2023: Top five fintech start-ups of the year
Here are five of the top fintech start-up stories from 2023.
Consumer/Personal Finance
US fintech Vestwell secures $125m in Series D funding round
CEO and founder Aaron Schumm says the raise is “one of the largest Series D SaaS rounds in the US this year”.
BNPL fintech Tabby lands $700m debt facility from JP Morgan
Tabby has also extended its Series D funding round by $50 million to a total of $250 million.
Dutch neobank Bunq launches self-built GenAI platform for customers
Dubbed Finn, the platform allows users to ask advanced questions or seek advice about their finances.
Instant payments, BaaS and GenAI: A fintech industry review of 2023
FinTech Futures takes a look back at the key industry developments and trends to emerge over 2023.
UK fintech Pockit names Garreth Griffith as new COO
With a career spanning more than 25 years, Griffith joins Pockit from Habito, where he also served as COO.
US neobank Chime appoints Shara Chang as chief compliance officer
Chang brings 15 years of financial services, fintech and consumer protection experience to her new role.
CSI snaps up partner Hawthorn River for single-platform loan origination system
CSI initially struck a partnership with Hawthorn River in October to utilise its tech.
Credit Karma co-founder Nichole Mustard reportedly departs firm
Mustard founded the firm in 2007 with Ryan Graciano and Kenneth Lin.
Saudi BNPL fintech Tamara lands $340m Series C funding at $1bn valuation
Tamara says the Series C is “among the largest investments in a fintech company in the region”.
The What the FinTech? podcast | Season four’s jailed buzzwords
We run down all the buzzwords our podcast guests wanted gone from the industry this year.
What the FinTech? | S.4 Episode 23 | 2023 in review
In the final podcast episode of 2023, we’re joined by banking tech veteran Dharmesh Mistry.
Europe fintech funding round-up: Aria, AbbeyCross, Salv and more
A handy round-up of the recent funding endeavours of fintech companies across Europe.
ABN Amro to acquire Dutch neobroker Bux for undisclosed sum
ABN Amro hopes the deal will help it gain a foothold in the retail investment space.
AI, BNPL and CBDCs: The industry’s fintech predictions for 2024
We take a look at some of the fintech predictions being made by industry experts for 2024.
Marsden Building Society taps Jade ThirdEye for AML tech
The firm will deploy Jade ThirdEye’s Transaction Monitoring and Customer Screening solution.
Cartoon: Gravity
A new cartoon illustrating Apple’s growing impact on the financial services industry.
Building a world for the 99%
We have the technology to create a more supportive ecosystem for millions of SMEs worldwide.
US fintech Pontera secures $60m in fresh funding round led by new investor Iconiq Growth
This latest investment brings Pontera’s total funding to date to $160 million.
Germany’s Scalable Capital secures $65m in Series E extension
The raise follows on from the company’s $180 million Series E round in June 2021.
Canadian fintech Koho bags $63m funding at unchanged valuation
Founded in 2014, the Toronto-based fintech offers a full-service spending and savings account.
Indian BNPL fintech ZestMoney is reportedly closing down
ZestMoney’s leadership team has reportedly informed employees of its decision to wind down by the end of the month.
The future of financial wellness: banks need to do more to support Gen Z in 2024
Gen Z is facing the bleakest financial outlook of any generation for the last century.
Konstantin Zaripov resumes role as managing director of Nebeus after five-year break
Zaripov initially departed the platform in October 2018, after a 15-month tenure as managing director.
Crypto.com lands EMI licence from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority
Crypto.com says it now plans to roll out a suite of e-money products customised for the UK market.
Italian competition authority interrupts migration of 2.4m Intesa Sanpaolo accounts to Isybank
The watchdog says more than 5,000 of Intesa Sanpaolo’s own customers sought its intervention.
UK fintech Plum signs strategic partnership with Greece’s Eurobank, lands €10m investment
Plum intends to grow its presence in Greece as well as the surrounding region.
New UK fintech start-up Kaldi aims to help millennials and Gen Z save and invest
Through an “easy-to-understand” app, Kaldi hopes to encourage people to start saving and investing earlier.
Apple’s partnership with Goldman Sachs is reportedly nearing its end
Apple has reportedly proposed ending its partnership with Goldman Sachs within the next 12 to 15 months.
State of play: GenAI in financial services
Generative AI is currently in the ‘experimental phase’ in the financial services industry.
ASR Nederland explores sale of digital bank Knab
ASR first acquired the brand in July this year after buying up Aegon’s domestic operations in the Netherlands.
India’s PhonePe reportedly planning to launch consumer lending in January 2024
According to sources, over the next six to seven months, PhonePe plans to launch multiple consumer credit products.
Berkshire Hathaway sells stake in India’s Paytm for $165m
The exit sets Berkshire Hathaway up for a loss of around 40% on its investment.
What the FinTech? | S.4 Episode 22 | Personalisation in digital banking
In this episode of the podcast, we’re joined by Olivier Berthier, CEO of Moneythor.
FCA greenlights Klarna for payment and credit services in the UK
A newly formed entity, Klarna Financial Services UK, will now provide all consumer-facing services in the country.
ICYMI fintech funding round-up: Kiwi, ID Finance, Crezco and more
A handy round-up of the recent funding endeavours of fintech companies across the globe.
UAE fintech start-up Dosh Payments gears up for full launch, lands tech licence from ADGM
Claiming to be the Middle East’s first social payments app, Dosh Payments has been building in stealth since 2021.
What the FinTech? | S.4 Episode 21 | Managing chargebacks and payment disputes
In this episode of the podcast, we’re joined by Monica Eaton, founder and CEO of Chargebacks911.
US credit card fintech Petal reportedly eyeing potential sale
According to a report by Fortune, sources say the start-up has received multiple offers for acquisition.
US challenger HMBradley winds down consumer business, eyes B2B space
“Our consumer brand growth was falling short of our goals,” says HMBradley CEO and co-founder Zach Brunke.
