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Fintech funding round-up: 13 October 2016

Fintech funding without the tub-thumping. A realistic and brief round-up of key events. ComplyAdvantage, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to help firms manage compliance, has revealed an $8.2 million Series A funding round led by Balderton Capital. The funding will allow the regtech firm to do the usual stuff – growth and […]

SIBOS Interview: Payments trends in EMEA

Alain Raes, CEO EMEA and Asia Pacific, Swift, discusses the main payment trends in Europe, including real-time and the Global Payments Innovation Initiative.

SIBOS Interview: The securities services industry

Bruno Prigent, Head of Societe Generale Securities Services (SGSS) and Mathieu Maurier, Global Head of Sales and Relationship Management discuss the global securities industry and SGSS’s plans for the future.

SIBOS Interview: Gerry Gaetz, Payments Canada

SIBOS Interview: Gerry Gaetz, President and Chief Executive Officer, Payments Canada discusses the modernisation of Canada’s payments system with Tanya Andreasyan, editor of Banking Technology.

Infosys blockchain powers ICICI Bank and Emirates NBD trade finance ops

ICICI Bank and Emirates NBD say they have successfully executed the “first” banking transactions using blockchain in international trade finance in India and the UAE respectively. The development saw the exchange and authentication of remittance transaction messages as well as original international trade documents related to purchase orders, invoices, shipping and insurance, among others, electronically […]

Federal Appeals Court Declares CFPB Structure Unconstitutional

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Oct. 11 deemed the structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) unconstitutional because of it being led by a single director, calling the bureau a “gross departure from settled historical practice” in which independent agencies are led by commissioners or board members, according to the court’s decision.

CFPB Fines Navy Federal Credit Union $28.5 Million

The CFPB has fined Navy Federal Credit Union $28.5 million for improper debt collection action. That breaks down to $23 million going to victims and a $5.5 million civil penalty, the federal consumer agency said.

Applying Augmented Reality to an Omnichannel Retail Environment

Virtual reality (VR) has been grabbing headlines this year with major players across several industries entering the market. But there is evidence to show that augmented reality (AR) may be a more valuable platform in the years ahead. So what exactly is AR and what are the potential applications that could help take it from a small niche to a multi-billion dollar industry in just a few years?

People on the Move: Eric Jing, Ant Financial

Ant Financial Services Group, the online and mobile financial services affiliate of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, has appointed current president Eric Jing as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective Oct. 16.

People on the Move: Safdar Khan, Mastercard

Mastercard has named Safdar Khan to the role of division president for Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Khan will be based in Jakarta and be responsible for leading the implementation of the company’s digital payment technologies in those markets.

An unfiltered view of filters

With regulators placing ever greater demands on institutions in the area of sanctions, it is essential that institutions screen their customers and transactions against relevant sanctions lists. Regulators are showing less tolerance for errors than in the past. Not only have fines have been imposed on banks but also on payments companies and casinos. Specifically, […]

Symantec reveals more hack attempts on Swift network

Symantec has found evidence that the Odinaff group has mounted attacks on Swift users, using malware to hide customers’ own records of Swift messages relating to fraudulent transactions. The tools used are designed to monitor customers’ local message logs for keywords relating to certain transactions. They will then move these logs out of customers’ local […]

Intense Industry Reaction Quickly Follows CFPB Prepaid Rules

The CFPB might have taken two years to release its final rules on prepaid accounts, but it took little time for payments industry players and observers to weigh in on them. Within a day of the rules’ release, which go into effect Oct. 1, 2017, prepaid services giant Green Dot Corp., the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), the Consumers Union and the Network Branded Prepaid Card Association (NBPCA) all had issued official comments, covering the spectrum of support for the new mandates.

Wirecard Launches Prepaid Card for European Truck Drivers

A new European prepaid product from Wirecard will help truck drivers pay for repairs and fuel. The program, launched in Germany, involves Europe Net, a subsidiary of ADAC Truck Service. Its European Net Service Card also enables fleet mangers to add value to the card so that drivers can make emergency payments.

Vodafone, PayPal Team for U.K. Contactless Payments

Vodafone customers in the U.K. now can make NFC payments funded from their PayPal accounts via Android smartphones. A new deal between Vodafone and PayPal enables PayPal to be used as a funding source for transactions made with Vodafone Pay.

Facebook Co-Founder among Targets in Jumio Lawsuit

A shareholder of ID verification startup Jumio Inc. has sued company officials over alleged mismanagement and misrepresentation of the firm, which filed for bankruptcy in March 2016. In a lawsuit filed in Delaware, Bloso Investments Ltd., alleges that Jumio directors, including Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, made deliberately misleading statements about the company’s prospects, duping Bloso into investing $5 million in Jumio.

Diversity in fintech: finding the next Ada Lovelace

Niamh de Niese, a new director and head of BNY Mellon’s EMEA Innovation Centre, shares her views on diversity in fintech, Ada Lovelace (often regarded as the world’s first computer programmer) and how to encourage more women into the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions.

MasterCard and SolarisBank partner for digital banking push

MasterCard and Berlin-based SolarisBank have teamed up to bolster their digital banking ambitions. SolarisBank has got principal membership status, and will now operate at MasterCard’s “highest issuer level”, with access to its entire product portfolio. Dr. Andreas Spengel, vice-president at MasterCard, says it is “excited by the outlook of working together with a young, visionary […]

SIBOS Interview: Instant Payments

Alain Vansnick, Head of Payments International Business, TAS Group, explains how banks can get ready for instant payments.

Payments round-up: 10 October 2016

Wasting your time is a crime. Here’s a round-up of key events in the payments space. Absa has teamed up with South African start-up Walletdoc to let its Absa Rewards customers earn cash rewards each time they use Walletdoc to pay their monthly accounts. Walletdoc works by sending reminders when payments are due, notifying users […]

Sibos 2016: future proofing payments

The global payments industry faces more challenges than ever before – fiercer competition, more regulations, an increasing threat from cybercrime and new demands from customers. Thierry Chilosi, head of markets & initiatives, EMEA at Swift, talks to Daily News at Sibos about the steps market participants can take to future proof their payments infrastructure.

Fintech funding round-up: 6 October 2016

When time is tight, the reading can be light. A round-up of key events in fintech funding. US-based Payoneer has completed the first closing of a growth equity financing. Proceeds from the $180 million financing will be used to “accelerate global growth”. This year, the firm opened new offices in India, Japan and the Philippines, […]

Finleap and Mohan launch Burnmark

Berlin-based fintech incubator FinLeap has teamed up with fintech analyst Devie Mohan to launch Burnmark, an independent research company focusing on trends in the financial technology industry. Finleap will support Burnmark with network, knowhow and research capabilities. Mohan works closely with traditional banks, consulting firms, innovation teams, start-up accelerators and investors, advising them on fintech […]

Relocation: technological and infrastructural risks

Cost savings are not the only thing to consider when relocating your business. Applications, systems, hardware and people are all being moved and a seamless transition is essential to ensure there is no downtime and no risk to your reputation or finances. Most people see international relocation as a cost-saving initiative but if that is […]