Global

January 8, 2021 @ 11:33 am By JD Alois  |  

In March of 2020, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak delivered the UK budget. Included in the presentation was the announcement of a Fintech sector review – a study to be led by Ron Kalifa OBE, who was previously CEO Worldpay and current Chair… Read More

January 8, 2021 @ 9:30 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Fintech firm B-North, which facilitates loans for small businesses and is currently seeking a banking license, has reportedly entered a deal with Channel 4 Ventures. Manchester-headquartered B-North confirmed that it has acquired a follow-on investment of £250,000 from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. The challenger… Read More

January 8, 2021 @ 8:50 am By Omar Faridi  |  

UK Finance, a trade association for the UK banking and financial services industry, has noted that after the extension of government support from November 2020, an estimated £600 million  in funding was provided via the topping-up of current Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) facilities. Lending… Read More

January 8, 2021 @ 8:47 am By Omar Faridi  |  

France-based Fintech firm Pennylane, which was launched in January 2020, has acquired €15 million in capital as the European financial technology sector continues to attract more consumers and businesses. French accounting company Pennylane finalized its €15 million Series A round in less than a year… Read More

January 7, 2021 @ 11:18 pm By JD Alois  |  

Limepay, a buy now pay later (BNPL) provider, has been selected by Domain (ASX:DHG)  – an Australian property marketplace – to provide credit services with a new product called “MarketNow” according to a note from the company. MarketNow Payments Pty Ltd is a joint venture… Read More

January 7, 2021 @ 11:59 am By JD Alois  |  

The Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) has launched the Cambridge Alternative Finance Collaboration Network or CAFCN. The CCAF is the leading Fintech research organization in the world having published dozens of research reports. According to a presentation, CAFCN is a “network of regionally embedded… Read More

January 7, 2021 @ 11:25 am By JD Alois  |  

Mambu, a Fintech that offers a Banking as a Service platform, has raised a significant €110 million ($134 million) funding round led by TCV a venture firm that has invested more than $2.5 billion in Fintech. John Doran, TCV General Partner, will join the Mambu… Read More

January 7, 2021 @ 8:39 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Fintech companies such as Revolut and Luno are experiencing a dramatic surge in demand from customers who are rushing to invest in Bitcoin (BTC) and other digital currencies amid record-breaking and unprecedented cryptocurrency price increases. Fintech app providers that offer crypto trading, like Revolut, eToro,… Read More

January 7, 2021 @ 8:27 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Linked Finance, an Ireland-based peer to peer lender, has reportedly been added to the country’s COVID-19 credit guarantee scheme. Notably, the P2P platform is the country’s first non-bank lender to be included. Linked Finance, which is one of Ireland’s largest P2P lending platforms, is now… Read More

January 6, 2021 @ 11:57 pm By JD Alois  |  

The UK crowdfunding industry is worried that a recent “Call for Input: The Consumer Investments Market” by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) may undermine the viability of the investment crowdfunding industry. Comments on the process closed on December 15, 2020. The consultation was instituted… Read More

January 6, 2021 @ 11:07 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Switzerland-based Investart, an online investing service with an intuitive “click-of-a-button” platform that’s intended for all users (especially to beginners), has dropped its commissions on transactions to zero. Customers have the option to choose between creating and managing their own investments or accepting portfolio allocations recommended… Read More

January 6, 2021 @ 10:26 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Norwegian Block Exchange, founded by Bjørn Kjos, who also founded Norwegian Airlines and Bank Norwegian, has received a 60 million NOK investment (USD$ $7.135 million). According to a note by Oslo based NBX, the funding will provide the financial robustness to pursue a banking… Read More

January 6, 2021 @ 8:46 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bitcoin (BTC), the leading digital currency, continues to set all-time highs while the US dollar keeps falling (but still remains the world’s most dominant global currency). Notably, Bitcoin is now being supported by even more Wall Street giants. The OKCoin team has noted: “We’ve said… Read More

January 6, 2021 @ 1:02 pm By JD Alois  |  

Salt Edge, and open banking service provider, has partnered up with Sorted – a Germany based accounting app that targets freelancers and self-employed. According to a blog post, by utilizing the Salt Edge Partner Program, Sorted is able to connect to the customers’ bank account… Read More

January 6, 2021 @ 12:50 pm By JD Alois  |  

Brickowner, a property investment platform has closed on a funding round on Seedrs that topped £500,000, according to a note from the company. Brickonwer has leveraged the services of Seedrs for several years now, first in 2016 when the Proptech raised £100,000. Brickowner allows investors… Read More

January 6, 2021 @ 12:32 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

US President Donald Trump has signed an order that aims to place a ban on US transactions with eight major Chinese apps – which reportedly includes Ant Group’s Alipay and Tencent Holdings’ online wallets. Notably, this order has arrived just days before the Trump administration… Read More

January 6, 2021 @ 8:34 am By JD Alois  |  

Tetragon Financial Group Ltd. (LSE: TFG), a UK based investment firm with $2.35 billion in assets under management, has sued Ripple in Delaware courts, according to a report by Bloomberg. Tetragon apparently had an agreement incorporated in its equity investment with Ripple that if XRP… Read More

January 6, 2021 @ 7:55 am By JD Alois  |  

Seedrs has topped £1 billion in total investments according to a note posted by the investment crowdfunding platform. Launched in 2012 by co-founders Jeff Lynn and Carlos Silva, the platform was the first of its kind to receive regulatory approval to operate by the UK… Read More

January 6, 2021 @ 7:32 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Mobile payments adoption in Switzerland had not really picked up when compared to some other markets, however, this has changed during the past couple years, according to a study by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences. Recent data shows that 40% of the Swiss population… Read More

January 5, 2021 @ 11:22 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

UK-based Cashplus, a banking and credit services provider for SMBs and consumers, has entered a definitive agreement to acquire the current account portfolio of icount. The amount paid for the acquisition has not been shared publicly. The deal, which may be finalized in early 2021,… Read More