Extended deadline announced for Banking Tech Awards USA 2023 nominations
The new deadline for nominations is now Friday, 24 February 2023. Apply today!
FinTech
Tesco reportedly exploring sale of banking business
According to Sky News, Tesco is launching a review of its UK banking activities.
Lithuania’s central bank reportedly investigating Railsr over AML failures
The Telegraph reports that Railsr’s Lithuanian subsidiary is being investigated by the country’s central bank.
Bank of Japan to launch CBDC pilot programme in April
The pilot will test the technical feasibility of a CBDC and leverage the “skills and insights” of private industry.
FSB to study DeFi’s potential stability risks and vulnerabilities
The FSB states that “specific features” of DeFi may see some of its vulnerabilities “play out differently”.
PPRO extends payments infrastructure to South Korea
This integration “opens up a gateway” for PPRO’s global partners to reach South Korean consumers, PPRO says.
Cartoon: What recession?
A new cartoon illustrating how private market valuations have been impacted in the current environment.
Facing the FCA armed with data
Fintechs are finding themselves subject to increasing scrutiny by regulators regarding AML compliance.
WealthKernel names Michael Rigby as new chief compliance officer
Rigby joins from Investec Wealth and Investment and brings over 30 years’ worth of experience to the role.
North America fintech funding round-up: Vexi, Comun, ModernFi & more
A round-up of the latest funding endeavours of fintech start-ups from across North America.
FinTech Futures: Top five stories of the week – 17 February 2023
Here’s our pick of five of the top news stories from the world of finance and tech this week.
Financial market data provider Quodd acquires Xignite
The combined business will serve more than 2,200 companies.
Solving the cybersecurity puzzle
FinTech Futures speaks to City University of London’s Raj Muttukrishnan and Crossword’s Stuart Jubb.
ICYMI fintech funding round-up: Ledge, AdalFi and Power
Our weekly fintech round-up for you to get the latest funding news from around the world.
UK fintech funding round-up: Omnio, Landytech & Sikoia
A handy round-up of the recent funding endeavours of fintech companies across the UK.
Demystifying digital transformation
There are a lot of parallels among the big banks in terms of why digital transformation is so complicated.
Video: Highlights from the exclusive global launch of Leda Glyptis’ book, Bankers Like Us
Take a look at the highlights from Leda Glyptis’ global book launch.
Global fintech investment drops 31% in 2022 from record 2021 high
Despite the drop, it was still the third-best year for fintech investment ever.
Zopa acquires DivideBuy in “BNPL 2.0” push
Zopa’s “BNPL 2.0” offering will allow consumers to spread the cost of purchases worth between £250 and £30,000.
Ecuador’s first digital bank goes live with Temenos core
Diners Club Ecuador has gone live on Temenos’ cloud-native banking platform with AWS.
Saudi fintech Hala acquires UAE paytech Paymennt.com
Maher Loubieh, co-founder of Hala, says Paymennt’s product was a “clear fit” with their own strategy.
UK fintech Deko hires Joseph Tucker as new CFO
Tucker joins from NewDay, which acquired Deko in January 2020.
Dubai’s VARA outlines new virtual asset framework
VARA says the new framework will offer “regulatory certainty”, giving market participants greater clarity.
Confronting confrontation
If you don’t like confrontation, get better at it. So you can at least only have it once and move on.
African ID verification platform Smile Identity nabs $20m Series B
The latest funding round brings Smile Identity’s total capital raised to date to $31 million.
NewDay taps Checkout.com to streamline debit card payments
The partnership, which is already live, gives NewDay access to Checkout.com’s full suite of payment products.
Aussie fintech Shift lands $18m in Series C funding
Shift provides a credit and payments platform for Australian businesses.
New “cross-border neobank” in India: moneyHOP
FinTech Futures sits down for a chat with Mayank Goyal, founder and CEO of moneyHOP.
Dragonfly makes C-level hires as firm expands partnerships and portfolio
Alongside the senior appointments, the firm says it has also expanded its development and product teams.
Digital asset infrastructure provider Taurus lands $65m Series B
Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Pictet Group and Arab Bank Switzerland all participated in the round.
India’s PhonePe nets additional $100m in ongoing fundraise
The new capital infusion follows a $350 million fundraise from General Atlantic last month.
What the FinTech? | S.4 Episode 2 | Space Bank and financial inclusion
In this episode, we’re joined by Nika Kurdiani, deputy CEO at TBC Bank and CEO of Space International.
Laurentian Bank launches new credit card programme with Brim Financial
Laurentian Bank says the new credit card programme will “enhance the overall experience” of its customers.
NatWest Group snaps up UK fintech Cushon for £144m
The acquisition will enable NatWest to offer its commercial customers a suite of financial wellbeing products.
Singapore’s Aspire lands $100m in Series C funding
With the new funding, Aspire plans to build out its product offering and expand its regional presence.
Ex-Plaid exec Keith Grose joins Sequence as COO
Prior to joining Sequence, Grose served as head of UK for Plaid for four years.
Paysafecard CEO Udo Mueller departs firm
Mueller will focus on “helping other companies and entrepreneurial fintech enthusiasts in their growth ambitions”.
Swiss digital asset fintech Scrypt names Marc Wäckerlin as CTO
Most recently, Wäckerlin was CTO and executive director at Swiss crypto bank Sygnum.
Banking Tech Awards 2022 Winner: Updraft – Best Digital Initiative for Lending
Reinventing financial planning and disrupting unsecured lending markets.
Ziglu founder and CEO Mark Hipperson resigns
Hipperson will remain on Ziglu’s board as a part-time non-executive director.
