FinTech


National Bank of Canada joins SecureKey’s digital identity network

At the beginning of the year, SecureKey announced that it had won an $800,000 grant from the US Department of Homeland Security in support of the company’s development of a blockchain-based digital identity network. Today, the Ontario-based authentication specialist unveiled the latest institution to join that network: the National Bank of Canada, reports David Penn […]

Fintech funding round-up: 13 October 2017

Mongolia gets a mention in this concise fintech funding round-up. Features OakNorth Bank, AND Global and TransFICC. UK challenger OakNorth Bank has secured £154 million investment as it looks to lend a further £1.5 billion to businesses in the country in 2018, and then attempt to move on globally. The funding came from the Clermont […]

Taiwan fines Qualcomm $773m for antitrust violations

US mobile chip giant Qualcomm has been the recipient of yet another fine for claimed anti-competitive business practices, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). This time it’s Taiwan, where its Fair Trade Commission (TFTC) has concluded that Qualcomm abused its dominant position in the mobile chip market for at least seven years by refusing to […]

nCino is the one for ConnectOne’s cloud-powered lending

New Jersey-based ConnectOne Bank has selected nCino’s Bank Operating System for account opening, lending and portfolio management. According to nCino, Bank Operating System gives ConnectOne a single cloud-based platform, built on Salesforce, that combines customer relationship management (CRM), loan origination, account opening, workflow, enterprise content management, business process management, digital engagement and instant reporting. Frank […]

P2Binvestor launches lending programme for banks

Colorado-based P2Binvestor (P2Bi), a marketplace lending platform, has unveiled its bank partnership programme to let organisations access capital. Krista Morgan, CEO of P2Binvestor, says it’s “enabling banks to lend to businesses they otherwise wouldn’t be able to due to strict lending standards”. P2Bi’s strategy is to “build a lending relationship with banks at an earlier […]

Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up: 12 October 2017

Whether it’s prepaid card time or financial crime, the world of blockchain and Bitcoin is a lively one. This latest round-up features BitFlyer, Visa, Accuity, R3 and SIA. Tokyo-based Bitcoin exchange BitFlyer has unveiled a Visa prepaid card that can be charged with Bitcoin in yen and used throughout Japan. It can be charged via […]

Venture into Accenture’s fintech innovation adventure centre

Fintech start-ups are being invited to apply to Accenture’s sixth FinTech Innovation Lab London, a three-month programme offering mentoring and the chance to accelerate business development. Accenture says this year’s lab has introduced a new stream to help regtech start-ups, because banks are “being compelled to open up their customer data and ensure this data […]

Deutsche Bank jumps on IBM Watson for Germanic AI ambitions

Wunderbar! Deutsche Bank has completed internal proofs of concepts (PoCs) with IBM for the deployment of an artificial intelligence (AI) powered Watson cognitive system in the German language. The system will be used in the bank’s Artificial Intelligence Client Communication Centre (AI-C³), and Deutsche Bank says it will use Watson for the development of a […]

Cloud security start-up ShiftLeft de-stealths

Eyes right. US start-up ShiftLeft has emerged from stealth and wants to shift enterprise cloud security strategy from reactive to preventative. Enterprise Cloud News (Banking Technology‘s sister publication) reports that ShiftLeft is an alternative to finding vulnerabilities and attacks as they crop up and defending against them. Instead, ShiftLeft’s service scans application and microservices source […]

Ayondo pursues IPO after reverse takeover deal lapses

Social trading company Ayondo has announced that, despite an earlier reverse takeover bid falling through, it is determined to become the first fintech company to IPO on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX).

The modern trade landscape: banks and digitalisation

Innovative technologies are increasingly sparking enhancements to trade processes. BNY Mellon Treasury Services’ Dominic Broom, global head of trade business development, and Joon Kim, head of global trade product, discuss how the industry – with banks at the helm – can drive forward new capabilities and help to support trade growth through digitalisation.

Ovamba and Microsoft team for first African language driven chatbot

Fintech firm Ovamba says it is working with Microsoft to create “the first African language driven chatbot designed to serve the millions of African SMEs who face exclusion from financial services due to the challenges of functional and business literacy”.

Salesforce launches CRM/IoT starter kit

Salesforce is stepping up its internet of things (IoT) game, launching a low-code service to help enterprises get started using IoT to improve customer relationships.

apoBank opts for Avaloq Banking Suite

Deutsche Apotheker- und Ärztebank (apoBank) has selected the Avaloq Banking Suite as it looks to increase operational efficiency via a digital strategy. As reported last year, apoBank was considering the implementation of Avaloq’s flagship core banking system. The two parties signed a contract to “analyse and elaborate how far the execution of the apoBank IT […]

Corporate client self-onboarding

Know this feeling when you are asked by a check-in clerk where you’d like to sit on a plane? A torrent of thoughts rushes through your head: being able to see the actual seat map with available options would make your choice much easier. Otherwise it’s kind of like a child describing his/her favourite movie.

Microsoft Ventures seeks AI-merican Idol

Microsoft Ventures has partnered with Madrona Venture Group to launch their Innovate.AI global start-up competition as they seek out machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) firms. Madrona says the convergence of cloud computing, specialised chips for machine learning and new advances in algorithms has created a “unique opportunity for start-ups to build high value intelligent […]

Openbank goes for Temenos T24 core banking system

Openbank, a digital banking subsidiary of Santander, has made its new core banking system decision – the bank has opted for Temenos T24. Infosys with its Finacle offering lost out in the final.

IBM combining data science and AI for analytics advance

IBM is looking to offer big data number crunchers and data scientists a way to add more machine learning and deep learning technology into the analytics process by combining two of the company’s platforms developed specifically for artificial intelligence (AI) and scientific research. Enterprise Cloud News (Banking Technology’s sister publication) reports that two IBM executives, […]

SocietyOne tops $350m in loans

Australian P2P lender SocietyOne has revealed it has issued more than $350 million in loans on its platform since 2012, reports Julie Muhn at Finovate (Banking Technology’s sister company). Additionally, the company has the highest number of current loans, setting a record for itself with $200 million in its books. “Our growth in 2017 underlines […]

Baker Hill forges partnerships with Allied Solutions and Experian

With a pair of newly-announced deals, Baker Hill continues to deliver what company president and CEO John M. Deignan calls “the cutting-edge technology and comprehensive analytical intelligence our clients need to compete and win in today’s lending environment”. David Penn at Finovate (Banking Technology‘s sister company) reports that Baker Hill has partnered with Allied Solutions, which will refer […]

Payments round-up: 10 October 2017

Payment services are all the rage this week, here’s a rundown with this week’s round-up. Featuring Paynear, GoSwiff, BBVA, Omnia Pay and Huawei.

Peer Mountain aims high with data trust solution launch

Luxembourg-headquartered start-up Peer Mountain has unveiled a peer-to-peer self-sovereign identity, compliance and commerce delivery solution as it seeks to exploit the Equifax data breach episode. The firm says it gives users control of their data across blockchain. Consumers can choose who can access the data without the need for third party involvement. Peer Mountain says […]

Around Fintech in 8 Hours – new online course launched by CFTE

Centre for Finance, Technology and Entrepreneurship (CFTE) has launched a fintech foundation course – Around Fintech in 8 Hours – “designed to give professionals working in the finance industry a solid understanding of how technology is redefining the provision of financial services”.

India’s fintech valley gets pally with Mastercard for smart city plan

Mastercard has partnered with the Andhra Pradesh government in India to bring its digital payments into the Fintech Valley Vizag’s smart city plan. Under the agreement, Mastercard will help Andhra Pradesh in its ambitions to be a cashless society and develop the city concept. Mastercard president and CEO Ajay Banga says it can do this […]

EBA Clearing’s RT1 payments system gets Swift access

Users of EBA Clearing’s instant payment system, RT1, will be able to access the platform via Swift’s SwiftNet Instant solution from November 2018. According to Swift, its solution will address all RT1 customer requirements, including instant messaging, file transfers and a browse solution. Erwin Kulk, head of service development and management, EBA Clearing, says: “RT1 […]

Fujitsu to trial blockchain payments with three Japanese banks

Fujitsu will work with Mizuho Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) to conduct a joint field trial of a person-to-person (P2P) money transfer service using blockchain. The trial will begin in January 2018 and last for about three months. Fujitsu says it has already initiated development of the […]

Utkarsh Small Finance Bank goes live with Intellect’s core banking system

Utkarsh Small Finance Bank, a microfinance institution in India, has rolled out Intellect Design Arena’s core banking system. The bank received its licence last year, and according to Intellect, one of the key requirements for Utkarsh was to have a joint liability group solution that would enable it to provide group loans to the microfinance […]

PSD2 – the tip of an Open Banking API iceberg?

It’s been over a year since I first blogged on the subject of open banking and it is fair to say, mainly driven through the regulatory pressures of PSD2 and the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) led UK Open Banking initiative, that across Europe, much progress has been made in moving the banking industry to adopt APIs.

Q&A with Michael Parlotto, InComm

Michael Parlotto, VP, Emerging Technologies, InComm, gives the lowdown to Paybefore on the evolution of prepaid and what the future might hold for the industry.

Payments: I spy gpi

Much of the focus for correspondent bankers at this year’s Sibos will again be Swift’s global payments innovation (gpi) initiative. More than 110 transactions banks from Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Americas have signed up to the initiative, which opened for live payments in January 2017.