New SME banking player Pillar set to launch in Canada
Based in Montreal, Quebec, the fintech offers business accounts for SMEs.
Cards
LHV Group set to acquire Estonian paytech EveryPay
LHV CEO says growing its payment services business has become an important part of the firm’s growth strategy.
Australian fintech Zeller lands $73m Series B funding
Zeller says it has signed up more than 10,000 Australian businesses within eight months.
Lloyds partners fintech Bink to create unified customer loyalty programme solution
Lloyds has also made an equity investment for a minority stake in Bink.
Mastercard, Pine Labs and DBS Bank to roll out BNPL credit card offering
The solution will be available on all DBS Mastercard, Visa and American Express credit cards.
Volopay raises $29m in equity and debt for international expansion
Volopay is “building the control centre for modern companies for all their financial management needs”.
Banking challenger and investing platform Finch set to launch in US
Finch boosts users’ credit score by reporting spending to US credit bureaus Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
Swedish challenger Rocker introduces fingerprint sensor biometric payment card
Rocker’s biometric payment card is the first of its kind in Sweden.
TripActions continues European expansion with third acquisition, Resia
Scandinavian travel management company Resia is TripActions’ third acquisition in Europe.
‘Earnings on demand’ fintech PayUp set to launch in UK
The app allows users to access their salary as they earn.
Philippines’ PayMongo raises $31m Series B to support nation’s SMEs
The Manila-based start-up has now raised around $46 million in total capital.
Amazon and Visa bury the hatchet over UK credit card fees
Visa says the agreement includes “a joint commitment to collaboration on new product and technology initiatives”.
Paysafe builds out digital wallets team with new exec hires from Barclays and Amazon
Rachel McShane joins as digital wallets CFO and Megan Oxman joins as SVP of new product development.
US mobile banking app Spruce launches powered by SoFi Technologies’ Galileo
The mobile banking platform has been built by H&R Block and launched on 20 January 2022.
Qatari financial management app Karty set to launch in MEA region
Karty allows users to spend, save and manage their money.
Brazil’s Banco Itaú partners US paytech Rêv to launch multi-currency digital wallet
The Itaú Global Wallet was developed by Rêv on its multi-currency payments processing platform.
Danish neobank Lunar welcomes new investor – Hollywood actor Will Ferrell
Actor “excited to take part in Lunar’s mission to give people more power from their money”.
Paysera appoints new CEO, awaits banking licence
Gintautas Mezetis is Paysera’s new CEO as it plots a move into the banking business.
GoCardless joins unicorn club with $312m Series G funding
The direct bank payment solution provider is now valued at $2.1 billion.
TripActions continues European push with Comtravo acquisition
TripActions says it has invested more than $400 million across the UK and Europe in less than a year.
UK fintech Selina Finance raises $150m in Series B funding round
The funding is made up of $35m in equity and $115m in debt to fund further expansion.
Fintech funding deals globally 31 January – 6 February 2022
Featuring FTX, Chargebee, Koho, Phantom and League.
New neobank Coupl set to launch in India
Start-up allows couples to set up joint accounts and manage their money together.
Canadian fintech Koho lands $165m Series D funding
The firm says the investment is one of Canada’s largest fintech funding rounds.
New US debit card fintech Xrent aims to help renters get on the property ladder
The fintech’s ‘rent-to-mortgage’ programme is designed to direct rent payments toward homeownership.
Anti-fraud firm ClearSale acquires US tech start-up ChargebackOps for initial $3.6m
“Chargebacks are an enormous and growing problem for e-commerce merchants,” says ClearSale EVP.
Garden of Eden: how Africa’s digital transformation promises to boost the continent
Demographics, technology and opportunity have set the stage for Africa to become a global fintech powerhouse.
Fintech start-up destream to launch bank card aimed at internet content creators
Destream says banks often block large payments from donations and platform subscriptions.
Paystone snaps up merchant services provider Canadian Payment Services
Paystone CEO Tarique Al-Ansari says the deal will “provide additional value to CPS merchants”.
Fintech start-ups Altpay and Finz Money launch in UK
Both companies are now open for new customers to register.
BNPL provider Splitit appoints new CEO, Nandan Sheth
Nandan Sheth moves from Fiserv, where he was head of global digital commerce and the firm’s Carat business.
UK credit card Keebo launches for “credit invisibles” in “passion economy”
Keebo tackles financial exclusion in the “passion economy” – an economy built around “creators with a purpose”.
German fintech start-up Moss secures $86m Series B funding at $573m valuation
The latest cash injection takes the company’s valuation to over €500 million ($573 million).
EU’s first blockchain financial institution BENKER receives EMI licence
BENKER CEO sees the introduction of blockchain to banking as the beginning of a “New World Order”.
Video: fintech news pick of the week – Amazon, Visa, Bolt & Lunar
Our top pick of news from the world of finance and tech in bitesize video format, every week.
UK’s Payment Systems Regulator fines Mastercard £31.5m for competition law violations
Five prepaid card companies admitted to cartel behaviour while supplying local authorities.
Amazon U-turns on decision to ban UK-issued Visa credit cards
The eleventh-hour reprieve comes as both companies are “working closely” to reach a longer-term agreement.
Spend management platform Spendesk hits unicorn status with €100m funding
Spendesk will use the funding to nearly double its workforce.
Indian fintech FPL Technologies raises $75m in Series C round
Pune-based FPL’s products are designed to create a credit-savvy population.
GPS adds $100m to its latest funding round, appoints new chair
Global Processing Services (GPS) closes its latest funding round at over $400 million.
