Digital


Google bids for AI leadership with new Pixel 2 smartphone

Internet giant Google’s big gadget unveil is all about positioning itself for the artificial intelligence (AI) era, not becoming an iPhone killer, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology’s sister publication). The flagship product is the Pixel 2 – a product so important for Google that it blew a billion bucks on beefing up its R&D team. As […]

Poland’s Bank Millennium unveils Visa tokenisation

Warsaw-based Bank Millennium has launched “Europe’s first issuer wallet” using Visa tokenisation – so its customers can use the mobile app to create a virtual equivalent of their card. The bank says virtualising the card and using the service is free of charge, and cardholders can pay with their phone via HCE (host card emulation). […]

Interview: Vijay Oddiraju, Volante Technologies

In an exclusive interview with Vijay Oddiraju, co-founder and CEO of payments processing software provider Volante Technologies, speaks on the topics of agility, automation and how the ambitious company intends to prosper in the fast moving and competitive world of payments.

Starling Bank Expands with Business Accounts

The competition to serve the financial needs of small businesses is heating up in the U.K., where consumer banking challenger Starling Bank is expanding into the business market,

Mashreq launches Neo digital bank for millennials

Dubai-based Mashreq has confirmed its future as a branchless bank, with the launch of its digital entity Mashreq Neo. As reported in May, Mashreq was mulling the branchless route in a speech by CEO Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair at its 50th anniversary ceremony. At that time, Banking Technology expected this to be a digital bank […]

Falcon plans to feather more nests with new digital platform

Zurich-based Falcon Private Bank has unveiled a new digital platform, Falcon Pulse, as it looks to boost its ambitions in wealth management. Main features will include an algo trader that daily rebalances a portfolio’s asset allocation to “optimise” performance as well as an idea generating tool that will screen market information to offer the “best […]

Cloudy with a chance of Microsoft for TSB’s digital banking

TSB has selected Microsoft 365 Enterprise and Dynamics 365 cloud solution as part of its digital banking revamp for its eight corporate centres and 550 branches. Microsoft 365 integrates Office 365, Windows 10, and Enterprise Mobility + Security into a solution to help the bank’s 8,500 employees. Dynamics 365 delivers a cloud-based suite of applications […]

What does the new iPhone X mean for mobile banking?

Mobile banking is nothing without mobiles, and as Apple leads the way in innovation it provides opportunities for banks to do things differently too. So, with the launch of the iPhone X, what is next for mobile banking in a world that can’t get enough of phone upgrades?

Evry in five-year, $18.7m card deal with Aktia Bank

Norway-based banking tech vendor Evry will provide Finland’s Aktia Bank with the “entire value chain for card payments”, including virtual debit and credit cards for the bank’s digital proposition, Aktia Wallet.

Banco Santander makes Mioti move for IoT education

Banco Santander, through Santander Universities and Fundación Universia, will work with internet of things (IoT) institute Mioti to provide training grants and courses in the growing IoT sector. Madrid-based Mioti, “the first 100% IoT institute in Spain”, is a place for companies, entrepreneurs and start-ups to develop their ideas. Banco Santander becomes one of four […]

Banking Technology October 2017 issue out now

Oh brave new world! Where transparency reigns. The latest edition of our flagship magazine – Banking Technology – is out now, packed with news, analysis and insights, case studies, research and expert commentary.

Prime Tyme for South Africa’s newest bank

TymeDigital, a South African online money transfer business bought by Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) two years ago, has been granted a banking licence. The first licence issued to a new bank by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) since 1999. TymeDigital will enter a retail banking market dominated by South Africa’s five biggest banks: […]

Rodney C. Adkins Joins PayPal’s Board of Directors

PayPal has welcomed Rodney C. Adkins to its board of directors. Adkins is president of 3RAM Group LLC, a privately held company specializing in capital investments, business consulting services and property management.

HSBC and friends team up for integrated SME accounting

HSBC is expanding its existing bank feed services with the launch of a new online tool that enables SMEs to establish a data feed from their bank account to their accounting software. Its customers can now connect their bank accounts to their choice of accounting package – namely Xero, Sage and Intuit. Nadya Hijazi, global […]

Swych seals Series A funding

Digital gifting platform Swych has closed its Series A round with a “major strategic capital investment” from UAE Exchange Group. The amount of the investment was undisclosed, reports David Penn at Finovate (Banking Technology‘s sister company). “Swych’s global gifting technology and vision fits well with our strategy to foster purpose-based money transfers,” UAE Exchange Group […]

White paper: From traditional bank to marketplace bank

Many industries have already been technologically disrupted. Financial services and banking won’t be any different. New digital banking platforms will emerge with an automated, compliant core and a connection layer for all kinds of third party services to tap into. This is API banking, or marketplace banking.

First Tech Credit Union Goes Live with Zelle

First Tech Federal Credit Union announced that the Zelle P2P service is live in its mobile banking app, enabling payments for more than 110,000 First Tech mobile banking members.

Japanese regulator and banks plan shared ID system on blockchain

The Financial Services Agency of Japan and some of the nation’s banks are planning to develop a shared identification system on blockchain. According to the Nikkei Asian Review, consumers will be able to open accounts at multiple banks and financial houses without having to re-enter personal information. The first step will see an administrative body […]

Big banks back Canada’s $150m digital ID system

Canada’s big banks have joined the charge for a CA$185 million ($150 million) digital identity supercluster bid that plans to solve the identification challenges of the digital economy. According to IT World Canada, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Bank of Montreal, Scotiabank, CIBC, TD Bank and National Bank of Canada – are on board, along […]

Cashplus Expands with £30 Million Debt Facilities Led by RBS

Cashplus, a London-based alternative financial services provider—and Top 5 Best Challenger Bank—has announced two new, three-year funding arrangements totaling £30 million (US$40.52 million). The company will use the credit to expand its lending products for SMEs.

Banks going Kodak

When was the last time you visited a bank branch? While the rise of the internet, banking shifted the customer interaction from the branch to the web, the business was still owned and run end-to-end by the bank and at lower cost. For a few years now, the landscape has altered significantly bringing Kodak to […]

American private equity firm makes $5.3bn offer for Nets

In response to media speculation, Nordic payments processor Nets has confirmed that it has received a DKK 33.1 billion ($5.3 billion) takeover offer. Evergood 5, a newly formed firm controlled by funds managed and advised by American private equity firm Hellman & Friedman, has made a recommended voluntary takeover offer to acquire Nets – offering […]

Europe’s top venture capital investors by country – CB Insights

CB Insights has mapped the top venture capital (VC) investors in Europe by country, based on number of portfolio companies the investor had backed. The research company analysed the most active investors in the last five years (2012-2017), including VCs, corporate VCs, growth equity firms and super angels.

AutoGravity teams up with Hyundai Capital America

Thanks to a new partnership between AutoGravity and Hyundai Capital America, California car buyers using AutoGravity have new financing options when looking to buy a Hyundai, Kia or Genesis vehicle.

How millennials are shaping the future of payments

For the millennial generation, paying for a latte using a contactless card, transferring money to a family member or friend online or buying a pair of trainers with “one click” has become the norm. This generation has not only shaped and driven the payments revolution, but is also playing an active role in developing a lot of the payment technologies emerging today.

Starling Bank seeks £40m funding for overseas expansion

UK-based challenger bank Starling is asking its investors for another £40 million in funding as it looks to grow its business overseas, according to Sky News. Sky News says it understands that Starling, which got its banking licence last year, has appointed Quayle Munro, an advisory firm, to oversee the fundraising. As reported by Banking […]

FinovateFall 2017: a look back at the four-day flow

Adding a pair of discussion days to Finovate’s traditional demo days format, has made it that much easier for FinovateFall attendees to answer the question perennial post-conference question: “So. What did you think?”