Europe


It looks like no-one cares about data protection regulations

It doesn’t matter if they were given more than two years to get ready, with six months to go until the EU GDPR deadline, it’s going to be a sprint finish for a worryingly large number of companies, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology’s sister publication). That’s the view of law firm Blake Morgan. After conducting a […]

SEI and Coinfirm concur for blockchain-powered asset transfers

Wealth management firm SEI is partnering with London-based blockchain company Coinfirm as they plan to tap into the UK’s asset transfer market. Coinfirm and the SEI Wealth Platform will use digital ledger technology (DLT) – and as with 99.9% of comments on any blockchain project, SEI says its solution will reduce costs and risks. Brett […]

Raisin chasing UK deposit marketplace with first acquisition

Berlin-based deposit marketplace Raisin has acquired UK-based fintech specialist PBF Solutions to offer end-to-end deposit raising for UK banks and other providers. The acquisition is the first in Raisin’s history. If you’re not sick of Brexit yet, then Raisin states that “despite current market volatility and Brexit discussions, Raisin remains committed to the UK and […]

Interview: Aleksey Chubar, VTB – leading a fintech revolution in Russia

If you’ve got preconceptions about what fintech looks like and where it’s happening, then Aleksey Chubar, head of digital transformation at VTB, has news for you. Russia is becoming a hotbed of fintech innovation – not just domestically, but internationally too. More than that, the rapid pace of technological change in the country means you’ll soon wonder how you got left behind.

UnionPay Taps Allied Wallet for Prepaid Launch in Europe

Allied Wallet, a Los Angeles-based provider of online payment processing, is partnering with UnionPay International to issue a UnionPay-branded prepaid card, the “first ever’ partnership of its kind in Europe.

Atom Bank teams with Reevoo for content customer crusade

UK challenger bank Atom has partnered with user-generated content platform Reevoo to improve customer engagement and offer better purchase decisions. Using Reevoo’s platform, Atom says it collects reviews for its fixed saver account and mortgage products. These reviews are then displayed on Atom’s website, and have been included in various customer communications including newsletters and […]

Avoid a regtech downfall with The Bunker’s new sandbox service

The Bunker, a UK-based data storage and managed services provider, has launched a new sandbox service for start-ups seeking to develop applications for the financial services market and cope with regulations. It’s got some backing for its plans as innovation network Barclays Rise “will also play a supportive role in helping to identify early stage […]

NatWest launches UK’s first paperless mortgage

NatWest says it is to become the first UK bank to offer a paperless mortgage – as customers can now apply for a completely digital mortgage and share and verify documents online. The new proposition means customers don’t need to send signed paperwork or personal and private information through the post. Lloyd Cochrane, director of […]

EU-US Privacy Shield faces its moment of truth

While you were tucking into your ham sarnie European Commission Věra Jourová touched down in the US to start the first annual review of the EU-US Privacy Shield, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology’s sister publication). It’s the reason why the internet giants of Silicon Valley can do business in the European bloc, or at least the reason […]

Viber brings good vibes to Addiko Bank’s chat banking payments

Austrian banking group Addiko has unveiled chat banking for its customers – the “first ever” Viber-based financial transaction service available in Croatia. Called “Addiko Chat Banking”, it’s a digital banking service that, in partnership with Comtrade Digital Services and communication platform Viber, enables customers to directly communicate with the bank and make payments. Mario Žižek, […]

App it. The future of banking

This morning I was having breakfast with a colleague. I paid the bill, and he sent me his share of the bill using our Monzo app. Before we’d walked out of the café, the money was in my account. Simple!

Finastra goes on a job cutting spree

EXCLUSIVE: Finastra, which emerged earlier this year from the combination of two banking tech vendors, D+H Corporation and Misys, has made a number of job cuts across its operations.

Infographic: UK’s cloud computing job market

According to a study by the International Data Corporation (IDC), investment in cloud computing is expected to grow at over six times the rate of IT spending by 2020. Job meta-search engine Joblift has analyse the state of the UK’s cloud computing job market and found that, in line with the rise in investment, cloud computing vacancies have risen by over 7% on average monthly.

ING goes manic for Scalable wealth management dynamic

ING will start a partnership with online wealth manager Scalable Capital as the bank plans a digital investment solution for its retail customers in Germany. Customers of ING in Germany will be able to register in less than 15 minutes through a paperless process. With a minimum investment of €10,000 they can monitor their portfolios […]

Startupbootcamp InsurTech seeks storming start-ups

London-based accelerator Startupbootcamp InsurTech is on the search for the next wave of insurance-inspired start-ups to “take the industry by storm”. Startupbootcamp InsurTech says the process of searching for and purchasing something on Amazon or booking peer-reviewed accommodations in a different country at the touch of a finger, condition people to “expect this fluidity and […]

UK to get New Payment Systems Operator by year’s end

The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) and Bank of England (BoE) have revealed that the UK will be getting the New Payment Systems Operator (NPSO) by the end of 2017. The duo says that the Payment System Operator Delivery Group (PSODG) has completed the necessary steps to deliver what was asked and so with the NPSO […]

UK banks simplify accounting for SMEs

We have a double delight as Sage and Lloyds, and Xero and Santander are making accounting simpler for UK SMEs. Sage, a cloud accounting, payroll and payments solutions software provider, says Lloyds Bank is the latest in a line of banks to go live with its Bank Feeds service. The service helps businesses by enabling […]

Fintech accelerator round-up: 13 September 2017

Around the world, the calls for start-ups ring loud and clear. Our fintech accelerator round-up features F10, Commerce.Innovated and Huge Thing. F10, a Swiss incubator and accelerator, is calling for applications from start-ups in fintech, regtech, and insurtech for its P2 programme. Applications close on 15 December. The P2 programme will start on 5 March […]

Rabobank turns Big Brother with Dynatrace

Digital performance management company Dynatrace is working with Rabobank “to monitor the real-time experience of every customer and user for all services” at the bank.

Moneyou moves on millennials with Bankable platform

Moneyou, the digital consumer subsidiary of Dutch bank ABN Amro, has implemented UK-based Bankable’s Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform. The service is now open to selected customers in the Netherlands. Moneyou provides savings accounts to more than half a million customers and says it is diversifying via Bankable’s multi-wallet and multi-card technology to launch a product portfolio […]

Infographic: banking in Europe 2017 – EBF facts and figures

European Banking Federation (EBF) has published its annual update on the banking sector in Europe. According to the EBF findings, staff numbers and branches in the European banking sector continued to shrink in 2016, while Eurozone deposits and loans grew slightly.

Facebook feels sharp end of Spanish privacy stick

Facebook has been slapped with a fine from the Spanish data protection watchdog for inappropriately collecting and using personal information on some of its Spanish users, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology’s sister publication). The fine, although a bit of a meagre one, is for violating Spain’s Organic Law on Data Protection (LOPD), with the Spanish data […]

FCA ICO uh-oh

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority is warning consumers about the risks of initial coin offerings (ICOs). ICOs have proved very popular in the worlds of blockchain and cryptocurrency, which many funding stories flowing on a regular basis. However, last month, BBVA reckoned the fever for ICOs in blockchain must be cooled as the industry is […]

Come over to my Marketplace says Starling Bank

UK-based challenger bank Starling has gone live with its Marketplace, a new ecosystem of financial products accessible through its app. As reported in June, Starling said it would launch Marketplace at some point. This idea was first discussed back in April, when its developer portal went live. Now the marketplace is alive and kicking and […]

France is not making many friends with new tech tax idea

The French Finance Minister has put forward new proposals to shake-up the tax set-up for technology companies who are based outside of the European Union, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). Under the current rules, internet giants such as Google or Facebook are taxed on profits which are generated in Europe, though French Finance Minister […]

Instabank takes risk analytics to the cloud with Provenir

Instabank, a new digital bank in Norway, has implemented Provenir’s Risk Analytics and Decisioning solution. Delivered in the cloud, the system provides “a real-time, digital lending experience” for its Instabank’s customers, Provenir says.

Aegon Cofunds to oust IFDS and its tech

Pension, insurance and investment management firm Aegon has embarked on a large technology project with a number of specialist tech providers – to move the acquired Cofunds business from the International Financial Data Services (IFDS) platform.

Five steps, five minutes, €5 – KBC launches new mobile app for current accounts

KBC Bank Ireland has unveiled a new mobile app that allows customers to open, activate and use their bank account “at any time, within just five minutes”. The bank says this is “completely unique to the Irish market” and the app’s official launch follows months of development and testing with consumers. The app is available […]