Author: David Penn

Finovate Global: Talking Fintech Regulation in the European Union with EverC’s Maya Shabi

Finovate Global: Talking Fintech Regulation in the European Union with EverC’s Maya Shabi
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Finovate Global, Interview

The regulatory landscape for fintechs and financial services companies operating in the European Union is expected to undergo significant changes this year, with new standards, guidelines, and rules governing payments, data privacy, digital assets, and more.

In this week’s edition of Finovate Global, we caught up with Maya Shabi, Senior Risk Strategist with EverC, a firm that provides tech-driven risk management solutions for ecommerce companies. In our extended conversation, Shabi discusses the policy and regulatory changes that are expected in the EU in 2025, what these changes are designed to achieve, and how they will impact fintechs, financial services companies, and their customers.

Founded in 2015, EverC offers a fully-automated, AI-driven, cross-channel risk management platform that helps drive growth for innovators in the online seller ecosystem. With domain expertise in risk intelligence, data science, and payments, EverC scans 30 million items a day — more than 10 billion products since inception — helping businesses detect and remove high-risk merchants, products, and services so they can safely grow and expand into new verticals and new markets.

In your opinion, did the regulatory environment of 2024 help or hinder innovation in fintech and financial services in the EU?

Maya Shabi: The EU’s regulatory push has been a double-edged sword for innovation in fintech and financial services. On the one hand, clear and consistent rules across member states have lowered barriers to entry, making it easier for fintech companies to collaborate, innovate, and scale across the EU. On the other hand, tighter regulations come with higher compliance costs and can limit the flexibility that’s often critical for driving rapid innovation. Given how quickly crime risks evolve in the financial sector, especially with the advent of AI, I see the overall impact of EU regulations as balanced — supporting innovation in some areas while slowing it down in others.

One early issue will be compliance with the Instant Payments Regulation (IPR). What is this policy about? What are the implementation challenges and what are the opportunities for those that get it right?

Shabi: The Instant Payment Regulation (IPR) is designed to make instant euro payments secure and accessible across the EU. Its goal is to modernize the region’s payments landscape by improving the speed and efficiency of transactions within the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA). SEPA is a broad payment integration initiative that allows consumers and businesses to make cross-border euro payments under the same conditions as domestic transactions, simplifying and unifying payments across EU member states and a few neighboring countries.

With the IPR in place, PSPs must offer instant payment services that process transactions within 10 seconds and are available 24/7 for all euro payments. For European consumers, this means faster, more reliable payments without delays —even during weekends or holidays. It enhances convenience, supports smoother online shopping experiences, and improves cash flow for businesses by eliminating waiting times for fund transfers.

Implementing the IPR presents several challenges for PSPs and other financial institutions. Many FIs need to significantly upgrade their payment processing systems to handle real-time transactions, which also need to uphold fraud detection and AML/CTF rules in real time. The cost of upgrading systems alone is huge, not to mention the added technical challenge of ensuring interoperability between different PSPs and banks across borders. I think it’s pretty safe to assume that not all FIs have the same level of digital maturity, leaving many to play catch-up.

That said, there are several opportunities for those who comply with the IPR sooner rather than later. Early adopters of IPR-compliant systems can position themselves as leaders in innovation and customer service. Offering seamless, instant payments can attract more customers and build trust. Additionally, faster cross-border payments lower barriers for businesses to expand across the EU.

Another policy that will kick in early in 2025 is DORA, the EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act. What does this policy call for and why is it important?

Shabi: The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) is a pivotal regulation aimed at strengthening the financial sector’s ability to withstand digital disruptions and cyber threats. It sets clear IT security standards, focusing on managing information and communication technology (ICT) risks, improving incident reporting, and overseeing third-party ICT service providers. Financial institutions will be required to assess “concentration risk” when outsourcing critical or significant operations to external vendors.

For some added context, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) emphasizes protecting personally identifiable information (PIII) through consent and data security, whereas DORA shifts the focus to the digital supply chains of financial institutions. This introduces a new and potentially more challenging regulatory environment that pushes firms to strengthen their defenses against IT disruptions. It is designed to prevent major outages, like the devastating CrowdStrike software update last summer, from crippling banking, payment, and investment services. Under DORA, similar service interruptions will be met with stricter oversight and accountability, driving firms to prioritize digital resilience. Otherwise, non-compliance could lead to fines of up to 2% of a firm’s annual global revenue, and individual managers could face personal penalties of up to €1 million for breaches.

In terms of new open banking regulations, what are your expectations?

Shabi: Open banking regulations opened the door for greater innovation and competition, but they also brought meaningful friction as FIs worked to keep up with rising fraud risks. Under the EU’s Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2), banks are required to share customer data with third-party providers through APIs — a move that, while promoting transparency and choice, also widens the attack surface for cybercriminals. It increases the risk of data breaches, identity theft, and payment fraud.

To counter these threats, PSD2 and its upcoming successor, the Third Payment Services Directive (PSD3), mandate stronger security measures like enhanced customer authentication and tighter oversight of third-party access. While these safeguards are critical, they can slow down user experiences and complicate partnerships. Still, this added friction is necessary to strike a balance between the advantages of open banking and the growing need to protect consumers and the broader financial system. Given that the PSD3 is expected to take hold in late 2025 or early 2026, FIs must prepare to ensure they remain compliant.

The EU AI Act passed in 2024. What kind of impact will this regulation have in 2025 and what should companies in financial services be doing now?

Shabi: Governments worldwide are racing to regulate the perceived risks of artificial intelligence. The US issued an AI Executive Order, the UK released a non-binding Declaration of Principles, and China introduced what appears to be a business-friendly AI framework. The EU’s AI Act marks the most significant step yet toward bringing structure to an industry that has largely operated like the Wild West, at least for now.

What makes the EU AI Act stand out is its risk-based approach. Instead of applying blanket regulations to all AI technologies, it scales oversight based on the potential for societal harm — the greater the risk, the stricter the rules. This method strikes a crucial balance between fostering innovation and protecting fundamental rights. In the payments industry, we’re no strangers to how effective a risk-based framework can be when navigating the fine line between managing risk and driving innovation.

Notably, over 100 companies – from global corporations to smaller financial institutions – have already pledged to comply with the AI Act ahead of its full enforcement. This early buy-in signals broad industry support or, at the very least, an interest in collaboration. Even critics who argue the law is either too sweeping or too narrow recognize that engaging with regulators and key stakeholders is often the smarter path. By collaborating early, companies can help shape the conversation surrounding AI instead of being sidelined and forced to comply without having a voice.

Other areas that are likely to receive regulatory scrutiny in 2025 in the EU are crypto and Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL). What developments are most likely for businesses in these spaces?

Shabi: Complying with the MiCA framework is the first thing that comes to mind when cryptocurrency and the EU are mentioned in the same sentence. MiCA is the EU’s first comprehensive legal framework for crypto assets that introduces clear and consistent rules across member states. Although it’s been in development for several years, key compliance deadlines took effect in 2024 and will continue through 2025. We’re already seeing major crypto firms like Coinbase adjusting their operations to meet MiCA’s requirements, while others are reassessing their market strategies — some even shifting focus to countries with more relaxed crypto regulations. For any crypto business operating in the EU, heavy compliance standards are becoming the norm, much like other industries that come with significant AML/CTF risks.

BNPL, however, presents a different regulatory challenge. In many ways, BNPL is just a modern spin on subprime lending — a long-standing issue in financial services when it comes to consumer protection. The explosive growth of BNPL services has raised concerns about rising consumer debt, as the lack of transparency about fees, terms, and penalties leaves consumers exposed to hidden costs. Additionally, weak credit checks and poor due diligence practices heighten the risk of users falling into financial overextension. These issues harm individual financial stability and pose systemic risks, especially since BNPL providers often operate across borders with inconsistent oversight.

To address these concerns, regulators across the globe are scrambling to regulate BNPL providers similarly to traditional credit frameworks. EU regulators updated the Consumer Credit Directive to strengthen consumer protections in the credit market, explicitly covering BNPL services. For businesses operating in this space, this means significant regulatory changes are on the horizon. EU member states must implement the directive into national law by November 20, 2025, with full enforcement beginning on November 20, 2026.

By this time next year, what areas of fintech/financial services do you think will have benefitted the most from greater regulatory clarity? Where do you anticipate that more work will be needed?

Shabi: By this time next year, crypto-assets, payments, and RegTech will likely be the biggest winners from greater regulatory clarity in the EU. The full rollout of the MiCA will finally bring consistency across member states, giving crypto firms the green light to develop secure, consumer-friendly products without second-guessing compliance. Likewise, updates to the Payment Services Directives are set to streamline open banking, tightening data security while making it easier for fintechs to access and use consumer data — fueling innovation in payments.

Simultaneously, the growing complexity of EU compliance is driving up demand for RegTech solutions. Fintech companies offering tools to automate compliance, manage risk, and strengthen cybersecurity will be well-positioned for growth as firms scramble to meet evolving requirements under regulations like DORA as well as AML/CTF directives. Ideally, this regulatory progress will create a more stable, trustworthy environment that supports responsible innovation across the financial sector.

However, several areas still need more attention. The EU AI Act doesn’t fully address how AI is used in financial services — especially in critical areas like credit scoring and fraud detection — leaving gaps around transparency, data use, and risk management. Cross-border payments and digital identity systems also remain fragmented, making it harder to streamline transactions and verify users across the EU.

Emerging asset classes like NFTs and tokenized assets are another blind spot, lacking comprehensive oversight and leaving both consumers and markets exposed to risk. Smaller fintechs, too, may struggle to keep up with strict cybersecurity and operational resilience requirements under DORA, highlighting the need for more scalable compliance pathways.  Closing these gaps will be key to ensuring the EU can balance innovation with long-term financial stability and consumer protection.

How will this evolving regulatory landscape impact your customers and the work EverC does for them?

Shabi: As platforms and payments continue to evolve, bringing more of our finances (and our lives) online, fraudsters will continue to exploit these opportunities, and regulators will continue to create structures to protect consumers. The evolving regulatory landscape is a challenge that marketplaces and payment providers must meet to continue doing business successfully.

The cost of noncompliance — in terms of enforcement actions and fines, lawsuits, decreased revenue, and loss of reputation and consumer trust — will always outweigh the cost of creating and maintaining a solid risk and compliance strategy. With technology, we can fight fraud and make ecommerce and digital finance safer while allowing our customers to benefit from operational efficiencies and more effective resource allocation.

EverC enables payment providers, ecommerce players, and financial institutions to meet these challenges with customer-centric innovation. That innovation is accelerated with the power of GenAI for scalable, tech-forward solutions. Our experts stay current with regulatory trends so we can anticipate and meet our customers’ needs as they navigate this rapidly evolving landscape.

Here is our look at fintech innovation around the world.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Central and Eastern Europe

  • German fintech 21X partnered with AllUnity, a joint venture between DWS, Flow Traders, and Galaxy Digital.
  • Lithuania-based Urbo Bank (formerly Medicinos Bankas) announced a collaboration with certified payment technology company DECTA to go live with Visa card issuing services.
  • German climate fintech Bees & Bears raised $525 million (€500 million) to fund renewable energy installations in Germany.

Middle East and Northern Africa

  • Dubai-based cybersecurity firm CyberHive inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with business planning and operations smart solutions provider Meerana.
  • Israel-based conversational AI innovator and Finovate Best of Show winner eSelf.ai raised $4.5 in seed funding.
  • Egyptian financial services company Paymob secured a Retail Payment Services (RPS) license from the Central Bank of the UAE.

Central and Southern Asia

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Brazilian fintech Nubank partnered with Mexican convenience store chain Oxxo to expand its cash deposit and withdrawal network.
  • El Salvador bought twelve Bitcoin this week despite an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to reduce its activity in the cryptocurrency market.
  • Revolut applied for a banking license in Colombia.

Asia-Pacific

  • Philippines-based Netbank partnered with Discovery Credit Solutions Corporation (DCSC) to launch a new solution to optimize loan management.
  • South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) fined KakaoPay and ApplePay $5.8 million for violations of the country’s Personal Information Protection Act.
  • Revolut launched its robo-advisor service in Singapore.

Photo by Marco

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Conversational AI Innovator eSelf Secures $4.5 Million in Seed Funding

Conversational AI Innovator eSelf Secures $4.5 Million in Seed Funding
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, eSelf.AI, Funding
  • Face-to-face conversational AI innovator eSelf has raised $4.5 million in seed funding.
  • The round was led by Explorer Investments, and featured participation from Ridge Ventures, as well as strategic angel investors.
  • Based in Israel, eSelf won Best of Show in its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2023 in New York.

Here’s some alumni funding news that slipped beneath our radar: eSelf, which offers a platform that enables businesses to build face-to-face conversational AI agents, has secured $4.5 million in seed funding. eSelf won Best of Show in its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2023. The company announced its successful seed round in December.

The funding was led by Explorer Investments with participation from Ridge Ventures and strategic angel investors, including Eyal Manor, former VP of Engineering at YouTube and current Chief Product & Engineering Officer at Twilio.

Along with its funding announcement, eSelf unveiled its platform for building conversational AI agents. These customized AI agents can have face-to-face video conversations with customers, and seamlessly integrate with existing business systems and processes. eSelf provides a self-service studio in which businesses can configure their virtual agents’ personality, knowledge base, and capabilities — without needing any specialized skills or technical expertise.

“We’ve developed a unified engine that processes speech, understanding, and visual elements simultaneously, allowing us to achieve response times of under one second which is crucial for natural conversation,” eSelf Co-Founder and CEO Alan Bekker explained. “Unlike other solutions that simply animate faces for voice responses, our platform is a complete visual comprehension engine. This means (that) our AI agents can actively engage with visuals in real-time — showcasing property tours, educational content, or presentation slides during conversations. By enabling businesses to create sophisticated, customized agents through our self-service studio, we aim to transform how they engage with customers at scale.”

Use cases for eSelf’s virtual agents have been diverse. Christie’s uses the agents as a first point of contact for potential buyers at its real estate brokerage firm in Portugal. Brazilian digital bank, AGI Bank, deploys the agents to help its 10 million customers access the institution’s digital banking services. Hong Kong-based financial services company DL Holdings leverages eSelf’s technology to provide financial advice to its customers in both English and Mandarin. eSelf reports that its technology currently powers “millions of real-time conversations.”

eSelf made its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2023. At the conference, the company won Best of Show for a demonstration of its virtual agent technology that serves as an additional workforce for sales and customer success teams. eSelf’s virtual agents bring face-to-face communications to large language models, providing a human-like experience and a positive user journey that enhances the sales process and minimizes human involvement.

eSelf recently announced that its face-to-face conversational engine produces responses faster than ChatGPT Voice as well as other conversational AI technologies. “Shorter latency means smoother, more natural interactions — no awkward pauses, just real-time conversations that feel human,” Bekker wrote on the eSelf LinkedIn page last month. “This is just the beginning. We’re building toward instant replies with immersive, visually rich outputs that redefine human-machine interaction.”

Headquartered in Israel, eSelf was founded in 2022.

Photo by Angela García

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Three Quick-Fire Keynotes at FinovateEurope You Won’t Want to Miss

Three Quick-Fire Keynotes at FinovateEurope You Won’t Want to Miss
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: FinovateEurope 2025, List series

This year, FinovateEurope will host a trio of quick-fire keynote addresses covering topics in fintech that have been gaining traction in recent years. Presented on Day Two of the conference, these three speeches will help inform attendees about recent developments — and future opportunities — for banks and financial services companies in fields such as quantum computing, wealth management, and B2B fintech.

How quantum computing could transform banking; it can process data 10 million times faster than supercomputers — what are the use cases for banks? Could quantum computing break the encryption keys used in current security protocols and leave sensitive data vulnerable to attack?

Syed Hasan Jafar, Associate Dean at the School of Business, Woxsen University

Jafar is the Area Chair/HOD of Finance at Woxsen University. He has 14 years of experience in finance and worked as a Deputy Research Head and corporate trainer before joining academia. Jafar’s areas of expertise include security analysis, equity and derivative research, technical analysis, and valuation.

Disruption in the direct to consumer wealth market. The great wealth transfer has started and new heirs are demanding faster digitization and more personalized offerings. Will AI be the catalyst to transform wealth management?

Jurgen Vandenbrouche, Managing Director, everyoneINVESTED, KBC

Vandenbroucke is Managing Director at everyoneINVESTED, the wealthtech spin-off of KBC Group. He is also expert general manager at KBC and former head of innovation at KBC Asset Managment, Belgium. Further, Vandenbroucke is a lecturer in financial engineering at University of Antwerp, digital household finance at KU Leuven, and financial securities at Ehsal Management School.

Moving beyond B2C fintech to B2B fintech — is this a bright new future for the fintech industry & will it be transformative for the banking industry?

Michael Salmony, CEO of Payments Innovation

Salmony is an internationally recognized leader on the strategy of business innovation in digital and financial services with a focus on payments, open finance, fintech, digital identity, e-invoicing/SCF, fraud/cybercrime, AI for financial services, and electronic money/CBDC. Salmony is also a board-level advisor to major international banks, industry associations, regulators, and finance bodies across the world.

FinovateEurope is only a month away — 25 and 26 February! Visit our FinovateEurope hub today and take advantage of early-bird savings of up to £400.00 on your ticket price if you register by 24 January.

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Sikoia and Tandem Bank Forge Strategic Partnership to Enhance Income Verification

Sikoia and Tandem Bank Forge Strategic Partnership to Enhance Income Verification
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Sikoia
  • Customer verification specialist Sikoia announced a strategic partnership with Tandem Bank.
  • The partnership will enable the digital bank to automate key parts of its income verification and document handling processes for mortgage brokers.
  • Founded in 2021, Sikoia made its Finovate debut last year at FinovateEurope 2024.

London-based customer verification specialist Sikoia has sealed a strategic partnership deal with Tandem Bank. The partnership will enable the financial institution to automate specific parts of its income verification and document handling processes to boost efficiency for mortgage brokers.

“Our partnership with Tandem Bank marks a key milestone in transforming income verification and document processing for the mortgage industry,” Sikoia Founder and CEO Alexis Rog said. “This collaboration aims to eliminate administrative burdens, ensure consistent and auditable decision-making, and ultimately enhance the customer experience.”

Sikoia’s AI-powered Income and Employer Verification solution helps financial institutions avoid a typically manual, error-prone process that takes lenders an average of 30 minutes per application. Instead, Sikoia’s automated technology offers rigorous document integrity checks in seconds which enable companies like Tandem to provide mortgage brokers with faster, more accurate responses. Sikoia’s solution combines AI, traditional data extraction methods, and advanced business logic and categorization to automate key aspects of the verification process — such as income, affordability assessments, and application completeness. The solution provides 100% coverage; works seamlessly with broker-submitted documents such as payslips, bank statements, and tax returns; and delivers enhanced accuracy and auditability. A user-friendly portal and an API ensure easy and scalable integration into institutions’ current systems.

“Tandem is starting the new year on a strong note, and our partnership with Sikoia underscores this commitment,” Tandem Bank Director of Second Charge Sales and Distribution – Mortgage Division, Nigel Brookes, said. “By harnessing their AI-driven technology, we’re transforming a traditionally time-consuming process into a streamlined, efficient workflow — enabling faster and more accurate service for our customers. This partnership reflects our dedication to driving innovation and setting new benchmarks for efficiency and customer satisfaction for second charges.”

Among the U.K.’s oldest digital challenger banks, Tandem Bank was launched in 2014. The bank established itself by providing fair mortgages and savings products, and by acquiring Harrods Bank in 2018. Tandem Bank’s mission to build “the U.K.’s greener digital bank” became evident in its 2020 acquisition of green home improvement loan specialist Allium Lending Group and, further, with its 2022 merger with Oplo. Today, Tandem Bank offers savings accounts, mortgages, home and automobile financing, home improvement loans, and green home funding. Since inception, the institution has provided more than $644 million (£523 million) in green home improvement lending.

Headquartered in London and founded in 2021, Sikoia made its Finovate debut at FinovateEurope last year. At the conference, the fintech demonstrated its AI-powered application document processing technology that provides instant customer feedback; automated verification for income, employment, affordability, and more; and a reduction in document handling costs and time of 75%.

Sikoia’s partnership with Tandem Bank comes days after the company announced that it was working with U.K.-based specialist loan brokerage Y3S. Sikoia will help the firm streamline its customer verification processes for brokers and borrowers.

“At Y3S, safeguarding our brokers and their clients is a top priority,” Y3S CEO Barney Drake said. “Our partnership with Sikoia demonstrates our dedication to staying ahead of the curve in fraud prevention and compliance, giving brokers greater confidence in the solutions we offer.”

Interested in demoing at FinovateEurope in London next month? Applications are still being accepted from innovative companies with new solutions that are ready to show. Visit our FinovateEurope hub today to learn more.

Photo by Caio

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Will it be The Year of the Regulator or “Liberation Day” for Financial Services in the U.S.?

Will it be The Year of the Regulator or “Liberation Day” for Financial Services in the U.S.?
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: David's column

As European financial services companies and fintechs brace for a wave of new regulations, their counterparts in the U.S. are anticipating a strong trend in the opposite direction as President Trump and the Republicans take control of the government.

Right now, with 2025 barely underway, U.S. regulators in a number of instances are still in crack-the-whip mode with regard to fintechs and financial services companies.

Last week, we learned that Digital Currency Group will pay a combined $28.5 million in civil penalties for misleading investors about the financial condition of its subsidiary, Genesis Global Capital. Also last week, American Express agreed to pay $230 million to settle charges of alleged deceptive sales charges for credit card and wire transfer products to small businesses. Mastercard will have to pay $26 million to settle a gender and race bias-based class action lawsuit.

A little earlier this month, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CPFB) announced that it was suing Capital One for allegedly cheating millions of consumers out of more than $2 billion in interest. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission convinced a U.S. District Court to enter a consent order against Gemini Trust Company with a $5 million civil monetary penalty. Also this month, the SEC reported charges against nine investment advisers and three broker-dealers for recordkeeping failures and issued fines totaling more than $63 million. Speaking of the SEC, it has ordered popular brokerage Robinhood to pay $45 million in penalties over a variety of compliance failures.

You get the picture. The question is, with the arrival of the Trump team, how much of this regulatory oversight is likely to go dark?

In the U.S., the focus will be on agencies like the SEC and the CPFB. On his first day in office, President Trump issued a regulatory freeze. This will prevent agencies from implementing proposed rules until an agency appointed by the Trump administration reviews the specific regulation. The Trump administration has not spoken directly about the CPFB, though it is widely believed that the current director Rohit Chopra will be fired if he does not resign.

What proposed rules from the CPFB might find themselves in the freezer? There are a few worth highlighting. These include the CPFB’s rule limiting the ability of financial institutions to charge overdraft fees, which is slated to go into effect in October, as well as a rule banning the listing of medical debt on credit reports that was issued just last month. Another key ruling relates to aspects of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and its requirements for Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) transactions.

The CPFB is sufficiently concerned about the changes likely to come from the Trump administration that it has issued a report called “Strengthening State-Level Consumer Protections.” The report, which states the case for consumer financial protection laws going all the way back to the Woodrow Wilson administration at the beginning of the 20th century, speaks loftily about the importance of federal-state partnership when it comes to protecting consumers. It even praises state-level legislation for providing “an important source of information” to Congress and federal regulators, enabling them to better “adjust standards over time.”

Nevertheless, analysts have suggested that the report appears to be an attempt to encourage state legislatures to adopt their own consumer protection laws in the event that consumer financial protection laws at the federal level are weakened or removed entirely. Given the intensity and eagerness with which the Trump team is taking to its task, that might not be such a bad idea.

Photo by David Daza

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LeapXpert Secures $20 Million in Round Led by Portage

LeapXpert Secures $20 Million in Round Led by Portage
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Alumni profile, Funding, LeapXpert

Business communications innovator LeapXpert has raised $20 million in new funding this week. The Series B round was led by Portage, and featured participation from existing investors, including Rockefeller Asset Management, Uncorrelated Ventures, and the Partnership Fund for New York City.

“At LeapXpert, we’re seeing greater and greater demand for our platform, driven in part by the three-year crackdown by global regulators on off-channel communications,” LeapXpert Founder and CEO Dima Gutzeit said. “This is now expanding beyond regulated enterprises into non-regulated sectors, as the DOJ in the U.S. enforces stringent requirements for preserving and governing business-related communications taking place on digital channels.”

The funding will enable the company to scale its footprint to address essential governance needs in the financial sector as well as in other industries. The proliferation and popularity of modern communications technology has put a new strain on companies that need to balance engagement and relationship-building on the one hand, and governance, compliance, and security on the other. LeapXpert’s cloud-based solution supports seamless and governed communications across modern communications channels, maintaining enterprise control while meeting the organization’s data retention, security, and regulatory needs. LeapXpert integrates with popular messaging solutions including iMessage, WhatsApp, SMS, Telegram, and WeChat on the customer side, and with enterprise platforms including Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Salesforce.

“Looking ahead, customers are also excited about the unfolding potential of communication intelligence and its contribution to workforce productivity,” Gutzeit added. “By unlocking actionable insights from governed conversations, our platform is set to drive new levels of efficiency and innovation in the way teams collaborate and operate.”

LeapXpert’s funding news comes in the wake of its recognition as a Visionary in Gartner’s new Magic Quadrant for Digital Communications Governance and Archiving (DCGA). A member of Deloitte Fast 500 list of America’s fastest-growing tech companies for 2024, LeapXpert recently announced partnerships with financial markets compliant communications solutions provider IPC and with Hong Kong-based media and telecommunications firm HKT. Last fall, the company unveiled its messaging security suite which is equipped with AI-powered impersonation detection — an industry first. Part of LeapXpert’s new Messaging Security Package, the additional functionality leverages AI to spot impersonation attempts over channels such as WhatsApp, WeChat, iMessage, and SMS in real-time.

“As organizations increasingly rely on platforms like WhatsApp, iMessage, and other messaging applications to conduct critical business communications, safeguarding these channels from threats becomes essential,” Gutzeit said. “With our AI-driven Messaging Impersonation Detection, antivirus, anti-malware, and CDR solutions, enterprises now have a comprehensive toolkit to ensure data governance and security across these channels.”

Founded in 2017, LeapXpert most recently demoed its technology on the Finovate stage at FinovateFall 2022 in New York. At the conference, the company demonstrated its new app for Microsoft Teams that provides a comprehensive digital record of company conversations.

Photo by Temo Berishvili

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Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News

Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Fintech Rundown, Thought Machine, Worldline

Thanks for reading Finovate’s Fintech Rundown! We’ve got a new administration in Washington, D.C. and a new week of fintech news and announcements. We’re starting off the holiday-shortened week with a funding in the payments space and a handful of new product launches in insurtech and crypto.

We will update Fintech Rundown all week long with the latest in fintech news.

Payments

Egyptian payment orchestration platform MoneyHash secures $5.2 million in Pre-Series A funding.

Worldline and Wix team up to boost online commerce and payments solutions for businesses throughout Europe and Asia Pacific.

Gala Technology launches SOTpay Connect, a comprehensive payments gateway that supports open banking, direct debits, omni-channel payments, and more.

Insurtech

U.K.-based insurance intelligence platform Percayso Inform unveils updated version of its Quote Intelligence platform.

Digital risk processing platform Cytora partners with property data solutions provider Smarty to enhance property risk evaluation for insurers.

Regtech

Procurement orchestration platform Omnea forges new partnership with banking technology company Thought Machine.

Regtech Regnology acquires Polish regulatory and supervisory technology company BR-AG.

Crypto / DeFi

Finland-based Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) Ovoro launches automated cryptocurrency investing app.

Cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 firm Bitget goes live with its Hold-to-Earn service, Bitget HodlerYield.

Lending

Digital banking experience platform Plumery introduces new digital loan origination journey, Digital Lending.

Abrigo acquires Integrated Financial Solutions, provider of IFSLeaseWorks, to add automation for equipment leasing.

Small business banking

Independent consumer group and rating provider Fairer Finance launches new product ratings for business bank accounts.

Wealth management

Venture capital interval fund for retail and institutional investors, the Cashmere Fund, announces strategic collaboration with Apex Fintech Solutions.

AdvicePay unveils updated corporate branding to reflect evolution of its platform.

DriveWealth and Moment partner to democratize fixed-income investing.

Risk and analytics

Security Mutual selects Clearwater Analytics for risk and performance management.

Photo by Marvin Filmaker

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Finovate Global Mexico: Payments Partnerships and International Acquisitions

Finovate Global Mexico: Payments Partnerships and International Acquisitions
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Backbase, Finovate Global, MasterCard, TransUnion

This week’s edition of Finovate Global focuses on recent fintech headlines from Mexico, which boasts the second largest economy in Latin America.

Belvo and JP Morgan Partner to Enhance Recurring Payments in Mexico

A strategic collaboration between Latin American open finance platform Belvo and J.P. Morgan Payments aims to automate and streamline the management of recurring payments via direct debit. The partnership will enable businesses in multiple sectors to deploy direct debit quickly and securely, enhancing the customer experience and boosting engagement.

“This alliance with J.P. Morgan Payments is a milestone for Belvo and the financial ecosystem in Mexico,” Federica Gregorini, General Manager of Belvo in Mexico, said. “Direct debit offers a modern and efficient solution that not only improves companies’ operational processes but also makes life easier for users. With this collaboration, we are taking recurring payment automation to the next level, making it more accessible for all types of businesses.”

Now a member of J.P. Morgan Payments Partner Network, Belvo will give companies in industries such as lending, insurance, utilities, subscription services, and more the ability to automate their recurring collections. By leveraging direct debit, these companies will reduce errors, ensure timely payments, and increase convenience for customers who will no longer have to make manual payments.

Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Mexico City, Belvo is a leading open finance and data payments platform. With partners including BBVA, Citibanamex, and Finovate alum Nubank, Belvo first launched its direct debit recurring payments solution in Colombia and Mexico in the fall of 2023. This week’s strategic collaboration with J.P. Morgan Payments will bring this technology to more businesses throughout Mexico.

“We are pleased to work with Belvo to offer our clients in the country access to a best-in-class direct debit solution, providing higher transaction success rates, new features such as partial debit payments, and more efficient settlements,” Francisco Molina Viamonte, Head of Mexico for J.P. Morgan Payments said.

TransUnion Acquires Trans Union de Mexico from Mexico’s Largest Credit Bureau

International information and insights company TransUnion has signed a definitive agreement to acquire majority ownership of Trans Union de Mexico, the consumer credit business of Mexico’s largest credit bureau, Buró de Crédito.

“Our expansion in Mexico continues our commitment to making trust possible in global commerce,” TransUnion President and CEO Chris Cartwright said. “Credit bureaus are a catalyst for financial inclusion, and we are excited for the opportunity to bring the benefits of our state-of-the-art technology, innovative solutions, and industry expertise to Mexican consumers and businesses.”

TransUnion currently owns approximately 26% of Trans Union de Mexico. Cash consideration for the transaction, in which TransUnion will acquire an additional 68% ownership stake, is $560 million (MXN 11.5 billion), with an enterprise value of $818 million (MXN 16.8 billion). Buró de Crédito’s commercial credit business is not a part of this transaction.

“We anticipate that our planned acquisition of Buró de Crédito’s consumer credit business will strengthen our leadership position in Latin America and will make TransUnion the largest credit bureau in Spanish-speaking Latin America,” Regional President of TransUnion Latin America Carlos Valencia said. “We see substantial opportunity to introduce global products like trended and alternative credit data, fraud mitigation solutions, and consumer engagement tools. We also plan to expand beyond traditional financial services into adjacencies such as FinTech and insurance.”

TransUnion made its Finovate debut in 2016 at FinovateFall. The company returned to the Finovate stage last year for FinovateSpring 2024 to demonstrate its Enhanced BreachIQ solution, which provides modern, gamified consumer identity protection. Part of TransUnion’s TruEmpower suite of solutions, Enhanced BreachIQ builds an Identity Safety Score based on the user’s individual and unique data breach history. It also provides Breach Risk Scores that measure the severity of incidents in which their data was exposed, and a Personalized Action Plan of practical risk mitigation steps.

Founded in 1968, TransUnion is headquartered in Chicago. The company trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker TRU and has a market capitalization of $18.4 billion.

Airwallex Acquires MexPago as Part of Latin American Expansion

Speaking of acquisitions in Mexican fintech and financial services, global financial platform Airwallex has finalized its acquisition of Mexico-based payment service provider MexPago, a licensed Institution of Electronic Payment Funds (IFPE). The acquisition, along with recent news that Airwallex has secured a payment institution license from Banco Central do Brasil, will enable the company to connect its international financial infrastructure with Brazil and Mexico, supporting local businesses.

“Mexico plays a pivotal role in the global economy, serving as a key link between North and South America and a critical hub for cross-border payments,” MexPago CEO and founder Luis Castillejos Ordaz said. “We’re proud to join forces with Airwallex to enable seamless and secure cross-border transactions for businesses worldwide. MexPago’s domestic capabilities, combined with Airwallex’s global reach will deliver even greater value to our shared customers. Together, we will unlock borderless opportunities for businesses here in Latin America and around the world.”

Founded in 2014, MexPago is headquartered in Huixquilucan, part of Greater Mexico City. Post-acquisition, Castillejos will serve as Country Manager for Airwallex, Mexico, where he will manage operations and help Airwallex’s customers successfully navigate the Mexican market.

Here is our look at fintech innovation around the world.

Asia-Pacific

  • UnionDigitalBank, the digital banking arm of Union Bank of the Philippines, partnered with fintech lending platform JuanHand.
  • Japanese international payment provider JCB forged a strategic collaboration with DOKO to boost JCB card acceptance in the U.K.
  • Backbase announced that its client, Vietnam-based An Binh Commercial Joint Stock Bank (ABBANK) has launched ABBANK Business, a new digital banking platform.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Central and Eastern Europe

  • Czech cybersecurity firm for financial institutions Wultra raised €3 million in funding.
  • Ebury announced its acquisition of Lithuanian B2B cross-border payments solutions provider ArcaPay.
  • Lithuania required financial institutions in the country to block payment card transactions from unregulated operators.

Middle East and Northern Africa

  • Egyptian fintech Raseedi acquired microfinance lender Kashat.
  • MENA-based fintech startup Zywa, which offers banking solutions for Gen Z customers, raised $3 million in funding.
  • Saudi Arabian payments services provider HyperPay secured a license from the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) to support the development of the financial services ecosystem in the kingdom.

Central and Southern Asia

  • Amazon acquired India-based Buy Now, Pay Later firm Axio for $150 million.
  • Pakistan-based commercial bank Bank Alfalah acquired a 9.9% equity stake in Jingle Pay.
  • Indian equity management platform Hissa launched a new fund to help workers at growth-stage startups convert their vested stock options into cash.

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Cross-border payment solutions provider Bamboo partnered with Argentina-based e-commerce platform Tiendamia.
  • J.P. Morgan Payments and Belvo teamed up to enhance recurring payments in Mexico.
  • Crypto banking solutions company Coins.xyz launched in Brazil.

Photo by Jezael Melgoza on Unsplash

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FinovateEurope2025: Moving Beyond the Myths of Venture Debt

FinovateEurope2025: Moving Beyond the Myths of Venture Debt
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: FinovateEurope 2025, Speaker series

We hear quite a bit about the role of venture capital in providing equity funding for fintech startups. But much less discussed is the role of venture debt. And while there is a widespread awareness of venture debut opportunities in the United States, fewer startups in the U.K. and Europe have traditionally taken advantage of it.

2025 may mark the year this changes. Our special Power Panel on Day One of FinovateEurope — Busting the Myths of Venture Debt, Innovations in Lending to Pre-Profit, High-Growth Companies. How to Decide If It Is Right for Your Startup? — will examine the impact of this shift, why it is happening now, and what startups need to know about how venture debt can work to help them secure the financing they need in order to grow.

How does venture debt work? What are the different options available to fintech startups? How does revenue-based financing differ from venture debt? How can companies decide whether or not venture debt is for them? These are some of the questions our Power Panel will address.

The Power Panel will feature:

Kristine Erwin, Director, Venture & Growth Finance, NatWest

Erwin has nearly a decade of experience in venture debt. At NatWest, she is responsible for leading investments from origination to execution in high-growth, innovative companies, and supporting companies through the investment lifetime. LinkedIn.

Eliott Saba, Partner, Bootstrap Europe

Saba joined Bootstrap Europe in 2020 following a successful tenure at Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) as Vice President. Currently, he leads Bootstrap’s Fintech and Software expansion, following the successful raising of its third fund. LinkedIn.

Manuel Costescu, Managing Director and Co-Head of Innovation Economy for EMEA, JP Morgan

Costescu co-heads the Innovation Economy team, serving EMEA’s fastest growing fintechs, SaaS companies, and e-commerce firms across a wide range of corporate banking solutions. Costescu was previously a member of the Romanian Parliament and State Secretary for Trade and Investment. LinkedIn.

Morgan Borer, Founder, Blair Public Relations

Moderating the panel is Morgan Borer. Borer is a veteran communications professional with more than a decade of strategic communications and public relations experience. She was previously Partner at Bevel, one of the most sought-after strategic communications firms for venture capital, private equity, tech founders and CEO in the U.S. and Europe. LinkedIn.

Tickets for FinovateEurope are available today! Book by January 24 and take advantage of big early-bird savings.

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10x Banking Partners with DLT Apps

10x Banking Partners with DLT Apps
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: 10x Banking, Alumni News
  • Core banking platform 10x Banking has teamed up with data migration solutions company DLT Apps.
  • The partnership combines DLT Apps’ TerraAI technology with 10x Banking’s advanced migration tooling capabilities to minimize error and downtime during the data migration process.
  • Headquartered in London, 10x Banking won Best of Show in its Finovate debut at FinovateEurope 2023.

A new partnership between cloud-native meta core banking platform 10x Banking and data migration solutions company DLT Apps leverages AI to ensure that banks are able to make the most of their digital transformation initiatives. Specifically, the partnership puts DLT Apps’ TerraAi technology to work in helping institutions transition from legacy and non-legacy systems to 10x Banking’s platform.

“A key differentiator of this joint solution is the ability of 10x to load data in any sequence, validate it in a controlled staging environment, and ensure that every transformation is auditable,” 10x Banking CPO Okan Ozaltin said. “This allows banks to manage their migrations with precision, reducing the risk of data loss or corruption and accelerating the migration process,” he added. “This enables clients to quickly realize the benefits of their new systems.”

TerraAI features robust data transformation and AI-powered migration tools to prioritize data integrity and quality. Along with DLT Apps’ MigratIO platform, TerraAI is equipped to handle all data formats and includes an intuitive user interface that makes data mapping and reconciliation easier. MigratIO provides detailed audit trails and real-time data quality monitoring to give users visibility over the entire migration journey so that any potential issues can be addressed as early as possible in the process.

“This partnership ensures the quality and integrity of data is maintained from start to finish as users can identify data quality issues early in the migration lifecycle,” DLT Apps Founder and MD Santosh Reyes said.

Founded in 2018 and based in London, DLT Apps uses blockchain, AI, cloud, and micro-services technologies to transform financial services and accelerate digitization. In addition to TerraAI, the company offers a digital financial profile solution, Quinn, that facilitates streamlined onboarding, ongoing monitoring, and client lifecycle management; Zilo, a modern global transfer agency; and Zeta Wealth, which offers advanced financial tools for investment planning, portfolio management, and compliance.

10x Banking won Best of Show in its Finovate debut at FinovateEurope 2023. At the conference, the company demoed its 10x SuperCore cards that enable banks to build a card proposition in minutes with 10x Banking’s Bank Manager interface. More recently, 10x Banking reflected on its achievements in 2024, including the launch of the world’s first meta core platform, its first client in Africa, and new partnerships with companies like Deloitte and Flexys, as well as with fellow Finovate alums Zafin and Alloy.

Headquartered in London, 10x Banking was founded in 2016. The company has raised $297 million in funding according to Crunchbase. Antony Jenkins is Founder, Chair, and CEO.

To learn more about 10x Banking, check out my interview with company VP Lewis Ide on high growth opportunities for banks in APAC and Africa.

Photo by Lina Kivaka

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Union Credit Teams Up with MeridianLink to Enhance Lending at the Point of Purchase

Union Credit Teams Up with MeridianLink to Enhance Lending at the Point of Purchase
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Union Credit
  • Union Credit has announced a new partnership with MeridianLink.
  • The partnership will simplify and streamline the lending process for credit unions with real-time financing solutions at the point of purchase.
  • Union Credit most recently demoed its technology at FinovateFall 2024.

Union Credit, a marketplace for credit unions that offers pre-approved, one-click credit offers at the point of purchase, has teamed up with software platform MeridianLink. The partnership will help simplify the lending process for credit unions with seamless, real-time financing solutions that can help drive member growth.

“Our goal is to simplify lending processes, turning them into a seamless, hassle-free acquisition tool for credit unions, while providing consumers access to an array of local financing options and all the great benefits of credit union membership,” Union Credit Co-Founder and CRO Barry Kirby said. “By reducing manual input and improving efficiencies for credit unions, we’re helping them grow their membership while redirecting resources to other strategic areas.”

Union Credit believes that making it easier for consumers to secure pre-approved offers when they shop not only creates a more convenient financing experience, but also can help credit unions attract and retain new members. The partnership with MeridianLink will enable credit unions in Union Credit’s marketplace to leverage a direct integration with MeridianLink’s loan origination system (LOS) for efficient lending and onboarding. This enables credit unions to process more applications faster and reduce manual data entry while boosting loan volume and membership growth.

MeridianLink’s loan origination technology offers features such as single sign-on, smart cross-sell, and flexible account opening. The company’s cloud-based platform includes a built-in price engine, seamless third-party integrations via Open API, as well as “best-in-class” client support that starts with implementation. The Costa Mesa, California-based company is publicly held, trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker MLNK, and has a market capitalization of $1.45 billion. Nicolaas Vlok is CEO.

Headquartered in Santa Rosa, California, Union Credit made its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2023 and returned the following year for FinovateFall 2024. Most recently, the company demoed its Always Approved Marketplace SDK, which provides API services that can be used by third parties for member eligibility checks, rate lookup, instant offer generation, and more.

Winner of the “Top Emerging Fintech Company” award at the 2023 Finovate Awards, Union Credit recently announced that it had integrated more than 50 credit unions into its marketplace in 2024. This represents more than 20,000 new members — 60% of whom were under the age of 40.

Photo by Tatiana Rodriguez on Unsplash

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Alkami Technology Brings Push Provisioning to NASA Federal Credit Union

Alkami Technology Brings Push Provisioning to NASA Federal Credit Union
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alkami Technology, Alumni profile, SavvyMoney

Texas-based digital banking solutions provider Alkami Technology is bringing Push Provisioning to NASA Federal Credit Union (NASA FCU).

“I truly believe that our card management suite is one of the best,” NASA FCU digital banking manager Liam Petraska said. “Alkami has delivered one of the most cohesive card experiences we’ve seen in the industry. They continue to push the envelope with innovative features, allowing members to start using their cards digitally while the physical card is still in the mail. These cutting-edge features are setting a new standard for what card management can be in the digital banking space.”

The collaboration — Alkami’s latest — has enabled NASA FCU to modernize its digital banking experience for its 200,000+ members with features like push provisioning. Push provisioning enables payment card data to be securely sent or “pushed” from the card issuer or financial institution directly to a digital wallet. Push provisioning facilitates contactless payments and boosts convenience and security by removing the need for the user to manually enter payment card details. This, according to NASA FCU, has led to quantifiable gains in member satisfaction and digital engagement. Additionally, since going live with Alkami’s platform, NASA FCU also has reported faster and more efficient integrations courtesy of Alkami’s API framework.

Alkami’s partnership news comes a month after the fintech announced an enhancement to its Data & Marketing Solutions platform. The enhancement expanded Alkami’s behavioral data tag capabilities to provide financial institutions with deeper account holder intelligence that can be used to provide personalization across marketing and digital banking channels.

Targeted behavioral data tags empower financial institutions to efficiently analyze large datasets and establish accurate categories for accountholder actions and activities. Alkami’s latest behavioral data tags include SavvyMoney data tags to enable banks and credit unions to use data insights from the SavvyMoney offers engine, aggregated account data tags that provide a comprehensive view of account holders’ external accounts, anniversary data tags that track account holders’ anniversaries, and outbound transfer data tags to facilitate tracking of transfers made to other institutions.

“Behavioral data tags allow financial institutions of all sizes to find meaningful insights from large data sets and utilize that information to understand account holder behaviors, make informed business decisions and even find competitive advantages,” Alkami director of product management Mark Leher said. “These insights can be leveraged across digital, mobile, and in-person channels to support a more personalized banking experience.”

As iThryv, Alkami Technology made its Finovate debut in 2009. Today, the fintech reports that customers that have been on its platform for more than five years have outperformed their peers on major financial metrics, based on FI Navigator Data from 2024. This includes 25% higher loan growth, 11% higher core deposit growth, 19% higher revenue growth, and 13% higher average revenue per FTE.

Alkami went public in 2021. The company trades on the NASDAQ under the ticker ALKT and has a market capitalization of $3.5 billion. Alex Shootman is CEO.

Founded in 1949, NASA FCU is headquartered in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. The institution has more than $5 billion in assets.

Photo by Pixabay

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