Women-only neobank Elas to launch in Brazil
Elas was officially founded in January this year.
Business-to-Consumer/B2C
Vietnamese fintech Finhay bags funding from Acorns’ co-founder
Acorns says the fintech is “revolutionising” access to wealth management.
Minna Technologies pilots subscription management for RBI’s Tatra banka
The pilot is part of RBI’s ‘Elevator Lab Programme’.
Top 10 coronavirus initiatives by fintechs
Many fintechs have used this pandemic as an opportunity to show their mettle.
Top 10 coronavirus initiatives by governments and regulators
A brief overview of how governments and financial regulators have reacted to coronavirus.
App-based payment solutions to delight merchants and their customers
The world of commerce is abuzz with the need to delight customers by providing a digitally enhanced shopping experience.
Chime pilots instant $1,200 stimulus check payments
The US government plans to distribute stimulus checks from 13 April.
Starling Bank launches “spare” debit card feature to help those self-isolating
The ‘Connected Card’ gives someone else the ability to spend on their behalf.
Banking Technology April 2020 issue out now
All things equal: Closing the gender gap in fintech.
Consumer fintech SoFi to acquire Galileo for $1.2 billion
Both CEOs say now is “the right time” for this deal.
UK challenger bank Neuros to offer money management for neurodiverse users
The founder discovered she had ADHD whilst building the bank.
Free Senegal migrates to Comviva to boost mobile money offering
The mobile network operator has 4.4 million subscribers for its digital wallet.
EPA considers relaxing chargeback rules amid coronavirus
One EPA member has seen a spike of 14% in chargebacks from UK/ Europe-based merchants.
Curve launches numberless cards for new investors
Fintech claims that it has decluttered its “sleek” new cards.
Coronavirus exposes gaps in innovation
The pandemic has given fintechs a time to shine.
HSBC launches mobile onboarding in mainland China
UK-headquartered bank is the first foreign lender to launch mobile onboarding in China.
Nordic challenger Lunar adds $21.6m to its Series B
Monzo’s former head of product Ole Mahrt will also join its board of directors.
TSB’s online and mobile banking goes down on April Fools
Phone lines were busy and branches weren’t reachable amid lockdown.
UK fintech Tully helps distribute COVID-19 payment relief
The fintech wants to reach two million people in its first eight weeks of launch.
Manchester’s fintech scene needs a homegrown unicorn, says report
Manchester is already home to five homegrown ecommerce unicorns.
bunq promises its users “CO2 free” status in less than two years
The fintech is introducing a new upgrade called ‘SuperGreen’.
Banking industry publishes EU payments plan post-coronavirus
The paper puts a heavy emphasis on instant payments.
Trustonic lands security deal with South Korea’s biggest bank
“KB Bank are taking a more open market approach,” says Trustonic.
Japanese challenger Kyash lands $45m Series C
To date, the fintech has raised $73 million since its creation in 2015.
LA challenger bank HMBradley launches to tap savers
The bank says it will offer up to a 3% return rate on deposits.
Singapore’s robo-advisor Smartly shuts, cites “intense” competition
Vietnamese owner VinaCapital Group made the decision to wind business down.
Virtual bank Airstar launches pilot in Hong Kong
The digital bank will onboard roughly 2,000 customers.
VTB Bank registers new big data company with Rostelecom
The joint venture will be accessible via an API to “all interested market players”.
Plaid and Microsoft partner to turn Excel into a fintech app
“One of the earliest forms of ‘fintech’ is a budgeting spreadsheet,” says Plaid.
Siam Commercial Bank taps Ripple to provide cross-border payments
The Thai bank aims to cater to both individuals and businesses.
Banks waive overdraft interest on temporary basis
Banks & building societies have previously been shaking up their overdraft charging structures.
Unicorn hopeful Lanistar lands $2.5m
Founder says it wants to become a £1 billion “banking alternative”.
ICICI Bank launches WhatsApp-based banking service
The Indian bank follows up on its API and digital development.
South Korea’s KB Kookmin Bank to launch cryptocurrency custody service
The bank filed a trademark application at the end of January.
Phyre secures $1.7m to develop its e-wallet in Bulgaria
The fintech works with two major telcos in Bulgaria.
Canadian financial planner Finally to launch in May
“People don’t want to tell strangers how bad they’re doing with their finances,” says founder.
N26 expects 70% of bank branches to disappear in 10 years
The coronavirus is accelerating a permanent change in consumer behaviour, says N26.
Moven shuts all consumer accounts, pivots to B2B-only service for banks
Founder says “major multi-year funding” was withdrawn due to coronavirus.
UK auto-saving app Chip lands authorisation from FCA
The app has seen an influx of savers using its platform as of late.
Australian telco ZipTel buys up challenger bank Douugh
Douugh uses AI to help customers get better insights on their money.
