Copenhagen Fintech opens doors
Copenhagen Fintech, a collaborative venture between the Danish Bankers Association, Financial Services Union Denmark, and the City of Copenhagen, has officially opened for business.
Europe
Five large banks in Russia suffer major DDoS attack
Five Russian banks, including Sberbank and Alfa-Bank, have been hit by a major cyberattack, according to the country’s central bank and regulator, Bank of Russia.
More branches and jobs to go at Lloyds Banking Group
UK-based Lloyds Banking Group is getting rid of further 49 branches and 665 jobs. The bank will offer services via mobile vans to the communities affected by the branch closures.
Fintech start-ups in Europe to get up to €1.6bn in funding from EIF
The European Commission (EC) has pledged up to €400 million to the European Investment Fund’s (EIF) new fund-of-funds – for the money to be spent on start-ups in Europe, including in the fintech space. The EC will also look for three times more investment from institutional investors to make up to €1.6 billion available.
Mizuho Bank Nederland live with new risk and reg reporting system, OneSumX
Wolters Kluwer has implemented its flagship OneSumX solution at Mizuho Bank’s subsidiary in the Netherlands. The solution supports risk calculations and multi-country regulatory reporting.
Tesco Bank resumes full service, refunds £2.5m to 9,000 customers
Tesco Bank has refunded £2.5 million to 9,000 customers who had money stolen from their accounts by fraudsters over the weekend. It has also resumed “normal services” following the temporary suspension of online transactions from current accounts .
Intesa Sanpaolo sends PIN codes to customers via digital channels
Italy’s largest retail bank, Intesa Sanpaolo, is working with Gemalto to deliver PIN codes to customers via SMS, web and mobile banking app. Gemalto describes the project as “the world’s first comprehensive e-PIN notification service”.
UK cheque clearing firm iPSL to downsize locations and staff
Intelligent Processing Solutions (iPSL), a UK-based cheque clearing firm owned by Unisys, plans to close down seven of its nine locations in 2018. This puts 600 jobs at risk, according to trade union Unite.
Redmayne-Bentley selects Vermilion for private client reporting
Redmayne-Bentley, a private client investment management firm in the UK, is implementing new client reporting software, supplied by specialist vendor Vermilion Software.
Ffrees, Wirecard, GPS and Bottomline Technologies team up for U Account
UK-based banking services challenger Ffrees Fiamily Finance has launched a new “digital agency banking solution” – U Account. The account is supported by Wirecard, Global Processing Services (GPS) and payments software vendor Bottomline Technologies.
New fintech firm, Soldo, comes to UK and Italy
Soldo, a London-based fintech start-up, is launching its flagship multi-user spending account. Soldo is not a bank, but a prepaid MasterCard. It holds an e-money licence from the UK’s regulator, FCA.
FCA to hold regtech themed TechSprint
The UK’s regulator, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), will focus on “unlocking regulatory reporting” in its second TechSprint event. Over 100 developers and 30 organisations are expected to participate and “experts from the Bank of England will be observing”, says the FCA.
Tesco Bank suspends online transactions due to cyberattack
UK-based Tesco Bank has revealed that 20,000 of its customers had up to £2,000 stolen from their accounts in a cyberattack. As a result, all online transactions have been frozen for 24 hours until the situation is bank “under full control”, according to Benny Higgins, Tesco Bank’s CEO.
ABN Amro selects MarkLogic for trade store
Amsterdam-based ABN Amro Bank has chosen MarkLogic Corporation’s database for its trade store – and to integrate trade data across asset-classes and several trading systems. It will provide a consolidated view of data to provide a “single source of truth” for reporting purposes as well as providing alerts when behaviour is outside normal parameters. Jaap […]
Sparebank 1 extends contract with core banking and payments software provider Evry
Sparebank 1, an alliance of 16 Norwegian savings banks, has extended the contract with incumbent software supplier Evry. The agreement represents total contract value of NOK 3 billion ($364 million) over a six-year period.
Law firm Addleshaw Goddard launches £500,000 mentoring programme for UK fintechs
Law firm Addleshaw Goddard (AG) is launching the AG Elevate programme – worth up to £500,000 – to support the UK fintech firms. The application process will open on 17th November 2016 – more established firms as well as start-ups are welcome to take part, AG says.
UK’s Financial Conduct Authority calls for current account competition
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) says it will take action to improve competition in the current account market. This follows a series of recommendations which were proposed by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) as part of its investigation into retail banking. Christopher Woolard, executive director of strategy and competition at the FCA, […]
Tandem Bank calls for first customers
Digital banking start-up Tandem has started inviting its community of 10,000 “co-founders” to be its first customers. Tandem was formed in 2014 and is accessible online, via an app and through a UK call centre. It got its banking licence in November 2015 and says its focus is on helping people manage their money rather […]
BBVA first in Spain to launch full account opening via mobile; ties up with Salesforce
BBVA says it is the first financial institution in Spain to launch online onboarding via mobile, which allows anyone to open an account in “just a few minutes”. A customer’s identity is verified through a selfie and a video call. Users can open an account at BBVA through their mobile phone by going to its […]
Payments start-up Cookies crumbles
Berlin-based payments start-up Cookies has ended its short life and applied for insolvency. As Banking Technology reported in August, Cookies launched its peer-to-peer (P2P) payment app in Germany. The app was in beta phase and in invite-only mode. However, in a statement, Cookies co-founder Lamine Cheloufi says the other co-founder, Garry Krugljakow, has been dismissed. […]
Smith & Williamson in system selection mode
Smith & Williamson, a UK-based investment, tax and accountancy services firm, is looking for a core processing system, Banking Technology understands.
Mobile payments and European millennials: saying and doing are two different things
Vocalink has unveiled its comprehensive research into the habits and perceptions of millennials when it comes to mobile payments. Turns out, this group is still waiting for the “Uber moment” of payments.
Euronext and Algomi to launch new MTF for corporate bond trading
Pan-European exchange Euronext will use Algomi’s fixed income technology for its new multilateral trading facility (MTF) in a ten-year partnership. With their joint venture (JV), capitalised by Euronext for $2.3 million, dealers will be able to access the trading interface either directly through their existing Algomi technology or through their stand-alone systems. The platform will […]
Weatherbys Bank live with new core banking system, Oracle FSS’s Flexcube
UK-based Weatherbys Bank is live with a new core banking system, Oracle FSS’s Flexcube, Banking Technology understands. The project started in 2015.
UK challenger bank FGTB bites the dust
First Global Trust Bank (FGTB) had its licence cancelled by the UK regulators, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA).
Swiss plan lighter regulations to seduce fintech firms
If you reduce it, they will come. Swiss ministry officials want to entice fintech firms and boost competition with new, lighter regulations. The nation’s finance ministry says the plan is to remove barriers to market entry and offer more legal certainty for the fintech space. Ministry officials say draft legislation could be sent to Switzerland’s […]
Poland’s banks power national “paper to digital” project
Poland’s Ministry of Digital Affairs and its banking sector have launched a project, “From paper to digital Poland”, to boost the digitalisation of the nation’s public administration. With the project, Poles can use their banking ID and password to log in to the social insurance board, contact public administration offices or a local government’s site […]
ACI powers Faster Payments for Turkish Bank UK
ACI Worldwide has partnered with Turkish Bank UK to power its Faster Payments offering. The UK-based bank will use ACI’s aggregator service to connect to the nation’s Faster Payments Scheme (FPS) – allowing it to process all transfers to and from UK bank accounts “instantly”. It will use the service via ACI’s cloud-based delivery model […]
UK’s Financial Conduct Authority calls for more finserv access
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) wants more access to financial services and for fintech to show a greater understanding of the nation’s ageing population. In its 160-page “FCA Occasional Paper”, published today (1 November), the FCA looks at “barriers to bank accounts”, digital transformation and the growing grey brigade. Christopher Woolard, director of strategy […]
Credit Suisse plans tech cost-sharing with another bank
Credit Suisse is talking with an unnamed bank about a cost-sharing project around technology as it looks to make savings. In an interview with the Financial Times, Tidjane Thiam, the bank’s chief executive, says its idea is at the “proof of concept” stage – and hints it may use an investor day in December to […]
10x Future Technologies to build digital core banking platform for Virgin Money
10x Future Technologies, the start-up founded by former Barclays CEO Antony Jenkins, is building a digital core banking platform for Virgin Money. It will be delivered in a cloud and will enable Virgin Money to unify its data platforms into a single infrastructure via 10x’s APIs, the vendor says. This new deal follows on from […]
Nimbrix launches blockchain consortium and platform
London-based Nimbrix has unveiled its new blockchain platform and the creation of an industry consortium with KPMG and Microsoft. The Nimbrix buy-side platform will use cloud, open API, Software-as-a- Service (SaaS) and blockchain. It will be powered by Microsoft Azure, and Nimbrix says trades can be “executed instantaneously between counterparties, thus reducing the risk of […]
ABLV Bank chooses Wolters Kluwer’s OneSumX for regulatory reporting
ABLV Bank, a Latvia-based private bank, has selected Wolters Kluwer’s OneSumX to provide regulatory reporting software. The solution will be used for both its Latvian headquarters and its Luxembourg-based subsidiary, including European Banking Authority reporting obligations. The bank is also using the firm’s Regulatory Update Service. This service is maintained by Wolters Kluwer experts who […]
Spire Payments and Euro 6000 launch mPOS solution in Spain
Spire Payments and Spanish savings bank association EURO 6000 have teamed up to launch a mPOS solution called “Pinpago” in Spain. Pinpago uses Spire Payments’ mPOS device, the SPm20. The device is enabled by a payment mobile app which is downloaded to the merchant’s smart device of choice (phone or tablet) allowing payment transactions for […]
Misys scraps IPO
Misys’ initial public offering (IPO) has been scrapped. It had planned a £5.5 billion float but says in a statement that it “decided not to proceed… at the current time due to market conditions”.
New challenger bank to launch in UK, Hampshire Community Bank
A new challenger bank – Hampshire Community Bank – is gearing up for launch in the UK.
Nets warns of massive credit card hack in Denmark
Danish payment processor Nets has warned local banks of a possible data breach and advised them to block up to 100,000 credit cards.
Digital agency Degree 53 builds mobile apps for CardOneBanking
CardOneBanking, a UK-based current accounts and payments services provider, has launched new mobile banking apps built by Degree 53.
FIS fuels Faster Payments for Raphaels Bank
UK-based Raphaels Bank has chosen FIS’s reconciliation solution to help extend access to Faster Payments. Earlier this year, Raphaels Bank became the first new member of the Faster Payments Scheme (FPS) since its inception in 2008, stating its “aim was to improve access to the scheme”. The bank offers a sponsorship model for “instant connectivity” […]
Case study: Consorsbank – the pursuit of app-iness
New retail banking apps are released onto the market daily – from traditional banks entering the app era to new disruptive payments services. What does each one of these apps have in common? The need to perform. When Consorsbank, part of BNP Paribas Germany, launched its retail app, it knew performance mattered. The bank shares how it delivered an app that consumers wanted.
