As Finovate goes increasingly global, so does our coverage of financial technology. Finovate Global: Fintech News from Around the World is our weekly look at fintech innovation in developing economies in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Central and Eastern Europe.
Asia-Pacific
- InComm launches Google Play gift cards in Thailand as it celebrates its 10th anniversary in the Asia-Pacific region.
- Bank of Thailand announces plans to develop a central bank digital currency (CBDC).
- Indonesia’s KoinWorks, an online P2P lending marketplace, locks in $16.5 million in funding.
- Singapore-based crypto payments startup, Terra, raises $32 million in funding.
Sub-Saharan Africa
- Azimo forges strategic partnership with African payments business, Interswitch Group.
- Nigerian payment startup Paystack picks up $8 million Series A investment in round led by Stripe.
- South Africa-based bitcoin wallet Luno tops two million customer milestone.
Central and Eastern Europe
- Sberbank becomes Founding Partner of World Economic Forum Centre for Cybersecurity.
- A pair of fintech entrepreneurs from Latvia have bought Colorado National Bank for $8.97 million.
- Bank of Russia’s Corporate University hosts workshop on functioning of regulatory sandbox.
Middle East and Northern Africa
- Modo teams up with Etihad Airways to build loyalty solution for airline industry.
- Emirates NBD launches DirectRemit service to the U.K.
- Forbes Middle East profiles the fintech industry in Lebanon.
Central and South Asia
- India-based startup PaySpoon to provide mobile-first credit options for consumers.
- ZestMoney, a digital lending startup based in Begaluru, has raised $13.4 million in Series A funding.
- Entrepreneur India explains why new entrepreneurs should “consider fintech as a sweet spot.”
Latin America and the Caribbean
- Compass Plus migrates Brazilian prepaid card issuer, BPP, to its platform.
- PYMNTS.com looks at partnerships between fintechs and traditional FIs in Mexico.
- Wirecard Brazil introduces new financial features for its entrepreneur customers.