China CITIC Bank and Baidu launch direct bank, AiBank
China’s internet giant Baidu and one of the country’s largest lenders, China CITIC Bank, have joined forces to launch a new direct bank, AiBank.
Partnerships
PoC-ketful of fintech pinnacles for Kickstart Accelerator
Fintech is running like clockwork in Switzerland as over 30 proof of concepts (PoCs) and partnerships have been secured at Zurich-based Kickstart Accelerator’s tech programme. The accelerator – an initiative of digitalswitzerland and operated by Impact Hub Zurich – saw 29 start-ups as well as an intrapreneur team from AXA Winterthur and Swisscom working in […]
Veridium and Wala bring blockchain power to Africa’s unbanked
Biometrics firm Veridium has teamed with Wala, a blockchain-powered financial services platform, as they target the unbanked and underbanked population in Africa. The duo will collaborate on a pilot programme in sub-Saharan Africa to demonstrate their digital model offering “zero-fee banking”. This pilot is funded by a grant awarded to Veridium from the Digital Financial […]
BNP Paribas and Caple make European SME credit capable
BNP Paribas Asset Management (BNPP AM) has acquired a 10% stake in European credit provider Caple, allowing for a partnership to offer alternative credit to European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
All aboard the Amex blockchain payments express
American Express has launched blockchain-enabled, business-to-business cross-border payments with Santander using Ripple’s network. The Amex FX International Payments (FXIP) business is working with Ripple to make blockchain payments commercially available, “reducing the time and cost of settlement”. Santander UK is the selected partner to initiate this new transaction channel. Marc Gordon, EVP and CIO at […]
EyeLock docks with ViaTouch for iris-powered payments
Iris-based biometric authentication specialist EyeLock has signed an agreement with ViaTouch Media that will integrate EyeLock’s technology within ViaTouch’s smart-shelf vending solution, Vicki. David Penn at Finovate (Banking Technology‘s sister company) reports that EyeLock CEO Jim Demitrieus says the agreement was the culmination of years of working with firms from a variety of industries to bring embedded […]
Fintech alliance round-up: 15 November 2017
Shoot it in the right direction, make making it your intention, live those fintech dreams, scheme those schemes, and hit me with those alliances and teams. Our friendly round-up features ASEAN Fintech Network, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Polish Financial Supervision Authority and Hong Kong Monetary Authority. Welcome to the ASEAN Fintech Network (AFN), a new […]
Financial innovation in LatAm calls for open collaboration with start-ups
Fintech is upending the way we understand the financial sector in Latin America; financial services are experiencing deep transformations as a result of start-ups’ love for change driven by new technologies.
Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up: 14 November 2017
Hot on the heels of yesterday’s (13 November) action, here’s our latest blockchain and Bitcoin round-up. Featuring Bitcoin Gold, OTC Exchange Network, Deloitte and Github. Bitcoin Gold (BTG), the newest fork of the Bitcoin blockchain, has officially gone live. It’s not the first to breakaway from Bitcoin, as previously in August, Bitcoin Cash (BCC) launched. […]
Top tier US bank in cash management tech revamp with Temenos and Finastra
EXCLUSIVE: A top tier US-based bank is modernising its global cash management ops with technology from Temenos and Finastra (formerly D+H Corporation).
Rackspace and HPE offering OpenStack as private cloud service
With most of the chatter in the cloud computing market focused on the big public cloud providers, it’s easy to forget that private cloud is a viable option for many larger enterprises. Now, Rackspace and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) are looking to change that, reports Enterprise Cloud News (Banking Technology’s sister publication). The two companies […]
Token and Envestnet | Yodlee team up for open banking
Open banking platform provider Token has partnered with Envestnet | Yodlee, a data analytics platform, for payments and financial data aggregation. The partnership will use Token’s operating system, TokenOS, which offers PSD2 compliant payments and gives access to banks for third-party service providers, via an API. In addition, the deal will use Envestnet | Yodlee’s […]
Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up: 13 November 2017
Following Friday’s (10 November) feisty blockchain and Bitcoin action, here’s another round-up. Features CryptoCoinBits, European Commission, R3 and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. With increasing fears about Bitcoin ICOs and bubbles bursting, it was inevitable someone would see a gap in the market. Enter CryptoCoinBits, which has unleashed a Bitcoin trading platform and asks: “So how can […]
A new edge for fintech centres in a post-Brexit world
The uncertainty produced by the Brexit vote – and the turbulent negotiations since – has led some to question whether the UK can maintain its status as a global fintech capital. But for London as much as for its rivals in the US, China and beyond, the key may lie in capitalising on the next competitive edge for fintech centres.
Payments round-up: 8 November 2017
Just yesterday (7 November) was a payments round-up, but here’s more action from the lively paytech place. Features Apple, Coinsilium Group, UMT United Mobility Technology, Visa and even the Olympic Winter Games. Apple, which is rarely out of the news, has set up Apple Pay Cash for person-to-person (P2P) payments in Messages. This feature is […]
Mastercard, Bank Asia and a2i team for financial inclusion in Bangladesh
Access to Information (a2i, an innovation lab supported by the Bangladeshi government), Bank Asia and Mastercard have signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) to facilitate financial inclusion in Bangladesh by making digital payment services accessible countrywide through the Union Digital Centres (UDCs).
Top trends in cybersecurity
Cyber risks have evolved significantly over the last couple of years across industry sectors. The financial services industry, in particular, has become the target of choice with malicious actors exploring every avenue they can in order to identify areas of vulnerability.
Top fintech stories this week – 3 November 2017
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
Visa Direct expands to Europe
Visa has unveiled its European debut of Visa Direct, its real-time payments platform that allows for person-to-person (P2P), business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) payments.
MRI Software and KeyBank partner to automate payments
MRI Software, a real estate software solutions provider, has formed a partnership with KeyBank to provide clients access to its AvidXchange powered payment automation solution, KeyTotal Pay.
Implementing derivatives clearing on distributed ledger technology platforms
Clearing houses and central clearing counterparties (CCPs) play a pivotal role in managing collateral and counterparty risk, in increasing standardisation and transparency of financial markets, and in the credit enhancement process for clearing banks. For such systemically critical functions, how appropriate are innovative new technologies such as distributed ledger technology (DLT)?
Three of Australia’s largest banks partner to create payment platform Beem
Three of Australia’s largest banks, The Commonwealth Bank (CBA), National Australia Bank (NAB) and Westpac have partnered to create Beem – a new mobile peer-to-peer (P2P) payments platform.
R3 and banks partner to develop cross-border payments platform
Enterprise software firm R3 and 22 of its member banks have developed a solution that leverages distributed ledger technology (DLT) to enable “fast, efficient and cost-effective” cross-border payments.
Finnish OP Financial Group teaming with Polish fintech ZenCard
Polish fintech group ZenCard, alongside three other companies, is set to launch its technologies on the Finnish market after winning the OP Smart Commerce programme led by OP Financial Group.
Google teams with Cisco for hybrid cloud
Google wants to become an enterprise cloud provider, so why not team up with the company that rules enterprise-networking market share?
Case study: Hellenic Bank – building a bank through strategic partnerships
Natasha Kyprianides, group head of digital banking and innovation at Hellenic Bank, gives the lowdown on how to apply the partnership strategy in practice and achieve real results.
Credit union consortium CULedger opts for Swirlds to build blockchain platform
CULedger, a US-based credit union consortium formed by the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and the Mountain West Credit Union Association (MWCUA), has selected Swirlds’ hashgraph technology as a key component of its permissioned, distributed, shared ledger platform for credit unions.
Fidor and Eight Inc partner to create digital finance marketplace
Fidor, a provider of digital banking solutions, has signed a partnership with Eight Inc, a “strategic design and innovation firm”, to launch Fidor Market, its digital marketplace.
ING launches €300m fintech fund, ING Ventures
ING Ventures, a new investment fund set up by ING, has €300 million to pump into fintech companies.
Fintech funding round-up: 25 October 2017
More of the latest stories from the fintech funding world. Features Verrency, Countingup, Finn.ai and Bud.
First Data partners with UnionPay to enable in-store and online transactions in the US
International paytech firm First Data has partnered with UnionPay International to enable in-store and online transactions in the US allowing UnionPay card holders to shop at US retailers.
Tink secures investment and bank partners as it plans European expansion
Swedish fintech company Tink has signed with Nordic banks Nordea, Klarna and Nordnet. Integrating in 2018, the banks will use Tink’s payment technology and personal finance management (PFM) platform within their existing customer channels.
Sherpa Foundry and Silicon Valley Bank create Silicon Foundry, corporate innovation platform
Sherpa Foundry and Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) have joined forces to launch Silicon Foundry, a membership-based corporate innovation platform.
Geoswift partners with Bank of Shanghai for remittance services
Geoswift, a cross-border payments provider between China and the rest of the world, has unveiled its partnership with Bank of Shanghai to launch a new remittance service in 2017.
Bento for Business opens APIs, partners with The Bancorp and launches new products
US-based expense management solution provider Bento for Business has onboarded new partners and expanded its product line.
Clinc teams with Enacomm to bring AI chatbots to small banks and credit unions
Artificial intelligence (AI) fintech start-up Clinc is making its chatbot Finie more widely available through a new partnership with Enacomm.
BioCatch to power behavioural biometrics for Samsung SDS America
Behavioural biometrics and threat detection firm BioCatch is working with Samsung SDS America to combat fraud that occurs after a user has logged in.
Ledger partners with Intel to boost blockchain app security
Ledger, a France-based specialist in security solutions for cryptocurrency and blockchain applications, has partnered with Intel to bring greater protection for users of digital wallets.
IBM and Zelle team up to advance P2P payments
IBM says it has launched an “industry first” solution to support the full lifecycle of peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions, from the back office of financial institutions to the mobile device.
MapD partners with IBM Power Systems
Analytics platform MapD has partnered with IBM Power Systems to enhance its analytical performance. California-based MapD has optimised its MapD Core database and MapD Immersive visual analytics client to take advantage of IBM Power Systems to target the speed at which SQL queries can be performed.
