FinTech


Amazon brings machine learning to “everyday developers”

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is looking to bring machine learning (ML) to ordinary developers, launching the SageMaker service to simplify building applications, reports Enterprise Cloud News (Banking Technology’s sister publication). ML is too complicated for ordinary developers, AWS CEO Andy Jassy said at a keynote during the AWS re:Invent event. “If you want to enable most […]

Payments round-up: 30 November 2017

We did say there will be no quiet days. Coming straight after yesterday’s (29 November) action, we bring another payments round-up. Features Interac, nanopay, Remitr, ADGM, Nordea, Nets, Facebook and Amazon.

Fintech funding round-up: 30 November 2017

Quickly following on from Tuesday’s (28 November) funding round-up, here are more stories from a cash-drenched world. Features 1QB Information Technologies, FinTecSystems, Betalo, Nordea and Constellation Digital Partners. 1QB Information Technologies (1QBit), a quantum computing firm based in Vancouver, has closed a CA$45 million ($34.9 million) Series B round comprising equity and revenue contracts. This […]

Ephesoft clearly unveils mobile document capture solution

Document capture and analytics solution developer Ephesoft has released version 4.0 of its Transact Mobile SDK, reports David Penn at Finovate (Banking Technology’s sister company). The latest version of the technology takes advantage of innovations in everything from deep learning to mobile architecture to give consumers more accuracy and flexibility when it comes to document capture with […]

Concur launches e-receipt solution for WeChat

Business expense management firm Concur has introduced a new receipt solution, integrated with China’s WeChat platform, that makes it easier for businesses and their employees working in China to track expenses and remain compliant, reports David Penn at Finovate (Banking Technology’s sister company). The technology, Concur e-Fapiao (it means “e-receipt”), gives employers real-time access to an employee’s […]

Lloyds to cut 49 more branches

The UK trade union Unite has revealed that Lloyds has informed staff it will be closing another 49 branches of the Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Lloyds, resulting in 99 job losses. Rob MacGregor, Unite national officer, says: “Having returned to profitability Lloyds needs to stop ignoring its corporate social responsibilities. Just over six months […]

FIS seeks API effect with Code Connect

FIS has unveiled Code Connect – an online gateway that allows its clients and third-party developers to access FIS APIs for use in developing and testing new solutions. With APIs more popular than free alcohol at a fintech conference, FIS joins the masses seeking to capitalise on the API fever. Code Connect includes more than […]

FinReach extends digital reach to Austria and Spain

German digital account exchange provider FinReach has expanded into Austria and Spain – meaning its service is now used by over 500 banks in three countries. In Austria, FinReach has partnered with, amongst others, banking group Raiffeisen Austria, which includes 434 banks and has 1.7 million customers. In terms of the Spanish market, Self Bank, […]

The AI arms race might be a bit more dangerous than you think

In the tech world, an arms race usually a metaphor for two companies battling for supremacy, but McAfee thinks it might be a bit more literal for artificial intelligence (AI) as hackers upskill to make use of the breakthrough, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). As one of its predictions for 2018, security software vendor […]

Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up: 29 November 2017

Bitcoin high, Russian firsts, trade finance digitisation, US moves, and an interoperability alliance. Another day of action in the busy blockchain and Bitcoin world. Features Sberbank, IBM, Infosys Finacle, BitFlyer and the Blockchain Interoperability Alliance. Doubt you missed it, but Bitcoin has reached an all time high of $10,000. We were inundated with similar comments […]

Amazon closes cloud performance gap with “bare metal instances”

Amazon Web Services (AWS) kicked off its annual re:Invent conference with a new service designed to make its cloud more competitive to enterprise IT in performance and security, reports Enterprise Cloud News (Banking Technology’s sister publication). EC2 Bare Metal Instances gives enterprises the “best of both worlds,” Peter DeSantis, AWS VP of global infrastructure, said, […]

Payments round-up: 29 November 2017

No quiet days, and no respite from the action. Our latest paytech round-up stars Instarem, Form3, Starling Bank, Optile and Worldpay. Singapore-headquartered start-up Instarem has expanded into Malaysia, “solidifying its presence” in Asia Pacific (APAC). The firm already has individual and corporate customers in Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong. Instarem says it has licences in […]

AlphaPoint plans new public blockchain network

AlphaPoint has announced plans to build a new public blockchain network that will enable users to digitise real-world assets and monetise them across new markets, reports David Penn at Finovate (Banking Technology’s sister company). The network, dubbed the AlphaPoint Public Network (APN), will be the first public blockchain built based on Intel SGX technology. AlphaPoint will fund […]

Microsoft and SAP expand HANA and Azure partnership

Microsoft and SAP are expanding their current cloud partnership to include additional support for SAP software running on the Azure public cloud. The two companies also plan to use each other’s applications internally, reports Enterprise Cloud News (Banking Technology’s sister publication). The expanded partnership coincides with Microsoft’s biggest rival for public cloud – Amazon Web […]

Bankers and retailers – will we see roles switch? Or simply morph into a single discipline?

Technology is having a tremendous impact on the way communities shop so changes are more or less expected as we see these shopping mall operators push back on so many dire predictions being made about them. But can they change and yes, could these changes lead to a greater overlap with banking as it exists today? Do we even need differentiation between the two and yes, will they both be able to keep us satisfied when it comes to access to our cash?

PostFinance has crack at Swiss jackpot with new chatbot

Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Switzerland’s PostFinance has unveiled a German language virtual assistant on its website – generating automatic replies to customers’ most frequently asked questions. PostFinance, keen to tap into the fintech zeitgeist for artificial intelligence (AI), says it’s the “first Swiss financial institution” to launch such a chatbot. It was developed by the IT […]

VMware and Amazon grow hybrid cloud tie-up

VMware and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are expanding their hybrid cloud partnership to run VMware workloads at “very large scale” on AWS, a VMware executive says. VMware is launching new tools for migrating and scaling production applications to AWS, as well as business continuity and disaster recovery services, reports Enterprise Cloud News (Banking Technology’s sister […]

Fintech funding round-up: 28 November 2017

No slowing down when it comes to the fintech funding action and this week we’ve got three of the latest stories for another ever-informative round-up. Featuring MoneyMe, TreasuryXpress and Chip.

EC’s PSD2 regulatory technical standards set for 2019

With PSD2 on its way in January next year, the European Commission has confirmed the deadline for its regulatory technical standards (RTS) will be around September 2019. By way of recap, the security measures outlined in RTS stem from two key objectives of PSD2: “ensuring consumer protection and enhancing competition”. RTS introduces requirements that payment […]

East vs. East: a comparison of regional fintech trends

With our newest conferences – FinovateAsia and FinovateMiddleEast – back-to-back, we wanted to examine unique trends to those regions, reports Julie Muhn at Finovate (Banking Technology’s sister company). Each place has its own distinctive culture, and with that comes not only individual financial needs, but also a particular set of regulatory rules. These factors not only create […]

BehavioSec’s behavioural biometrics right match for Crossmatch

BehavioSec has partnered with identity management firm Crossmatch in a deal that will add keystroke capture to Crossmatch’s composite authentication platform, DigitalPersona, reports David Penn at Finovate (Banking Technology’s sister company). “We selected BehavioSec’s platform because they are singularly focused on behavioural biometrics and have well-established and proven technology that already serves more than 35 million end […]

HPE: can new boss bring back the magic?

Meg Whitman was a wartime CEO for Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). Now, she says, the company needs new leadership – Antonio Neri, a technologist who came up through the company ranks, reports Enterprise Cloud News (Banking Technology’s sister publication). In a transition announced last week, Whitman is leaving the CEO position in February, replaced by […]

CYBG in exclusive partnership with Mastercard

Mastercard and Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks (CYBG) have unveiled a seven-year agreement that allows for all CYBG debit, credit and commercial cards to use the Mastercard network.

Debunking six myths on regulatory sandboxes

We are living through a period of unprecedented innovation in finance, and regulators know they need to adapt to keep up with the fast pace of change. To understand and manage the risks posed by new products, services, and business models, many financial authorities are setting up regulatory sandboxes or reglabs.

Wealthtech: a market poised for extended growth

Rapid changes are occurring in the wealth management space and the level of disruption in how advice and capital are managed is only beginning. Wealth management is a monumental industry. The players in the space run the gamut from gigantic hedge funds to individuals who manage their own investments. This changing wealth management landscape is driving a significant uptick in transactions.

Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up: 24 November 2017

That Friday feeling isn’t complete without another round of the latest blockchain and Bitcoin news! Following on from yesterday (23 November) our latest covers Globitex, Billion and Bitcoin Gold.

DBS creates lifestyle branch for tech generation

In a move to attract the tech generation to branches, Singapore’s DBS has launched a “lifestyle space” providing freshly brewed coffee, interactions with humanoid robots and a virtual reality (VR) area for retirement planning.