is that it can be availed by any customer who wishes to use it without distinction.”

Founded in 2021 by Vardhan Koshal and Surya Harsha Nunnaguppala, Tortoise is a FinTech app that encourages saving up for large purchases. The Tortoise app provides users the ability to save up for their future purchases by creating a savings plan, and earn rewards in the process.

Vardhan Koshal, Co-founder and CEO of Tortoise said, “We are extremely delighted to have Nikhil as our cofounder. Nikhil has seen the BNPL market grow and also witnessed the challenges arising out of it. There is a massive need for innovation in the savings space and we feel Nikhil is best equipped to drive the SBNL product at Tortoise.”