General News

May 9, 2017 @ 8:07 am By Erin Hobey  |  

One billion dollars. MobiKwik is set to raise funds from investors including BlackRock Inc. which will value the innovative Indian Fintech company at about $1 billion, according to Bloomberg. Headquartered in Gurgaon, MobiKwik offers a mobile phone based payment system. Customers add money to an online wallet that… Read More

May 9, 2017 @ 7:47 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Singapore-based Senjō Group, a leading privately-held payments platform operator and active Fintech investor, has successfully secured a Payment Institution (PI) license in Lithuania, according to news services. The company received permission from the Bank of Lithuania to acquire Lithuanian payment institution Finolita Unio, thereby gaining access to… Read More

May 9, 2017 @ 7:27 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Growth Street, an alternative business finance platform, has launched its free “How to Improve Cash Flow” tool. Designed for SME owners, the tool aims to understand the ‘pain points’ for UK SMEs when cash flow becomes an issue while providing insight about how to tackle these cash flow challenges. “We want… Read More

May 8, 2017 @ 3:56 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Online loan marketplace, LendingTree (NASDAQ: TREE), announced on Friday the top customer-rated lenders by loan product for 2017’s first quarter. According to the platform, the list features top lenders in multiple loan product categories, which includes mortgages, personal loans, business loans, and auto loans. Speaking… Read More

May 8, 2017 @ 10:19 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Reporting and analytics fintech platform dv01 announced on Monday it has formed a reporting partnership with peer-to-peer lending platform SoFi. According to dv01, this new partnership will allow institutional investors, who use dv01 to conduct analysis on consumer loans and bonds, access to all SoFi securitizations,… Read More

May 8, 2017 @ 9:24 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Monkey Beer’s glass is more than half full, its nearly 80% full. Founded in Toledo in 2014,  artisanal brewer Monkey Beer was recognized by WBCHALLENGER in 2016 as one of the best breweries in the world.  The craft beer brand has sold more than 200,000 pints in 2016 and… Read More

May 8, 2017 @ 8:21 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Last week Financial Innovation Now (FIN), an alliance of companies which includes Fintech behemoths innovator Amazon, Apple, Google, Intuit and PayPal, spoke out against language used in the Financial CHOICE Act that would repeal debit swipe fee reform. In a letter penned by FIN Executive Director Brian… Read More

May 8, 2017 @ 7:50 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Innovate Finance announced on Monday it has appointed Natalie Ceeney as Non-Executive Chair, taking over from Alastair Lukies. According to the organization, Ceeney has extensive senior leadership experience across a range of sectors, including her time as the CEO of the UK’s Financial Ombudsman.  She previously held three… Read More

May 8, 2017 @ 7:32 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

CEO and co-founder of Seedrs, Jeff Lynn, announced on Monday the UK-based equity crowdfunding platform is set to launch its second market this upcoming summer. According to Lynn, the new market will enable investors who have shares held under the Seedrs nominee to buy and… Read More

May 8, 2017 @ 12:01 am By Erin Hobey  |  

The growth prospects of SMEs are being potentially stalled due to late payments, according to new research of over 1,000 SMEs commissioned by Crossflow Payments, the Fintech platform delivering supply chain finance solutions. “Brexit is increasing the issue of late payments and reducing investment by… Read More

May 7, 2017 @ 10:04 pm By JD Alois  |  

Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary, also known as “Mr. Wonderful” to some, is a fan of Fintech. O’Leary is sharing the love by delivering the Keynote address at the upcoming Benzinga Fintech Awards scheduled to take place this coming Thursday in New York City (May… Read More

May 7, 2017 @ 12:11 pm By Jonathan Nieh  |  

On May 3, 2017, the SEC released its proposed amendments to the Investment Advisers Act (the Advisers Act) to reflect changes made under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (the FAST Act). The FAST Act, which was passed in 2015, amended sections 203(l) and 203(m) of… Read More

May 6, 2017 @ 10:24 am By JD Alois  |  

  A couple of weeks back we received a tip from a CI reader informing us that the InGen Dynamics Aido Robot offer had been unceremoniously yanked from equity crowdfunding platform, StartEngine. Not a good sign. StartEngine is perhaps best known for crowdfunding Elio Motors… Read More

May 5, 2017 @ 4:16 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

In an effort to continue its creative development in virtual reality (VR), Kickstarter success Oculus announced it was shutting down its Story Studio. According to the company, Story Studio has created a series of VR shorts, which includes Lost, Henry, and Sea Angelica. Sharing details… Read More

May 5, 2017 @ 2:53 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

On Friday, crowdfunding platform Crowd2Fund announced the launch of its new venture debt product, which is targeted towards early stage businesses that have a short term requirement to access cash to facilitate growth. The funding portal noted that the interest rates for the product’s loans range from… Read More

May 5, 2017 @ 1:40 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

China’s Ping An Insurance Group announced on announced on Thursday it has appointed former Citi Global Head of Retail Banking, Jonathan Larsen, as the new Chief Innovation Officer and CEO of Ping An Global Voyager Fund, a new $1 billion fund dedicated to fintech and healthtech…. Read More

May 5, 2017 @ 12:49 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF), will release their anticipated Americas Alternative Finance Survey at an event hosted by CME Group on May 25.  The data is anticipated to definitively reveal the status and growth of… Read More

May 5, 2017 @ 9:54 am By Erin Hobey  |  

The multi-award winning Morpher Helmet has synced with Seedrs for its crowdfunding campaign for 11.75% equity offered has surpassed the £529,500 mark with the help of more than 285 investors toward its £600,003 target. Invented to make cycling safety easier for everyone, Morpher folds flat and fits into a small bag… Read More

May 5, 2017 @ 9:30 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Hot off the press! UK crowdfunding platform Downing Crowd quickly raised £2.5 million for the redevelopment of a historic pub in Berkshire owned by Oakman Property Ltd. Specific details are not yet available, apart from yesterday’s release. Downing Crowd is part of Downing LLP, an FCA authorized and… Read More

May 5, 2017 @ 8:47 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Kickstarter alums Jesse Reed and Hamish Smyth have tapped again into again with their third Kickstarter campaign. Their timely reissuing of design firm Chermayeff & Geismar’s 1977 US EPA Graphic Standards System has garnered over $128,900 from more than 1,498 backers with 21 days remaining on the campaign.  The former… Read More