Ghana’s Fido raises $30m Series A to broaden financial inclusion in Africa
Fido has now raised $38m to date and intends to use the fresh capital to launch new financial products in Ghana.
Innovation
GoCardless rolls out two open banking solutions in Germany
GoCardless says: “Open banking is growing rapidly, with 64 million active users projected in Europe by 2024.”
RBC partners Plaid to offer API-led connectivity with fintech services
The data access agreement will remove the need for credential sharing, enhancing security and privacy.
State of play: Money 20/20 Europe
Fintech analyst Philip Benton recaps key themes and trends at Money 20/20 Europe.
Starting small: how Nearside is trying to help create a more inclusive economy
With this rise in new small businesses comes a need for new banking services catered to these new entrepreneurs.
What the FinTech? | S.3 Episode 9 | Smart applications for AI and ML
We are joined by Jethro MacDonald, product manager, artificial intelligence and machine learning at SmartStream.
Gen Z financial assistant app Cleo raises $80m at $500m valuation
Cleo will use the funds to shore up and expand its services as a global economic winter begins to bite.
Making the most of Banking-as-a-Service
Banks that are expressing keen interest in the BaaS model must implement and scale it with alacrity.
Qatar National Bank launches open banking platform for fintechs
QNB says its open banking APIs could transform the fintech landscape in Qatar.
Why I do want to use crypto to buy my pizza
I predict that in the medium term, we will begin to consider crypto a safe and reliable form of tender.
US proptech HomeLight acquires Accept, raises $115m at $1.7bn valuation
The acquisition of Accept will make HomeLight the largest agent-focused cash offer programme in the country.
Coping with the cost of living: how open banking can build financial resilience
We need to see a significant step-change in open banking regulation to cushion the blow of inflation.
FinTech Futures: Top five stories of the week – 17 June 2022
Here’s our pick of five of the top news stories from the world of finance and tech this week.
Banking start-up Fiinu to launch plug-in overdraft, list on LSE
Fiinu is set to be acquired by media company Immedia for approximately £37.5 million.
Digital banking tech vendor Narmi raises $35m Series B
The fresh capital will be used to develop and accelerate the overall digitisation of the US banking industry.
Fintech Zytara partners deadmau5 to create branded banking solution
deadmau5 will join Zytara’s advisory board “to help enhance the creative direction for Zytara moving forward”.
NatWest, Citi, Barclays trial Finteum intraday FX swap and repo platform
Given the rising interest rate environment, liquidity optimisation is a high priority, Finteum says.
Finzly celebrates ten years of providing innovative solutions to banks
Finzly’s user conference discussed trending topics and bank innovation outside the legacy core.
CBA’s new digital mortgage brand, Unloan, underpinned by Mambu’s tech
CBA positions Unloan as “a revolutionary force in the Australian mortgage industry”.
What will you do next?
It doesn’t matter how big the job is, it matters how engaged you are.
Money 20/20 Europe: Digiseq connects the digital and physical world
At Money 20/20 Europe, FinTech Futures sat down with David Birch, chair of wearable payments disruptor Digiseq.
Virgin Money in three-year deal with Trade Ledger to digitise business lending
“At the heart of the partnership is the delivery of a digital decisioning platform,” Trade Ledger says.
CaixaBank and Microsoft establish AI innovation lab
The projects will aim to improve efficiency, customer experience, cybersecurity and other areas.
Skill shortage: Do you have the right technology skills to deliver the services your customers want?
Digital transformation doesn’t mean ripping everything out and starting again.
Money 20/20 Europe: A new era for a digital Sterling
Project New Era, set to launch in September, is a pilot evaluating the future digital currency ecosystem in the UK.
Digital banking should be the cornerstone of every small business’ tech strategy
Embracing digital banking has aided small businesses through the early stages of economic recovery.
New bank alternative, Fluid Finance, launches “revolutionary global super-app”
Fluid Finance offers “the world’s first bank alternative linked to your Web3 wallet”.
Why trade finance should embrace blockchain to realise its digital ambitions
Digital innovation in trade finance is gaining momentum, and blockchain offers a number of possibilities.
MENA’s BaaS provider NymCard raises $22.5m funding
This venture round takes NymCard’s total funding to over $35 million.
Motive Partners invests €120m in digital banking tech vendor Backbase
Backbase has raised €120 million in growth equity funding, bringing its valuation to €2.5 billion.
Webinar: Winning with data in the cloud
The benefits of cloud-native solutions for managing core systems, data management and value creation.
Money 20/20 Europe: Mastercard’s open banking guru on payments and data
Jim Wadsworth discusses working with fintechs, open banking, becoming a paytech and safeguarding data.
Building a donation platform in the most carbon-neutral way possible
NatWest, the Scottish Tech Army and GoCodeGreen recently collaborated on a new project.
And what is wrong with my mainframe?
Maybe, just maybe, there is a better way of doing what we all agree must be done.
Money 20/20 Europe: How is the rise of fintech transforming the next generation of banking?
Kahina Van Dyke believes the biggest shift in legacy financial services is learning to unlock human potential.
Money 20/20 Europe: Mode CEO Rita Liu on crypto adoption and regulation
Education and regulatory clarity are key to mass adoption of crypto, Mode CEO Rita Liu says.
State of play: fintech partnerships
Incumbents and fintechs are increasingly forging equally beneficial partnerships to lead innovation.
Why data is often the biggest constraint for financial companies
Organisations should democratise data and enable the wider workforce to glean insights directly.
FinovateSpring 2022: Q&A with JP Morgan’s Ray Nazloomian
Ray Nazloomian of JP Morgan gives his views on the future of the payments industry.
How Carefull aims to help older adults manage their finances effectively
FinTech Futures speaks with Carefull co-founder Todd Rovak about financial management for older adults.
