Digital asset bank Sygnum launches Swiss franc stablecoin
The stablecoin will be backed 1:1 by funds held with the Swiss National Bank.
FinTech
Colorado National Bank rebrands to Transact Bank and goes live with Fiserv
CNB was bought by the owners of Latvian fintech Transact Pro in 2018.
Jumio helps US sectors battling coronavirus verify users for free
Organisations “involved in helping students, patients and vulnerable populations” can apply.
Unicorn hopeful Lanistar lands $2.5m
Founder says it wants to become a £1 billion “banking alternative”.
ICICI Bank launches WhatsApp-based banking service
The Indian bank follows up on its API and digital development.
Tink completes €15.5m acquisition of Eurobits
The move is part of Tink’s growth strategy for 2020 and beyond.
Video: Top fintech stories this week – 27 March 2020
FinTech Futures’ weekly news round-up.
DataGuard raises $20m in Series A to provide GDPR-as-a-Service
The Munich-based firm claims to already have 1,000 customers.
Cash flow firm Plastiq raises $75m in Series D funding round
Plastiq has raised more than $140m in funding since its founding in 2012.
VoxSmart raises £5.5m from NatWest in Series B funding round
Surveillance firm completes its second round since 2006 founding.
Pleo offers new customers free services until July amid coronavirus
“With this uncertainty set to rumble on […] Pleo wanted to do something to help.”
Canadian financial planner Finally to launch in May
“People don’t want to tell strangers how bad they’re doing with their finances,” says founder.
N26 expects 70% of bank branches to disappear in 10 years
The coronavirus is accelerating a permanent change in consumer behaviour, says N26.
Moven shuts all consumer accounts, pivots to B2B-only service for banks
Founder says “major multi-year funding” was withdrawn due to coronavirus.
Remaking traditions to reinvent industries
Innovation and the need for diversity.
Love in the time of COVID-19
Amazing teams have teams that care. That’s how leadership works. It’s a team sport.
Australian telco ZipTel buys up challenger bank Douugh
Douugh uses AI to help customers get better insights on their money.
Brex acquires trio of San Francisco start-ups
Neji, Landria, and Compose Labs all brought under the Brex umbrella
Dublin start-up My Money Jar lands investment from Enterprise Ireland
The fintech has raised a total of $1.4 million.
Russia’s PM introduces new bill for fintech sandboxes
These new sandboxes will be subject to lighter regulations.
Survey: Corporate Banking & APIs – the state of play
Are there concrete API plans and strategies in place? We’d greatly appreciate your input in this survey.
Aussie challenger Xinja lands $255m from Emirates’ World Investments
Xinja will receive the bulk of the investment over 24 months.
US non-bank financial firms push Congress for SME lending relief
Legislators are currently working on a bill which addresses small business loans.
Hong Kong’s first virtual bank opens its digital doors
Za Bank launches with incumbent-challenging interest rate.
Jumia steps in to assist Africa amid rising coronavirus numbers
Jumia will help various African governments distribute masks to hospitals.
HSBC joins Alibaba to offer Hong Kong’s online merchants quick loans
This is the first time HSBC will use third-party data to approve trade finance loans.
UK challengers Revolut and Monzo combat claims they are going bust
Revolut dubs the claims “fake news”, and Monzo says it is “here to stay”.
Fronted, 11:FS and Credit Kudos create ‘Covid Credit’ for self-employed
Covid Credit uses open banking data to help the self-employed get income relief.
SoftBank to sell $41bn in assets to firm up financials amid virus outbreak
The company’s share price shot up 18.6% in Japan today.
Goldman Sachs becomes part of SAP’s Ariba Network
More than 4.6 million companies make up the Ariba Network.
ID Finance’s revenues hit $86.6m across Spain, Brazil and Mexico
“Despite macroeconomic volatility, the company plans to continue its growth,” says CEO.
Video: Top fintech stories this week – 20 March 2020
FinTech Futures’ weekly news round-up.
Gradually – then suddenly: parenting during coronavirus
Until we get beyond, hunker down and carry on. Pass me that glass of wine please.
FinTech Futures update: business as usual
Our team is here to help the market navigate today’s challenging business landscape.
DeeMoney offers blockchain cross-border payments with RippleNet
The fintech becomes Thailand’s first non-bank institution to use the solution.
Wirecard expands ecommerce partnership with WeChat Pay
European merchants can integrate WeChat Pay “in just a few minutes”.
Mastercard set to propel bunq’s Green Card throughout Europe
The cards have seen a CO2 reduction of roughly 30.8 million kg so far.
MatchMove applies for one of Singapore’s full digital bank licences
The company has teamed up with three other bidders.
Finastra appoints Gary Bischoping as new CFO
Bischoping to replace Mark Miller, who stepped down for personal reasons.
Ask the expert: what can I do to ensure my fintech is protected during these challenging times?
As a growing a fintech, you’ve worked hard to get to where you are. You mustn’t let momentum slow.
