BondIT raises $4m in new funding
BondIt’s Series B round led by major investor Fosun Group.
Middle East
Bahrain Benefit-s from national payment system
Bahrain’s Electronic Network For Financial Transactions seeks unity.
Tel Aviv Stock Exchange plans blockchain securities lending platform
TASE is working with Accenture and The Floor. Platform powered by Intel.
KFH Bahrain launches digital platform Jazeel
“Great” news from Manama.
Crowdfunding platform OurCrowd surpasses $1bn AUM
Equity crowdfunding platform OurCrowd has reached a major milestone.
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.
Bank of Jordan puts core banking tech in Oracle cloud
First bank in the Middle East to deploy its core tech in Oracle cloud.
Arvato Financial Solutions invests $8m in SecuredTouch
Bringing the company’s total funding to $11.5 million.
UAE and China to create new “Belt and Road” exchange
It will serve as a key international capital-raising platform for Chinese firms.
Checkout first PSP to accept payments via Saudi Arabia’s domestic network
Mada’s got it made in the Kingdom.
Plug and Play ADGM finds its way to Abu Dhabi
Middle East welcomes innovation platform.
Emirates NBD goes blockchain for its “Cheque Chain”
Integrates blockchain technology into bank-issued cheques.
MetLife EMEA calls for insurtech start-ups
Prize is a $100,000 contract to develop and pilot solutions with the insurance firm.
Broadridge acquires Israeli digital tech firm ActivePath
To strengthen its governance and communications businesses.
Predictive analytics firm Endor raises $45m in ICO
Israeli firm combines computing and MIT-developed proprietary social physics.
Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company live on TCS Bancs core system
TCS says this is the “first of its nature deployment in the Middle East region”.
First Abu Dhabi Bank deploys Fircosoft global sanctions screening tech
First Abu Dhabi Bank is “setting the standard for financial crime compliance in the Middle East”.
Riyad Bank launches Saudi Arabia’s first contactless payment wristband
Riyad Bank has teamed up with Gemalto for Saudi Arabia’s first range of contactless payment wristbands.
Saradar Bank live with Temenos’ T24 core banking system
Saradar Bank in a “big bang” go-live with new core banking tech.
Oman’s Bank Muscat refreshes on TCS Bancs core system
System will be used for its fund and investment operations.
Al Jazeera Finance live with new core banking system, Ethix from ITS
Path Solutions’ iMAL out, ITS’s Ethix core banking system in, at Al Jazeera Finance in Qatar.
Kuwait Finance House Bahrain revamps online banking tech
KFHB has implemented a new online banking system, Ethix-Net, supplied by International Turnkey Systems (ITS).
Mashreq Bank harnesses Blue Prism digital workforce
Blue Prism integrates AI and automates dozens of processes across various business functions.
Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority pilots Ripple payments
SAMA like it hot for blockchain-powered payments.
SGBL turns to Backbase for digital banking revamp
Lebanon-based Société Générale de Banque au Liban makes its choice.
Fintech funding round-up: 13 February 2018
From India via Israel to Finland – starring MoneyOnMobile, Tipalti and Zervant.
SunTec inks two VAT tech deals with UAE banks
Finance House and Union National Bank sign up for flagship Xelerate platform.
Ripple fuels UAE Exchange’s cross-border payments
Via the deal, UAE Exchange joins RippleNet, its enterprise blockchain network.
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.
New go-lives and clients for core banking tech vendor BML Istisharat
BLC Bank has ousted Ambit Treasury Management in favour of BML Istisharat’s ICBS.
ADGM heads e-KYC utility project in UAE
Abu Dhabi Global Market has started the development of an electronic know your customer utility.
Saudi Arabia to build new testing and certification scheme for payments
FIME to develop a bespoke cloud-based testing platform and certification process.
Growth, wealth and modernisation drive fintech innovation in MENA region
An interesting place to be a bank or a fintech!
Payoneer partners with Waze to power local payments
Currently available in Texas, California and Israel.
Sharjah Islamic Bank implements SunTec’s Xelerate for VAT
SunTec will facilitate in computing and invoicing of the new Value Added Tax (VAT) for SIB in the Gulf region.
Al Hilal Bank selects SunTec to sidestep VAT law splat
Will use Xelerate solution for the management of the newly introduced Value Added Tax (VAT) regime.
Central Bank of Bahrain’s fintech sandbox heats up
Welcomes three new faces – investment service Wahed, BitArabia and online Bitcoin exchange Belfrics.
Crealogix moves on Middle East with Innofis acquisition
Swiss firm buys 100% of Innofis – a digital banking supplier for the Middle East.
Jordan Ahli Bank launches chatbot service, ahli bot
The first bank in Jordan to introduce a chatbot service. It is currently in beta version.
ACI Worldwide and HyperPay partner to fight fraud in MENA
The two companies will offer integrated, real-time fraud prevention solutions for e-commerce payments for merchants in MENA.
