Start-up


The Monday mindset: 6 February 2017

Fintech zeitgeist! Welcome to the third in a new series of brief reports. Every Monday, we might look back at last week; look ahead to this week; share a few thoughts (our own or others); or discuss anything that catches our eye. This week we welcome the views of guest writer Soumik Roy on India’s latest budget and its implications for e-payments and digital economy.

Banks and UN launch sustainable investment framework

United Nations, together with 19 banks and investors worldwide, have launched “a global framework aimed at channelling the money they manage towards clean, low carbon and inclusive projects”. The framework – The Principles for Positive Impact Finance – is a first of its kind set of criteria for investments to be considered sustainable, says the UN.

The “entrefunereal” spirit takes hold at Rainmaking Summit

Game-changing innovations, paradigm shift and synergy… Buzzwords no more! The Rainmaking Summit tapped a frustration with the kind of language that obfuscates more than it clarifies, initiatives that pay lip service to innovation while skirting around the edges, and the cultural, organisational, and technological blockers to change that define many large corporates.

Become a banking “curator” says ANZ

The future of commercial banking may well lie in being “curators”, according to Australia and New Zealand-based banking group, ANZ. In an interview with the Australian Financial Review, Mark Hand, managing director, corporate and commercial banking at ANZ says commercial bankers will “morph into ‘curators’ for their business clients by linking customers with reputable, external […]

British public stunned by success of UK fintech

The dynamic and successful world of UK fintech has left the British public shocked as they’ve become numbed to shoddy customer service, invisible trains and useless politicians. Banking Technology took to the litter-strewn and phlegm-coated streets of London to inform the citizens about the nation’s start-ups, innovation, energy and can-do attitude. And to gauge the […]

Dubai ponders regulatory framework for loan-based crowdfunding platforms

The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has issued a consultation paper, “Crowdfunding: SME Financing Through Lending”. The paper proposes a regulatory framework for anyone looking to operate a loan-based crowdfunding platform in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

Varo Money joins forces with Envestnet | Yodlee to drive fintech innovation

California based technology companies Varo Money and Envestnet | Yodlee have teamed up to drive fintech innovation. Varo Money, a mobile-only banking start-up hopes to leverage Envestnet | Yodlee’s data analytics and aggregation platform to provide customers with a more customised mobile banking experience, and better insights into their financial well-being.

Innotribe start-up challenge returns to Africa

Swift Innotribe’s “Start-up Challenge for Africa” is open for applications. For the third year running, the challenge will be part of Swift’s African Regional Conference (ARC) held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, from 16-18 May 2017. ARC typically attracts up to 500 delegates from around 40 countries, according to Swift. It offers the usual mix of […]

Capgemini calls for start-ups with InnovatorsRace50

Tech consultancy firm Capgemini is calling for start-up applicants for its InnovatorsRace50 competition – with the chance to win equity-free funding of $50,000. To celebrate 50 years since its launch, Capgemini’s InnovatorsRace50 wants entrepreneurs and “disruptive early-stage start-ups” to apply. The top five businesses, one from each theme, will win equity-free funding of $50,000 each. […]

New mobile banking service Tide launches in UK

UK-based mobile banking firm Tide has launched with its business account app for SMEs. As Banking Technology reported in July 2016, Tide was gearing up for its launch and said it will offer a “nimble small business current account”, with a swift set-up and no monthly fees. It claims to be among the “world’s first” […]

Nava Finance gets UK regulatory OK for lending

Nava Finance has been granted approval by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to begin offering personal loans to consumers. The company says it is now focused on working towards an initial launch date, which will be announced when all testing and other preparations are fully completed. Nava sources loan funding from institutional investors and […]

DFS Innovation Lab launches fintech bootcamp

Powered by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Digital Financial Services (DFS) Innovation Lab has launched a new high-intensity fintech bootcamp for companies in Sub-Saharan Africa and and South Asia.

Bank Central Asia sets up fintech focused VC company

Bank Central Asia (BCA), an Indonesian bank with over 1,100 branches and 17,000 ATMs, has established a venture capital company, Central Capital Ventura (CCV). CCV has a paid-up capital of IDR 200 billion ($15 million).

BNP Paribas Securities Services invests in fintech start-up Fortia

BNP Paribas Securities Services has acquired a minority stake in an Fortia Financial Solutions. This deal helps Fortia, a start-up that provides compliance software to the financial services industry, cement the relationship it formed with the bank during the inaugural session of the fintech accelerator by L’Atelier BNP Paribas.

Ecobank launches fintech challenge for start-ups

Pan-African banking conglomerate Ecobank has launched a fintech challenge for start-ups. The event, open to Africa’s entrepreneurs, innovators and developers, provides an opportunity to win $500,000 in funding as well as partner with Ecobank and roll out services across 36 countries.

Citi analyses VC investments in fintech for fresh insights

Citi’s global perspectives and solutions team has issued a 100-page report on digital disruption in the fintech industry. It has analysed venture capital (VC) investments in the fintech industry between 2010 and 2016, as well as the emerging technologies across the globe.

Siam Commercial Bank to invest $1.1 billion in fintech

Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) intends to invest about THB 40 billion ($1.1 billion) in creating, acquiring and developing its technology infrastructure over the next three years. The Thailand-based bank says this investment will help it provide products and services that are better suited to serving its younger and more affluent clients. SCB’s innovation-focused subsidiary, Digital […]

DeVere Group launches private bank

Financial adviser firm DeVere Group has unveiled its own private bank, DeVere Group Bank St Lucia. The company says the launch “has been facilitated” by the acquisition of St Lucia-based Arton Bank for an undisclosed sum. Arton Bank was set up and licensed in 2014 under the Offshore Banking Act 1996. Founder and CEO of […]

Fintech tour Hong Kong: Park and ride

Park and ride? A visit to the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and an opportunity for fintechs to ride the start-up wave.

Fintech funding round-up: 17 January 2017

They said it. We read it. We edited. A round-up of the latest funding efforts in the fintech and payments space. Featuring Kasisto, BillGO, Gumption Labs and Fraugster.

The Monday mindset: 16 January 2017

Fintech zeitgeist! Welcome to the first in a new series of brief reports. Every Monday, we might look back at last week; look ahead to this week; share a few thoughts (our own or others); or discuss anything that catches our eye. Anything goes, so here goes. Rome versus Carthage. Britain versus France. History shows […]

Fintechs making strides in PSD2

In November last year, German fintech firm figo completed a financing round that totalled €6.8 million. Figo has developed a banking application programming interface (API) and various products and services related to the Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2). It is just one of the many fintech firms that are poised to grab the considerable opportunities that PSD2 opens.

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