InvestCloud to launch London FinTech incubator
InvestCloud Inc., a global FinTech firm, is set to launch a financial technology incubator and accelerator at its European headquarters in Soho, London. InvestCloud Innovation Center London will offer both new startups and established financial firms the ability to quickly deliver digital wealth management solutions supported by the InvestCloud platform. Deputy Mayor of London for Business, Rajesh Agrawal, has praised the move by InvestCloud to establish its latest financial technology incubator in London. The Mayor’s business chief spoke at Innovate to the future – a view from London, an event jointly hosted by the British-American Business Council Los Angeles and InvestCloud on Friday, June 23 in InvestCloud’s Los Angeles Innovation […]
Asian fintech hubs are pushing full steam ahead
Rising fintech hubs across APAC, including Hong Kong and Singapore, have been garnering attention with their efforts to promote the industry and encourage innovation within financial services (FS) more broadly. This week, these growing hubs demonstrated their continued efforts to establish themselves as innovation leaders. Hong Kong launched a fintech association. The FinTech Association of Hong Kong (FTAHK), an independent members’ association for FS players including fintechs, incumbents, academics, government departments, investors, and accelerators, launchedon Tuesday. It’s made up of committees focused on specific areas including blockchain technology, AI, big data, regtech, insurtech, financial literacy, and digital banking, among others. Leaders of each committee will educate FTAHK members on their […]
Singapore and Denmark sign fintech pact
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority (Danish FSA) yesterday signed a FinTech Co-operation Agreement which aims to help FinTech companies in Singapore and Denmark to expand into each other’s markets. The agreement will enable both regulators to refer FinTech companies to their counterparts. MAS and the Danish FSA have also committed to exploring joint innovation projects together, and to share information on emerging market trends and their impact on regulation. The agreement was signed at the sidelines of the Money 20/20 Europe conference in Copenhagen. Singapore will also host the inaugural Money 20/20 Asia conference in March next year. Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief FinTech Officer, […]
IRTA International RegTech Association officially launched
Incorporated in Switzerland on May 16, 2017, the non-profit International RegTech Association (IRTA) is a united community of individuals and organizations, with a shared vision to innovate, advance, and influence the future of Regulatory Technology (RegTech). Sponsored and funded by its Members, the IRTA exists to ease and accelerate the evolution of the global RegTech ecosystem, through integration, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing. The IRTA brings together the people, tools, processes, and policies that are required to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving RegTech landscape. The IRTA is a unique, global organization of people, which believes in creating RegTech as a profession, and enabling Innovation-in Trust as a key benefactor for the future […]
Britain leading the way in fintech adoption, report shows
Britain is leading the way in fintech adoption in the developed market, according to a new report from professional services and Big Four firm EY. EY’s fintech adoption index showed that 42 per cent of consumers in the UK are now using fintech services. However, there has been growth worldwide when it comes to the adoption of financial technology, with usage rates being high in emerging markets such as South Africa, China, India, Brazil and Mexico. Highest Emerging markets topped the fintech adoption index, with China having the highest adoption rate at 69 per cent, followed by India at 52 per cent. The report, which was based on findings from […]
Visa buys stake in fast-growing fintech group Klarna
Visa is taking a stake in Klarna in a sign of the Swedish fintech’s growing presence in online payments. A week after Klarna became the largest European fintech to receive a banking licence, Visa said it was making a strategic investment through the purchase of a stake of less than 10 per cent as well as offering a future partnership. The price paid by Visa was not revealed. Klarna has become a big participant in Germany and the Nordics for online payments, allowing its 60m customers to buy goods on the internet quickly and pay only after receiving them. It is looking to make a similar splash in the UK […]
Japan casts a wider net with its latest fintech initiatives
Japan’s fintech efforts have largely focused on blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies, but now the country seems to be taking a broader approach toward the industry, as two new developments last week indicate: Japan and Australia signed a fintech cooperation agreement. The Japan Financial Services Agency (JFSA) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) signed a collaboration agreement to enable the agencies to refer promising fintechs to each other, as well as share information regarding fintech innovation, regulatory changes, and economic developments more easily. Australia has been active in supporting a wide range of fintech segments recently, so it’s likely Japan hopes to gain a more holistic overview of the […]
Plaid puts out a ‘request for startups’ in nine underserved fintech sectors
Plaid wants to make it easier for financial services companies to serve consumers and businesses, but it also sees significant holes in the fintech ecosystem. As a result, the company has issued a Y Combinator-like “request for startups” to tackle particular issues where it believes significant innovation is lacking. In case you don’t know, Plaid is a kind of picks-and-shovels tool provider for the fintech developer community. Like Yodlee before it, Plaid enables startups and other tech companies to more easily connect with banks, credit card companies and other financial institutions, both to authenticate consumer accounts and access their financial data. Basically, if you’ve ever used a third-party mobile app […]
