Allianz accelerates to new digital investments
Allianz with its in-house incubator, Allianz X, has switched gears and pivoted towards a new range of digital investments.
Start-up
Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up: 30 November 2017
Coming straight after yesterday’s (29 November) fun and games, here’s another quick summary of the blockchain and Bitcoin action. Features the European Central Bank, Tieto, Coinsilium Group and StartupToken. Well, Bitcoin went past $11,000. And then dropped. As you read this it will have changed again. So, opinions are aplenty. And… banks should speed up […]
Fintech funding round-up: 30 November 2017
Quickly following on from Tuesday’s (28 November) funding round-up, here are more stories from a cash-drenched world. Features 1QB Information Technologies, FinTecSystems, Betalo, Nordea and Constellation Digital Partners. 1QB Information Technologies (1QBit), a quantum computing firm based in Vancouver, has closed a CA$45 million ($34.9 million) Series B round comprising equity and revenue contracts. This […]
Fintech funding round-up: 28 November 2017
No slowing down when it comes to the fintech funding action and this week we’ve got three of the latest stories for another ever-informative round-up. Featuring MoneyMe, TreasuryXpress and Chip.
Nordea finds fintech heaven with Nordic angel network
Nordea’s start-up and growth unit has unveiled a new partnership agreement with Nordic Business Angel Network (NordicBAN), a network of start-up investors in the Nordics and Baltics.
Debunking six myths on regulatory sandboxes
We are living through a period of unprecedented innovation in finance, and regulators know they need to adapt to keep up with the fast pace of change. To understand and manage the risks posed by new products, services, and business models, many financial authorities are setting up regulatory sandboxes or reglabs.
Wealthtech: a market poised for extended growth
Rapid changes are occurring in the wealth management space and the level of disruption in how advice and capital are managed is only beginning. Wealth management is a monumental industry. The players in the space run the gamut from gigantic hedge funds to individuals who manage their own investments. This changing wealth management landscape is driving a significant uptick in transactions.
Jirnexu unleashes insurance marketplace in Malaysia
Southeast Asian fintech start-up Jirnexu has been approved by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the nation’s central bank, to compare, sell, process payments, and issue e-policies for insurance products. Jirnexu says it is the first company in the country permitted to sell select general and life insurance products from multiple providers, and the first to build […]
Starling makes big European push
UK-based challenger bank Starling is taking the battle to lenders after being granted a contract allowing for a big push into wholesale banking in Europe.
BMO Financial Group injects $2m into Montreal AI lab
BMO Financial Group is putting $2 million into Creative Destruction Lab Montreal (CDL-Montreal) to fund artificial intelligence (AI) and data science projects. CDL-Montreal will target seed-stage start-ups by providing business and technology mentoring, equity opportunities and business development partnerships. On 15 December, the first cohort of 28 businesses, made up entirely of AI start-ups, will […]
Payments round-up: 22 November 2017
Hot on the heels from Monday’s (20 November) round-up, here are more lively adventures in the paytech space. Featuring Manigo powering up; Volante Technologies and eVision in North Africa; and ACI Worldwide and Payworks getting friendly. Digital money platform Manigo has launched. The firm, which is based in London’s tech hub Level39, says it will […]
Payments round-up: 20 November 2017
It pays to pay attention to the pacey payments precinct. Our latest round-up comprises Glint’s golden launch, BillPro’s licence and QR codes in Singapore. Glint, an electronic payment system that enables gold to be used as a currency, has launched its account and app based technology in the UK. Jason Cozens, CEO, Glint, says: “Everyone […]
Fintech funding round-up: 20 November 2017
Coming straight after Friday’s (17 November) fintech funding action, here’s another round-up. Features Xiaomi’s interest in India, Bamboo Capital Partners, First Access, Allied Irish Banks and TransferMate. Chinese phone and appliances maker Xiaomi plans to invest around $1 billion in 100 start-ups in India over the next five years, according to chief executive Lei Jun […]
Kabbage expands small business funding with $200m credit facility
Alternative credit company Kabbage has a lot to be thankful for this week. The Atlanta-based start-up received a new $200 million revolving credit facility from Credit Suisse bringing its total debt funding to $750 million, reports Julie Muhn at Finovate (Banking Technology’s sister company). Kabbage emphasised that this credit facility diversifies its funding sources, which will help it […]
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.
Fintech funding round-up: 17 November 2017
Following on from yesterday’s (16 November) fintech funding fun, here’s another summary. Features Flender, Tipigo Ventures, India Accelerator, Kuants, Sumeru and a handy $2 billion in Singapore. Return to Flender. Address known. As reported in May, peer-to-peer lending start-up Flender was seeking to get €1 million in funding and is targeting a UK launch after […]
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 […]
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).
Fintech funding round-up: 16 November 2017
Say it isn’t so, another fintech funding round-up? Of course! It’s busy as always. Here’s the latest news action. Featuring DIFC and its investments, ASEAN seeing a boom with fintechs on the rise, and two firms; Active.ai and PayStand get individual funding too.
Airtel Payments Bank live with new core banking system
Airtel Payments Bank, a start-up subsidiary of Indian telco Airtel, has gone live with its core banking system. This is understood to be Oracle FSS’s Flexcube.
Rainmaking Colab kicks up a storm for fintech innovation
Rainmaking Colab is looking to make its new model of innovation reign via a theme-based fintech programme that taps into mature markets. Created by the founders of Rainmaking and Startupbootcamp FinTech, they say “mature fintech markets like New York and London are starting to experience ‘accelerator fatigue’ and require a new way of thinking to […]
TransferTo and Fern Software get UN funding for payments push
Cross-border mobile payments network TransferTo and banking software provider Fern Software have both been awarded a grant as a part of the United Nations Capital Development’s Shaping Inclusive Finance Transformation (Shift) Challenge Fund, reports Julie Muhn at Finovate (Banking Technology’s sister company). The goal of the fund is to use remittances to improve the economic power of women […]
Finastra Universe London 2017: open banking and the rise of AI
Finastra has revealed its focus on the open innovation of smart technologies in banking, alongside artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning/deep learning.
Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up: 15 November 2017
Following on from yesterday’s (14 November) news, here’s our latest blockchain and Bitcoin round-up. Featuring Trustology, Accenture, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Association of Banks in Singapore, Square and London Block Exchange. Another day, another new firm. Trustology has emerged from stealth and revealed it is building a peer-to-peer network of smart contract compute services. Trusted […]
Boku to raise $60m ahead of London IPO
Carrier billing company Boku plans to go public on the London Stock Exchange’s alternative investment market (AIM), an international market for smaller growing companies, reports Julie Muhn at Finovate (Banking Technology’s sister company). Ahead of next week’s public debut, the company announced it expects to raise $60 million on a post-money valuation of $164 million. Of the […]
TrueAccord lands $22m to humanise debt collection
Online debt collection service TrueAccord has received $22 million in funding – bringing its total amount to almost $34.5 million, reports Julie Muhn at Finovate (Banking Technology’s sister company). Leading the round was Arbor Ventures. A mix of existing and new investors, including Arbor, Nyca Investment Partnership, Assurant Growth Investing, Caffeinated Capital Fund, Felicis Venture, TenOneTen and Crystal […]
Ex-Googlers have LightStep for hybrid app performance
LightStep, founded by ex-Googlers, has come out of stealth to introduce its first product, for application performance management in environments combining microservices with legacy apps, reports Enterprise Cloud News (Banking Technology’s sister publication). Called LightStep [x]PM, it provides application performance management that operates across all application components, including web and mobile clients, monolithic applications and […]
Cisco creates $1bn financing programme for smart cities
Cisco is looking to expand its presence in the smart city and internet of things (IoT) markets with a $1 billion financing program that will allow communities to make investments in their infrastructure with the vendor’s financial backing, reports Enterprise Cloud News (Banking Technology’s sister publication). The City Infrastructure Financing Acceleration Programme also has backing […]
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.
Reality Clash looks to make cash splash with cryptocurrency trading
While the fintech industry is no stranger to initial coin offerings (ICO) as a method of sourcing capital for start-ups, a firm is offering a novel way to make money via cryptocurrency trading.
Orange Bank goes live with Backbase banking platform
France’s latest mobile-only bank, Orange Bank, has gone live on Backbase’s Omnichannel Banking Platform. Backbase says Orange is the only French bank to offer for free a service that provides real-time balances, mobile payments and a virtual adviser that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Orange Bank was finally launched on […]
Fintech funding round-up: 10 November 2017
Just when you thought there couldn’t be more following yesterday’s (9 November), Wednesday’s (8 November) and Tuesday’s (7 November) fintech funding round-ups, here’s more news action. Featuring Crux, Accern and Blume Ventures.
Cheddar on mission to help software developers monetise faster
It’s a tale as old as tech start-ups – a software developer creates a new app and is convinced it will take the world by storm. The only problem? No idea how to monetise the brilliant creation. Xconomy (Banking Technology‘s sister publication) reports that a US fintech start-up based in Bloomington, Indiana, called Cheddar aims […]
Top fintech stories this week – 10 November 2017
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
UK start-up secures inevitable Hollywood movie sequel
With unerring predictability, the Hollywood movie machine has churned out a sequel for the energetic and eventful life story of a UK-based payments start-up. As reported in May, the rise of Charon Ferries, the creation of the husband and wife team of Michelle and Mark Morrison (who have defied all known laws of the universe […]
Fintech funding round-up: 9 November 2017
Briskly following yesterday’s (8 November) and Tuesday’s (7 November) fintech funding round-ups, here’s more brief news action. Features WeLab, FinMkt and FriendlyScore. Hong Kong’s lending platform WeLab has raised $220 million of combined Series B+ equity and debt financing – and has won the backing of the Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund, International Finance Corporation (IFC) […]
Fintech funding round-up: 8 November 2017
Hot on the heels of yesterday’s (7 November) fintech funding round-up, here’s more money action. Features WeSwap, OakNorth Bank and OTCX. Peer-to-peer currency exchange platform WeSwap has revealed its £8 million series B investment round led by London-based private equity firm IW Capital. As WeSwap nears the end of 2017, it says further product features include […]
Major Indian bank looks for fintech acquihire
A major financial institution in India is looking to make a fintech “acquihire” (an acquisition of a company primarily for the skills and expertise of its staff, rather than for the products or services it supplies).
Fintech funding round-up: 7 November 2017
Not cash-strapped just backed. Our latest fintech funding round-up features Douugh, Choice Financial, Monzo and Smartkarma. All rise please. Banking (not baking) challenger Douugh has partnered with community bank Choice Financial to launch an integrated checking account and debit card. Choice has also made an investment to “support Douugh’s roadmap”, bringing the company’s total seed funding […]
Al Qurtas Islamic Bank live with new core banking system, BML Istisharat’s ICBS
A start-up bank in Iraq, Al Qurtas Islamic Bank, has gone live with its core banking system, ICBS, supplied by a Lebanon-based banking tech vendor, BML Istisharat.
