April 2020

Managing the winds of change: policy responses to fintech

Technological innovations in financial services are affecting every sector of the financial industry and generating a surge of new applications. This column takes stock of the policy responses to fintech developments in approximately 30 jurisdictions worldwide and proposes a novel conceptual framework – the ‘fintech tree’ – that distinguishes three categories: fintech activities, enabling technologies, and policy enablers. Designing a policy framework for fintech will require finding a balance that maximises its benefits while minimising potential risks to the financial...

How Coronavirus Pandemic Is Affecting Fintech Companies

As the world evolves and becomes a lot more advanced, financial technology (fintech) companies have a bigger chance to solidify their positions. While the use of technology is not new, fintech companies exploit technology a lot better, putting them way above traditional financial institutions. With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, there is a lot of uncertainty about life and business after the pandemic. As biting as it has been, we look at the effects of the coronavirus situation on fintech...

German Digital Corporate Pension & Life Insurance Provider Xpension raises €25 Million Through Series C Investment Round Led By HPE Growth

Xpension, a German digital corporate pension and life insurance brand, announced on Monday it secured €25 million through its Series C funding round, led by HPE Growth with participation from Cinco Capital, led by Lars Hinrichs (Founder of XING and Chairman of Xpension), and Armada Investment. Founded in 2007, Xpension describes itself as an independent technology provider with shared-service solutions for occupational pension management and consultancy. The company currently has more than 120 staff members its Munich, Saarbrucken,...

March 2020

Coronavirus lockdowns and social-distancing fuel surge in use of fintech apps

The coronavirus pandemic has fueled a 72% surge in the use of fintech apps in Europe in the past week as consumers adjust to social distancing, self-isolation and lockdowns, according to new research by deVere Group. “The world has changed in the last few weeks. The measures we’re now all taking to help the fight back against coronavirus are affecting the way we interact, live, work, and take care of our finances,” James Green, group divisional manager for the...

Fintech firms say new tech could speed recovery from COVID-19

Financial technology companies are working to improve behind-the-scenes market functions, such as exchanging securities and making lending decisions, saying the use of new technologies could help markets recover faster than they did in past financial crises. New York-based Paxos Settlement Service last month became the first firm to use blockchain technology to settle U.S. stock trades, the process by which securities are exchanged for cash after two parties agree to a trade. The settlement process is more complicated than...

Kenya’s Pezesha wins CATAPULT: Inclusion Africa 2020 bootcamp

Thirteen Africa-focused fintech startups took part in CATAPULT: Inclusion Africa 2020, which helps companies focusing on financial inclusion to scale. Developed by the LHoFT Foundation, the programme provided selected startups with access to a tailor made program with intensive mentoring, coaching, peer-to-peer learning and dedicated workshops. It culminated in a bootcamp, with Kenya’s Pezesha, a peer-to-peer micro lending marketplace that connects lenders with high quality, underserved, low income borrowers, named overall winner. The other selected startups included three from...

A List Of Fintech Firms Providing Free Technology To Banks During The Coronavirus Crisis

To help banks help their customers through these trying times, many fintech providers are extending free, discounted, or accelerated deployment offers to financial institutions. Version 1: March 23, 2020 (52 companies) Company: 401GO Contact: www.401go.com/401gofaqs Offer: 401GO is a small business 401(k) platform. We are removing any fees other than the per participant per month fee ($9 per participating employee per month), which covers everything for a 401(k) plan (testing, notifications, payroll monitoring, filing of Form 5500, etc.). Use this code...

Moneybox launches Personal Pension after 100,000 sign up for waiting list

Moneybox today launches its Personal Pension, helping customers to consolidate their old pension pots and take control of their financial future From today the Pension will be available to all new and existing customers, and built into the sign-up process A staggering 100,000 people have signed up to the Moneybox pensions waiting list since it opened in April 2019, demonstrating a real appetite for change in the industry The launch follows a successful beta trial with existing...

Financial Operating Systems

By Dirk A. Zetzsche, William A. Birdthistle, Douglas W. Arner, Ross P. Buckley One of the most consequential and unexamined developments in global finance has been the recent emergence of massive concentrations of financial technology under the control of individual firms. These financial operating systems are, like computing operating systems, relatively inconspicuous yet extraordinarily powerful. They already dominate the world’s $50 trillion investment fund industry, where they play a critical role in asset management for pensions and institutional investors,...

Diving Into Three of Africa’s Emerging Fintech Economies

For many, Africa represents the final frontier of untapped economic growth. Across its diverse countries, growth rates continue to outpace those achieved in long-developed economies. Collectively, growth) on the continent stabilized at 3.4% in 2019, and is forecast to reach 3.9% in 2020 and 4.1% in 2021. While these numbers remain below historical highs, fundamentals continue to improve as economies shift from local consumption to external investments. Of the 30 fastest growing cities in the world, 21 are in...