Cartoon: Pivot
A new cartoon illustrating how consumer fintechs are having to constantly pivot to find product market fit.
Consumer/Personal Finance
A tale of two worlds
We have a responsibility as an industry to do more to improve financial security and create a more equal society.
US saving and investing app Acorns acquires UK’s GoHenry
Together, both firms will now serve over 6 million customers globally.
India’s PhonePe calls off acquisition of BNPL firm ZestMoney
PhonePe was in talks to acquire ZestMoney for around $200 million to $300 million according to reports.
US fintech funding round-up: StellarFi, Stratyfy, Beam and more
A handy round-up of the recent funding endeavours of fintech companies across the US.
Seattle Bank partners LoanStar for embedded consumer lending solution
Seattle Bank customers can now access loans for high-value transactions directly through merchants.
Pakistan’s latest digital bank HugoBank names Atyab Tahir as CEO
Tahir brings more than 20 years of experience to the newly founded digital bank.
CBDCs – miracle money or new world order?
CBDCs promise much, but their cost when it comes to privacy could be dear.
Apple launches BNPL offering Apple Pay Later in the US
Apple has launched a pre-release version of its BNPL offering to a select number of customers.
Video: N26 at FinovateEurope 2023 – The evolution of AI in banking
We chat with Jean-Pierre Sleimen of N26 about how AI has changed the face of banking.
Metro Bank uses acquisition as a strategy to speed up innovation
A closer look at how Metro Bank has adapted its approach to innovation.
Video: First Direct at FinovateEurope 2023 – The future of open banking
Saira Khan, head of innovation and partnerships at First Direct, discusses what the future might hold for open banking.
UK fintech Sibstar launches to help people with dementia manage their spending
Sibstar has launched in the UK in partnership with Alzheimer’s Society and Mastercard.
Video: CompoSecure at FinovateEurope 2023 – Security and innovation in digital payments
Dr Adam Lowe of CompoSecure discusses how to combat the growing number of cybersecurity threats in digital payments.
JP Morgan to pilot biometric payments in the US
If the pilot is successful, JP Morgan intends for a wider rollout to US merchants in 2024.
Indian lendtech Stashfin secures $100m in debt funding
The latest funding follows the company’s $270 million Series C round held in June last year.
ICYMI fintech funding round-up: Wingspan, Monite, Fundpath and more
A handy round-up of the recent funding endeavours of fintech companies across the globe.
Plend partners GoCardless for variable recurring payments solution
VRPs will allow Plend customers to change their payment schedule to suit their financial circumstances.
The future of banks is not banking…
Defining the future of banks is much more complex now than it has ever been.
Spanish fintech ID Finance lands €30m equity funding
ID Finance claims its fundraise is the biggest received by a Spanish fintech in 2023.
UK fintech Snoop reportedly mulling sale
Sky News reports founder Jayne-Anne Gadhia is in talks to either raise new funds or potentially sell the business.
Singapore’s Kredivo Holdings secures $270m in Series D funding
Japanese banking giant Mizuho Bank led the funding round, contributing $125 million.
Employee financial wellness start-up Rain lands $116m in equity and debt
The total funding is made up of a $66 million Series A equity round and a $50 million debt facility.
Is Southeast Europe fertile ground for digital banking challengers?
While the popularity of neobanks has surged in Western Europe, the Southeast remains relatively free of competition.
Saudi BNPL firm Tamara lands $150m debt facility from Goldman Sachs
The receivables warehouse facility will help Tamara finance the accelerating demand for its flagship BNPL product.
South Africa rolls out PayShap, a new real-time digital payments service
With PayShap, consumers will have access to instant, real-time payments across participating banks.
Loyalty matters… enter embedded banking
Many big brands are now looking at embedded banking as a way to boost customer loyalty.
UK Spring Budget 2023: the fintech sector reacts
FinTech Futures hears from UK business leaders on how the Spring Budget impacts the fintech sector.
Consumer finance firm JIVF taps OpenWay for credit products platform
This is the first OpenWay installation of its Way4 platform on Oracle Cloud in Southeast Asia.
What the FinTech? | S.4 Episode 4 | The rise of CBDCs
In this episode of the podcast, we’re joined by Nicholas Soo of HSBC to discuss the future of CBDCs.
US fintech Credit Karma launches new Net Worth product
Credit Karma’s users will be given a full picture of their financial status to help them plan their future.
FinTech Futures: Top five stories of the week – 10 March 2023
Here’s our pick of five of the top news stories from the world of finance and tech this week.
UK fintech Railsr sold to consortium of VC firms
The consortium consists of D Squared Capital, Moneta VC and Ventura Capital.
US neobank HMBradley picks Thought Machine for core banking tech
HMBradley will utilise the vendor’s cloud-native core banking platform Vault Core to power its services.
UAE’s Mashreq Bank taps i2c for digital payment capabilities
Through the partnership, Mashreq will leverage i2c’s SaaS platform to offer digital payments.
US student debt fintech Candidly raises $20.5m in Series B funding
The funding round was led by Altos Ventures, with existing investor Cercano Management also participating.
UK lender Abound secures £500m in equity and debt financing
The company plans to grow its loan book and boost its staff headcount.
Budgeting app Buddy taps Klarna Kosma for automatic expense tracking
The partnership has resulted in 52% more monthly active users for Buddy, Klarna Kosma says.
The B-word
I have never known a technology to divide opinion as much as blockchain.
Aussie BNPL firm Zip reportedly set to retreat from 10 international markets
Zip expects “significant” amounts of cash to roll in due to these exits, with positive cashflow expected by 2024.
