Start-up


Atom Bank opens doors to all UK customers

There’s nothing better than going all the way. Challenger bank Atom is now fully open for all customers in the UK. Atom initially launched with an “invitation only” phase, but as of today (6 October) anyone can download the Atom App, both in IoS and Android, and open an account. The App is available to […]

Finleap and Mohan launch Burnmark

Berlin-based fintech incubator FinLeap has teamed up with fintech analyst Devie Mohan to launch Burnmark, an independent research company focusing on trends in the financial technology industry. Finleap will support Burnmark with network, knowhow and research capabilities. Mohan works closely with traditional banks, consulting firms, innovation teams, start-up accelerators and investors, advising them on fintech […]

Bank of Lithuania and Revolut team up for payments

Bank of Lithuania, the country’s central bank and regulator, has signed a memorandum of understanding with UK-based payments and fintech start-up Revolut. Revolut intends to set up a financial institution in Lithuania and obtain a banking licence. Bank of Lithuania will provide Revolut with access to its managed payment systems enabling cross-border payments in euro. […]

Avaloq locks on innovation with developer portal launch

Innovation gets more adoration as Avaloq is opening up to developers with a new portal activation. It says freelancers, start-ups, fintechs and banks will be able to innovate jointly using a dedicated online portal. Through this site, the developer community can commercialise technologies and share results within the community and the “entire Avaloq community”, which […]

Singapore polytechnics prep for future fintech opportunities

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and five local polytechnics have teamed up to get students up to speed for fintech jobs of the future. They have agreed to work on a framework to review and improve the polytechnics’ curricula in the next three years to prepare and equip their graduates with the skill sets […]

Innotribe plots rise of new fintech hubs

A decade ago, cities fought to be financial hubs; today they fight to be financial technology (fintech) hubs. While London, New York and Silicon Valley claim strong status as fintech hubs, Sibos has proved that there are plenty of emergent centres snapping at their heels. Innotribe’s Startup Challenge, which brings fintech companies to the attention […]

Sibos 2016: Innotribe Industry Challenge – results

Innotribe’s Industry Challenge – the results of which have been just unveiled – was all about blockchain and disruptive technologies. Three star-ups won the challenge to introduce blockchain to the securities sector: SmartContract, Rise and Coin Sciences.

Turkey’s TEB calls for fintech start-ups

TEB (Türk Ekonomi Bankası) in Turkey has launched a fintech programme and wants the nation’s entrepreneurs and start-ups to get in touch. Why? TEB says: “Because the day will arrive when a technology giant will come from Turkey too.” TEB will provide start-ups with its infrastructure, experience, financial support for their first project, and “even […]

Top fintech stories this week – 23 September 2016

Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place! Harrods Bank in search of new core banking system EXCLUSIVE. The FIS Profile project is dead. Long live a new project! Deutsche Bank GTB builds new payments platform EXCLUSIVE. Dovetail to deliver? Misys unveils Platform-as-a-Service strategy Opens up […]

Attic Lab unveils open source blockchain platform

Ukrainian start-up Attic Lab has revealed its lofty ambitions with the launch of an open source blockchain platform. The banking platform will offer the issuance of e-money and Attic Lab claims it will be a “full-fledged alternative” to systems like Visa and MasterCard. The company was founded in early 2016 with Sergey Vasilchiuk taking the […]

Fintech funding round-up: 21 September 2016

Too many words can be absurd. A round-up of some key events in fintech funding. UK payments start-up Curve has announced a further tranche of fundraising taking its total investment to $5 million. The firm says this puts it on a “trajectory for a sizeable” Series A round by the end of December ahead of […]

Community Savings Bank Association joins UK challenger bank ranks

A new challenger has joined the UK’s banking market, Community Savings Bank Association (CSBA). The association is working with an established bank, Airdrie Savings Bank, to set up a UK-wide network of independent, customer-owned, regional banks. These banks will support local communities and businesses.

Standard Chartered and SuperCharger seeking start-ups for fintech accelerator

Standard Chartered and SuperCharger are inviting applications from start-ups for its SuperCharger Fintech Accelerator 2.0. For the second year running, SuperCharger says it offers access to market entry resources, mentors, technology advice from industry experts and joint venture opportunities. The selection panel is looking for start-ups for supply chain and trade finance, wealth management, distributed […]

Deutsche Bank has an Axel Springer in its step for start-ups

Deutsche Bank is partnering with start-up accelerator Axel Springer Plug and Play to select, develop and finance up-and-coming firms from sectors such as banking and insurance. Deutsche Bank will be an exclusive Axel Springer Plug and Play partner – the latter a joint venture between the media company Axel Springer and California-based Plug and Play […]

Six start-ups speed up on Barclays NY accelerator programme

Six start-ups have signed contracts with Barclays after using its New York accelerator programme to showcase their innovations. After thirteen weeks of product development, mentoring and networking, the demo day in New York marked the culmination of the second class of the Barclays Accelerator. In total. ten teams were selected from a pool of nearly […]

Start-up Clinc unveils Finie, AI personal assistant for mobile banking apps

Fintech start-up Clinc says it has created “the world’s first” open source platform for building artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning-based personal assistants. Clinc calls it “the financial genie” or “Finie”. It is pitched to banks, financial institutions and personal finance managers. The solution was developed by a group of professors at the University of Michigan, […]

Avaloq Community Conference 2016: Lego of the past for fintech innovation

Lessons learned from Lego’s business renaissance could be the way of the future for fintech innovation. At yesterday’s (7 September 2016) Avaloq Community Conference at the Seminarhotel Bocken in Horgen, Switzerland, the private banking software specialist held an open day as it looks to the future. Our first report included an exclusive interview with CEO […]

How emerging banks are changing the banking experience

Consumers and businesses alike will often consider a company’s reputation before entering an agreement with them. After all, why would anyone choose an organisation which has history of letting its customers down, over another with a spotless track record? It’s unsurprising then that once the reputation of traditional banks in the UK was tarnished by […]

Fintech sandbox and innovation hub for Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is planning to launch a regulatory sandbox and innovation hub as part of ambitions to boost its fintech brand. At the Treasury Markets Summit 2016, jointly organised by the HKMA and the Treasury Markets Association (TMA), Norman Chan, chief executive of the HKMA, says it wants to build a […]

LendIt and Capital One launch fintech start-up competition

Lend me your ears… and eyes. LendIt and Capital One are to co-host PitchIt @ LendIt, a competition to “find a future star of the fintech world”. The competition is aimed at firms innovating within the online lending and fintech space. It provides a showcase for eight firms to pitch their business case to a […]

Blockchain payments start-up SnapSwap now an electronic money institution

Luxembourg-based start-up SnapSwap, which offers blockchain-based payments, has received authorisation to operate as an electronic money institution (EMI). The firm says the EMI licence, provided by the Ministry of Finance of Luxembourg, allows it to issue debit cards and other payment instruments linked to Gloneta accounts. The latter combines a mobile messenger (chat) with cross-currency […]

Dassault Systemes launches KYC/AML challenge for start-ups

French software firm Dassault Systemes is inviting start-ups to apply to its “3D Fintech Challenge” to address anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) issues. As part of its overall 3DExperience Lab initiative, the seven-week programme will identify and help nurture six start-ups that can provide systemic warnings and a 360-degree view of customer/support […]

New credit union coming to Isle of Man

A group of volunteers is in the process of setting up a new credit union in the Isle of Man – Manx Credit Union. The Manx Credit Union Working Party has been set up, chaired by David Talbot, a retired accountant. “It is non-political and non-denominational,” the Manx Credit Union website states. The volunteers come from […]

Playing games with Mondo’s name change

Changing your name from Mondo to Monzo does not warrant a news story –  unless a rival challenger bank makes some fun out of it. A trademark dispute with another Mondo entailed the new moniker and much unnecessary fanfare. While Monzo revelled in its new name and ignored media queries, Starling Bank decided to do […]

Fintech funding round-up: 26 August 2016

They said it. We read it. We edit. A round-up of some key events in funding. Singapore-based MC Payment has raised SGD $6 million ($4.5 million) in a Series B round. The funds will be used to “drive market expansion” into Australia and in southeast Asia, as well as “enhance” its product offerings, including Xaavan, […]

Top fintech stories this week – 26 August 2016

Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place! Temenos and BACB go public on core banking software project We knew back in February. Al Hilal Bank’s new CIO looks to collaborate with fintechs Let’s talk. Famous five unsettle Bitcoin with utility settlement coin Arrival of a […]

Innotribe and Innovate Finance launch global hub federation

Innotribe, Swift’s innovation arm, and membership organisation Innovate Finance have launched a Global FinTech Hubs Federation (GFHF) to help foster innovation. To date, more than 20 countries – including Canada, China, Germany, Mexico, Switzerland, and the UK – are participating in the GFHF, with more countries expected to join in the coming months. Lawrence Wintermeyer, […]

Nordea has every idea for start-ups worldwide

Nordea’s Oslo office will welcome 35 start-ups as the bank prepares to assist the firms in fintech innovation. During the week, the best projects (around 20 teams) will be selected to take part in Nordea’s Accelerator programme, which kicks off in the autumn in Stockholm and Helsinki. In total, over 200 companies applied to the […]

Octopus Investments launches Octopus Labs for fintech start-ups

A UK-based investment firm, Octopus Investments, is looking to onboard fintech start-ups for its 12-week accelerator programme with Octopus Labs. “We’re rebuilding financial services,” states Octopus Labs. “The financial services sector is broken. We’re on a mission to rebuild it.” The programme will provide mentoring, office space in central London, plus potential access to Octopus […]

Top fintech stories this week – 19 August 2016

Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place! New core banking project for Temenos in Canada Exclusive. Credit union in British Columbia goes for T24. Swift slow on strong security say execs “Took their eye off the ball.” Volksbank pioneers NCR Innovation Experience Room An “experimental […]

Lunar Way gets new investor and banking partner, Nykredit

Nykredit, Denmark’s largest mortgage provider, has invested in a minority stake in a new mobile banking service, Lunar Way, and has become its banking partner. In two months’ time Nykredit will replace Københavns Andelskasse (Copenhagen Cooperative Bank), the start-up’s initial banking partner. Mark Dissing Bækgaard, head of marketing and communications at Lunar Way, tells Banking […]

New T24 core banking software client for Temenos in Ghana

Ghana-based banking start-up, Sovereign Bank, has implemented Temenos’ T24 core banking system. The project was delivered by a local integrator and Temenos’ regional partner, Global Solutions. Sovereign Bank was among the three entities granted banking licences last year. The other two are Heritage Bank and Union Savings and Loans. Sovereign Bank is a universal bank offering […]

Discovery in core banking system selection mode for new bank

One of South Africa’s largest health insurers, Discovery, is a step closer to selecting a core banking system for its new bank, Banking Technology understands. Discovery went public on its plans to launch a brand new full-service retail bank in South Africa last year. As part of this ambition, it acquired the majority stake in […]

Meridian Credit Union plans to take on top Canadian banks by launching own bank

One of Canada’s ten largest credit unions, Meridian CU, is looking to launch a new digital bank and has applied for a banking licence. “We believe, and our research shows, that there is a clear desire in the marketplace for an innovative digital bank that offers a true full-service alternative to the big banks,” states […]

Thomson Reuters teams with Oddup for start-up rating app

Thomson Reuters has teamed with Oddup to launch a new app that rates fintech start-ups in Asia. The “first of its kind in Asia”, the app is now available on Thomson Reuters’ Eikon App Studio and provides ratings, which Thomson Reuters says enables people to “stay on top” of the growing Asia fintech scene. James […]

UK challenger Mondo looks to fund full bank launch

UK-based challenger Mondo is looking for another £15-20 million in funding as it looks to launch as a “full bank”. Last week, Mondo got its banking licence from the Bank of England. However, Tom Blomfield, CEO at Mondo, say that “authorisation comes with restrictions”. It can only hold a maximum of £50,000 of deposits in […]