Curve Takes Users ‘Back in Time’
Payments startups usually boast about their ability to future-proof their technology. For U.K. payments startup Curve, a big part of its appeal is helping users go back in time.
Start-up
Case study: BankMobile – bank of the future NOW
How did BankMobile become the largest digital bank in the US? Luvleen Sidhu, the bank’s co-founder and chief strategy officer, shares the strategy.
Orange puts bank on hold as it struggles to get it right
Orange has put the brakes on its ambitious plans to venture into the world of mobile banking after finding the proposition doesn’t quite meet the standards.
Fintech funding round-up: 30 June 2017
A handy round-up of who’s investing in what in the fintech space. Featuring Revolut, Tango Card and ClauseMatch.
PayPal makes strategic investment in online lender LendUp
Is PayPal’s investment in online lender LendUp a hint that the underbanked may not remain the underserved for long?
Ruby Hill Microfinance opts for Abacus core banking system
A new microfinance entity in Myanmar, Ruby Hill Microfinance, has signed for the Abacus core banking system, provided by Fern Software.
nCino wins first client outside US, OakNorth
UK challenger OakNorth Bank has deployed nCino’s Bank Operating System – the first financial institution outside of the US to use the platform. According to the pair, the bank “liked that” nCino was built on Salesforce.com, allowing it to extend its use of this customer relationship management (CRM) platform. Bank Operating System combines CRM, loan […]
InvestCloud brings fintech incubator to London
US-based InvestCloud is going to launch a fintech incubator and accelerator at its European headquarters in Soho, London. Dubbed InvestCloud Innovation Centre, it will enable start-ups and established firms to create wealth management solutions supported by the InvestCloud platform.
Hong Kong gets its own fintech association, FTAHK
The Fintech Association of Hong Kong (FTAHK) has officially launched “to champion an open, inclusive and diverse fintech community in Hong Kong”.
Verizon jumps on the AI-security bandwagon
Verizon’s venture capitalist arm has started throwing its weight around the security arena, pumping cash into artificial intelligence (AI) start-up SparkCognition.
Visa invests in paytech firm and bank Klarna
Visa is investing in Klarna, a Swedish payments and banking firm, and the two firms intend “to develop a future strategic partnership”.
Challenger bank Monese goes pan-European with mobile current account
UK-based digital bank Monese has expanded its current account service to 19 countries in Europe, enabling customers to open bank accounts and “bank like a local”, even if they are not a local resident.
Mobile-only bank Pepper now live
Israel’s Bank Leumi has launched its new digital banking subsidiary, Pepper.
Insurtech firm Clark and N26 launch digital insurance service
Clark, a German insurance robo-advisor, has inked a deal with mobile bank N26. Clark says its Bancassurance-API will help customers of N26 “to better understand their current tariffs and improve their insurance situation”.
Canadian robo-advisor Wealthsimple arrives in UK
Wealthsimple, a Canada-based online investment management service, is coming to the UK.
Starling Bank preps for future with new features
UK challenger bank Starling has launched a “Spending Insights” tool and an online community for its users – and it is setting out its future plans. Spending Insights is probably self-explanatory. It works in the app and the bank says it gives users ideas about where they can save money. It shows customers how much […]
Fintech funding round-up: 23 June 2017
For the third day in a row we present a fintech funding round-up. The previous two were here and here. Our latest report features Blockchain, Julia Computing and Mswipe Technologies. We’ll begin with a confusing company name. Blockchain (yes, really), a UK-based software platform, has raised a Series B of $40 million with Lakestar and […]
Top fintech stories this week – 23 June 2017
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
Workup a fintech sweat with Isbank’s start-up programme
Turkey’s largest private bank, Isbank, has unveiled its entrepreneurship programme for fintech start-ups in the country. Since forming an innovation team within its Digital Banking Unit, the bank says it has become “much closer” to tech entrepreneurs in the republic. The innovation team is working remotely at Kolektif House Levent (a co-working space for Turkish […]
EBank deploys Fiorano enterprise service bus
EBank, a new bank in Namibia, has implemented Fiorano ESB, an enterprise service bus to “seamlessly integrate” the bank’s core processing software – Temenos T24 – with other third-party systems and channels, with a major focus on digital banking.
Fintech funding round-up: 22 June 2017
It was only yesterday we did a fintech funding round-up. But as there’s a mad dash for cash, here’s another one. Features Digital Financial Services Lab, TrueLayer and Enterprise Ireland. Digital Financial Services Lab (DFS Lab) will invest $250,000 in four separate fintech start-ups that are building products to help low-income consumers in developing markets. […]
Mastercard launches competition for African financial inclusion
The Mastercard Foundation Fund for Rural Prosperity (FRP) has launched a new competition to find financial products and services that improve the lives of poor people in rural areas of Africa. The 2017 competition will follow a rolling format and will be open throughout the year with applications submitted and evaluated periodically. The first submission […]
Softbank ups investment in security AI firm Cybereason
Softbank has upped its investment in security firm Cybereason, as the focus on artificial intelligence (AI) continues.
Morgan Stanley drives diversity with innovation lab launch
Morgan Stanley has unveiled an innovation lab with the aim of promoting diversity top of the agenda. According to the Financial Times, which has seen an application form, a four-month programme will begin in July and end in a symposium that will “expose companies to potential investors through showcase presentations”. The FT says any start-up […]
Fintech funding round-up: 21 June 2017
Some people have got deep pockets, because the funding fun never ends. Our latest round-up features Soldo, Atom Bank, British Business Bank, BlackRock and Scalable Capital. Multi-user spending account, Soldo, has reported a Series A funding round of $11 million, led by Accel and includes participation from Connect Ventures, InReach Ventures, U-Start and R204 Partners. […]
BBVA taps into biometrics with new firm Veridas
BBVA and start-up Das-Nano have formed Veridas, a new firm specialising in biometrics for client identification and authentication systems. Veridas, which will be directed by Eduardo Azanza, who is also co-founder of Das-Nano, will research and develop software for the digital verification and authentication of personal identity, through facial, voice, image or document recognition, or […]
Investors to the rescue for UK’s Co-op Bank?
The UK’s Co-operative Bank’s life may not be over just yet as it reveals it is in advanced discussions with existing investors over a rescue package. As reported in February, the bank was put up for sale – with the minority investor Co-op Group saying it is “supportive of the plan to find the bank […]
HSBC unveils £10bn fund for UK SMEs
HSBC has launched a £10 billion lending fund for SMEs in the UK as it looks to tap into this lively market. The bank says it continues to be open to lending, having approved 91% of small business lending applications in the last year. Ian Stuart, UK CEO, HSBC, says: “We want to put SMEs […]
Where top European banks are investing in fintech – CB Insights
European banks are placing strategic bets in areas ranging from wealth management, lending, payments, regulatory technology, software, and blockchain. Which banks were the most active and what did they invest in?
Monese debuts direct debits to challenge traditional banks
Mobile-only bank Monese has unveiled direct debit functionality for its customers – a move designed to offer services closer to that of a traditional high street bank account. Alongside this, it has also gained access to Faster Payments, so customers can send funds to accounts outside or within the UK with a “quicker transfer”. In […]
UK regulator reveals second wave of sandbox start-ups
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has unveiled the second wave of firms that have made it into its regulatory sandbox. As reported in 2015, the sandbox allows businesses to test out new products and services without “incurring the normal regulatory consequences”. The move is part of the FCA’s Project Innovate, which aims to boost […]
Fintech outside London – part 3
Our tour of the UK fintech scene concludes in this third instalment of the report. We started from the south of the country, then travelled west and are now travelling through the northern England and Scotland.
Bahrain’s central bank creates sandbox for fintech start-ups
The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) has announced new regulations to create a regulatory sandbox for fintech start-ups and firms to test and experiment their banking ideas and solutions. The framework provides a “virtual space” and it is open to existing CBB licensees and other local and foreign firms. The testing duration is nine months, […]
USAA invests in AI tech vendor CognitiveScale, implements its products
USAA, a banking and insurance provider that focuses on the US military personnel and their families, has made a “strategic investment” in machine intelligence software vendor CognitiveScale.
Avaloq Community Conference 2017: not trapped in a geography
Avaloq has hit back at Temenos’ claims that it is “trapped in a relatively small geography” by pointing to its revenue rise and innovation drive as reasons for something to be cheerful about.
Surety Bank to swap legacy core banking system for Nymbus’ SmartCore
Florida-based Surety Bank is embarking on a core banking software overhaul with Nymbus. The bank will implement Nymbus’ flagship SmartCore system. The solution will be delivered in a private cloud.
Revolut launches multi-currency service across Europe
UK-based payments start-up Revolut has unveiled its new business service across Europe for multi-currency accounts, transferring money and corporate cards. Called Revolut for Business, it will enable companies to hold, exchange and transfer in 25 currencies with the interbank exchange rate, issue employees with corporate cards for “global fee-free spending” and manage their transactional activity […]
Zelle P2P payments network onboards new members
More banks and credit unions have joined Zelle Network, a new peer-to-peer payments platform in the US.
Moneythor at heart of Crédit Mutuel Arkéa’s fintech start-up
French bank Crédit Mutuel Arkéa has chosen Moneythor’s analytical engine to be at the heart of “Max”, a personal finance assistant app for its new start-up Nouvelle Vague. Max is a mobile-only initiative of Nouvelle Vague, which operates in several cities in France (Paris, Bordeaux, Brest, Rennes etc). It will be available on 1 September […]
Top fintech stories this week – 9 June 2017
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
