Swiss digital assets bank SEBA raises $120m in Series C funding round
The round was co-led by a consortium of specialised blockchain and fintech investors.
Europe
French fintech Qonto secures €486m Series D funding to boost European growth
The bumper funding round takes the start-up’s valuation to €4.4 billion.
Checkout.com secures bumper $1bn Series D round at $40bn valuation to boost US growth
The paytech has now raised around $1.8 billion in total funding to date.
ABN Amro’s Christian Bornfeld to leave role as CI&TO in May
Bornfeld has been “instrumental in future-proofing the bank’s IT landscape”, says CEO.
Fintech start-up Twig raises $35m to support Web 3.0 plans
The London-based fintech intends to expand into the EU and US in 2022.
The impact of the contactless limit increase on financial inclusion
What does the contactless limit increase mean for the future of the payments industry and financial services?
Levenue acquires fellow Dutch financing platform Requr
Fintech says acquisition will make it the “go-to funding solution” for European subscription-based businesses.
SmartSearch appoints ex-Dow Jones exec as CEO as company founder steps down
SmartSearch founder and CEO John Dobson will be a non-executive director.
UK fintech sees record investment in 2021 following pandemic slump in 2020
Nearly half of all fintech investment in Europe was made in UK, Innovate Finance data shows.
Payroll automation start-up PayFit achieves unicorn status after €254m Series E
The fintech intends to hire 400 new employees across Europe in 2022.
How will the Green Claims Code affect you as a fintech?
The Green Claims Code legislation aims to eradicate greenwashing once and for all.
Swiss digital asset neobank Sygnum raises $90m in Series B round
“The digital asset economy is rapidly crossing the chasm to mainstream adoption,” says CEO.
Challenger bank Monument appoints new CEO as co-founder moves to corporate dev role
Ex-Barclays Ian Rand is Monument’s new chief executive officer.
UK paytech CellPoint raises $25m to expand internationally
The investment will also support the platform’s expansion into new market verticals.
Spanish neobank Unibo launches to cater for property managers
Unibo raised €500,000 in a seed round in November last year.
Credit Suisse poaches Goldman Sachs’ Joanne Hannaford to lead technology & operations
Hannaford spent 25 years at Goldman Sachs in London and New York.
How does the open banking initiative turn into a revolution?
For open banking to really flourish, it must address issues relating to consumer awareness.
2021: Top five mergers and acquisitions
FinTech Futures takes a look back at some of the year’s top mergers and acquisitions.
2021: Top five movers and shakers
FinTech Futures takes a look back at some of the year’s seminal hires and appointments.
Significant shifts in consumer behaviour create unique opportunities for Nordic merchants
With the steady decline of cash in the Nordics, it is increasingly vital for businesses to provide digital payment options.
NEAR Foundation hires fintech veteran Marieke Flament as CEO
Flament leaves her role as CEO of digital banking app Mettle by NatWest to join the Swiss foundation.
ICYMI funding round-up: pliant, CreditBook, CIRCA5000, and LiveFlow
Our weekly ‘In Case You Missed It’ funding round-up for you to get the latest funding news.
German fintech re:cap secures $111.5m seed round to launch financing platform
Funding is made up of a combination of growth capital and liquidity for its revenue-based financing platform.
Igor Kuschnir steps down as MD and CFO of Penta
Kuschnir joined Penta in 2017 following stints at Franzen and Company, Citi and Morgan Stanley.
PRA fines Standard Chartered £46.55m for reporting failures
The penalty is the PRA’s highest ever fine in a PRA-only enforcement case.
ING announces exit from French retail banking market
The firm has been active in the French retail banking market since 2000.
European tax compliance platform Taxdoo lands $64m in Series B funding
Brexit and VAT reform in the EU made 2021 an “eventful year”, says Taxdoo CEO.
British Business Bank backs SME-focused lender Simply with £300m funding line boost
Simply has provided £650 million worth of support to businesses since it was founded in April 2017.
FCA fines HSBC £64m for failings in its AML processes
The FCA says HSBC’s transaction monitoring systems showed “serious weaknesses” between 2010 and 2018.
Challenger banking player Monese makes its first acquisition
Monese has acquired Trezeo, a specialist financial services platform for the self-employed.
Why start-ups, not incumbents, will be the engines of post-pandemic SME growth
Many lendtechs are looking to leverage the digital revolution to help drive post-pandemic recovery in the UK.
AIB signs €65m deal with IBM for hybrid cloud transformation
IBM will help the bank achieve its 2023 digital transformation strategy goals.
Citi spin-out Proxymity raises $31m in Series B funding round
Proxymity says it has delivered significant growth since launch in April 2020.
SweepBank launches in Europe to provide “Netflix experience” in banking
SweepBank is underpinned by Tuum’s core banking platform.
Polish subsidiary of ING opts for Thought Machine’s core banking tech
ING Bank Śląski is now live on Vault for a new consumer lending product.
Dear Luc: What fintech trends should I prepare to see in 2022?
Four trends that FinTech Futures’ Agony Uncle predicts will occur in 2022.
NatWest and TrueLayer conduct first series of variable recurring payment transactions
NatWest is the first of the nine largest UK banks to conduct VRP transactions in a live environment.
ICYMI funding round-up: Novus, Bumper, topi, Toucan, & Raison
With the fast-paced nature of the fintech world, it’s easy to let announcements slip by from time to time.
Crypto infrastructure start-up Ramp raises $52.7m in Series A round
Ramp will use the cash to drive expansion and further product development.
Russian digital bank Tinkoff taps Finastra for Asian expansion
Finastra’s Fusion Essence Cloud solution will power the bank’s planned subsidiary in the Philippines.
