Welcome to fintech central! Good service operating on all lines. The latest edition of our flagship magazine – Banking Technology – is out now, packed with news, analysis and insights, case studies, research and expert commentary.
Singapore-based B2B robo-advisor Bambu has completed a funding round, featuring a strategic investment from Franklin Templeton Investments and venture capital funding from Wavemaker Partners, part of the Draper Venture Network.
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
Audio ambitions, accelerators and an association. It’s our latest blockchain and Bitcoin round-up. Featuring Anryze, Starta Accelerator and the Russian Association of Blockchain and Cryptocurrency. Anryze, which provides a blockchain platform designed for speech recognition and analysis, has announced it will hold a token sale to develop its product and expand into new markets. The […]
Redwood Bank, a new UK-based SME challenger, has launched four months after securing its banking licence. The bank is now offering secured SME mortgages for business owners, as well as for “experienced” commercial and residential property investors. It has also launched a business deposit account. As reported in April, Redwood entered its mobilisation phase and […]
The continued rise of mortgage technology is set to be one of the biggest fintech success stories of 2017, predicts Julie Muhn, senior research analyst at Finovate (Banking Technology’s sister company).
Banknotes and stories of note. Our latest fintech funding round-up features Suretly, Ezetap and SparkLabs Global Ventures. Crowdvouching start-up Suretly, dubbed “Tinder for loans” (a lovely image), has raised $2.8 million. The online exchange offers micro-loan guarantees and secured the funding from the cryptocurrency community. SUR tokens issued by the company will be accepted in […]
Fraud prevention and identity verification firm Emailage has raised $10 million in new funding. The round was led by Anthos Capital, and featured the participation of Mucker Capital, Radian Capital, Tallwave Capital, and Wipro Ventures, reports Finovate (Banking Technology‘s sister company). “This investment will allow us to continue our rapid growth, enhance our leadership position […]
Due to high volume of requests, the deadline to enter Banking Technology Awards is being extended. The final chance to enter the Awards is now Friday, 8 September 2017. Nominate projects, products, services or partnerships for a Judged Award or tell us about inspirational people by nominating them for a Leadership Award. Full details on […]
Banking challenger Douugh has unveiled its artificial intelligence (AI) powered financial platform, guided by “Sophie” – a 24/7 personal assistant for finances. Andy Taylor, founder and CEO of Douugh, says: “We believe the future of banking is about platform, data and identity.” Douugh plans to use Sophie to offer better financial decisions for consumers. Services […]
Banking challenger Douugh has unveiled its artificial intelligence-powered financial platform, guided by “Sophie”—a 24/7 personal assistant for finances.
Dubai International Financial Centre’s (DIFC) inaugural FinTech Hive accelerator programme has started with the first batch of 11 finalists. As reported in April, DIFC called for applications for its FinTech Hive. The 12-week programme is designed to help early and growth-stage firms accelerate product and business development by gaining exposure to financial institution executives. Raja […]
A short time ago, in a round-up near here (i.e. 18 August) we covered the lively world of fintech funding. Yet again, we have more cash action. Featuring Xinja, Capital Float and Prodigy Finance. Australia-based Xinja, which recently emerged from the shadows to unveil its plans for a mobile-only digital bank, is in the news […]
Last month, we asked Paybefore.com visitors to vote for the Best Challenger Banks—the ones shaking up the status quo with a legit chance to become consumers’ preferred accounts, not just a stepping stone to the big banks. For the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing our spotlight articles on these challengers. First up is Revolut.
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
BBVA reckons the fever for initial coin offerings (ICOs) in blockchain must be cooled as the industry is facing a “dangerous bubble” driven by speculation. ICOs are a common story in fintech at present and they allow small businesses to reach a large audience via blockchain and cryptocurrencies. (And BBVA has its own interest in […]
Market players are bullish on the near- and longer-term promise of fintech, according to new research by Opimas, “Fintech Spending and Innovation in Capital Markets”. In 2017, it estimates fintech spending across all capital markets participants to exceed $127 billion.
In the age of the internet, fintech dominates finance. In the UK, the sector is currently worth £7 billion, employing around 60,000 people with figures set to increase. The industry is definitely awe-inspiring, but as the lines between traditional banking services and fintech blur, fintech could disappear entirely.
Since 2012, the top ten US banks (by assets under management) have participated in 72 rounds totaling $3.6 billion to 56 fintech companies, according to CB Insights. While investment activity dropped on a quarterly basis in Q1 2017, four of the last five quarters have seen over $1 billion invested into fintech start-ups in the US backed by venture capital firms.
Morgan Stanley’s new innovation lab, which aims to support multiculturalism and diversity in financial services, has onboarded five start-ups for its three-month accelerator programme.
Fintech zeitgeist! This week, Banking Technology’s editor Tanya Andreasyan muses about the growing trend of celebrity endorsement in the fintech world.
UK-based challenger bank Tandem received an emergency cash injection of £3.6 million from its existing investors earlier this year when a major funding deal with House of Fraser collapsed.
PayPal has set up two innovation labs in India – based out of the company’s tech centres in Chennai and Bangalore – to help the country’s fintech start-ups grow.
Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the International Financial Centre in Abu Dhabi and UAE Exchange have teamed up “to support, develop and promote the fintech” ecosystem in the country.
Managing a relationship is stressful enough without introducing unnecessary miscommunications about day-to-day spending. This is one reason why many couples maintain separate spending accounts with pre-defined responsibilities (e.g. you pay the rent, I’ll pay the utilities, etc).
Digital currency wallet Coinbase has taken the leap to become a unicorn. The San Francisco-based company announced it has received $100 million in Series D funding led by IVP.
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
In a Series B round led by Commerce Ventures, digital identity verification specialist Socure raised $13.9 million in new funding. The investment, which also featured the participation of Flint Capital, Santander InnoVentures, Synchrony Financial, Two Sigma Ventures, and Workbench, takes Socure’s total funding to $27.5 million.
BML Istisharat, a Lebanon-based banking software provider, has gained two new takers of its ICBS core banking system. These are Peterhouse Securities, a financial services firm in London, and Liberty International Bank in Abu Dhabi.
Alternative lending platform StreetShares raised $10.3 million in a venture round this week. The funds come from an undisclosed investor and bring the Virginia-based company’s total funding to almost $20 million since it was founded in 2013.
Russia’s tech heavyweight Yandex and the country’s largest bank, Sberbank, are planning a joint venture to “boost e-commerce development”. The new venture will be based on the Yandex.Market platform.
Currency and risk management solutions company Kantox recently reeled in $6 million in funding.
UK-based Centre for Finance, Technology and Entrepreneurship (CFTE) is looking to expand to Asia and plans to set up its first international hub in Singapore. The newly launched organisation says it “has been working closely with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to formalise plans to expand CFTE’s education initiative to ASEAN”.
Fintech companies will soon be able to test their products in Lithuania by creating customised regulatory sandboxes under the supervision of Bank of Lithuania.
Abu Dhabi Global Market and KPMG are launching the first Fintech Abu Dhabi Innovation Challenge—a five-week program for “innovative and mature startups across the globe,” with a chance to win $15,000 in prize money.
With less than one month left to nominate for the Banking Technology Awards, now is the time to polish up on your entry. The question we get asked often is how to write a winning entry. Well wonder no more, we have a few tips for you on what to include. The more detail the better! Dates […]
Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and KPMG are launching the first Fintech Abu Dhabi Innovation Challenge – a five-week programme for “innovative and mature start-ups across the globe”.
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
Online small business lender Kabbage has raised $250 million in funding from Japan’s SoftBank Group. The capital, which takes Kabbage’s total funding to more than $488 million, will be used to support new lending products for small businesses, as well as “exploring non-lending products and services” for its customers, the company says.
Following on from Tuesday’s (1 August) round-up, here’s more action from the busy blockchain and Bitcoin scene. Features Gwyneth Paltrow (yes, really), Abra, Gibraltar Stock Exchange and WannaCry. Actress and food writer Gwyneth Paltrow has joined Abra, a Bitcoin-based digital wallet app, as an advisor. In an episode of American reality show “Planet of the […]
