Sweden’s Central Bank lays out its plans for its digital currency
Stefan Ingves, the Governor of Sweden’s central bank, Sveriges Riksbank, has laid out his six-step plan for the introduction of is central bank digital currency. Part one of the plans is that both large value and retail payments must be settled in the central bank digital currency anywhere around the world, at any time, all year round. Part two, cross-currency and cross border payments must also be settled in the central bank digital currency at any time. Part three concerns what will constitute as legal tender if banknotes disappear tomorrow. Part four is the implementation in the digital world and securing the korona with AML regulations. Part five is a distinction between wholesale central bank […]
The latest marker of Chinese interest in African fintech is a $120 million funding round for OPay
Chinese interest in African fintech has just stepped up another gear. OPay, the payments service operating in Nigeria, has raised $120 million in a Series B round led mainly by Chinese investors including familiar names like Sequoia China, IDG Capital and Source Code Capital. The round also included participation from Softbank Ventures Asia, Meituan-Dianping, DragonBall Capitak, GaoRong Capital and GSR Ventures. It’s the second major funding announcement by OPay this year and comes just five months after it raised $50 million back in July in a round also led by Chinese investors. OPay was incubated by Opera, the China-owned internet browser. OPay says the new funding will be deployed to […]
Indonesia study: P2P lenders create thousands of jobs, reduce poverty
Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms have provided jobs for more than 362,000 Indonesians and reduced the poverty rate by 0.7 per cent – equal to 177,000 individuals – as they provide access to financing in cities and remote areas alike, a study said last week. The study was conducted by local think tank Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) and the Indonesian Fintech Lenders Association (Asosiasi Fintech Pendanaan Bersama Indonesia, AFPI). Speaking during the study’s launch in Jakarta, Indef researcher Izzudin al-Farras said: “P2P lending enables MSMEs [micro, small and medium-sized enterprises] to boost production and thus can directly impact the country’s gross domestic product [GDP],” P2P platforms have […]
Boost and U Mobile partner UnionPay to expand digital payment options in Malaysia
UnionPay International (UPI) has tied up with Malaysian e-wallets U Mobile’s GoPayz and Boost to offer greater ease and convenience of payment to Malaysian consumers. UPI’s partnership with GoPayz enables users to make digital payments locally and overseas by using the new UnionPay Virtual Card available on the app. GoPayz users can make payments by scanning the merchant-presented QR code to enjoy various promotions at participating UnionPay QR merchants worldwide. GoPayz users also have the option of paying with their GoPayz UnionPay physical card. GoPayz is also looking into enabling NFC payment on the app soon so users can easily make payments locally and overseas with a simple tap of their mobile phones […]
Singapore FinTech startup M-DAQ wins Samsung’s backing
Singapore fintech startup M-DAQ Pte won the backing of Samsung Group’s venture capital fund in a bid to expand in South Korea and beyond. With Samsung’s investment in its pre-series D round, the company’s valuation will exceed S$500 million ($368 million), up from S$250 million in November 2015, according to Chief Executive Officer Richard Koh. M-DAQ didn’t disclose the amount of Samsung’s investment. “Samsung is a key investor who will be facilitating our strategic expansion in Korea within the Samsung ecosystem and externally as well,” according to a release by M-DAQ. To read more, please click on the link below… Source: Singapore FinTech Startup M-DAQ Wins Samsung’s Backing – Bloomberg
Singapore Fintech Association and Indian Chamber of Commerce agree fintech pact
Singapore Fintech Association (SFA) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) today inked a partnership agreement to share information about FinTech and collaborate on mutually beneficial initiatives that would further the development of the FinTech industry in both countries. This agreement was signed at the opening ceremony of the first ever Singapore Pavilion at the Singapore FinTech Festival 2019, the largest FinTech event in the world. The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was witnessed by His Excellency Jawed Ashraf, High Commissioner of India to Singapore. Commenting on the announcement, Mr Chia Hock Lai, President, SFA said, “In recent years, India has been a country […]
Tokyo-based WealthNavi raises $37.6m in Series D round
Tokyo-based WealthNavi, provider of Japan’s biggest financial robo-adviser service, has secured 4.1 billion yen ($37.6 million) in its Series D funding round backed by a fund launched by Sony Financial Ventures and Global Brain, according to an announcement. Other investors including UTokyo Innovation Platform, SMBC Venture Capital, Mizuho Bank, Opt Ventures, and Resona Capital also participated in the funding round that brings the total funding into WealthNavi to over $130 million, the company said. Established in 2015 by Kazuhisa Shibayama, WealthNavi offers a platform for asset managers to provide advice using risk management algorithm. The company has opened 240,000 accounts with assets under management of 180 billion yen ($1.6 billion). […]
FinTech startup troy successfully completes Series A financing round
FinTech startup troy, which specializes in customer-friendly debt collection, has successfully completed its second round of financing, raising a medium-sized seven-digit amount. troy completed the funding round with the help of four new investors: eCAPITAL, BORN2GROW, Avala Capital and Seed X Liechtenstein AG. Also, all existing investors have re-invested. The former lead investor, HTGF High-Tech-Gründerfonds, has even increased its previous investment. troy is changing the debt collection industry by optimizing the customer experience, using tools and methods from marketing and CRM combined with data and machine learning. troy was founded in 2017 by Philip Rürup and Till Völzke in Lippstadt and was officially launched in September 2018. Representing troy’s rapidly […]
