Amazon Is Set to Rule the Fintech Game: Andreessen Horowitz VC
If any technology company makes a major move into payments and banking, the most obvious candidates are Apple and Google. After all, both have a lot of experience thanks to the Apple Pay and Google Wallet functions, and both have already persuaded hundreds of millions of customers to share their credit card information. But in the long run, it’s likely to be another tech giant, Amazon, that captures the market for Internet payment services, according to Alex Rampell, a general partner at the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Technology conference in San Francisco on Tuesday, Rampell explained that Amazon is more inclined than its rivals […]
PayPal acquires Vancouver-based TIO Networks in $304m deal
PayPal Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) is acquiring Vancouver-based TIO Networks in a deal worth $304 million. The companies announced the definitive sales agreement Tuesday (February 14), which will see PayPal pay $3.35 per share in cash — a 22.6% premium above its 20-trading day average price. TIO Networks chairman and CEO Hamed Shahbazi told Business In Vancouver he was “very excited” his company was becoming a part of the PayPal family. “It’s an incredible company,” he said. “Dan Schulman, the [PayPal] CEO, has a tremendous vision that really aligns well with us and his vision of financial inclusion is one we think gives us an opportunity to really amplify the scale […]
Fintech is driving growth and opportunities in Asia Pacific
According to analysis by KPMG International and CB Insights, US$4.6 billion in venture capital-backed fintech funding went to the Asia-Pacific region at the end of Q3 2016. Much of this investment went to China, driven by high mobile internet adoption rates and a tech savvy-millennial user base. Asian fintech sectors predicted to get VC interest this year include payments, regtech, data & analytics, and mobile. Adoption of mobile money and mobile payments in Asia will see the market encompass a range of demographics, from Chinese millennials with WeChat, to Sri Lankan retirees receiving pensions onto their Dialog eZCash mobile money account. Across Asia, fintech driven by regulatory ‘sandboxes’ are enabling financial institutions […]
BetaSmartz automated investment launches in Asia
BetaSmartz, the B2B automated investment platform for all sizes of investors, from institutional to retail, today announced it had opened offices in Hong Kong. BetaSmartz offers ‘hybrid ‘ digital investment or ‘robo’ advice that combines automated and face-to-face financial advice. Newly appointed Managing Director Asia, Zak Allom, said this model had been well received since its launch in 2015, with several clients now live including two in the U.S. “Robo has been a big buzzword, but for the most part the actual delivery hasn’t been different from the automated financial planning software we’ve been used to since the 90s,” he said. “BetaSmartz is much more than a sexy front end […]
China FinTech booms as mobile payments outpace US by 50x
New research has shown that Chinese mobile payments were around 50 times greater than those within the U.S. in 2016, thus illustrating that China’s FinTech market is a strong contender in the market. China Dominates the Mobile Payment Market Research from iResearch in China has found that Chinese third-party mobile payments more than tripled in 2016 to $5.5 trillion. WeChat Pay and Alipay, operated by Ant Financial, dominated the market. Recent research found that Alipay received the biggest investment in 2016 at $4.5 billion as FinTech funding increased in China. Whereas, in the U.S., mobile payments increased by 39 percent to $112 billion, according to Forrester Research. However, it’s thought […]
4 Reasons to use a Digital Wallet
Are you using a digital wallet? If not, you are not alone. Only about 13 percent of smartphone users have adopted digital wallets, the relatively new technology that allows our mobile devices to execute a myriad of financial transactions. But digital wallets are coming of age at a lightning pace. Companies like Due offer digital wallets that have streamlined the way we pay for things and get paid, and are changing the world of commerce itself. So if you have been slow to adapt to the word of digital wallets, here are four reasons to change your mind, and get a digital wallet today. Security Losing your wallet, or worse, […]
Ireland is top choice for expansion for half the Fintech companies in mainland Europe
According to a survey released by Munich-based consulting giant Roland Berger, about 50 percent of fintech companies in mainland Europe are eager to expand their geographic presence. Amongst the countries preferred by these companies, Ireland tops the list. The survey revealed that Ireland topped the poll as the most popular country targeted for expansion. The findings further showed that currently only 15 percent of fintech firms operate in more than a handful of countries. Out of which, 50 percent companies plan to be operating in five or more countries in five years’ time. Amongst the countries in the list of preferences for expansion – the most popular countries were Ireland […]
7 FinTech companies helping millennials dominate their finances this year
If you’re a millennial, you already know just how hard it is to get ahead. Student loan debt, much of which is shouldered by millennials, surged to $1.3 trillion dollars last year. That leaves the average college graduate ages 20 – 30 with a monthly payment of $351. And let’s not forget that, as of last year, a large percentage of millennials with a college degree were stuck working low-wage, dead end jobs. So, while many millennials are working hard to get out of debt, they struggle with low wages that make even keeping up with their bills that much harder Of course this news is depressing, but it’s important to note […]
