Welcome to The Fintech Times Bi-Weekly News Roundup on Thursday 11 July 2024 bringing you the latest updates from across the world.
Company updates
Griffin, a UK bank for fintechs, is now a certified B Corp – the global community of companies committed to high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. This milestone reinforces Griffin’s dedication to embedding sustainable and ethical business practices into its operations at all levels.
Okoora, a fintech startup, has been selected for CNBC/Statista’s list of the world’s top 250 fintech companies for 2024. The list recognises companies that have significantly contributed to the transformation and innovation of the financial services industry through technology.
Seedrs, the European private investing platform and provider of equity crowdfunding services, has officially started trading as Republic Europe. It follows a takeover by US-based financial technology firm Republic at the end of 2021 in a deal valuing it at $100million. Seedrs now trades as Republic Europe, with new branding on its website as well as emails.
N26 has launched a stocks and ETFs trading product in Ireland. With N26 Stocks and ETFs, customers can manage their investment portfolio directly alongside their personal bank account, savings accounts, joint accounts, and their crypto portfolio, all within the N26 app. N26’s trading product enables customers to buy and sell shares of more than 500 European and US stocks, and invest in global ETFs.
Appointments
Datadobi, which specialises in hybrid cloud data services, appoints Denise Natali to the position of vice president of Americas sales. In this newly created position, Natali will be responsible for developing and executing revenue growth strategies, as well as growing and leading Datadobi’s sales team.
European paytech payabl. appoints Esfira Zakas as its new chief marketing officer. The newly created role supports payabl.’s plans to continue its rapid growth across Europe. Zakas is promoted from head of marketing into the new role, evidencing payabl.’s commitment to leveraging internal talent and fostering inclusive leadership.
Mitigram, a digital trade financing company, has appointed Stephen Andersen as head of customer experience. Prior to joining Mitigram, Andersen was the global head of customer success at Komgo, chief operating officer at GlobalTrade Corporation and trade finance representative at RBC Royal Bank.
Argentex Group PLC, the London-headquartered currency risk management and alternative banking specialist, has named Tim Rudman as chief operating officer. Daniel Ross is promoted to chief commercial officer, while Guy Rudolph has accepted a permanent role as chief financial officer, marking milestones in its commitment to accelerate its transformation into a full-service cross-border financial services firm.
Funding and investments
TBC Bank Uzbekistan (TBC UZ), the country’s largest mobile-only bank and part of TBC Group Uzbekistan, announces a $38.2million equity investment from its shareholders to leverage its rapid and profitable growth. This latest capital infusion will help TBC UZ invest in new product launches, including for micro and small businesses, while diversifying its funding base.
Partnerships
Papara, a fintech in Turkey, has partnered with Thales, to deploy Thales’ SketchMyCard solution. Papara users can now design unique and personalised payment cards that reflect their individuality, creativity and lifestyle, complemented by Papara’s range of payment cards. Thales’ SketchMyCard is a customisation offer that banks can use with its range of sustainable and eco-conscious card body materials.
Thunes, a global money movement company, welcomes LianLian Global, a Chinese e-commerce cross-border payment service provider, to its global network. The Chinese payment company is offering a new solution, the LianLian Global Payout Service (LGPS), that leverages Thunes’ fully compliant payment network to facilitate payouts to digital wallets and bank accounts in over 130 countries.
FREENOW, the European taxi app, has integrated Alipay+ cross-border mobile payment solutions with its taxi cab services in seven European countries: Spain, Germany, Ireland, Italy, France, Greece and Austria. The partnership enhances the travel experience for Asian visitors to Europe, as the region benefits from peak tourism this summer. AlipayHK users can earn personalised rewards with every FREENOW ride they take.
ChainSwap, a multi-chain decentralised exchange (DEX), has integrated BNB Chain into its platform, adding to its growing list of supported networks. The new integration will enable users to conduct transactions on the BNB network, with plans for cross-chain transactions in the near future.
Banco Santander and Google have reached an agreement to offer a free artificial intelligence course for anyone over the age of 16. The course launches on the Santander Open Academy platform, available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. It offers an insight into the potential of AI at home and at work.
More partnerships
Cross River Bank, a technology infrastructure provider that offers embedded financial solutions, and MassPay, a provider of payment solutions for businesses, are expanding access to domestic instant payments. The collaboration benefits industries facing complex real-time payment requirements, including the gig economy, independent contractors, restaurants, hospitality, and marketplaces.
eBay Inc, a global commerce company, has unveiled Business Cash Advance, a new eBay Seller Capital revenue-based financing product provided by Liberis, the global embedded finance platform. Aimed at supporting eBay sellers at every business stage, Business Cash Advance offers eligible US eBay sellers up to $1million in working capital in as little as 24 hours.
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