Mastercard Snaps Up RiskRecon

Mastercard Snaps Up RiskRecon

Mastercard, the world’s second-largest payment processor, has acquired AI and data analytics solutions company RiskRecon. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The payments giant anticipates the purchase will help its clients defend against cyber threats and data breaches. Ajay Bhalla, president of cyber and intelligence for Mastercard, said that RiskRecon will boost Mastercard’s cyber security solutions. “Through a powerful combination of AI and data-driven advanced technology, RiskRecon offers an exciting opportunity to complement our existing strategy and technology to secure the cyber space,” Bhalla added.

Logistically, RiskRecon will remain in tact. While the Utah-based company is now dedicated to supporting Mastercard solutions, RiskRecon will continue to help other industries such as healthcare and manufacturing protect consumer and payment data, as well as intellectual property.

RiskRecon was founded in 2015 by Eric Blatte and Kelly White, who now serves as the company’s CEO. “By becoming part of their team, we have an opportunity to scale our solution and help companies in new industries and geographies take steps to better manage their cybersecurity risk,” White said.

Prior to today’s acquisition, RiskRecon had raised $40 million in three rounds of funding.

Deluxe Acquires Fiserv’s Remittance Solutions Assets

Deluxe Acquires Fiserv’s Remittance Solutions Assets

Business technology company Deluxe announced today it will acquire Remittance Solutions assets from Fiserv. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The Minnesota-based company will use the new tools, which include lockbox processing, to enhance its Treasury Management portfolio.

As part of the agreement, Deluxe will take over Fiserv’s lockbox businesses in five locations and Fiserv will become a reseller of Deluxe lockbox processing.

Deluxe has been busy in the payments arena this year. The company hasa signed more than 25 new payments deals so far this year. “This deal allows Deluxe to extend its expertise and reach with the addition of a reseller arrangement through the banking sales channel of Fiserv,” said Barry McCarthy, Deluxe President and CEO.

“Deluxe is a provider of choice in the remittance processing industry, with impressive scale, geographic reach and resources,” said Todd Horvath, President of Bank Solutions at Fiserv. “Together, we will drive enhanced value for current and future clients and create more opportunities for our people.”

Founded in 1915, Deluxe has a two-tiered approach serving small businesses and financial institutions. The company offers its 4.8 million small business customers products such as incorporation services, logo design, website development and hosting, email marketing, social media, search engine optimization and payroll services, and customized checks and forms. On the bank side, Deluxe serves its 4,600 financial institution clients with data analytics, customer acquisition and treasury management solutions, fraud prevention and profitability tools, and checks.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Deluxe Acquires Fiserv’s Remittance Solutions Assets

Around the web

  • Bobsguide interviews Currencycloud CTO Ed Addario.
  • Coindesk features how Tradeshift leverages Ethereum to lower cross-border transaction costs.
  • PayPal’s GoPay acquisition is complete

This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

NTT Data Acquires Digital Services Provider NETE

NTT Data Acquires Digital Services Provider NETE

IT services provider NTT Data announced today it has acquired NETE, a Virginia-based digital design services firm.

The deal, which marks NTT Data’s 19th acquisition, is set to close for an undisclosed amount later this year. The company will bring on NETE’s 300 employees and will leverage NETE’s expertise in public healthcare to build out its services in that sector. NETE will maintain its branding but will now be known as NETE, an NTT Data Company.

“NETE clients and employees will benefit from access to the vast resources of a top 10 technology and business services provider, including global R&D, infrastructure and investments in digital transformation and innovation,” said Sandeep Somaiya, Managing Director of NETE. “The depth and breadth of NTT DATA’s commercial experience among healthcare providers, health plans and life sciences, as well as its strong reputation in the public sector, will open the door for additional opportunities for NETE customers.”

Somaiya will be a part of the NTT Data public sector leadership team.

A well-established player in the industry, NTT Data was founded in 1988 and has 120,000 employees. At FinovateFall earlier this year, the Japan-based company demoed Mirror, a new service that leverages AI to help caregivers make financial, medical, and lifestyle decisions on behalf of their clients.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • NTT Data Acquires Digital Services Provider NETE.

Around the web

  • Temenos introduces robo-advisor and goal-based investing apps to its Temenos Infinity for Retail Banking.
  • eToro launches the shopping cart portfolio, an investment portfolio with global e-commerce stocks.
  • Taiwan’s Chailease selects NICE Actimize for AML compliance program.
  • Aite Group names Baker Hill NextGen Best-in-Class Commercial Loan Origination System.

This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

TransferWise Inks International Payments Deal with EQ Bank

TransferWise Inks International Payments Deal with EQ Bank

EQ Bank, the digital subsidiary of Canada’s Equitable Bank, has signed a partnership agreement with TransferWise which will see the latter underpin EQ Bank’s international payments, reports Alex Hamilton of Fintech Futures, Finovate’s sister publication.

EQ Bank has integrated TransferWise’s API directly into their infrastructure. EQ Bank customers will be able to send money from their Savings Plus account at “the real exchange rate,” paying a “small, transparent TransferWise charge.”

Kristo Käärmann, CEO and co-founder of TransferWise, said that Canadian consumers stand to lose a “staggering” $330 per person to hidden fees when exchanging currencies.

“This needs to stop,” he said. “We ultimately want to ensure that everyone has access to fast, cheap, and transparent international money exchange. We’re thrilled to have found a like-minded partner in EQ Bank.”

EQ Bank recently completed the move of its Temenos core banking system into the cloud. The digital bank utilizes Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, using software hosted by HP.

“From hidden mark-ups in the exchange rate, to paying multiple fees and lengthy delays, for too long Canadians haven’t been getting the best value for their dollar when sending money abroad,” said Andrew Moor, president and CEO of Equitable Bank.

“At EQ Bank we continually seek ways to remove unnecessary complexities and fees from outdated banking structures to put more money back in the hands of our customers. As TransferWise shares these important values, they are the perfect partner to help us achieve our goal.”

Transferwise, which most recently demoed at FinovateEurope 2013, was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in London. The company has raised more than $770 million.

Coinbase’s New Partnership Helps Give Back with Crypto

Coinbase’s New Partnership Helps Give Back with Crypto

To celebrate the season of giving, digital currency wallet and crypto management platform Coinbase announced a partnership that will create a way for its users to donate their crypto.

Coinbase has chosen to integrate with micro donations platform DustAid to provide its users in the U.K. with an option to donate to their choice of three charities:

  • NSPCC, a children’s charity that seeks to keep young people safe from abuse
  • The Little Edi Foundation, which provides support and grants to struggling rural communities in Romania
  • Space for Giants, which helps protect and secure the future of elephants and their landscapes

Donations are facilitated through Coinbase Commerce, Coinbase’s service that allows merchants to accept multiple cryptocurrencies and maintain full control of their own digital currency. Coinbase Commerce launched in early 2018 and integrates directly into a merchant’s checkout screen. Since then, the company has amassed more than 2,000 merchants on the service.

“We firmly believe that by using blockchain technology we can help charities positively impact people all over the world. DustAid’s mission is to make giving a simple, easy and transparent part of our daily lives,” said Duncan Murray, Managing Director of DustAid. “We are really proud to be working with leading organizations like Coinbase and NSPCC to make this a reality and to help children be heard this Christmas.”

After its most recent funding round of $300 million, Coinbase’s total funding reached just under $550 million. Recently, the company launched its Coinbase Pro trading platform on mobile and added five new currencies to the Coinbase Card. Coinbase demoed InstantExchange at FinovateSpring 2014.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • ti&m and aixigo Partner to Digitize Wealth Management.
  • TransferWise Inks International Payments Deal with EQ Bank.
  • Coinbase’s New Partnership Helps Give Back with Crypto.

Around the web

  • ThetaRay Names Edward Sander as Chief Product Officer.
  • Frontier Communications deploys Neustar Certified Caller STIR/SHAKEN technology across its IP network to digitally certify phone calls.
  • Citi and PayPal expand partnership for institutional clients.
  • Worldline and CashSentinel partner to provide a payment solution to comply with Swiss and European online marketplaces.
  • Alaska USA Federal Credit Union selects MX to power mobile banking platform.
  • Minna Technologies deepens partnership with OP Financial Group.
  • Chetu continues European expansion, opens new UK office.

This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

ti&m and aixigo Partner to Digitize Wealth Management

ti&m and aixigo Partner to Digitize Wealth Management

Digitization and innovation company ti&m and wealth management technology provider aixigo have come together in a partnership this week that will help improve and digitize the wealth management experience.

The partnership will combine ti&m’s channel suite with aixigo’s Wealth Management & Investment Advisory platform’s digital suite. The press release highlighted how the flexibility of ti&m’s services are well-suited to enhance aixigo’s platform, noting that “any solution can be designed and integrated “out of the box” into core banking systems.”

“You meet customer expectations in digital competition and at the same time reduce costs per customer. This in turn means that customers are more willing to pay despite regulatory requirements and cost transparency,” said Christian Friedrich, CBO of aixigo. “And in the end, the goal is for the bank to become an integral part of daily digital habits. And it is precisely these added values that we want to bring out into the banking world together with ti&m.”

aixigo most recently demoed at FinovateFall 2018 in New York where it showcased Digital Portfolio Management Backoffice, a tool to manage portfolios flexibly and with a limited workforce. The Germany-based company raised an undisclosed amount of funds in a single private equity round earlier this year.

ti&m demoed its digital onboarding suite module at FinovateEurope 2017. Thomas Wüst is founder and CEO.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Finovate Alums Raise More Than Three Billion in 2019; $676 Million in Q4.
  • Sensibill Pilots SME Receipt Management Technology with Metro Bank.

Around the web

  • Mastercard partners with CleverCards and Appreciate Group for launch of digital gift card in the U.K.
  • TransferWise for Banks launches in Canada with EQ Bank as first partner.
  • CREALOGIX appoints Oliver Weber as new CEO as of January 2020.
  • Card issuing platform Marqeta and cloud banking services provider Mambu announce new collaboration.
  • Klarna to open tech hub in Berlin, Germany.
  • Splitit forges new strategic partnerships with Malaysian payment solution provider iPay88 and global payments company BlueSnap.

This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

Passport Raises $65 Million for Mobile Payment for Parking

Passport Raises $65 Million for Mobile Payment for Parking

Mobile payments for parking company Passport just landed $65 million in funding, bringing its total raised to over $125 million.

The Series D round saw participation from Rho Capital Partners, H.I.G. Growth Partners, and ThornTree Capital Partners. Habib Kairouz from Rho Capital Partners and Scott Hilleboe from H.I.G. will join Passport’s board of directors.

The funding will be used enhance Passport’s software platform and expand its digital parking ecosystem.

Founded in 2010, Passport offers mobile payment solutions for parking, transit, permits, and tolling. The company’s solutions serve more than 1,000 clients and have been adopted by more than 450 agencies in over 5,000 locations worldwide, including Chicago, London, Toronto, Boston, Vancouver, Portland, Montreal, and Miami. To date, Passport has processed more than $1.5 billion, processing 100+ million transactions each year.

“We envision a world where mobility is seamless,” said Bob Youakim, Passport co-founder and CEO. “To bring this vision to life, we are creating an open ecosystem where any entity – a connected or autonomous vehicle, a mapping app, or a parking app – can leverage our transactional infrastructure to facilitate digital parking payments.”

At FinovateEurope 2016, Passport demoed its Mobile Ticketing for Transit solution. 

This year, Passport launched a pilot for micro-mobility companies, including scooter fleet company Spin. In August, the company moved on to phase two of the project to enable cities to charge scooter companies for parking. The city of Charlotte will move forward with its pilot and the company anticipates that other cities will follow.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Passport Raises $65 Million for Mobile Payment for Parking.

Around the web

  • CustomerXPs honored on the RegTech 100 list for second consecutive year.
  • Ixaris forms agreement with Sabre to tap into new European markets.
  • Ocrolus introduces Ocrolus+, a turnkey solution for ingesting documents and digital data streams through a single API.
  • Bitbond partners with KlickOwn to expand into real estate.

This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.