How we banked a billion people and what to do next
Financial inclusion has advanced where governments have prioritised it.
Financial Inclusion
How blockchain will transform retail lending
The potential gains and benefits to global economics and society are on the horizon.
Ant Financial turns to Standard Chartered for blockchain payments
Standard Chartered becomes core partner bank.
Standard Chartered Hong Kong to apply for virtual banking licence
To grab a share of the digital and financial inclusion markets.
US banking app CapWay readies to launch
Targeting millennials who are either underbanked or uncertain.
Finca picks Autosoft’s core banking system for Pakistan
Autosoft’s Autobanker beats Oracle’s Flexcube and Temenos’ T24 to the deal.
India’s P2P lender Faircent first for RBI’s NBFC-P2P certification
Acronyms unleashed as firm gets non-banking financial company licence.
UK personal finance app Elifinty preps for launch
For people who see no way out.
African payments firm Cellulant raises $47.5m
Helped by The Rise Fund – marking its debut on the continent.
Global Findex 2017: financial inclusion on the rise but gaps remain
Globally, 69% of adults – 3.8 billion people – now have an account at a bank or mobile money provider.
Central Bank of Sri Lanka preps fintech regulatory sandbox
Central Bank of Sri Lanka is asking stakeholders to share their views by 31 May.
FNB to launch m-wallet for South Africa’s underbanked
FNB estimates the size of the market for its m-wallet service at over 11 million people.
DFS Lab and Gates Foundation invest in four African fintech start-ups
Four start-ups received $200,000 funding from DFS Lab, supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Ant Financial teams with IFAD for rural economy development
Partnership aims to reduce rural poverty in China and other developing countries.
Fintech funding round-up: 18 April 2018
Stars MFS Africa, Tala, Funding Societies and HelloGold.
First official bank comes to Malawian refugee camp, Dzaleka
The organisers describe the initiative as a “world-first”.
Nigerian lendtech Fint unleashes loan marketplace
Calls itself the nation’s “first loan marketplace”.
Three big trends on display at FinovateSpring 2018
FinovateSpring is a little less than a month away.
Top fintech stories this week – 13 April 2018
Catch up on FinTech Futures’ top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
IFC and Fidor to champion financial inclusion in Africa and LatAm
MOU to identify opportunities to expand digital banking services to boost financial inclusion.
PayU and Kreditech muscle into India’s lending market
Providing cardless equated monthly instalments (EMIs) to finance the online purchases of consumers in India.
Ant Financial invests $184.5m in Telenor Microfinance Bank
Ant Financial now owns a 45% stake in Pakistan’s Telenor Microfinance Bank (TNB).
RBL Bank in lendtech project with CreditVidya
India-based RBL Bank has teamed with provider of credit underwriting solutions CreditVidya.
Interview: Caren Robb, Letshego – look on the bright side
Creating inclusive banking for remote communities.
Banking Technology March 2018 issue out now
Fintech with flourish. Nourish your brain.
NCR overhauls ATM network at BankDhofar, expands ATM access in India
The breadth of NCR’s work with financial institutions and underbanked populations around the world.
NAB is a Good Shepherd for Microfinance
Speckle is launched in Australia – a new service offering small loans under $2,000.
Huddlestock and Acuity bring mobile trading to Sri Lanka
Offering the ability to “crowd-trade and access investment ideas”.
eCurrency Mint and Rizal to launch digital cash in Philippines
Plan to make it available by Q2 this year.
Juvo gets Samsung investment for smartphone boost
Samsung will bring Juvo access to billions of underbanked prepaid users across the globe.
London Assembly calls for change for short changed youth
Wants a bank account for every young Londoner.
Executive profile: Solana Cozzo, Mastercard
It’s a good thing Solana (“Sol”) Cozzo is high energy. When she’s not literally running or chasing after 3-year-old twins, she’s running Mastercard’s North American prepaid and inclusive growth business. It’s hard work when you consider that “the cardable opportunity is about seven times the current market,” she says.
Barcode Payments Spread across Africa with M-vendr, PiP iT
M-vendr, a U.K.-based tech company with a POS pay-in system across 12 African nations, has signed an agreement with international cash payments platform PiP iT to integrate the latter’s barcodes across its network of 45,000 merchant locations.
Mastercard, Commonwealth Bank Work for Financial Inclusion in Indonesia
Commonwealth Bank and Mastercard are working together to improve financial inclusion for Indonesian women with a focus on business owners.
Abu Dhabi Launches its First Fintech Innovation Challenge for Startups
Abu Dhabi Global Market and KPMG are launching the first Fintech Abu Dhabi Innovation Challenge—a five-week program for “innovative and mature startups across the globe,” with a chance to win $15,000 in prize money.
Ant Financial Forms JV with CIMB Subsidiary for Digital Financial Services
In another step to expand its global footprint and promote financial inclusion, Ant Financial Services Group on July 24 announced it’s entering into an equity joint venture with CIMB Group Holdings Berhad subsidiary Touch ‘n Go Sdn Bhd (TNG). The JV will introduce a “world-class mobile platform for payments and other financial services,” the companies said.
