General News

January 3, 2017 @ 12:42 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

2016 proved to be a positive year for leading French equity crowdfunding platform WiSEED.  The pioneering platform obtained the status of Investment Services Provider (PSI) to raise up to €5 million while launching two new offerings (renewable energy projects and agroforestry) and consolidating its three… Read More

January 3, 2017 @ 12:05 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

The following table from P2P-Banking.com shows loan originations in P2P lending marketplaces during December 2016, with Funding Circle (114.1M) significantly leading Ratesetter (68.2M euro), Zopa (60.2 M euro) and LendInvest (24.9M euro). Lendix reports an all time record month at 7.7 million euros in loan origination…. Read More

January 3, 2017 @ 11:16 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

TD Bank announced on Tuesday it has appointed Christopher Giamo as its new head of regional commercial bank. Giamo’s appointment reportedly follows the retirement of Fred Graziano and prior to joining TD Bank, Giamo worked at Bank of New York and CoreStates Financial Corp. Greg Braca, Chief Operating… Read More

January 3, 2017 @ 7:46 am By Jessica Pham  |  

The World Bank established the Financial Sector Development Project to support Myanmar’s SMEs — the latest sign of progress in the country’s economy.  The five-year project includes $100 million in credit, which will be used to allow SMEs increased access to financial services.  The project will… Read More

January 3, 2017 @ 7:30 am By Jessica Pham  |  

Over 25 startups in the online lending space have rapidly emerged over the past two years, according to TechCircle analysis.  Despite signs that global fintech investment was slowing in 2016, VCCircle‘s analysis for 2017 suggests that such investment may pick up again. Arti Singh and… Read More

January 2, 2017 @ 4:49 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last year due to time constraints I was unable to publish my list of Crowdfunding/Fintech predictions for 2016. This year I am back once again, for better or worse, peering deep into my crystal ball with a list of prognostications for the coming year. The… Read More

January 2, 2017 @ 11:31 am By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission publishes an annual report on “nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (NSROs).”  These are the agencies that publish credit ratings on certain securities and institutions.  The mandated report has recognized the emergence of online lending for the very first time. The document… Read More

December 31, 2016 @ 10:17 am By Jessica Pham  |  

Renu Rajani, Vice President of Capgemini, opined earlier this week that Fintech’s revolution this past year has disrupted trends in testing and quality assurance (QA).  The observation is based on findings further described in the firm’s latest fintech report, World FinTech Report 2017, which was published earlier… Read More

December 30, 2016 @ 3:41 pm By JD Alois  |  

As one year comes to end it is a good opportunity to reflect on past events. The preceding 12 months have been a momentous period for internet finance including capital formation online. Fintech started as a curiosity that engendered much excitement – and fear for some…. Read More

December 30, 2016 @ 11:59 am By JD Alois  |  

Regulation A+, created by Title IV of the JOBS Act, has been lauded by many as a missing step in the capital ladder for smaller firms in need of funding. The updated securities exemption became effective on June 19, 2015, and since that time a… Read More

December 30, 2016 @ 9:11 am By JD Alois  |  

Former SEC Commissioner Daniel Gallagher visited the studios of CNBC yesterday to share his perspective on the SEC under the Trump administration.  Gallagher is one of the names being bandied about as the Republican pick for the SEC Chair.  Another possibility is another former Commissioner… Read More

December 29, 2016 @ 11:32 pm By Jessica Pham  |  

Tapestry Networks and Ernst & Young (EY) published a report this month focused on global revolutionary changes that will affect the financial services sector.  The full version of the report is below. The report is a result of the October 5-6, 2016 Financial Services Leadership Summit in… Read More

December 29, 2016 @ 5:19 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

With only eight days remaining on its Companisto crowdfunding campaign, the sleek electric scooter Kumpan company has secured over 836,610€ from over 1137 investors, easily clearing the company’s 500K€ stretch goal for 2.76 % share offered. Indeed, a week after the official launch of the campaign, Kumpan’s investment… Read More

December 29, 2016 @ 8:37 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Indian mobile wallet platform MobiKwik announced that it had signed the millionth merchant on its payment network, registering 1,000 percent growth since the demonetization of high value currency notes. The company recently partnered with Amul and NASVI to facilitate acceptability and adoption of digital mode of payments. “We are committed… Read More

December 29, 2016 @ 8:19 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Cofounded by Fermin Bueno and Andres Fontao who also cofounded Startupbootcamp FinTech LATAM, Finnovisita sees itself as an impact organization that accelerates fintech entrepreneurship in Spanish speaking countries, builds bridges between startups and financial institutions and facilitates the transformation of advanced financial services and the… Read More

December 28, 2016 @ 10:37 am By Erin Hobey  |  

“It’s our goal as a foundation to support this entrepreneurial spirit and encourage more people to start their own business. This is how the startups of tomorrow are created.” The combined fundraising efforts of the Berlin-headquartered German Children and Youth Foundation (Deutsche Kinder- und Jugendstiftung) and Companisto for… Read More

December 28, 2016 @ 10:03 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Indian mobile wallet platform FreeCharge announced its partnership with the online marketplace pioneer eBay India via Billdesk and Faasos, one of the country’s leading food on demand businesses.  The Billdesk partnership allows FreeCharge and eBay customers access to over 100 million product listings, for which they… Read More

December 28, 2016 @ 9:39 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Be on guard. The Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) has published a list of new websites offering binary options trading, for which no authorized investment services provider could be clearly identified. A binary option, or asset-or-nothing option, is type of option in which the payoff is… Read More

December 28, 2016 @ 7:23 am By Scott Andersen  |  

FINRA recently completed a settlement expelling from FINRA membership UFP, LLC, a registered funding portal that operated under uFundingPortal.com.   The matter marks both early and decisive action by FINRA against a registered funding portal operating under Regulation Crowdfunding.  It establishes that FINRA takes seriously… Read More

December 27, 2016 @ 6:20 pm By Jessica Pham  |  

Backed by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation grant, the Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) initiative aims to bring together investors and entrepreneurs to work on research and design projects focused on technology that advance European interests domestically and internationally. The Horizon 2020… Read More