As the week begins, we’re checking in on news of big funding in fraud prevention and cross-border payments, major developments on the crypto front for both Citi and JPMorgan, as well as new report from Alessa on how AI stands to enhance AML processes in 2026. Be sure to check back all week long for the latest in fintech news here on Finovate’s Fintech Rundown! Payments Cross-border payments company Routefusion raises $26.5 million in Series A funding. Payment solution provider and acquirer Paystrax acquires UK fintech Nochex. International payments platform LemFi unveils Send Now, Pay Later service combining credit and remittances. Stax Payments goes live with Stax Processing, a full-stack end-to-end payments processor. Crypto and DeFi Crypto payments company MoonPay integrates with crypto trading, earning, and exploring terminal, Axion. Crypto wallet Cake Wallet announces integration of xStocks, new functionality that enables users to invest in tokenized stocks and ETFs via Web3 self-custody. EBC Financial introduces Bitcoin (BTC) Contracts for Difference (CFDs). Fraud prevention Resistant AI scores $25 million in Series B funding. Open banking and open finance The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority launches its open finance accelerator. Credit analytics Yodlee introduces new credit subsidiary Yodlee Credit, a new Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA) under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Carrington Labs teams up with Sea.dev to accelerate loan decisioning and help SMBs secure financing faster. Sapiens International Corporation forges strategic partnership with Linqura, a sales and underwriting intelligence solutions provider for commercial insurers. Insurtech Axonic Insurance turns to iPipeline for its financial planning platform AFFIRM. Photo by vee terzy The post Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News appeared first on Finovate.       

Digital banking platform Bankjoy has teamed up with digital investment solutions provider InvestiFi. The partnership will enable customers and members of community banks and credit unions to invest in stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies directly from their checking accounts. Michigan-based Bankjoy most recently demoed its technology on the Finovate stage at FinovateFall 2023. InvestiFi made its Finovate debut as CryptoFi at FinovateFall 2022 and rebranded in 2024. Digital banking platform Bankjoy has forged a strategic partnership with fellow Finovate alum InvestiFi, a provider of digital investment solutions. The partnership will enable community banks and credit unions that use Bankjoy’s digital banking platform to offer their customers and members the ability to invest in stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies directly from their checking accounts. The partnership comes as a growing number of fintechs are empowering smaller, more community-focused financial institutions to directly offer investment services. Last week we noted the partnership between two-time Finovate Best of Show winner Eko and Brooklyn Coop FCU as another example of fintech/financial institution partnerships designed to make it easier for customers and members to invest without having to leave the comfort and familiarity of their digital banking platforms. “With deposit outflows to platforms like Robinhood accelerating, community banks and credit unions must meet members where they already are: inside their banking app,” Bankjoy COO and Co-Founder Weiwei Duncan said. “By embedding wealth management tools directly into digital banking, they not only keep members engaged with their own products, but also strengthen loyalty and competitiveness in a fast-changing market.” The threat to credit unions and community banks from these new platforms is not just that their members and customers will use them for their investments; many of these platforms are looking to grow by adding banking services to their digital brokerage offering. Partnerships between fintechs like Bankjoy and InvestiFi are designed to discourage individuals from transferring both their investments and banking business to these new platforms. Additionally, the addition of new services like investing enables community banks and credit unions to attract new customers and members by serving as a single location where they can do both their banking and their investing. “At InvestiFi, we continue to strive to support financial institutions with cutting-edge, in-house investing solutions,” InvestiFi CEO Kian Sarreshteh said. “Partnering with Bankjoy, a well-respected and trusted platform that supports banks and credit unions, allows us to extend our reach and help more financial institutions across the US, providing them with the tools they need to offer seamless digital investing experiences.” As CryptoFi, InvestiFi made its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2022. The company rebranded in 2024 to reflect its growth into a comprehensive self-directed investing suite for credit union members. More recently, InvestiFi has forged partnerships with community-based financial institutions such as West Virginia Central Federal Credit Union ($303 million in assets), Horizon Utah Federal Credit Union ($180 million in assets), Illiana Financial Credit Union ($278 million in assets) and Ocala Community Credit Union ($29 million in assets). InvestiFi also introduced new Chief Product Officer Patrick McNally in August of this year. McNally was formerly Director of Data & Analytics at digital wealth tools provider Exodus Movement. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Royal Oak, Michigan, Bankjoy most recently demoed its technology on the Finovate stage at FinovateFall 2023. At the conference, the company showed how its digital banking platform is helping neobank Panacea Financial provide financial services to medical professionals. Last month, Bankjoy announced that it was expanding its partnership with account activation specialist Pinwheel. A collaboration partner since 2024, Pinwheel has now expanded the number of solutions available on the Bankjoy digital banking platform to include its Switch Kit. This offering combines Pinwheel’s Direct Deposit Switch solution with its Bill Switch feature, unveiled earlier this year, to help solve pain points in the account activation process for consumers. Photo by Liza Summer The post Bankjoy and InvestiFi Bring Investing Options to Community Banks and Credit Unions appeared first on Finovate.       

Splitit launched its Agentic Commerce Partner Program that enables AI agents to offer card-linked installment payment options directly within merchant checkout flows without requiring new lines of credit. The program is designed to align with emerging standards like Google’s AP2 and OpenAI’s Agentic Commerce Protocol, ensuring interoperability as autonomous shopping ecosystems evolve. As AI-driven commerce accelerates, Splitit aims to make flexible pay-later options a native part of agent-powered purchases starting with a pilot in the fourth quarter of this year. Embedded BNPL solutions provider Splitit announced yesterday that it launched a partner program that will allow AI agents to take advantage of pay-later capabilities when making payments on behalf of their users. Called the Agentic Commerce Partner Program, the new initiative will allow autonomous shopping agents to make payments using card-linked installments. AI agents that have registered with Splitit can request real-time installment options directly within the merchant’s checkout flow. The payments take place on existing payment rails using the users’ existing payment cards, and do not require new lines of credit. While the agentic commerce landscape is still in its early days of development, Splitit built its Agentic Commerce Partner Program to align with emerging industry frameworks like Google’s AP2 and OpenAI’s Agentic Commerce Protocol to ensure flexibility and interoperability across future agent ecosystems. “Agentic AI will fundamentally reshape how consumers and businesses buy,” said Splitit CTO Ran Landau. “Splitit’s mission is to ensure that seamless, transparent installments are built into this new paradigm from day one, not bolted on later. We look forward to partnering with leading merchants, platforms, networks, and banks in developing meaningful use cases that can be beneficial to shoppers and brands.” Splitit’s new feature aims to keep up with the newest evolutions in agent-powered shopping. According to Adobe, 53% of consumers plan to use AI for product research and 40% plan to use AI for purchasing recommendations this holiday season, especially as shoppers are turning to Gen AI for deal-hunting, recommendations, and gift inspiration. By embedding installment payment functionality directly into agentic commerce flows, Splitit is positioning itself at the cutting edge of autonomous shopping. As agentic ecosystems mature, the integration will allow merchants and platforms to offer more flexible, seamless payment options at the point of decision. Splitit’s Agentic Commerce pilot program will roll out in Q4. Photo by Magda Ehlers The post Splitit to Help AI Agents Pay in Installments appeared first on Finovate.       

This week’s edition of Finovate Global looks at recent fintech headlines from India. RBI pushes financial inclusion; launches digital currency sandbox Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Sanjay Malhotra used the occasion of the 6th Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai to encourage technologies to emphasize financial inclusion as well as better trust and efficiency as they help build the future of the country’s financial ecosystem. Fintech will be able to participate by joining the sandbox directly or via their partner banks. Malhotra credited Indian fintech for a range of innovations that have been the envy around the world. “India’s world-class digital public infrastructure, as symbolized by systems such as UPI, Aadhaar, and DigiLocker, has not only enhanced efficiency and service delivery, but also ensured that millions of Indians enjoy easy access to a wide range of financial services.” UPI is India’s real-time payment system that enables instant fund transfer between bank accounts via mobile apps. UPI can be used with just a mobile number or Virtual Payment Address (VPA) and has enabled everything from peer-to-peer transfers to merchant payments. UPI processes more than 700 million transactions a day. Aadhaar is the name of a biometric digital identity system that gives all residents a unique 12-digit identification. Aadhaar is the basis for digital KYC (Know Your Customer) processes and has use cases ranging from account opening and insurance enrollment in financial services to medical record access, government benefit disbursement, and more. DigiLocker is a cloud-based digital document storage platform that enables users to store and access official documents digitally. DigiLocker is estimated to have more than 465 million registered users. In each case, the solution has been both a significant technological innovation and a way of bringing a wider range of financial services to a greater number of communities and businesses, and individuals. Underscoring the compatibility between financial inclusion and technological innovation, Malhotra added, “serving the privileged will be a lucrative business, but companies must focus on serving the underserved sections of society. Build for inclusion. There may be higher profits to be made by deepening access to the haves and the privileged, but prioritize building systems to expand financial services to the unaccessed, the unreached, and the unserved segments of society.” The RBI also made headlines with the launch of its digital currency sandbox. The initiative will enable fintech firms to build and test solutions using the central bank digital currency (CBDC) as part of its ongoing pilot project. The RBI’s first retail e-rupee pilot (India’s central bank digital currency or CBDC) went live in December 2022, and currently has more than seven million users. The announcement was made by Suvendu Pai, General Manager at the RBI. Pai said that the launch was designed to encourage innovation in digital payments and to grow the ecosystem for India’s CBDC. “The CBDC retail sandbox will give innovators the space to experiment and build on top of the digital rupee,” Malhotra explained. “It will help create new use cases, improve customer experience, and add value to ongoing pilots.” Meet Finovate’s Indian alums Would you believe that outside of the US and the UK, the next largest group of Finovate readers are based in India? As our previous story acknowledged, India is an under-recognized superpower when it comes not only to fintech innovation, but also when it comes to making sure that technological innovations are built to benefit as many people as possible. Finovate has been happy to host a growing number of Indian fintechs at our conference both in the US and abroad. Our most recent event, FinovateFall 2025, featured a trio of India-based fintechs—MoneyPlanned, OPL, and Sequretek—on stage and a fourth, CloudBankin, in our Impact Zone. But these are only the most recently added alums. Here are some of the Indian firms that have demonstrated their latest innovations on the Finovate stage. Neural Defend – FinovateEurope 2025 GenRPT – FinovateFall 2024 Little Blocks – FinovateEurope 2023 HyperSwitch – FinovateSpring 2023 FinBit.io – FinovateAsia 2021 Vymo – FinovateFall 2018 / FinovateAsia 2018 Gradatim IT Ventures – FinovateAsia 2017 GIEOM – FinovateAsia 2016 BRIDGEi2i (acquired by Accenture) – FinovateAsia 2013 i-exceed – FinovateAsia 2013 CustomerXPs (rebranded as Clari5 after acquisition by Perfios) – FinovateAsia 2013 BankBazaar – FinovateAsia 2012 Infosys – FinovateFall 2009 Here is our look at fintech innovation around the world. Central and Eastern Europe Google Payment Lithuania launched its bank account verification service. Deutsche WertpapierService Bank (dwpbank) completed its acquisition of Berlin-based fintech lemon.markets. Learn how the Latvian government is preparing to adopt the second edition of its national fintech development strategy. Middle East and Northern Africa Cryptocurrency exchage Bybit secured a digital assets license in the UAE. The first exchange of its kind to do so. Israel-based fintech Tipalti received $200 million in debt financing from Hercules Capital to back the company’s AI initiatives. Ripple announced a strategic partnership with Bahrain Fintech Bay (BFB), the Kingdon’s leading fintech incubator. Central and Southern Asia UK-based fintech Wise launched a new travel card in India. Revolut announced plans to bring its payments platform to India later this year. Pine Labs and Indian e-commerce marketplace teamed up to introduce a new prepaid Flipkart Bharat Yatra Card. Latin America and the Caribbean Banco de Crédito del Perú, the largest bank in the country, has launched Criptococos, a digital asset-compatible banking platform, in partnership with BitGo. Chilean HR tech firm Buk acquired fintech Bemmbo to provide financial services via the new Buk Finanzas offering. Brazilian Buy Now Pay Later firm Pagaleve raised $30 million in Series A2 funding. Asia-Pacific Bank of Singapore unveiled a new agentic AI tool to automate components of the KYC process. Binance Japan, a subsidiary of Binance, forged a digital assets alliance with financial services provider PayPay Corporation. Singapore-based equity management platform Qapita raised $26 million in Series B funding. Sub-Saharan Africa South African AI-powered fintech Optasia announced plans to raise $375 million when it goes public on South Africa’s Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Kenyan asset financing firm M-KOPA reported its first profit of $9.2 million in 2024. The startup experienced a $24.7 million loss in 2023. Check out Greg Palmer’s Finovate Podcast interview featuring Bridgit Antwi, Head of Strategy and Planning at African payments company Flutterwave. art credit The post Finovate Global India: Inclusion, Digital Asset Innovation, and a Salute to Our Indian Alums appeared first on Finovate.       

BVNK has received a strategic investment from Citi Ventures, adding to its $90+ million in funding to accelerate its multi-rail payments infrastructure. BVNK has doubled transaction volumes in the past year and is competing with Circle, Ripple, and Stellar networks to bridge fiat and digital assets with enterprise-grade stablecoin settlement solutions. Stablecoins are rapidly becoming core financial infrastructure, with supply surpassing $180 billion and on-chain settlement volumes reaching trillions as businesses seek faster, cheaper cross-border payments. Multi-rail payments infrastructure platform BVNK announced this week that it has scored a strategic investment from Citi Ventures. The amount of the funds is undisclosed, and adds to the $90+ million in funding BVNK has raised from investors such as Visa, Haun Ventures, Tiger Global, and others. “Stablecoins are seeing increased interest in use for settlement of on-chain and crypto asset transactions,” said Citi Ventures Head Arvind Purushotham. “We were impressed by BVNK’s enterprise-grade infrastructure, and their proven track record.” BVNK was founded in 2021 and currently processes over $20 billion each year on behalf of enterprises and payment service providers. The UK-based company leverages stablecoins to enable businesses to move value instantly across borders and networks. Through its partnerships with global licensing bodies and Tier 1 banks, BVNK serves clients such as Worldpay, Deel, and dLocal. “This investment reinforces our mission to accelerate the global movement of money,” said BVNK Co-Founder and CEO Jesse Hemson-Struthers. “Our platform enables companies to harness stablecoins to move money quickly across borders and launch innovative financial products with enterprise-ready security and compliance.” Citi Ventures’ strategic investment comes as stablecoins are working their way to becoming a key piece of financial infrastructure. The total supply of stablecoins has exceeded $180 billion in 2025, with on-chain settlement volumes now reaching trillions of dollars each year as businesses make the swap to faster, cheaper alternatives to traditional banking. This surge has helped to fuel BVNK, which has doubled its transaction volumes in the past year and has expanded its partnerships across the globe. The fintech’s biggest rivals, which include Circle, Ripple, and Stellar-powered payment networks, are all seeking to build top-tier infrastructure that bridges the gap between fiat and digital assets. Citi’s financial and strategic support will help BVNK differentiate itself in the race to build the enterprise-grade, multi-rail payments platform needed to make stablecoin settlement a mainstream tool for global commerce. Photo by Brett Sayles The post BVNK Lands Funds from Citi Ventures for Stablecoin Infrastructure appeared first on Finovate.       

Global financial technology company FIS has announced a strategic partnership with AI-powered customer interactions platform Glia. The partnership will integrate Glia’s multi-channel digital interaction solution into FIS’s Digital One online banking platform. FIS made its first Finovate appearance at FinovateFall 2010. Glia is a 10-time, Finovate Best of Show award-winner. FIS has forged a strategic partnership with AI-powered customer interactions platform Glia. The partnership will integrate Glia’s AI for All digital interaction solution into FIS’s Digital One online banking platform. The goal is to deliver superior experiences for banking customers via a combination of AI-enabled service and high-touch human support. AI agents will be able to respond quickly to routine inquiries 24/7 while also intelligently routing more complex queries and issues to human agents. This will reduce resolution times and provide more personalized service that adapts instantly to customer needs. Embedding these AI capabilities directly into FIS’s digital banking infrastructure will empower financial institutions to modernize their customer service operations without disrupting current systems. “By integrating Glia’s sophisticated AI and digital interaction capabilities into our Digital One platforms, we’re enabling banks and credit unions to reap the benefits of a virtual workforce and high-touch, personalized service,” FIS Head of Retail Digital & Open Banking Hashim Toussaint said. “This new technology aligns perfectly with our recently announced Banking Modernization Framework, where open banking serves as a cornerstone for institutions looking to transform their operations and customer experiences. It truly represents the future of banking—where intelligent automation meets human insight.” Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, FIS made its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2010. Today the fintech services and consulting firm works with 70% of the top 100 insurance firms, has more than $16 trillion in financial assets on its platforms, and serves 5,800+ clients across 150 countries. A member of the Fortune 500, FIS is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: FIS), and has a market cap of $35 billion. The integration of Glia’s AI for All will enable FIS’s Digital One platform to provide a consistent, context-aware experience across channels—from mobile app to web platform to live agent. The platform will also deliver faster resolution times by triaging queries to separate the routine from the more complex. The integration will also provide 24/7 availability, with AI agents fielding account management questions, providing transaction support, and offering basic financial guidance beyond traditional banking hours. “Financial institutions today face the dual challenge of meeting rising customer expectations while managing operational costs,” Glia CEO and Co-Founder Dan Michaeli said. “Adding Glia’s AI-powered platform to FIS’s digital online banking products creates a powerful solution that doesn’t force organizations to choose between efficiency and experience—they can have both.” Having introduced itself to Finovate audiences as SaleMove in its Best of Show-winning debut at FinovateFall 2015, Glia has since become one of Finovate’s most decorated demoers, earning Best of Show honors a whopping ten times. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in New York, Glia offers an AI-powered, customer interactions solution for community banks and credit unions that delivers increases in digital branch loan dollars by more than 5x, boosts digital containment rates to 62%, and reduces abandonment rates by 12%. Photo by Trevor Neely on Unsplash The post FIS Integrates Glia’s Customer Interaction Tech into its Digital One Banking Platform appeared first on Finovate.       

With more banking options available than ever before, winning customers and their deposits has become increasingly difficult. Differentiation is not only harder to achieve, it’s also more essential for banks and credit unions seeking growth. Yet for many institutions, finding a truly distinct value proposition can feel elusive. This is where Wysh’s embedded life insurance product comes in. I spoke with Wysh CEO and Founder Alex Matjanec at FinovateFall last month about how his company helps banks differentiate their offerings by adding life insurance protection. The unique benefits help firms build loyalty, retention, and deeper customer relationships while also helping grow deposits. “The main problem that we’re solving is that in America, there’s a massive underinsured gap where many Americans don’t have enough insurance. And the way they get it is actually going away, so they’re looking for new avenues to do so. On the other side, banks are looking to differentiate themselves by capturing new deposits to beat digital institutions… and we think layering in protection is the way to do so and we make it very easy to do that.” Alex Matjanec is a serial entrepreneur with deep roots in fintech and digital product leadership. Before founding Wysh, he co-founded MyBankTracker.com, which has been called “the Expedia of banks,” and was involved in other startup ventures focused on financial tools and mobile apps. Under his leadership, Wysh has scaled from a small team to over 50 employees, expanding into dozens of US states, and forging partnerships with banks and fintechs to embed protection into deposit accounts. Wysh was founded in 2021 to help banks increase deposits while adding value and improving customer retention. The company’s flagship solution, Life Benefit, allows banks, credit unions, and fintechs to embed micro life insurance directly into deposit accounts without requiring underwriting, opt-in steps, or extra bureaucracy. Photo by Nita The post From Rate Wars to Real Value: How Wysh is Redefining Deposit Strategy through Protection appeared first on Finovate.       

AI defense startup Offset Labs has secured €600k ($804k) in pre-seed funding in a round led by Archangel Ventures and featuring participation from Amadeus Capital Partners and Seven Capital. The funding takes the company’s total capital raised to more than $1.1 million, according to Crunchbase. As Byne, the company made its Finovate debut earlier this year at FinovateEurope 2025 in London. UK-Ukrainian AI defense venture Offset Labs, which rebranded from Byne earlier this year, has raised €600k ($804k) in pre-seed funding in a round led by Archangel Ventures. Amadeus Capital Partners and Seven Capital also participated in the investment. The funding takes Offset Labs total funding to more than $1.1 million, according to Crunchbase. “This funding marks an important milestone in our mission: to build the first AI Lab creating frontier models specifically tailored to the needs of defence and national security customers,” the company noted on its LinkedIn page. “We believe that achieving this vision requires uniting talent, data, and computing infrastructure under one roof. Only with this integrated approach can we deliver the breakthrough—the ‘ChatGPT moment’—for mission-relevant AI and sustain a decisive qualitative offset in the decade ahead.” With a team split between London and Kyiv, Offset Labs is a bi-national security laboratory that has designed and deployed AI models for signal and voice processing in operational environments. The investment is expected to accelerate the company’s development of what it refers to as a “decisive AI advantage” for NATO and its allies. As its name implies, Offset Labs is focused on the idea of an “offset” or strategic leap forward that provides one side a significant advantage in the balance of power. The company believes that AI is the next likely area for an offset, but insists that in order for Western countries to make this happen, firms will have to embrace an integration of data, research, and talent at scale. This is where Offset Labs comes in, “to bring everything from data curation to research under one roof and unlock deep AI innovation for defense customers, ensuring Western leadership in this critical domain.” As Byne, the company made its Finovate debut in February at FinovateEurope 2025. At the conference, the startup’s co-founder and CEO Borys Nadykto demonstrated how the technology enables users to create secure Large Language Model (LLM) agents for enterprise use. Designed to manage the tension between productivity gains and data security when using AI tools like ChatGPT, Byne’s technology empowers companies to host LLM applications within their secure perimeter (on-premise or private cloud) to ensure safe handling of sensitive data and integration with internal systems. Headquartered in London, the company was founded as Byne in 2022 by Nadykto, Denys Budnyk, and Andrii Yakovyna. Byne announced its rebrand to Offset Labs earlier this year. Photo by vackground.com on Unsplash The post Offset Labs Secures Pre-Seed Funding in Round Led by Archangel Ventures appeared first on Finovate.       

Payments optimization platform Spreedly has acquired fraud prevention company Dodgeball. Terms were not disclosed. The acquisition will combine payments optimization and fraud prevention into a single platform. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in North Carolina, Spreedly has been a Finovate alum since 2013. Open payments platform Spreedly announced its acquisition of fraud orchestration company Dodgeball. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition combines payments optimization and fraud prevention in a single platform and helps bolster Spreedly’s strategy for both AI and open payments. “For most merchants, payments and fraud aren’t separate challenges—they’re two sides of the same coin,” Spreedly CEO Justin Benson said. “You can’t optimize payments without addressing fraud, and you can’t fight fraud without understanding the payment flow. This acquisition brings these critical functions together, allowing us to deliver immense value to our customers and accelerate our vision for an AI-powered, open payments future.” The acquisition is designed to give Spreedly’s customers additional reliability, as well as insights to help eliminate fraud and make more intelligent e-commerce decisions. The company noted that the acquisition will also enhance Spreedly’s workflow engine and help build the foundation for an AI-powered payments copilot. Post acquisition, the Dodgeball brand, as well as the Dodgeball team, will be integrated into Spreedly. This will not only enable Spreedly to maximize the benefit of Dodgeball’s expertise, but will also help ensure a smooth transition for customers with no service interruption and complete access to Spreedly’s global support and account management teams. “We leapt at the opportunity to join forces with Spreedly, in order to help more merchants build best-of-breed fraud management solutions while still promoting growth,” Dodgeball CEO Adam Hiatt said. “The partnership will also help us provide much greater value to our existing customers. All of us at Dodgeball are excited to get started on integrating our offering with Spreedly’s.” Most recently having demoing its technology on the Finovate stage at FinovateFall 2018 in New York, Spreedly has been a Finovate alum since 2013. The company, founded in 2008 and headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, counts major brands such as BMW, HBO Max, Priceline, The New York Times, and others among those that use its payments technology. Spreedly processes more than $50 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) on behalf of more than 400 customers in 100+ countries. Spreedly’s acquisition announcement came shortly before the company released its State of Checkout 2025 Survey, conducted by Talker Research on Spreedly’s behalf. The survey noted that many US executives remain concerned that AI could bring greater complexity to what they consider to be fragile checkout flows, leading to greater challenges and even financial losses. “AI has incredible potential to transform payments,” Spreedly President Peter Dougherty said. “But executives in the survey also revealed they’re already paying a steep ‘engineering tax’—with as much as a quarter of their engineering teams dedicated to maintaining fragile checkout flows. AI should be layered thoughtfully to strengthen these payment systems, not replace them entirely and introduce new risks.” Photo by Colin Rowley on Unsplash The post Payments Optimization Meets Fraud Prevention: Spreedly Acquires Dodgeball appeared first on Finovate.       

Eko Founder and CEO Mart Vos doesn’t care if you call his company “echo” or “eco.” But what he does care about is making it easier for community banks and credit unions to offer easy-to-use investment solutions to their customers and members—before they become enamored of the offerings by the new crop of digital investment brokers and platforms. “I’m from the Netherlands,” Vos said to the FinovateFall 2025 audience last month in New York. “Back in the Netherlands, everybody invests their money with their trusted bank. And maybe it sounds weird. But to me, it’s very normal. If I want to invest my money, I’m going to go with a place that I know and trust. I know my bank. I trust my bank. So where else am I going to go than my trusted bank?” This is the lens through which to view Eko’s latest partnership announcement, teaming up with the Brooklyn Cooperative Federal Credit Union. The partnership, announced last week, will enable Coop members to invest directly from their credit union’s platform. Members can start with as little as $10 and investment services are available in both English and Spanish. A certified CDFI (community development financial institution) and a Minority Depository Institution, Brooklyn FCU began operations in 2001 and serves central and eastern Brooklyn communities such as Bushwick, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and Crown Heights. The credit union is the third largest in its county, despite its relative youth, and currently has more than 7,200 members and $50 million in assets. In a statement on LinkedIn, Vos noted that the full integration of Eko’s “one-stop investments shop” was completed in three weeks. Coop members will benefit from a seamless, integrated investing experience that sits within their current digital banking portal and/or app, flexible portfolio options including pre-built and hybrid investment pathways, and low barriers to entry with a streamlined onboarding process and the ability to start investing with as little as $10. The partnership news follows Eko’s second consecutive Best of Show win at FinovateFall (the company won its first Best of Show award at FinovateFall 2024), as well as recognition as “Best Fintech” at the Tennessee Credit Union League annual conference. “This launch feels extra special to me personally: Brooklyn Coop is literally the credit union next door here in New York! Really proud to support Brooklyn Coop in making investing simple, affordable, and accessible for all members,” Vos said. An embedded investment platform for banks and credit unions, Eko won Best of Show in its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2024 and won again the following year at FinovateFall 2025. Headquartered in New York and founded in 2021, the company’s white-label solution integrates directly into digital banking infrastructures to enable customers and members to invest in pre-built portfolios, IRAs, cryptocurrencies, and more, as well as engage in hybrid investing and self-directed trading. In its most recent Finovate appearance, the company demonstrated how its embedded AI assistants support investors by answering financial planning questions, providing investment research, and helping with tasks like setting up recurring deposits and rebalancing portfolios. Photo by Francesco Gallarotti on Unsplash The post Best of Show Winner Eko Brings One-Stop Investments Shop to Brooklyn Coop FCU appeared first on Finovate.       

Fraud and financial crime prevention platform Feedzai has secured $75 million in funding at a valuation of $2 billion. The company also announced that the European Central Bank (ECB) has selected it as the first-ranked provider for fraud and risk management for the digital euro, slated to be launched by 2029. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Portugal, Feedzai made its Finovate debut at FinovateEurope 2014. In a big start to the month of October, fraud and financial crime prevention platform Feedzai has announced both a major funding round and a deal with the European Central Bank (ECB) to safeguard the digital euro. First up, the funding. Feedzai has secured $75 million in a round that featured participation from new institutional investors Lince Capital, Iberis Capital, and Explorer Investments, as well as existing investors Oxy Capital and Buenavista Equity Partners. The funding, which takes Feedzai’s total capital raised to more than $352 million according to Crunchbase, gives the Portugal-based fintech a valuation of $2 billion. In a statement, Lince Capital CEO Vasco Pereira Coutinho praised Feedzai for its use of AI and the company’s “end-to-end approach to risk operations.” Coutinho also underscored Feedzai’s ability to “execute across multiple product lines while scaling globally.” Feedzai CEO and Co-Founder Nuno Sebastião spoke to the strong pace of innovation in the fraud prevention space, and pointed to the importance of future-proofing financial crime fighting technology. “This new investment round enables us to continue driving innovation to defend against whatever comes next, so that every form of payment, even those yet to be imagined, can be trusted and adopted safely,” Sebastião said. Second, the ECB deal. The same day that Feedzai announced its major funding, the company also reported that the European Central Bank (ECB) has selected it as the first-ranked tenderer in its framework agreement to provide the central fraud detection and prevention solution for the to-be-launched digital euro. The framework agreement outlines the providers for five different digital euro components and related services: alias lookup, risk and fraud management, app and software development kit, offline solutions, and secure exchange of payment information. Feedzai is one of two providers in the risk and fraud management component; Capgemini Deutschland is the designated second provider. Service requests, according to the framework, will be initially directed to first-rank providers with second-rank providers contacted only as needed. The framework agreement for the risk and fraud management component for the digital euro has been valued at €79.1 million ($92.8 million), with a maximum value of €237.3 million ($277.3 million). For its part, Feedzai is partnering with subcontractor PwC to deliver a state-of-the-art central fraud detection and prevention mechanism that complies with EU security, privacy, and data protection standards. “Being selected as the first-ranked tenderer in the framework agreement to secure the digital euro is both an honor and a responsibility,” Feedzai’s Sebastião said. “With tens of billions of transactions expected across the eurozone, success depends on AI that can adapt as quickly as fraud evolves. Our role is to provide the intelligence that keeps even the most sophisticated fraud out, ensuring trust in every digital euro transaction from day one.” Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, Feedzai made its Finovate debut at FinovateEurope 2014. Today, the company defends 900 million people in 190 countries from fraud with an end-to-end financial crime prevention platform that features AI-native solutions. Over the past year, Feedzai has launched a number of key products including its Feedzai Orchestration and Feedzai IQ, which empower financial institutions to make better, faster risk assessments. Feedzai has also introduced the TRUST Framework to embed fairness, explainability, and security into every component of GenAI model development. In April, Feedzai acquired data management platform and fellow Finovate alum DemystData in a deal valued at $157 million. Photo by Vita Marija Murenaite on Unsplash The post Feedzai Raises $75 Million; Partners with ECB to Safeguard Digital Euro appeared first on Finovate.       

Coupa has acquired AI-powered supplier discovery platform Scoutbee to enhance transparency and efficiency in supplier sourcing, onboarding, and transactions. The move expands Coupa’s procurement ecosystem, adding Scoutbee’s collaborative tools and AI-driven supplier intelligence to Coupa’s $8 trillion spend management platform. As competition in AI-enabled procurement heats up, Coupa’s acquisition positions it to better compete with SAP’s Ariba and JAGGAER in building a dynamic, resilient global supply chain network. Spend management platform Coupa revealed today that it has acquired supplier discovery platform Scoutbee for an undisclosed amount. Coupa anticipates that integrating Scoutbee’s tools into its platform will offer business clients greater transparency and efficiency in supplier discovery, onboarding, and transactions. Scoutbee was founded in 2015 to connect buyers and suppliers through its AI-powered procurement platform, which includes a robust supplier database and collaboration tools. The California-based company has raised $76 million in funding to help organizations discover new, relevant suppliers and unlock new opportunities. “We founded Scoutbee with the premise that AI can transform real-time sourcing and procurement by enabling buyers and suppliers to seamlessly connect, collaborate, and transact,” said Scoutbee co-founder and CEO Gregor Stühler. “Joining Coupa allows us to bring our mission to a global stage, and provide an exceptionally data-rich and comprehensive buyer-supplier network and B2B marketplace at scale.” Coupa launched its AI platform for total spend management in 2006. The company’s platform contains a community-generated, $8 trillion dataset and brings autonomous AI agents, 10 million buyers and suppliers, and apps to automate the buying process. In 2022, Coupa was acquired by Thoma Bravo for $8 billion in cash. “Coupa and Scoutbee share a fundamental belief that better data leads to better AI, better decisions, and ultimately, a better world through more resilient supply chains,” said Coupa Chief Product and Technology Officer Salvatore Lombardo. “Together, we are creating the world’s most comprehensive, dynamic, and data-rich network. This acquisition enables us to deliver a truly effortless buyer-supplier matching experience and further enhances our network that will power the future of global trade.” Bringing Coupa and Scoutbee together under a united front will help fortify Coupa’s position in the race to dominate the AI-powered procurement and supplier intelligence space. With rivals like SAP’s Ariba Network doubling down on AI-enabled sourcing and JAGGAER investing heavily in autonomous commerce, Coupa’s move will deepen its supplier intelligence capabilities, reinforcing its position as a data-rich, network-first procurement ecosystem. Photo by Tiger Lily The post Coupa Acquires Supplier Discovery Platform Scoutbee appeared first on Finovate.       

Each year, FinovateEurope brings together the brightest innovators in fintech to demo the future of financial technology. But for many companies, demoing their technology on the Finovate stage is more than just a moment in the spotlight, it’s a launching pad for growth. Over the past 15 years, dozens of FinovateEurope alumni have captured the attention of major industry players, leading to high-profile acquisitions and partnerships. Below, we highlight some of the companies that turned their Finovate demo into their next big deal. 24Sessions acquired by Bird AccountScore acquired by Equifax Actiance acquired by Smarsh Aixigo acquired by Amundi Arxan acquired by Digital.ai Avaloq acquired by NEC Corporation Avoka acquired by Temenos Azimo acquired by Papaya Global BehavioSec acquired by LexisNexis BusinessForensics acquired by cleversoft Group Cobase acquired by Alpha Group CollectAI acquired by Aareal Bank The Currency Cloud acquired by Visa Encap Security acquired by Signicat Ephesoft acquired by Tungsten Automation Envestnet acquired by Bain Capital Ethoca acquired by Mastercard EyeVerify acquired by Ant Group Fidor acquired by Groupe BPCE Figlo acquired by Advicent Solutions Finantix acquired by Motive Partners Five Degrees acquired by Topicus Handpoint acquired by Electronic Payments Holvi acquired by Keru Fintech Investments HooYu acquired by Mitek Horizn acquired by Inbenta IDScan Biometrics acquired by GB Group IND Group acquired by Misys ITSector acquired by Alten Europe Ixaris acquired by Nium Jumio acquired by Centana Growth Partners Kabbage acquired by American Express Kalixia acquired by Senjō Group Lexmark acquired by Xerox Linxo Group acquired by Credit Agricole Luxoft acquired by DXC Technology Lodo acquired by NCR Minna Technologies acquired by Mastercard Nordigen acquired by GoCardless Nostrum Group acquired by Equiniti Nutmeg acquired by JP Morgan Chase OutsideIQ acquired by Exiger Ondot Systems acquired by Fiserv Onfido acquired by Entrust Openfinance acquired by Inversis Ping Identity acquired by Thoma Bravo rplan acquired by InvestCloud SecureKey acquired by Avast Signicat acquired by Nordic Capital Silver Tail Systems acquired by Dell EMC Strands acquired by CRIF Striata acquired by Doxim Spiff acquired by Salesforce Taulia acquired by SAP Tink acquired by Visa Top Image Systems acquired by Tungsten Automation Trustev acquired by Transunion Trustly acquired by Nordic Capital Twisto acquired by Param Unblu acquired by Swiss Post W.UP acquired by Finshape Xignite acquired by Quodd Financial Information Services Yodlee acquired by Symphony Technology Group These success stories underscore how FinovateEurope has helped fintechs showcase their newest fintech innovation and connect it with the institutions and investors ready to scale it. From early-stage disruptors to industry leaders, the companies that have taken the Finovate stage prove that a seven-minute demo can spark partnerships, acquisitions, and growth. As we look ahead to FinovateEurope 2026, we’ve already started to help the newest wave of fintechs prepare to take the spotlight. If the past 15 years are any indication, the ideas you will see on stage next February could be the ones reshaping fintech in the years to come. Join us for FinovateEurope 2026 on February 10 through 11 in London. Tickets are available today at a discount, so register today and save! Photo by Cytonn Photography The post From Demo to Deal: FinovateEurope Alumni Turn Innovation into Acquisition appeared first on Finovate.       

The first full week of October is bringing news of new product launches in the digital banking space, funding for continued innovation with stablecoins, and partnerships in payments and insurtech. Be sure to check back with Finovate’s Fintech Rundown all week long for the latest in fintech news! Digital banking Alkami unveils its Digital Banking Conversion Toolkit (DBCT) to support financial institutions through their digital transformation journeys. Bud Financial launches its Bud MCP server to facilitate the integration of AI applications with Bud’s platform. Checkout.com secures a Merchant Acquirer Limited Purpose Bank (MALPB) charter from the State of Georgia Department of Banking and Finance. Payments Courtesy of a partnership with EBANX and MOVii, Colombia launches its instant payment ecosystem, Bre-B, inspired by Brazil’s Pix. Payall Payment Systems completes certification and now supports live transactions vis FedNow. Crypto and DeFi Digital asset risk insights provider Agio Ratings secures $6 million in funding in a round led by Albion VC. TerraPay teams up with Fipto to launch stablecoin-native flows. Insurtech UK-based insurtech Zego announces renewed partnership with Clearspeed. Customer engagement First City Credit Union partners with Eltropy to enhance member communications. Taxes and accounting Irish startup Leapifai goes live with its digital tax copilot platform. Photo by Konstantin Dyadyun on Unsplash The post Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News appeared first on Finovate.       

BILL has launched a high-yield Cash Account for its SMB clients, offering 3% returns with no fees or minimum balance requirements. The account provides enterprise-grade features like FDIC insurance up to $200 million, next-day ACH payments, and integrated cash management tools. With nearly 500K small business clients and $266 billion in processed payments, BILL aims to help SMBs grow funds and optimize cashflow. Small business financial software provider BILL launched a cash account that will offer high-yield savings opportunities to its small-and-medium-sized business clients. The BILL Cash Account will help SMBs earn a higher yield on their idle cash. The California-based company is launching the new account to help its nearly half a million small business clients use manage their money with higher returns and stronger cashflow. “Idle cash sitting in low-or no-yield checking accounts not only costs businesses time and money—it costs them opportunity to grow,” said BILL EVP, GM of Payments and Financial Services Mary Kay Bowman. “With Cash Account, we’re bringing growing businesses the same enterprise-grade capabilities normally reserved for Fortune 500 companies—combining high APY on an operational account with fast speed, seamless software integration, and security all in one simple account.” BILL’s new Cash Account offers enterprise-grade tools to help businesses grow their funds confidently, with FDIC insurance coverage of up to $200 million. The high-yield account pays 3% returns, which is 42 times the national average of 0.07%. Unlike many competitors, BILL doesn’t require businesses to hold a minimum amount of funds in their accounts and does not charge fees. Users also benefit from next-business-day ACH payments and cash management tools. ‍‍Founded in 2006, BILL helps its small business clients automate their financial operations and has processed $266 billion in payments volume. The company, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker BILL, went public in 2019 and has a market capitalization of $5.54 billion. Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko The post BILL Launches High-Yield Cash Account for SMBs appeared first on Finovate.       

This week’s edition of Finovate Global reviews recent fintech news from the Netherlands. Dutch insurtech RISK acquires Amsterdam-based fintech Dyme Dutch insurtech RISK has acquired Amsterdam-based savings app Dyme. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The deal will enable Dyme to boost its presence in the Netherlands as well as enter the German market. Courtesy of the agreement, both Dyme’s brand and management team will remain intact. “From being featured on Dragon’s Den to becoming one of the largest finance apps in Europe and reaching profitability, our mission has always been the same: helping people take control of their money,” Dyme noted on its LinkedIn Page. “This step opens up some great opportunities for Dyme and its customers: expand the product, especially with great insurance packages and service, reach millions more people through the RISK ecosystem, and take Dyme international, beginning with Germany.” Dyme currently has more than 600,000 consumers who have linked their bank accounts to the Dyme platform. The company’s app serves as a personal financial assistant to help users lower costs, and uses smart algorithms to automate subscription cancellations and provide financial guidance. Dyme announced its first profitable quarter in 2024, and has said that it has helped users save more than €40 million since inception. The acquisition will combine RISK’s market expertise and technological platforms with Dyme’s user-friendly financial solutions that enable users to easily manage their expenses, budgets, and more. RISK offers an advanced IT platform, SureBase, that assists financial advisors, online labels, and insurers in product comparison and distribution. SureBase, according to RISK CEO Harm Vollmuller, will serve a key base for the new synergy between RISK and Dyme. “By combining that with our platforms and market knowledge, we can reach people at a time when financial breaking space is more important than ever,” Vollmuller said. Factris raises €100m to power SME financing A new funding partnership with Brand New Day Bank will enable Factris to expand its ability to provide financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Dutch fintech has secured a €100 million facility to support financing SME factoring across Europe. This will enable Factris to finance sellers in nine countries and manage receivables from debtors in 27 countries. “This new facility is a testament to the trust and confidence Brand New Day Bank has placed in Factris and our vision for SME financing,” Factris CEO Brian Reaves said. “As we continue to scale across Europe, this partnership ensures we can meet the increasing demand for alternative financing and provide SMEs with the liquidity they need to thrive.” Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Amsterdam, North Holland, Factris specializes in invoice factoring for small and medium-sized enterprises. The company offers selective factoring to enable companies to decide which specific invoices to factor, fund availability within 24 hours of invoice submission, credit insurance to protect against customer non-payment or bankruptcy, and debtor management for collections and account receivables. Brand New Day Bank is a Netherlands-based digital-first, challenger bank and fintech that began operating in 2010. The financial institution serves both individuals and small-to-medium sized businesses with savings accounts, investment and pension products, tax-advantaged savings and investment solutions, and annuity payment services. Brand New Day Bank has more than €8 billion in assets. Dutch fintech Plumery unveils Canada-based solutions Digital banking experience platform Plumery announced a suite of new features and integrations designed especially for credit unions in Canada. These new capabilities will give these institutions the ability to provide personalized, compliant, and modern digital banking experiences for their members. The Amsterdam-based fintech leveraged a collaboration with Aequilibrium, a digital services and technology consultancy headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, to make sure its Canadian-ready platform is built based on the way that Canadian credit union members prefer to bank. This includes not just hyper-personalized, mobile-first, and intuitive digital journeys, but also support for everyday payments and transfers including billpay and Interact e-Transfers, and Canadian savings and lending products like GICs. Plumery’s move comes as Canadian banks and credit unions face a range of challenges including evolving customer expectations, fintech competition, and the pressure to modernize their legacy systems. More immediately, Canadian credit unions are scrambling in the wake of Central 1 Credit Union’s announcement that it will wind down its digital banking platform Forge (formerly MemberDirect). More than 170 credit unions across Canada had been relying on the technology. “With Forge winding down, Canadian institutions have a rare opportunity to modernize on their own terms, rather than being tied to outdated systems,” Plumery CEO and Founder Ben Goldin said. “Our platform provides an immediate, future-ready option that puts control back in the hands of credit unions. By working with Aequilibrium, we are combining global banking innovation with local expertise to deliver experiences that meet the unique needs of Canadian credit unions’ members.” Founded in 2016, Plumery enables financial institutions to offer unique mobile and online experiences on top of either their modern or legacy core banking platforms up to 80% faster. Plumery’s technology features foundations that are pre-integrated into its digital banking journeys that accelerate app development and shorten time-to-market while maintaining complete control over both design and functionality. Check out my interview with Plumery’s Goldin from earlier this year. Here is our look at fintech innovation around the world. Sub-Saharan Africa Mastercard teamed up with African fintech Smile ID to introduce new digital identity solutions across the continent. South African mobile payment platform Street Wallet partnered with Plush Car Wash to deliver secure, cashless payments. Visa and digital payments network Onafriq launched Visa Pay in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Central and Eastern Europe Lithuania-based identity verification and fraud prevention company iDenfy launched its Criminal Background Check tool. Hungarian payment service provider Barion Payment completed its acquisition of PSC CEE Ltd, the company behind the SmartKassa brand. Turkey’s Türk Ekonomi Bankası (TEB) partnered with Provenir for its AI-powered decisioning platform. Middle East and Northern Africa A pair of leading MENA-based fintechs—Network International and Magnati—have announced the completion of their strategic merger. Dubai-based fintech UPFRONT raised $10 million in pre-seed funding that combined both of equity and debt. Saudi Arabian fintech UmrahCash launched operations in Indonesia. Central and Southern Asia India’s Bank of Baroda launched its eRUPI Person-to-Person (P2P) gifting solution. TBC Uzbekistan extended financial services to non-residents. Indian fintech Kiwi unveiled its interest-backed EMI on UPI. Latin America and the Caribbean Brazilian digital banking giant Nubank has applied for a US national bank charter. Unlimit announced securing Principal Membership with Mastercard and Visa in Peru. Brazi-based proptech Lastro raised $15 million in Series A funding in a round led by Prosus Ventures. Asia-Pacific Cambodian MSME-focused bank Chief Bank teamed up with payment solutions provider BPC to launch its new Chief Mobile 3.0 mobile app. The People’s Bank of China opened a digital yuan operation center in Shanghai. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) launched IADS Developer Hackathon to promote bank-fintech collaboration. Photo by Javier M. on Unsplash The post Finovate Global Netherlands: Insurtech, SME Financing, and Digital Banking appeared first on Finovate.       

Mastercard Commerce Media has launched to leverage consumer-permissioned transaction data, giving 25,000 advertiser partners smarter targeting and delivering up to 22x ROAS across industries like retail, travel, and dining. Mastercard’s partnerships with Citi, American Airlines, Microsoft, and WPP will expand scale, reach, and brand integration. Retail media networks are surging, with spending projected to hit nearly $100 billion by 2028. Chase Media Solutions, which launched in 2024, is an example of how financial institutions are monetizing first-party data to serve personalized offers. Mastercard announced that it will begin leveraging consumer-permissioned data via its new digital media network, Mastercard Commerce Media. The new media network will give Mastercard’s 25,000 advertiser partners access to transaction data from the 500 million enrolled consumers in order to power smarter, personalized commerce. Through Mastercard’s proprietary Offers platform, advertisers can deliver tailored campaigns, such as cashback, discounts, and incentives, to audiences defined by their business goals. Using insights from consumer-permissioned data, Mastercard identifies the right customers and delivers relevant advertising content. Consumers can then activate offers on their enrolled card and complete the purchase, with Mastercard directly attributing the transaction to the campaign. Beyond traditional cashback, Mastercard Commerce Media helps publishers strengthen brand loyalty by enabling programs where consumers earn rewards in a brand’s own cash currency, giving shoppers more purchasing power and brands deeper engagement. Looking ahead, Mastercard plans to expand distribution to new channels and deepen integrations across its broader services portfolio beginning in 2026. Mastercard processed more than 160 billion transactions in 2024, and its new media network will deliver proprietary insights from transactions like these processed by Mastercard. Mastercard Commerce Media currently delivers a return on ad spend (ROAS) of up to 22 times for advertisers across retail, travel, entertainment, dining, and more. “We understand how to connect advertisers to consumers and consumers to the products, services and experiences they value,” said Mastercard Chief Services Officer Craig Vosburg. “Mastercard Commerce Media is a natural extension of the trusted connections we’re known for and the work we already do across our unique suite of services. That means we’re not just well-positioned to bring a full-scale commerce media network to life—we’re best-positioned.” Mastercard Commerce Media is launching in partnership with  Citi, which will help the program grow faster, reach more users, and deliver more value. Mastercard already has ongoing ties with Citi, which will give Mastercard’s media network a head start in leveraging Citi’s infrastructure, customer base, and channels. Mastercard is also partnering with American Airlines, Microsoft, and WPP, which will help extend its footprint and connection to brands in the traditional media space. As the use of consumer-permissioned data gains popularity across fintech subsectors, so too has the adoption of retail media networks. These networks allow institutions to monetize their first-party data by connecting brands with highly targeted audiences through trusted digital channels. According to eMarketer, retail media networks will expand in the coming years. The firm estimates that retail media network spending will reach nearly $100 billion through 2028, reflecting both advertiser demand and consumer engagement with personalized content. An early trailblazer in the space is Chase Media Solutions, which launched in 2024 to leverage its transaction and cardholder data to serve personalized offers and marketing to its 80 million customers. Photo by Collis The post Mastercard Launches Mastercard Commerce Media to Leverage Consumer Data appeared first on Finovate.       

Account holder engagement specialist Larky has announced a strategic partnership with digital banking solutions provider Tyfone. Courtesy of the partnership, Larky will integrate its nudge engagement platform into Tyfone’s nFinia digital banking solution. Tyfone made its Finovate debut at FinovateSpring 2008. Larky first demonstrated its technology to Finovate audiences at FinovateFall 2014. Proactive account holder engagement company Larky has inked a strategic partnership with digital banking solutions provider Tyfone this week. The agreement will integrate Larky’s nudge platform directly into Tyfone’s nFinia digital banking solution. “At Tyfone, we believe that elegant user experiences are only the starting point,” Tyfone CEO Siva Narendra said. “What truly sets us apart is our commitment to innovation, collaboration, and execution. Partnering with Larky extends that commitment, helping our clients engage their customers and members in meaningful ways that strengthen relationships and deliver lasting value.” Larky’s nudge platform provides real-time personalized notifications to enhance the ability of financial institutions to connect with their account holders. The solution enables financial institutions to increase deposits and new loans, and prevent fraud with tailored, turnkey push notifications. Financial institutions using nudge leverage data-driven and location-aware messaging to secure customer and member engagement rates that are seven to ten times higher than with traditional marketing channels. Via a pre-built integration with Tyfone’s digital banking technology, Larky’s notification capabilities are seamlessly embedded, empowering banks and other financial institutions to bring additional value by way of the mobile channel that customers use and trust. Financial institutions will be able to choose from either a library of pre-built campaigns or deploy Larky’s AI-powered solutions to create messaging that is customized for their specific audiences. This messaging can help banks and other financial institutions to encourage debit card use, boost fraud prevention awareness, announce the launch of new solutions, and more. “We’re thrilled to launch our partnership with Tyfone and bring our nudge platform to more community financial institutions,” Larky CEO Gregg Hammerman said. “Tyfone’s focus on meaningful digital relationships aligns perfectly with our mission to help account holders receive relevant, timely engagement where it matters most.” Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Larky made its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2014. More recently, the company has forged partnerships with core banking solutions provider VisiFi, and began this year teaming up with data analytics and business intelligence solutions company for credit unions Trellance. Larky has raised more than $4.5 million in funding, according to Crunchbase, most recently securing an investment from Reseda Group in 2023. Portland, Oregon-based Tyfone has been a Finovate alum since its debut at FinovateSpring 2008. The company’s nFinia digital banking platform offers account management, fund transfers, and billpay services, as well as payment solutions and personal finance management (PFM) tools. The platform also features Penni AI integration that delivers conversational banking capabilities including smart tools and intelligent, personalized support, 24/7. Tyfone’s partnership news with fellow Finovate alum Larky comes just days after the company reported collaborating with another Finovate alum, BioCatch. Last month, the two companies announced a strategic partnership that integrated BioCatch’s Account Takeover Protection solution into Tyfone’s nFinia platform. “Account takeover fraud is one of the most pervasive threats in digital banking,” BioCatch Senior Director of Global Integration Partners and Alliances Jay Whoriskey said. “By embedding our behavioral intelligence into Tyfone’s digital banking platform, community financial institutions gain real-time protection, identifying and stopping fraud before any money leaves the would-be-victim’s account without compromising the user experience.” Founded in 2004, Tyfone has raised more than $38 million in funding, according to Crunchbase. This figure includes the company’s $25 million venture round in 2023. Photo by Josh Herrington on Unsplash The post Larky and Tyfone Team Up to Enhance Account Holder Engagement for Financial Institutions appeared first on Finovate.       

How is AI helping lenders make better loans to more qualified borrowers? How can stablecoins promote cross-border trade and help local merchants make more sales in more markets? How can banks overcome the limitations of their legacy systems and confidently embrace modernization? The latest round of interviews from Finovate VP Greg Palmer and the Finovate Podcast cover all these issues and more. Here’s a look at the Finovate Podcast’s recently completed September slate. By the way, the first few podcast interviews with FinovateFall Best of Show winners have just begun to drop. If you want to get an early listen, check them out on our Finovate Podcast page. Greg Sullins (LinkedIn), Head of the US Banking Center of Excellence for Newgen Software, talks with Greg Palmer about how AI is revolutionizing the lending process. Sullins explains why AI is especially valuable in the lending business, in part because it sits at the intersection of data intensity, risk management, and the customer experience. Episode 271. Founded in 1992, Newgen Software offers lenders a low-code platform that provides end-to-end automation, AI-powered decisioning, configurable workflows, and enhanced customer experience capabilities. The company’s technology enables business analysts rather than programmers configure workflows and deploy changes quickly. This helps financial institutions modernize their legacy systems faster while remaining compliant. Bridgit Antwi (LinkedIn), Head of Strategy and Planning at Flutterwave, talks with Greg Palmer about the rise of stablecoins, the importance of building strong relationships across the financial ecosystem, and what Flutterwave is doing to help local merchants expand their reach across borders. Episode 270. Africa’s leading payments company, Flutterwave was founded in 2016 by Olubenga “GB” Agbola. The firm offers a single API platform that enables merchants to seamlessly collect payments across multiple countries, currencies, and payment methods. Flutterwave operates in more than 30 countries, holds licenses in 14 African nations, and maintains 35 money transfer licenses. Rouzbeh Rotabi (LinkedIn) Chief Revenue Officer at Qolo and Greg Palmer talk about the challenge and opportunity of payment infrastructure modernization. With more than 20 years of experience in fintech and payments, Rotabi explains how the need to increase deposits, infrastructure limitations of legacy systems, and evolving consumer demands are pressuring banks to embrace new technological solutions. Episode 269. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Qolo offers an all-in-one platform for card issuing, ledger management, and payment processing. The company helps businesses launch faster, lower costs, and secure real-time visibility into the payment flow. Photo by Blaz Erzetic The post Greg Palmer and the Finovate Podcast Talk Payments, Lending, and Stablecoins appeared first on Finovate.       

Bill Harris, fintech pioneer and former CEO of Intuit, PayPal, and founder of Personal Capital, has unveiled a new digital RIA focused on affluent and high-net-worth investors. Evergreen Wealth combines agentic AI advice with fiduciary advisors, offering Dynamic Portfolios designed for hyper-personalization and advanced tax optimization. Moving beyond early roboadvisors, Evergreen Wealth blends human expertise, AI analytics, and tax-efficient strategies to meet changing expectations of younger, affluent clients. Serial entrepreneur Bill Harris unveiled his newest fintech yesterday. The new wealthtech, Evergreen Wealth, is a digital Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) that provides investment management with a tax-forward mindset. The launch builds on Harris’ long track record in both wealth management and tax innovation. On the wealthtech side, he founded Personal Capital in 2009, one of the first hybrid roboadvisors, which grew to manage $23 billion in assets before selling to Empower in 2020 for $825 million upfront. On the tax side, Harris led TurboTax and later served as CEO of Intuit in the late 1990s. He also briefly served as an early CEO of PayPal in 1999, cementing his reputation as a serial fintech entrepreneur. Harris said that the launch comes at a time of changing market environment and consumer expectations. “Younger, affluent investors want more than traditional products and quarterly meetings—more than half don’t want their parents’ advisors,” said Harris. “They demand sophisticated tax and investment services, available on their schedule. We built Evergreen Wealth for this generation of investors.” As a new wealthtech in the AI era, Evergreen Wealth offers agentic AI-powered financial advice to affluent and high-net-worth clients. The company is differentiating itself with its Dynamic Portfolios that contain hundreds of individual securities that can be tax-optimized and hyper-personalized to match the clients’ goals. Tax optimization is a key focus for Evergreen Wealth. The company leverages multiple tax strategies, such as direct indexing, to help offset, reduce, defer, and even eliminate taxes on their investments. This is important for high-income taxpayers in high-tax states when they are trying to beat the market. Along with its emphasis on tax efficiencies, Evergreen Wealth also focuses on offering a high-touch approach. The company’s advisors are fiduciaries that leverage research from Evergreen Intelligence, the company’s financial knowledge base, in order to deliver personalized advice to their clients. These tools allow advisors to offer each client personalized insights and advice. “We combine human expertise with AI analytics to create a new model for financial advice,” said Harris. “It’s the best of both worlds—experienced advisors plus advanced technology.” Today’s launch solidifies an era of change in the wealthtech space. While early wealthtechs leveraged the roboadvisory strategy, today’s consumers want an even deeper approach when it comes to managing their wealth. By offering a tax-forward mentality combined with agentic AI tools and a high-touch, personal approach, Evergreen Wealth is adapting to consumers’ changing preferences. Photo by Trace Hudson The post Former PayPal and Intuit CEO Bill Harris Launches New Wealthtech Evergreen Wealth appeared first on Finovate.