Blackstone set to acquire majority stake in Japan’s Sony Payment Services
Sony Bank will roll over a certain portion of its equity and continue to remain a minority investor in SPSV.
Financial Services/Finserv
HSBC reportedly enters race to buy Tesco’s banking business
Sky News first reported Tesco Bank’s interest in exploring a sale in February last year.
JP Morgan and Viva Wallet reportedly collide over board appointments
JP Morgan acquired a 48.5% stake in Viva Wallet in December 2022 for $800 million.
HSBC unveils new international payments app Zing in the UK
Zing is a multi-currency app and debit card that UK residents will be able to use in more than 200 countries.
Effective risk management can boost supplier relationships and uncover new providers
Learn how KY3P from S&P Global Market Intelligence can help manage supplier risk and identify new sources of supply.
Video: Envestnet Yodlee at Money20/20 USA 2023 – Delivering open banking in the US
We chat with Envestnet Yodlee’s Farouk Ferchichi and Lisa Novier about the future of open banking in the US.
Banking veteran Mary Usategui set to launch new venture BankMiami this year
Scheduled to arrive in Q2 2024, it will be the first de novo bank to be established in South Florida in 15 years.
HSBC completes sale of French retail banking business to CCF
Following the completion of the deal, My Money Group has renamed itself as CCF Group.
OakNorth names Lord Adair Turner as new chairman
The bank plans to leverage Turner’s “extensive track record in financial services” to boost its growth plans.
UK fintech Cushon appoints Ellen Louw as new chief financial officer
Louw’s previous experience includes holding senior finance roles at WorldRemit and American Express.
Cartoon: Feeling the weight
A new cartoon illustrating how start-ups with previously high valuations are finding it hard to get acquired.
2023: Top five fintech start-ups of the year
Here are five of the top fintech start-up stories from 2023.
2023: Top five funding rounds of the year
Capping off 2023, we take a look back at five of the top fundraising rounds of this year.
2023: Top five partnerships of the year
FinTech Futures takes a look back at five of the top partnership stories of the year.
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”.
FinTech Futures: Top five stories of the week – 22 December 2023
Here’s our pick of five of the top news stories from the world of finance and tech this week.
A visit to a data centre, quantum computing and how lentils determined COP28
Data centres aren’t going away, and we’ll likely need more as we head into our collective digital future.
ICYMI fintech funding round-up: Fiat Republic, Hakbah, Payble and Spare
A handy round-up of the recent funding endeavours of fintech companies across the globe.
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.
Beem Credit Union appoints Sue Britton as chief innovation officer
Beem Credit Union will launch on 1 January in Canada with the merger of Gulf & Fraser and Interior Savings.
Hinckley & Rugby Building Society appoints Barry Carter as new CEO
Carter, who has served as COO at the building society since July 2022, will replace outgoing CEO Colin Fyfe.
UK neolender Updraft secures £272m in mix of debt and equity funding
The start-up previously raised £108 million in debt and equity funding last December.
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.
Fast fashion and APIs (or why I don’t enjoy new year predictions)
The predictions we make at year-end are simply acknowledgements of what is top of mind.
BCFC launches lending app in Bahrain powered by Codebase Technologies and Atyaf eSolutions
The companies first announced their partnership in August 2022.
Award wins signal success for Polish newcomer VeloBank
Poland-based challenger VeloBank won both the Team of the Year and Newcomer Banking Brand at Banking Tech Awards 2023.
Paysera launches in Georgia after securing banking licence
Paysera Bank has commenced operations in Georgia, opening its inaugural branch in Tbilisi.
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.
US fintech start-up SellersFi secures new credit facility of up to $300m
The credit facility has been provided by Citi and long-time financing partner Fasanara Capital.
Demystify Podcast: Demystifying Saudi fintech with Naif AbuSaida, founder & CEO of Hakbah
Dave and Dharm welcome Naif AbuSaida, CEO and founder of Hakbah, a Saudi Arabian fintech focused on group savings.
Ncontracts snaps up Quantivate for an undisclosed sum
Ncontracts hopes to strengthen its position in the US market and expand its offerings.
Credit Karma co-founder Nichole Mustard reportedly departs firm
Mustard founded the firm in 2007 with Ryan Graciano and Kenneth Lin.
Visa to acquire majority stake in Mexican payment processor Prosa
The deal, for an undisclosed sum, is expected to close in the second half of 2024.
UK’s PSR proposes cross-border interchange fee cap
The PSR is proposing a cap of 0.2% for debit transactions and 0.3% for credit transactions made online.
French fintech Unlimitd boosts financing capacity to €100m as ACP takes majority stake
Founded in July 2021 by Julien Zerbib, Unlimitd provides revenue-based financing to digital companies.
Søren Westh Lonning joins B2B spend management platform Pleo as CFO
Reports suggest the appointment of a CFO may be laying the groundwork for a potential IPO in the near future.
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”.
