Fintech start-up Xalts grants Contour Network new lease of life with announced acquisition
Contour previously announced in October 2023 that it was to wind down operations as a result of insufficient funding.
Asia Pacific
Joy Cheng named as new head of Citi Commercial Bank in Hong Kong
Cheng first joined Citi back in 1993, and has since risen through the ranks of its corporate banking division.
Luzerner Kantonalbank selects Finmechanics tech for markets business overhaul
The Swiss bank is to replace its legacy system for position and risk management with FM Converge.
HSBC is on an AI hiring spree with call for three new executives
The job openings are within HSBC’s digital business services unit and ventures, innovation and partnerships team.
ICYMI fintech funding round-up: Navro, Finally, Cashinvoice, SUMA Wealth and more
A handy round-up of the recent funding endeavours of fintech companies across the globe.
Emirates NBD partners Silent Eight to bolster compliance operations
The banking group says the partnership will enhance its compliance efficiency.
Swiss crypto neobank Sygnum lands $40m growth investment
Sygnum says it will use the capital to expand into new markets and further develop its product suite.
Kurdistan International Islamic Bank taps Azentio for iMAL core banking platform
The bank will also utilise Azentio’s financial crime management and anti-money laundering (AML) system.
The Philippines’ UnionBank taps Informatica for MDM solution
Informatica says the solution provides an “enterprise-wide, 360-degree view of customers”.
SME lender FundPark doubles credit facility with Goldman Sachs to $500m
The $250m expansion builds on an earlier $250m ABS facility secured by the fintech in April 2022.
Hong Kong’s Allied Banking Corporation extends Finastra partnership with core upgrade
The group is migrating from Finastra’s Equation core to its cloud-based Essence solution.
Digital asset firm HashKey bags $100m Series A funding at unicorn valuation
The latest round saw participation from both new and existing investors, HashKey says, without divulging names.
Singapore’s GXS Bank reportedly receives $109m investment from parent company Grab
The capital injection follows a $104m investment in July and a $56.8m investment in April last year.
Aeon Bank given the go-ahead to commence digital banking operations in Malaysia
The bank expects to roll out a Sharia-complaint banking app within the next six months.
ICYMI fintech funding round-up: KlariVis, Komunal, Maalexi, Cleva & CSI
A handy round-up of the recent funding endeavours of fintech companies across the globe.
Thunes makes leadership changes, appoints Floris de Kort as new CEO
Thunes’ current CEO Peter De Caluwe has been promoted to deputy chairman.
Ant Group reportedly nearing deal to acquire Dutch payments firm MultiSafepay
The potential acquisition would value the Dutch payments firm at $200 million, Reuters reports.
Southeast Asian fintech Salmon acquires controlling stake in Filipino bank
Once the deal is completed, Salmon will own 59.7% of the Rural Bank of Sta. Rosa (Laguna).
Boost Bank secures regulatory approval to begin operations in Malaysia
The new digital bank has been formed through a partnership between Malaysian fintech Boost and RHB Banking Group.
Vietnam’s LPBank taps Finastra and NGS for treasury solution
LPBank says its deal with Finastra forms part of its wider digital transformation strategy.
Blackstone set to acquire majority stake in Japan’s Sony Payment Services
Sony Bank will roll over a certain portion of its equity and continue to remain a minority investor in SPSV.
ICYMI fintech funding round-up: Nearpay, Supra, Hyperplane and Pave Bank
Our weekly round-up for you to get the latest fintech funding news from around the world.
Bravura Solutions appoints APAC and EMEA CEOs as part of new leadership structure
The company has promoted Paul Dunn to CEO, APAC and Chris Spencer to CEO, EMEA.
UK’s Kodelab to provide lending tech for HKMA CBDC pilot with Ripple and Fubon Bank
The pilot is part of the HKMA’s three-stage approach to CBDC development.
Sweden’s SEB selects Blacksmith KYC to automate corporate client data collection
Blacksmith claims to have specifically tailored the platform for SEB following a year-long pilot project.
Mastercard’s joint venture receives approval to commence domestic payments in China
Mastercard’s JV received formal approval from the People’s Bank of China.
WeLab launches Bank Saqu as its second digital bank in Asia
The newly launched digital bank aims to target the younger generations, with a focus on solopreneurs in Indonesia.
Mastercard taps Japan’s NEC to roll out biometric checkouts across APAC
Mastercard first launched its Biometric Checkout Programme last year with NEC as an early partner.
Bambu taps WealthKernel to launch “world’s first” SaaS robo-advisor
Bambu says its solution has been designed for financial institutions that cater to mass retail investors.
Japan’s MUFG pens multi-year partnership with AWS for digital transformation
By moving to the cloud, AWS claims that MUFG has been able to reduce IT operational costs by 20%.
Travelex names ex-HSBC exec Jackie Uhi as global retail director
Travelex CCO Cameron Hume is also transitioning into the role of global wholesale director.
Regulators of UK, Singapore, Switzerland and Japan launch collaborative effort to explore digital asset use cases
Project Guardian aims to share knowledge about the benefits and risks of asset and fund tokenisation.
Kasikorn Bank snaps up 97% stake in cryptocurrency exchange Satang for $103m
Satang Corporation is to be rebranded as Orbix Trade Company with three new subsidiaries.
Singapore’s YouTrip eyes international expansion following $50m Series B raise
The latest cash injection brings YouTrip’s total funding to date to over $100 million.
MAS orders DBS Bank and Citibank to investigate banking services disruption
The banks were unable to recover their systems within the allotted time following a service outage in Singapore.
Airwallex enters Latin America with MexPago acquisition
Airwallex says the deal is an important part of its broader growth strategy in the Americas.
Vietnam’s LPBank selects Temenos for core banking upgrade
Temenos has been gaining a foothold in Vietnam, with 24 other Vietnamese banks now running on the firm’s platform.
Southeast Asia’s BigPay taps Thredd to power payment processing
As BigPay expands in Southeast Asia, the firm says it needed a partner with “deep understanding of the region”.
Yemen’s Tadhamon Bank upgrades to latest version of Azentio’s iMAL core banking platform
The bank has been running on iMAL since 2010.
Japan’s 77 Bank taps Fujitsu to launch in-store banking tablets
The in-store tablets are backed by Fujitsu’s customer engagement solution Chordship.
