Latest news headlines: Finextra Research

Maybank signs RM1bn digital transformation deal with Microsoft

Malaysia's largest financial institution Maybank, has agreed a deal with Microsoft that will see the tech firm spearhead the bank's digital transformation

2 hours

/startups

Spend management startup Stavtar secures $55m funding boost

Stavtar Solutions, a US-based startup with a SaaS platform for expense allocations and spend management, has completed a series A funding round worth $55m

3 hours

/predictions

UK's high street banks see profits fall as online rivals gain ground

High street banks in the UK have seen their profits drop in 2024 as customers opt for alternative lenders and online banks offering both higher savings rates and more digital services.

3 hours

/regulation

BVI survey attempts to woo cross-border fintechs

Fintech’s international expansion plans are being thwarted by a fragmented regulatory landscape, according to recently published research designed to promote the role of international finance centres (IFCs).

4 hours

/ai

Wells Fargo enlists Google Cloud for agentic AI play

Wells Fargo is expanding its relationship with Google Cloud to roll out agentic AI across its operations.

15 hours

/retail

Grasshopper raises $46.6m

Digital business bank Grasshopper has raised $46.6 million to support its merger with Auto Club Trust.

15 hours

/payments

Sainsbury's sells travel money business to Fexco

UK supermarket group Sainsbury's is offloading its travel money business to Ireland's Fexco. Financial terms were not disclosed.

21 hours

/startups

Alaan raises $48m for spend management platform

Alaan, a UAE-based, AI-powered corporate spend management platform founded by former McKinsey consultants, has raised $48 million in Series A funding.

05 August 2025

/crypto

Asset manager associations join international blockchain initiative

The respective trade associations for the UK and Singapore's asset management industries have signed up to Project Guardian, a cross-border initiative led by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and designed to promote use-cases for blockchain.

05 August 2025

/security

QuamCore secures $26m to build million-qubit quantum computer

An Israeli startup has secured $26m in series A funding to build what it claims is the world's first one million qubit quantum computer contained within a single cryostat.

05 August 2025

/retail

Uzum raises $70 million to build out fintech infrastructure

Uzum, an Uzbekistan fintech and digital bank, has secured nearly $70 million in equity financing from Tencent and VR Capital, with participation from FinSight Ventures – a US fund focused on AI, fintech and super-app investments, and lead investor in Uzum’s first equity round completed in March 2024.

05 August 2025

/security

Latvian fintech startup Handwave raises $4.2 million for palm payments

Latvian fintech startup Handwave has raised $4.2 million in seed funding to launch its palm-based payment and identity platform in Europe and the US.

05 August 2025