Southeast Asian fintech Salmon acquires controlling stake in Filipino bank
Once the deal is completed, Salmon will own 59.7% of the Rural Bank of Sta. Rosa (Laguna).
Financial Inclusion
Boost Bank secures regulatory approval to begin operations in Malaysia
The new digital bank has been formed through a partnership between Malaysian fintech Boost and RHB Banking Group.
Mastercard to launch virtual cards in the Democratic Republic of Congo with Rawbank’s Illicocash
According to IMF figures, only 26% of the active population in the DRC have a bank account.
Specialist neobank Panacea Financial names Ryan Gorney as new CTO
Gorney joins the company from Seacoast Bank, where he served as EVP CTO and chief innovation officer.
2023: Top five fintech start-ups of the year
Here are five of the top fintech start-up stories from 2023.
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.
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.
LemFi taps ClearBank for agency banking services
The partnership aims to provide African migrants in the UK with “an alternative to traditional banking”.
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.
Canapi Ventures reveals new $750m fund to support US fintech entrepreneurs
The VC firm says the latest fund takes its total assets under management to over $1.4 billion.
Building a world for the 99%
We have the technology to create a more supportive ecosystem for millions of SMEs worldwide.
Liberis bags $112m in debt financing to fuel expansion in North America and Europe
Liberis plans to go live in Canada, Germany and Poland in 2024.
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.
IDB Invest and IFC team up to launch the Amazon Finance Network
The global network aims to boost the economic development of the Amazon region.
UAE fintech start-up Flow48 lands $25m pre-Series A funding
Founded in 2022 by Idriss Al Rifai, Flow48 provides revenue-based financing to SMEs.
The ‘Boots’ theory of socioeconomic unfairness
The people who need fair credit products the most may not have access. That’s economic unfairness.
Orange launches super-app Max it in Africa
The app will debut in Cameroon, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Botswana.
Reimagining agribusiness in Africa with VeryPay’s e-wallet companion solution
The journey for VeryPay is not just about facilitating transactions; it’s a profound movement towards reshaping and enriching lives.
Egypt’s KashNow partners Sandah to provide small businesses with access to financing
Small businesses will now be able to submit loan applications through the KashNow app.
OakNorth taps Coconut founder Sam O’Connor to lead business banking unit
O’Connor joined the bank five months ago following GoSimpleTax’s acquisition of Coconut.
UK challenger bank OakNorth launches new business banking offering
OakNorth’s new product is currently in a phased beta, with businesses being invited to sign up to a waitlist.
Kentucky-based credit union Park Community names Jana Erny as president and CEO
Erny succeeds outgoing president and CEO Jim Spradlin, who is retiring after 29 years at the credit union.
Colombia’s Nequi taps TerraPay for international remittances
The partnership will extend the app’s remittance network to over 200 countries worldwide.
Íkualo to launch next month as neobank for Europe’s financially excluded immigrant community
The licensed electronic money institution will be able to onboard new customers with just a passport.
FinTech Futures: Top five stories of the week – 20 October 2023
Here’s our pick of five of the top news stories from the world of finance and tech this week.
ECB’s digital euro project to enter preparation phase from next month
The announcement follows the completion of the digital euro’s “investigation phase”, which began in 2021.
Kasssh launches in the UK to enable consumers to pay for online purchases in cash
The service seeks to bridge the gap between cash and the e-commerce market.
Saga taps Flagstone to launch over-50s savings platform in the UK
The new platform aims to provide those over the age of 50 with access to competitive savings rates.
Nova Credit raises $45m in Series C round to expand product suite
The round was led by Canapi Ventures and builds upon the company’s $50m Series B from 2020.
US Treasury grants Truist $65m NMTC allocation to spur investment in underserved communities
It is the twelfth time Truist Community Development Enterprises has received an allocation.
Block acquires musician-focused fintech start-up Hifi
The deal is thought to complement Block’s 2021 acquisition of Jay Z’s music streaming service Tidal.
FinTech Futures: Top five stories of the week – 13 October 2023
Here’s our pick of five of the top news stories from the world of finance and tech this week.
Lloyds backs Sonovate securitisation increase to £240m
The increase builds upon a £165 million deal made with BNP Paribas and M&G Investments in July.
Al Etihad Payments partners India’s NPCI to develop UAE’s first domestic card scheme
Al Etihad Payments is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE.
India’s IDBI Bank names Nehal Shah as new deputy chief technology officer
Shah will be responsible for the bank’s IT security and digital channels across various functions.
Spice Money taps NSDL Payments Bank to offer zero balance accounts to rural India
Through this partnership, Spice Money aims to broaden financial inclusion across India.
Pioneering innovative partnerships: Unveiling the game-changing fintech hybrid model
Watch this video for an in-depth look at The Greenlend Project.
Francesca Carlesi steps down as CEO of digital mortgage lender Molo
Carlesi is to depart Molo, which she has led since its inception in 2018, on 25 November 2023.
Bahrain’s Flooss taps Tarabut for open banking-powered lending
Flooss is adopting Tarabut’s Income Verification product, enabling direct access to customers’ income information.
