Finextra Research: Latest fintech news, analysis, interviews, features and opinion by industry experts

Revolut raises €10 million for Red Cross Ukraine appeal

Launched on the 25th February, Revolut enabled millions of its customers worldwide to instantly donate to the Red Cross Ukraine Appeal, targeted at supporting victims of the war in Ukraine. The €10 million was raised through donations of Revolut customers, which were then matched by Revolut itself.

11 March 2022

News/retail

Acorns raises $300m after abandoning Spac plans

Having ditched plans to go public via a Spac, savings and investing app Acorns has raised $300 million from private investors at a $1.9 billion valuation.

10 March 2022

News/retail

Irish postal service takes on incumbents with Tink money management app

Irish postal services provider An Post has teamed up with European open banking platform Tink, to bring new money management services to its customers.

01 March 2022

News/retail

Toucan takes flight with Dragon’s Den investment

Nine days after its official launch, the Toucan app locked-in investment through a slightly unconventional approach for fintech - BBC One’s Dragon’s Den.

18 February 2022

News/retail

Plum prepares US stock investing product launch

European money management app Plum plans to launch a product for users to invest in US stocks in Q1 this year, adding EU and UK stocks, and crypto assets later in 2022.

11 February 2022

News/sustainable

Tink embeds subscription app Youtility into money management suite

Open banking platform Tink is working with subscription technology firm Youtility to provide UK retail banks with embedded subscription and money management tools.

09 February 2022

News/retail

Monzo beats Starling on overdraft requests, claims Built for Mars

Built for Mars’ Peter Ramsay, creator of widely acclaimed UX case studies has released another comparison piece, dissecting the strengths and weaknesses of the overdraft experience provided by challenger bank rivals, Monzo and Starling.

04 February 2022

News/retail

Santander bets big on BNPL with new service Zinia

Santander today announces the launch of Zinia, its new buy now, pay later (BNPL) service in Germany.

26 January 2022

News/wealth

Acorns co-founder raises $20m for micro-investing apps

Acorns co-founder Walter Cruttenden has raised $20 million in Series A funding for his latest venture, Ant Money, and merged it with another of his fintech firms, Blast.

22 December 2021

News/payments

Irish banks’ mobile payments plan hits roadblock

A payments app developed by Ireland’s high street banks to compete with digital banks has hit a snag after it was announced that the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) would launch an investigation.

09 December 2021

News/retail

Westpac buys MoneyBrilliant app

Australian bank Westpac has agreed terms to buy money management app MoneyBrilliant. Financial details were not disclosed.

08 December 2021

News/crypto

India to regulate crypto, avoids outright ban

A cabinet note seen by NDTV shows the Indian government will regulate cryptocurrencies in the country, rather than imposing a ban on their use.

03 December 2021

News/startups

Fronted raises £20m to launch interest free ‘lifetime deposit’ for renters

Rental deposit lending business Fronted has raised over £20m in a debt and equity deal led by Fasanara Capital. This comes after Monzo co-founders backed the fintech in a £1m fundraise in May 2021.

24 November 2021

News/startups

VentureSouq launches $50m Mena fintech fund

Venture capital firm VentureSouq has launched a $50 million fund focused on fintech across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region and Pakistan.

23 November 2021

News/startups

Kids' investing app EarlyBird raises $4m

EarlyBird, a mobile app that helps parents and loved ones invest in the financial futures of their children, has raised $4 million in a seed round led by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian's Sven Seven Six.

22 November 2021

News/payments

MFS Africa bolsters expansion with $100m fundraise

Africa’s largest digital payments network has raised $100 million in a Series C equity and debt financing round.

10 November 2021

News/crypto

Singapore Fintech Festival 2021: ‘We haven’t even fuelled the DeFi rocket’

During Singapore Fintech Festival’s panel session ‘Decentralised Finance: Redefining the Architecture’, ChainLink co-founder Sergey Nazarov and Celo CEO and co-founder Rene Reinsberg examine the forces currently driving the decentralised finance (DeFi) sector and how financial institutions should be approaching their DeFi and cryptocurrency strategy.

08 November 2021

News/sustainable

SDG corporate debit card launched by quartet of payments players

RailsBank, Toqio, and Mastercard have partnered with fintech platform HealRWorld, to deliver a corporate debit card that rewards sustainable businesses and promotes their commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

05 November 2021

News/sustainable

COP26: How our wallets will save the world

Your money is a weapon. It can either be used to tackle the climate crisis or fan the flames. The United Nations’ climate conference in Glasgow, COP26, says it is time to have a serious discussion about how our money can be deployed to save the world.

03 November 2021

News/crypto

Former AliPay UK CEO Rita Liu on how regulators are boosting crypto literacy

Finextra sat down with Mode’s chief commercial officer Rita Liu – also former CEO of AliPay UK, to discuss Mode’s recent partnership with trade association CryptoUK, and how market players and regulators are boosting adoption and education around crypto.

03 November 2021

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