BITPoint wants to bring Bitcoin to Japan
BITPoint Japan Co. is reportedly gearing up to enable hundreds of thousands of Japanese retail outlets to accept the digital currency bitcoin, reported Bloomberg News. In a Bloomberg report, Genki Oda, BITPoint’s president, said the company is in talks with a retail-related company and that “by going through a company providing payment terminal services to shops, we have the possibility of increasing its use at one stroke. It’s easier than talking to lots of individual retailers.” Bloomberg pointed out that BITPoint is joining a growing list of companies that are embracing regulations enacted in Japan in April that recognize digital currencies as a way to pay for things. Bic Camera […]
UK fintech shrugs off Brexit, trumps Germany
Research from Fintech Global shows that despite the Brexit vote investors continue to commit more capital to UK fintech companies. Since the Brexit result many years of uncertainty for markets and teh broader economy have set in to investors’ expectations. Quickly shifting news agendas and polling results have been an ongoing feature of Brexit Britain and prompted stock market and currency volatility. The imminent general election has only increased the trend and that is before official talks begin in three weeks time. The ‘Brexit effect’ was notable for its hit to investment in the UK’s world-class fintech scene as well with the questions over the City’s competitive edge in the […]
Credit Suisse develops Robo Advisor
Digital development is gathering pace at Credit Suisse under the guidance of Anke Bridge. Switzerland’s second-largest bank is working on a service that will be based on advice provided by robots. It wasn’t just the sheer size which kept UBS and Credit Suisse (CS) apart, but also their respective approach to innovation – with UBS seen clearly ahead of its cross-town rival. Under the leadership of Anke Bridge, appointed as CS head of digital solutions in December 2016, CS is catching up. Bridge told Le Temps newspaper that CS was a very innovative bank, but agreed that the company should become more active in communicating its current projects. CS Invest […]
FinTech and the positive transformation of Banking in Africa
The unique environment for financial services in Africa is fertile ground for innovative FinTech players who are capitalising on the opportunities to disrupt or leapfrog established business models to make financial services more affordable, accessible and profitable across the continent. Due to their potent blend of trail‐blazing technology and disruptive innovation, FinTech players have the ability to accelerate the digital transformation of financial services in Africa and, in turn, further spur the major existing banks to rapidly ramp‐up their own innovation initiatives to meet the financial needs of under‐served markets across the continent. FinTech players are increasingly becoming an important part of the fabric of Africa’s financial services ecosystem and […]
Malaysia Fintech firm Soft Space raises US $5 Million from Japan’s Transcosmos
Malaysia Fintech firm Soft Space, which offers mobile payment solutions, announced it has secured US $5 million in funding from Japanese e-commerce company Transcosmos Inc. Mobile POS and E-Commerce Soft Space offers mobile point-of-sale services for small and large merchants in Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia. Businesses can plug a small device into a smartphone or tablet that allows them to swipe customer credit cards for payment. The company takes a small transaction fee every time a card is swiped. Soft Space also offers an online management console where businesses can track and manage customer data, sales history, and even fraud management. Transcosmos, which is based in Japan, […]
Chicago should be a FinTech hub. So why it isn’t?
Chicago has all the building blocks to become a hotbed of financial technology startups—so why isn’t it happening? The latest sign that this years-long dream may never be realized: a plan to create a hub for fintech entrepreneurs and networking at the Chicago Board of Trade building has fallen apart due to lack of capital. The Chicago area is home to some of the biggest U.S. fintech players, including futures exchange operator CME Group; mutual fund research firm Morningstar; and credit card company Discover. They’ve groomed a well-paid pool of professionals, some of whom have become entrepreneurs and angel investors. Chicago also has enviable infrastructure: It’s one of a half-dozen […]
Fintech startups impress big banks
Big banking groups are increasingly collaborating with exciting fintech startups to reshape the industry. Spain’s Bankia group announced this week the names of the young companies selected to join its inaugural international programme, which was launched late last year. The standard of applicants to the ‘Bankia Fintech by Innsomnia‘ platform was so impressive eight were picked, three more than initially planned. The plan is to collaborate with the new starts to build a a client-supplier relationship that can harness the potential of the services being developed by the startups drawn from Australia, France, Israel, the UK and America. They will join the accelerator, based at the Port of Valencia, in […]
Aviva embracing artificial intelligence in quest to become fintech firm
Aviva is eyeing acquisitions in artificial intelligence and big data as it looks to overhaul the insurance industry and transform itself into a fintech firm. Chief executive Mark Wilson said the 321-year-old insurance giant had built a good balance sheet and was primed to use it to ensure the business remains a step ahead of its rivals. Speaking at Aviva’s “digital garage” in Hoxton, East London, Mr Wilson said the insurer’s innovation projects had attracted calls from “big names in Silicon Valley” and helped seal a lucrative deal with Tencent, a 300 billion US dollar Chinese technology firm. He said: “I don’t mean billions, but we will do acquisitions if […]
