UK fintech Rapyd snaps up PayU GPO in $610m deal to boost global expansion
PayU says the sale will allow it to focus on “the huge fintech opportunity” in India.
Europe
UK consumer lending start-up Koyo Loans closes down
All of Koyo’s existing loans have been transferred to Capquest for management.
The FCA’s Consumer Duty clamps down on unfair savings rates
The regulator’s 14-point plan seeks fairer interest rates on UK savings accounts.
Allfunds acquires local paying agent business of Iccrea Banca
The acquisition enables Allfunds to develop its position in Italy as a local paying agent business.
Vanquis Banking Group buys UK smart money app Snoop
Snoop leverages AI and open banking technology to provide personalised overviews of spending habits.
German fintech start-up Monite bolsters leadership team with new hires
The firm has appointed a new chief product officer, chief of staff, and head of marketing.
ING names Görkem Köseoğlu as new chief technology officer
Görkem Köseoğlu is to assume the position of chief technology officer from 1 September 2023.
Principles, practices and persistence: the Consumer Duty deadline arrives
The regulation is set to completely transform the relationship between financial services firms and consumers.
UK challenger Monument names Fiona Pollard as new chair
Pollard replaces Niall Booker, who indicated his intention to step down from the position last year.
Pay.UK reveals big jump in number of current account switches in the UK over last 12 months
Pay.UK’s Current Account Switch Service has seen a 50% increase in switches compared to last year.
Robinhood reignites plans for UK expansion with chief exec hire
According to an FCA filing, Jordan Sinclair has been appointed as UK chief executive for Robinhood.
Trintech snaps up Fiserv’s financial reconciliation business
Trintech hopes the deal will “act as a springboard for innovation” for its accounting automation platform.
Germany’s N26 appoints new chief risk officer, Carina Kozole
Kozole, who will begin her new role later this year, has spent the last 17 years at UniCredit Group.
GAT Investment Bank taps Currencycloud for new app launch
The app will leverage Currencycloud’s multi-currency virtual accounts for cross-border payment services.
NatWest chief exec Alison Rose steps down with immediate effect
The group’s board of directors says Rose has “agreed by mutual consent to step down”.
UBS to pay $388m in fines relating to Credit Suisse’s doomed dealings with Archegos
The US Federal Reserve has fined Credit Suisse $269 million, with the UK’s PRA issuing a further $119 million fine.
Wealthtech GBST strengthens cloud portfolio with Advice Intelligence acquisition
The deal follows GBST’s acquisition of WealthConnect, the Salesforce-based CRM solution, in May.
Italy’s Mediobanca partners Founders Factory for new UK fintech venture studio
The joint venture is central to the Italian bank’s strategic plan to strengthen its technology ecosystem.
Q&A: Andrew McKibben, Bank of America – resilience, automation tech & connected banking
Discussing the changing relationship between fintechs and banks amid an increasingly interconnected tech landscape.
Jordan’s Bank al Etihad to deploy NetGuardians’ fraud prevention tech
With NetGuardians’ solution, the bank aims to strengthen its fraud prevention capabilities.
Banco Santander, BBVA and CaixaBank team up to tackle fraud with FrauDfense
FrauDfense is a new company set up to enable the exchange of information between the three banks.
Wirecard fugitive Jan Marsalek resurfaces with a message for the courts
The eight-page letter was delivered to a court in Munich through Marsalek’s defence lawyer.
Dutch challenger Bunq lands additional €44.5m funding to fuel international expansion
The digital bank says it has now raised around €100m in funding over this year alone.
JP Morgan CEO confirms German expansion for Chase digital bank
The confirmation comes two years after the digital bank launched in the UK.
UK challenger Atom Bank records first ever annual operating profit
The bank has seen its customer count jump from around 123,000 during FY22 to 224,000 at present.
Fintechs call on UK government to put an end to hidden fees in cross-border payments
15 fintechs including Wise, Monzo, Revolut and Klarna have penned an open letter to UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
FCA to permanently launch Digital Sandbox next month
The Digital Sandbox has previously only been available to developers via pilots and TechSprints.
HSBC appoints two new senior execs to its Global Payments unit
Martijn Stoker joins HSBC from JP Morgan, and Melissa Tuozzolo from Bank of America.
PSR delivers update on progress of New Payments Architecture
The PSR’s future direction on the NPA was outlined in its annual plan and budget for 2023/24.
Q&A: David Morris, CCO of Yorkshire Building Society – automation, digitalisation & service
David Morris discusses automation, its impact on customer service and the changing nature of branch-based banking.
UK’s Clockwise Credit Union launches self-built core banking solution
Clockwise’s IT manager says the launch is a “culmination of a huge amount of work over the past six years”.
Virgin Money to shutter 39 bank branches across the UK
The closures, which will take effect in October, will leave Virgin Money with 91 bank branches in the UK.
N26 reportedly cuts 15% of Brazilian workforce
N26 Brazil has laid off around 20 staff, according to local news outlet Estadao.
Salve Financial Hub signs for Finastra Essence to reduce payment delays
The San Marino-based fintech will deploy Finastra’s SaaS solution for high-value corporate payment processing.
Rapyd names Shlomit Wagman as global chief regulation and compliance officer
Wagman joins Rapyd from the Israel Money Laundering and Terror Financing Prohibition Authority (IMPA).
Nordea acquires Danske Bank’s Norwegian personal customer and private banking business
The agreement is set to bring approximately 285,000 new customers to Nordea.
Germany’s BaFin provides updated order on the prevention of money laundering at N26
N26 will reportedly continue to be restricted to 50,000 new customer acquisitions per month.
Brite Payments announces two new appointments to its C-suite
The Swedish fintech has appointed Alexander Kassai as COO and Fredrik Strömqvist as CFO.
UK climate fintech Sylvera secures $57m Series B funding
The latest investment follows Sylvera’s $32 million Series A round held in January 2022.
Swiss SME lender TP24 secures £345m debt funding from Barclays, M&G
The funding will be used to lend to SMEs in the UK, Australia and Netherlands.
