May 22, 2024 @ 10:45 am By JD Alois  |  

This past week, the California state legislature approved an Artificial Intelligence (AI) bill, SB 1047 that is being described as undermining innovation and hampering the development of the new technology. Joe Lonsdale, founder of Palantir (NYSE:PLTR) – a firm engaged in AI development, slammed the… Read More

May 22, 2024 @ 9:24 am By JD Alois  |  

Today, the UK Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has decided that cards do not face effective competition. The PSR states that it has “provisionally” determined there is not enough competition in the supply of scheme and processing services to acquirers. Additionally, pricing is complicated, having risen… Read More

May 22, 2024 @ 9:01 am By JD Alois  |  

Experian (LSE:EXP) has made a strategic investment in Reward. According to a release, the investment strengthens the current commercial relationship between the two firms. The terms of the investment were not provided. Experian said that the partnership will focus on leveraging Experian’s data and audience… Read More

May 21, 2024 @ 7:05 pm By JD Alois  |  

Synapse, a Banking as a Service (BaaS) provider labeled in 2023 as one of the World’s Best Fintech Companies by CNBC, is in the throes of bankruptcy. In just a few short months, things have changed dramatically at Synapse it seems. It has been reported… Read More

May 21, 2024 @ 5:32 pm By JD Alois  |  

CI reported earlier this week that Mainvest, a FINRA-regulated funding portal, is winding down operations. In an email, a spokesperson for the company provided additional insight into the unfortunate outcome. CI noted that Mainvest was one of many companies that have been impacted by the… Read More

May 21, 2024 @ 10:06 am By JD Alois  |  

Deutsche Bank is providing Capchase with a €105 million credit facility. Capchase is a “revenue acceleration firm” for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies. According to Capchase, the financing contributes to the more than $1 billion in combined debt and equity financing it has received since its founding… Read More

May 21, 2024 @ 9:46 am By JD Alois  |  

Fintech SumUp says it has launched direct debits for UK merchants. According to a company statement the service is now available for merchants that have a Business Account with SumUp. The SumIUp Business Account is managed via smartphone and enables merchants to spend, save, and… Read More

May 21, 2024 @ 9:35 am By JD Alois  |  

The British Business Bank has posted new data for the third iteration of its Recovery Loan Scheme, which allows smaller firms to raise up to £2 million. Businesses can use the loans for any purpose, including cashflow management, investment, and growth. The terms of the… Read More

May 20, 2024 @ 5:41 pm By JD Alois  |  

Mainvest, a FINRA-regulated funding portal, is ceasing operations. According to the platform’s website, the firm has raised over $30 million for issuers since its inception. A pop-up on the Mainvest website also states that payment processing is currenlty unavailable: “Due to the ongoing dispute between… Read More

May 20, 2024 @ 5:18 pm By JD Alois  |  

Following a highly critical independent review and calls for his registration, FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg has decided to resign from the agency. Rumblings about poor management at the regulatory agency have been rife for some time now. Gruenberg issued the following statement: “It has been my… Read More

May 20, 2024 @ 5:01 pm By JD Alois  |  

Recently, CI covered the rise in venture capital money going into digital assets. There has been renewed interest in risk capital going into crypto firms. In Q1 2024, crypto startups experienced an increase of 40.3% increase in venture funding and a 44.7% jump in deal… Read More

May 20, 2024 @ 11:09 am By JD Alois  |  

The Crowdfunding Professional Association (CfPA) has issued a Policy Platform containing eighteen recommendations for the investment crowdfunding industry. The CfPA believes the recommendations will help to fuel the growth of online capital formation using the Reg CF securities exemption. Brian Christie, the 2024 President of… Read More

May 20, 2024 @ 10:53 am By JD Alois  |  

The UK government has announced that the AI Safety Institute will open an office in San Francisco. This is said to be the first overseas office in San Francisco and is described as a “pivotal step” that will help the UK engage with the emerging… Read More

May 17, 2024 @ 12:25 pm By JD Alois  |  

WatchHouse, a specialty coffee shop that aims to top entrenched players, has raised over £7.189 million on Crowdcube. This is the second funding round on the crowdfunding platform. WatchHouse previously raised over £2.8 million in 2022; thus, the total in online funding now surpasses £10… Read More

May 17, 2024 @ 10:06 am By JD Alois  |  

io.finnet has launched a new digital asset custody solution catering to institutions. The company says that “”io.vault” has signed up several institutional players including Ibanera and Evo Exchange. io.vault aims to support clients in the OTC sector, DeFi platforms, crypto exchanges, active trading funds, and… Read More

May 16, 2024 @ 6:33 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced it is looking for candidates for the  Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee (SBCFAC). The SBCFAC crafts recommendations to submit to the Commission advocating on behalf of smaller firms in need of capital. This includes feedback on… Read More

May 16, 2024 @ 2:34 pm By JD Alois  |  

Following approval in the House earlier this month, the US Senate has voted on and approved HJ Res. 109, which overturns the SEC’s Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) 121 under the Congressional Review Act (CRA). When the House approved the resolution. Chairman of the House Financial… Read More

May 16, 2024 @ 11:15 am By JD Alois  |  

The US Supreme Court has published its opinion on Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) v. Community Financial Services Association of America (CFSA), affirming the constitutionality of the agency’s funding mechanism. The decision was 7-2. Justice Alito wrote the dissenting opinion. Justice Gorsuch joined in dissenting…. Read More

May 16, 2024 @ 10:34 am By JD Alois  |  

SeedBlink, a European securities crowdfunding platform, says it is pursuing the third edition of its Tech Investor Academy (TIA) for Bulgarian and European investors. Starting on June 10th, the educational project aims to help investors better utilize their money by teaching portfolio optimization, legal frameworks,… Read More

May 16, 2024 @ 9:38 am By JD Alois  |  

The Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) in France is telling investors to “exercise the utmost vigilance with regard to proposal investments made to the public residing in France by the digital asset trading platform BYBIT.” BYBIT operates elsewhere, including in Dubai where it received a… Read More