Mobile-only bank Pepper now live
Israel’s Bank Leumi has launched its new digital banking subsidiary, Pepper.
Innovation
The rise of Islamic fintech, global opportunities for Bahrain
In its recent survey of the Islamic finance industry, S&P estimated that the sector’s total assets have now reached just over $2 trillion. Given that the modern version of Islamic finance is only decades old, this represents exceptional growth over a comparatively short period of time.
Money20/20 Europe: let AI negotiate
Are trends eclectic for artificial intelligence (AI)? Perhaps not as the fintech world is getting more imaginative and calling for the machines to negotiate on behalf of less-than-objective humans. At this morning’s (26 June) sessions at Money20/20 in Copenhagen, the themes of AI use cases in financial services and fraud were discussed.
mBank moves into fintech vendor space with new digital banking system
Poland-based mBank has started to license its mobile and online banking system to other financial institutions outside Poland. The first taker is La Banque Postale (LBP) in France. The implementation will be carried out with the help of Accenture, mBank’s “strategic partner”. Alice Holzman, director of digital at LBP and lead of the bank’s New […]
Insurtech firm Clark and N26 launch digital insurance service
Clark, a German insurance robo-advisor, has inked a deal with mobile bank N26. Clark says its Bancassurance-API will help customers of N26 “to better understand their current tariffs and improve their insurance situation”.
Venmo tests physical debit card
Venmo is planning to introduce a physical debit card to supplement its payments app.
Canadian robo-advisor Wealthsimple arrives in UK
Wealthsimple, a Canada-based online investment management service, is coming to the UK.
Japan and Australia regulators to co-operate on fintech
The Financial Services Agency of Japan (JFSA) and Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) will work together to promote innovation in financial services in Japan and Australia. Both have completed a framework and they will share information and support the entry of fintech firms into each other’s markets. ASIC says this framework will “help open […]
Fintech funding round-up: 23 June 2017
For the third day in a row we present a fintech funding round-up. The previous two were here and here. Our latest report features Blockchain, Julia Computing and Mswipe Technologies. We’ll begin with a confusing company name. Blockchain (yes, really), a UK-based software platform, has raised a Series B of $40 million with Lakestar and […]
Top fintech stories this week – 23 June 2017
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
Workup a fintech sweat with Isbank’s start-up programme
Turkey’s largest private bank, Isbank, has unveiled its entrepreneurship programme for fintech start-ups in the country. Since forming an innovation team within its Digital Banking Unit, the bank says it has become “much closer” to tech entrepreneurs in the republic. The innovation team is working remotely at Kolektif House Levent (a co-working space for Turkish […]
FinTech Australia releases fintech ecosystem map
Industry body FinTech Australia has released its first member ecosystem map, to show the nation’s “strengths and diversity”, particularly in wealth generation and lending. The map (see image below) lists 119 members of FinTech Australia, along with the nation’s key financial services regulators. Danielle Szetho, FinTech Australia CEO, says: “The broad range, depth and quality […]
Fintech funding round-up: 22 June 2017
It was only yesterday we did a fintech funding round-up. But as there’s a mad dash for cash, here’s another one. Features Digital Financial Services Lab, TrueLayer and Enterprise Ireland. Digital Financial Services Lab (DFS Lab) will invest $250,000 in four separate fintech start-ups that are building products to help low-income consumers in developing markets. […]
Commercial banks join the retail revolution: three reasons to consider transformation
Long-term growth will require the commercial banking industry to embrace digital transformation in a way that benefits the institutions’ stakeholder base and satisfies the needs of its end-user clients. And here are three reasons why a commercial bank should consider transformation.
Case study: Valley National Bank – cloud atlas
Valley National Bank, a $23 billion regional bank holding company headquartered in northern New Jersey, is undertaking a widespread technology refresh to improve customer experience and profitability.
How banks can beat the fintech threat – Capgemini’s 2017 World Retail Banking Report
Facing disruption from fintech providers, traditional banks must embrace APIs and the open-source model to avoid losing their place at the centre of consumers’ financial lives, a new report warns.
Mastercard launches competition for African financial inclusion
The Mastercard Foundation Fund for Rural Prosperity (FRP) has launched a new competition to find financial products and services that improve the lives of poor people in rural areas of Africa. The 2017 competition will follow a rolling format and will be open throughout the year with applications submitted and evaluated periodically. The first submission […]
Softbank ups investment in security AI firm Cybereason
Softbank has upped its investment in security firm Cybereason, as the focus on artificial intelligence (AI) continues.
Morgan Stanley drives diversity with innovation lab launch
Morgan Stanley has unveiled an innovation lab with the aim of promoting diversity top of the agenda. According to the Financial Times, which has seen an application form, a four-month programme will begin in July and end in a symposium that will “expose companies to potential investors through showcase presentations”. The FT says any start-up […]
Money’s the honey for Swift global payments innovation challenge
Swift is offering funding of up to €200,000 for the two winning fintech finalists of its industry challenge to develop new overlay services that use its global payments innovation (gpi) platform. The winners will work with banks on collaborative concepts that solve additional industry challenges in cross-border payments on top of gpi. As reported previously, […]
Colu launches local digital currency for London
Colu, a blockchain-powered platform provider, has unveiled its second currency in the UK – the “Local Pound, East London”. The firm’s idea is to provide people in East London with a digital, localised currency and so create a “closed-loop economy”. It uses Colu’s digital wallet app, and individuals can pay from a smartphone. It is […]
Bank to the future: five ways financial apps are changing banking
Less than half a year from now, PSD2 will revolutionise consumers’ access to their own financial information. In fintech hubs across Europe, bright young people are planning a consumer revolution. Their financial apps and tools are helping customers manage their money far more easily than they have before. Here are five important ways in which they are changing the face of banking.
Avoka wins ATB Financial’s innovation challenge
Australia-based digital banking software vendor Avoka has won ATB Financial’s Customer Onboarding Global Innovation Challenge. As reported in March, ATB joined forces with KPMG in Canada and fintech matchmaking firm Matchi to run the event. In fact, in May, KPMG acquired Matchi. The pair had worked together since 2015, so the deal “cements” their relationship. […]
BBVA taps into biometrics with new firm Veridas
BBVA and start-up Das-Nano have formed Veridas, a new firm specialising in biometrics for client identification and authentication systems. Veridas, which will be directed by Eduardo Azanza, who is also co-founder of Das-Nano, will research and develop software for the digital verification and authentication of personal identity, through facial, voice, image or document recognition, or […]
Who is the greatest fintech leader of 2017?
This year’s Banking Technology Awards are taking place on 13 December in London and once again we will be recognising individuals for leading and playing an instrumental role in devising and/or delivering the technology strategy to support the key business objectives of an organisation. The Tech Leadership Award category is open to all industry participants worldwide – those […]
PSD2 meets ISO 20022
How will service providers and banks implement ISO 20022 in the APIs being created for PSD2?
Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up: 19 June 2017
Don’t let the blocks cause you too much mental blockage. Our latest blockchain and Bitcoin round-up keeps it ultra-brief. Featuring Ayondo, XBT Provider, Xapo and the European Commission. Financial services firm Ayondo has expanded its product portfolio with the launch of Bitcoin trading, offering access to price movement without the need to open an e-wallet […]
The Monday mindset: 19 June 2017
Fintech zeitgeist! Every Monday, we might look back at last week; look ahead to this week; share a few thoughts (our own or others); or discuss anything that catches our eye. This week, Anita Liu Harvey, VP for strategy and innovation at Barclaycard, fires us in the direction of “the magic bullets of future retail”. […]
Natixis Asset Management to test blockchain with FundsDLT
Natixis Asset Management has started testing the FundsDLT blockchain-powered platform for fund managers. The FundsDLT concept, announced last December in Luxembourg, is a collaboration between Fundsquare, IT firm InTech and KPMG Luxembourg. The platform will enable asset managers to sell funds through a new distribution channel, while doing all the other usual blockchain stuff – […]
Where top European banks are investing in fintech – CB Insights
European banks are placing strategic bets in areas ranging from wealth management, lending, payments, regulatory technology, software, and blockchain. Which banks were the most active and what did they invest in?
Spain’s first fully digital bank Openbank in major transformation
Openbank, a subsidiary of Spain’s banking giant Santander, has undergone an enterprise-wide overhaul, from products and services, to technology, to corporate culture, to new branding.
Blockchain fuels IBM and Standard Chartered insurance policy pilot
American International Group (AIG), IBM and Standard Chartered have piloted the “first” multinational, smart contract based insurance policy using blockchain. The trio converted a controlled master policy written in the UK, and three local policies in the US, Singapore and Kenya, into a smart contract that provides a shared view of policy data and documentation […]
Voice is a natural step in the technology evolution – Amazon
If there is any doubt in which direction the technology world will head next, its being brushed aside by Amazon Web Services (AWS); voice is the natural progression. Telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication) reports. Speaking at TechXLR8 in London, David Low, “principal evangelist” at Amazon Alexa EU, highlighted that the voice user interface will be […]
Top fintech stories this week – 16 June 2017
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
Banking Technology Awards 2017 now open for entry!
Know any innovative products, inspirational projects, skilled teams or visionary leaders that deserve a special recognistion this year? Nominate them for a Banking Technology Award!
UK regulator reveals second wave of sandbox start-ups
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has unveiled the second wave of firms that have made it into its regulatory sandbox. As reported in 2015, the sandbox allows businesses to test out new products and services without “incurring the normal regulatory consequences”. The move is part of the FCA’s Project Innovate, which aims to boost […]
Singapore’s diamond trading takes a shine to blockchain
Singapore Diamond Investment Exchange (SDiX) has teamed with Kynetix and Everledger to trial the “first-ever” blockchain verification and record-keeping service for diamond trading. SDiX, Kynetix, a physical commodity digitisation firm, and Everledger, a supplier of blockchain and distributed ledger (DLT) infrastructure, have completed the first part of their proof of concept. The technology is designed […]
Fintech outside London – part 3
Our tour of the UK fintech scene concludes in this third instalment of the report. We started from the south of the country, then travelled west and are now travelling through the northern England and Scotland.
Why getting ready for real-time is a priority for Rabobank
When it comes to payments, the Netherlands, like its Scandinavian neighbours, is certainly one of the most advanced countries in the world. Banks and retailers have been working together for many years in an effort to decrease the amount of cash in circulation, working instead towards a “cleaner” and “safer” cashless environment.
European Banking Federation wants fintech at overclock speed
Responding to the European Union (EU) consultation on fintech, the European Banking Federation (EBF) wants the creation of an inclusive ecosystem and asks for people to get on with it. Earlier this year, the EC called for feedback and said it wanted to prise open national barriers as only 7% of consumers currently buy financial […]
