Anonybit Partners with SmartUp to Introduce Digital Identity Solution for AI Agents

Anonybit Partners with SmartUp to Introduce Digital Identity Solution for AI Agents
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Anonybit
  • Decentralized biometrics solutions company Anonybit announced a partnership with AI-native no-code platform SmartUp.
  • Courtesy of the partnership, the two companies are introducing what they call the first privacy-preserving digital identity solution for AI agents.
  • Founded in 2018, Anonybit made its Finovate debut at FinovateSpring 2025 in San Diego.

Decentralized biometrics solutions provider Anonybit has teamed up with AI-native no-code platform SmartUp to launch what the two companies are calling the first privacy-preserving digital identity solution for AI agents. The solution brings secure, identity-bound agentic automation to enterprise workflows in payments, supply chain, and order management, and marks a pioneering implementation of agentic commerce secured by decentralized biometrics.

“Agentic commerce holds incredible promise for efficiency and scale, but without identity, it also introduces serious risks around trust, fraud, and control,” Anonybit Co-Founder and CEO Frances Zelazny said. “We’re proud to be the first to bring a real-world solution to market that delivers secure, ethical, and scalable agentic workflows. With SmartUp, we’re proving that identity-bound agents can operate in production, not just in theory. Our decentralized biometric cloud, data vault, and token management system form the missing identity layer the enterprise needs to build trust, ensure accountability, and future-proof agent-driven automation.”

The partnership comes at a time when use of agentic systems has grown dramatically. According to research by Gartner, by 2026, 80% of digital workers will rely on AI agents in order to complete routine customer service operations. McKinsey anticipates that agent-driven automation could be a major boon to productivity in the enterprise.

But as agentic AI does more of the work, who (or what) is truly operating on behalf of the user and where does accountability actually lie? Anonybit answers this question with a decentralized infrastructure that binds identity to agents: authenticating users, authorizing actions, and providing cryptographically secure identity tokens across the lifecycle of the agentic flow.

Anonybit’s decentralized biometric cloud supports all major biometric modalities (face, voice, finger, iris, and palm) for both authentication and step-up verification. The solution avoids storing biometric data in a single location, and leverages its decentralized data vault to protect the sensitive data collected by agents and ensure data residency, compliance, and quantum-resistant security. Anonybit also features an identity token management system that enables agents to operate on behalf of users with precise authorization that is auditable and works across any workflow—online, in-person, or automated. Via the partnership with SmartUp, identity-bound agents are authenticating business users and customers, using biometrics and privacy-preserving credentials to bind agents to these identities, authorizing specific tasks by way of scoped identity tokens and integrations with orchestration platforms, and providing real-time auditability and zero-trust across workflows.

“SmartUp is pioneering agentic automation in core business functions like order management and supply chain management, and our customers are already seeing the benefits of secure, identity-bound agents,” SmartUp Co-Founder and Country Manager Moishe Shemtov said. “With Anonybit’s identity infrastructure, we ensure our agents are not only autonomous, but accountable. This is the foundation for the next generation of secure enterprise AI.”

Founded in 2018 and headquartered in New York, Anonybit made its Finovate debut at FinovateSpring 2025 in San Diego. At the conference, the company showed how its technology integrates with Q2 and other digital banking platforms to enable passwordless login, step-up authentication, and account recovery with no requirement to download an app or use a dedicated device.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

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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, Keyless, nCino, Ocrolus, TipRanks

As the summer gets into full swing, we’re seeing no slowdown in the pace of financial and fintech news coming to our desk. We’ll keep you posted on the latest headlines here at Finovate’s Fintech Rundown!

Payments

KeyBank launches its unified solution for the invoice-to-cash process, KeyTotal AR, powered by Versapay.

Workforce payroll company Papaya Global teams up with Worksome to launch a fully integrated Freelance Management System to help companies manage payments for contingent workforces.

Payments company PayJunction integrates with customer engagement platform Twilio.

London-based paytech Redpin brings its payments platform to businesses in Spain.

Hospitality industry payments provider Katanox secures authorization from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to initiate payment services in the UK.

Business payments platform Exactly.com expands to Spain.

Crypto and DeFi

Spanish banking company BBVA introduces its new Bitcoin and Ether trading and custody service.

Australian cryptocurrency exchange Coinstash secures $4.7 million in funding.

Tokenized real estate investment platform MetaWealth announces distribution of one million USD in yield income to token holders.

Card issuing and ledger infrastructure provider Episode Six partners with xMoney to enable crypto and fiat payments.

Lending and credit

Fintech platform Adyen launches Capital to help businesses on its platform offer fast and flexible financing to the SMEs they serve.

UK-based digital credit marketplace LoanTube unveils its SME brokerage platform.

Data and analytics platform for lenders, Ocrolus, announces expansion of its Inspect underwriting solution to boost quality control in lending.

Agentic AI solution provider for financial services companies and lenders MOGOPLUS has raised AU$1.5 million in funding.

Japanese banking group SBI goes live on nCino with its Credit Guarantee solution.

Flexys partners with CU Share to help credit unions enhance debt management for members.

Identity management and fraud prevention

IDnow and Keyless announce strategic partnership to provide secure authentication throughout the entire digital identity lifecycle.

Biometric identity verification and authentication solutions provider authID forges strategic partnership with identity verification and authentication provider Prove.

Investing and wealth management

Online brokerage TradeStation integrates with retail investor research tool and data company TipRanks.

Accounting

Practice management software provider Ignition integrates with practice intelligence platform Karbon.

Embedded accounting startup Layer secures $6.6 million in seed funding in a round led by Emergence Capital.

Insurtech

Central Asian digital banking ecosystem TBC Uzbekistan launches new insurance vertical, TBC Insurance.

Photo by Kadir Celep on Unsplash

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Stripe Partners with TrueLayer to Launch Pay by Bank in France and Germany

Stripe Partners with TrueLayer to Launch Pay by Bank in France and Germany
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Daily news
  • Stripe and TrueLayer are launching pay-by-bank in France and Germany, offering real-time, secure payments that bypass card networks to reduce fees and improve conversion for merchants.
  • The move signals growing momentum for open banking in Europe, where the number of pay-by-bank payments is expected to reach 30 billion by 2028.
  • TrueLayer notes that France and Germany are already two of its largest markets outside of the UK. Today’s deal will only enhance its presence in those regions.

Thanks to a new partnership with TrueLayer, Stripe is able to announce it is launching pay-by-bank in France and Germany. 

Stripe will use the pay-by-bank capabilities to streamline the checkout experience for French and German businesses. The company anticipates that merchants using pay-by-bank will be able to improve conversion rates and reduce transaction fees. That’s because merchants can avoid card processing fees, process transactions in real-time, and offer more secure transactions because they require bank-approved authentication.

On the consumer side, users will not need to enter card details, but will instead be able to authorize the payment directly from their bank accounts using biometrics.

“Having seen the success of Stripe’s TrueLayer integration in other markets, we are thrilled to bring this innovative payment solution to Germany and France,” said TrueLayer’s Country Manager for Germany, Sebastian Vetter. “By leveraging TrueLayer’s open banking infrastructure, we’re enabling German and French businesses to accept payments directly from bank accounts, making transactions faster, safer, and more affordable.”

Bringing pay-by-bank to two European nations is strategic, as the payment method within the EU is expected to reach 30 billion by 2028. Notably, Germany and France are expected to be key drivers of this growth. The two nations are also two of TrueLayer’s largest markets outside of the UK. TrueLayer currently processes $2.4 billion (€2 billion) in pay-by-bank transactions in France and $1.6 billion (€1.4 billion) in Germany each year, serving both local and international clients.

TrueLayer was founded in 2016 with an open banking payments network that connects banks across the globe and processes $40 billion across 120 million transactions annually. The company has 10 million users located among 21 European countries. In addition to its payments and payouts products, TrueLayer also offers Signup+, a streamlined onboarding tool, and VRP (variable recurring payment), a tool that enables flexible, bank-authorized recurring transactions.

Stripe’s move into pay-by-bank in France and Germany is a signal that open banking is moving from concept to competitive edge in the European region. It also reflects how Stripe and TrueLayer are positioning themselves for the future of bank-to-bank payments, especially as the EU is actively promoting open banking and instant payments. Stripe’s strategic alignment with these evolving preferences and regulations could help it get ahead in Europe.

However, while pay-by-bank has been cited as one of the top trends to watch in 2025, it has yet to gain similar traction in the U.S. market. American consumers tend to favor credit cards and are generally more hesitant to link their bank accounts directly for payments. Adoption could face additional headwinds if the CFPB reverses its open banking rule, which would leave access to consumer banking data unregulated and slow the development of account-to-account payment options.

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AutoRek Unveils Reconciliation and Data Management Solution for Crypto, AutoRek Mion

AutoRek Unveils Reconciliation and Data Management Solution for Crypto, AutoRek Mion
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, AutoRek
  • Automated reconciliation and financial controls company AutoRek recently unveiled its AutoRek Mion platform.
  • AutoRek Mion provides data management and reconciliation capabilities for cryptocurrency and digital asset operations at a time when adoption of these assets is growing rapidly.
  • Headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland, AutoRek made its Finovate debut at FinovateEurope 2013 in London. Chris Livesey is CEO.

Automated reconciliation and financial control solutions provider AutoRek has launched its AutoRek Mion solution. The new platform provides data management and reconciliation capabilities for cryptocurrency and digital asset operations. AutoRek Mion works where traditional reconciliation systems often fail by processing up to 20 digits before and 18 digits after the decimal point to provide accuracy and scale.

“The financial services industry is at an inflection point with cryptocurrency adoption,” AutoRek CEO Chris Livesey said. “When our client came to us with their challenge, it became clear that this wasn’t just one client’s problem—it was an industry-wide issue that needed solving. Traditional reconciliation systems cannot handle the precision requirements of these assets. AutoRek Mion solves this fundamental problem, enabling institutions to maintain the same rigorous financial controls for crypto that they’ve relied on for traditional assets for decades.”

With a digital asset like Ethereum, for example, which operates at 18 decimal places, existing reconciliation systems are simply not precise enough. AutoRek Mion, in contrast, can handle both high precision numbers and very large numbers at high precision. This comes as new regulatory frameworks on cryptocurrencies and digital assets from the Financial Conduct Authority and the European Union are putting additional compliance pressures on financial institutions. Specifically, both the FCA’s discussion paper DP 23/4 and the EU’s Market in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) underscore the importance of proper reconciliation controls for digital assets on behalf of clients.

“The challenge wasn’t just about displaying more decimal places—we had to create custom code to overcome fundamental database technology limitations,” AutoRek Chief Product, Technology and Operations Officer Jim Sadler said. “The platform features specialized proprietary functions that ensure mathematical calculations can be processed at these new levels of precision, enabling accurate valuations, currency calculations, and data aggregation for digital assets.”

Headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland, AutoRek made its Finovate debut at FinovateEurope 2023 in London. At the conference, the company showed how its intuitive, configurable dashboards and machine intelligence monitor the reconciliations process—from categorizing outstanding transactions to highlighting escalation points—giving financial institutions more control and efficiency and less reliance on spreadsheets and manual processes. Founded in 1994, AutoRek partners with companies in banking, payments, asset management, insurance, and other sectors to help them leverage intelligent automation to better manage their data. The firm’s technology has been implemented by more than 100 companies.

Earlier this year, AutoRek announced a partnership with bank integration solutions provider AccessPay to help streamline the retrieval, reconciliation, and reporting of banking data. The company began the year with news that leading UK insurance, wealth, and retirement firm Aviva had selected AutoRek as its reconciliation and CASS tool.

Photo by Artur Kraft on Unsplash

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Streamly Snapshot: Modernizing KYB—Transforming Compliance into Opportunity

Streamly Snapshot: Modernizing KYB—Transforming Compliance into Opportunity
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: FinovateSpring 2025, Speaker series, Streamly

How does the shifting regulatory landscape impact the ability of financial institutions to securely engage new customers and members, protect themselves and their partners from fraud, and remain compliant? What technologies and processes are available to help them ensure that they are meeting their regulatory obligations in the most efficient and comprehensive way possible?

In this Streamly Series interview conducted at FinovateSpring in San Diego, Middesk Head of Marketing and Business Development Jackie Wylie talks about the importance of sound KYB (Know Your Business) processes and the potential advantages for firms that embrace dynamic onboarding flows. Wylie also talks about Middesk’s advances in fraud prevention, its acquisition of specialized data sets, and its work in forging key partnerships.

“Middesk is a business identity platform. We create business identities by aggregating, analyzing, and then surfacing insights about a business. We do that by collecting data from a number of sources like government organizations such as Secretary of State data. We scrape a company’s online presence and gather data from their website and we obtain information about the industry they are operating in, etc. We build this really robust profile about the business and then we bring that profile to our customers—financial services institutions, banks, fintechs, payments companies … and we help them use that data to make onboarding decisions so they can bring on as many of the best customers as possible, as quickly as possible.”

San Francisco, California-based Middesk offers solutions that help businesses access financial products, hire new talent, and transact with other businesses. The company offers an identity product that provides financial institutions with the accurate data they need to efficiently onboard new customers, and an agent product that supports employer filings with state and federal agencies. Founded in 2019, Middesk includes Affirm, Plaid, and Gusto among its customers. Kyle Mack (CEO) and Kurt Ruppel (CTO) are co-founders.

Head of Marketing and Business Development for Middesk, Jackie Wylie joined the company in the spring of 2024. Wylie has 15+ years of experience in driving pipeline and revenue growth via strategic marketing initiatives with technology firms such as Textio, Amino, and Smartsheet. She is also Seattle Chapter Co-Head and Executive Member of Pavilion, a 10,000-member private community for go-to-market leaders in B2B technology.

Photo by Justin Wolff on Unsplash

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Tokenized Deposits vs. Stablecoins: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters

Tokenized Deposits vs. Stablecoins: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: List series, Thought Leadership

At this point, if you’ve been working in the financial services industry since January, you’ve likely heard of stablecoins, and you may have heard of tokenized deposits. What may still be unclear, however, are the differences and similarities between the two.

Blockchain-powered financial infrastructure is on the rise, and it’s important for banks, fintechs, and regulators to understand new developments in the space, what’s possible, and what’s next. Here’s a brief overview of where stablecoins and tokenized deposits intersect, where they are different, and where they may be most useful.

Stablecoins

Stablecoins are digital assets that are issued by private companies or protocols and pegged to fiat currency. Some of you may be familiar with are Circle’s USDC, Tether’s USDT, and PayPal’s PYUSD. It is important to note that stablecoins are backed one-to-one by off-balance-sheet returns, such as fiat cash or Treasuries. Unlike fiat held at a traditional financial institution, however, they are not FDIC-insured.

Tokenized deposits

In contrast, tokenized deposits are bank-issued digital representations of fiat deposits, recorded on a blockchain. The deposits sit on the bank’s balance sheet, are fully integrated into the bank’s infrastructure, and are minted and backed by regulated banks.

Differences

There are key differences between stablecoins and tokenized deposits. First, let’s look at the issuer. While not always the case, most stablecoins are issued by private, non-bank companies. Even though some banks have issued “coins,” as in the case of JPMorgan’s JPM Coin, they are considered tokenized deposits and are usually used internally for payment settlement, not open to the public, and are not tradable on public blockchains.

The backing structure of stablecoins and tokenized deposits is also different. For example, stablecoins are not held on the bank’s balance sheet and represent a one-to-one reserve of fiat currency. In contrast, tokenized deposits are held on a bank’s balance sheet. This is useful when a firm wants to maintain liquidity to support lending and credit creation, and ensure that customer funds are protected in a regulated financial institution.

Speaking of regulation, FDIC insurance is a key differentiator between stablecoins and tokenized deposits. Stablecoins currently operate in a developing regulatory environment and, importantly, they do not offer deposit insurance such as FDIC. Tokenized deposits, on the other hand, are both insured by the FDIC and regulated.

Another key differentiating factor between the two blockchain-based payment tools is that they have opposite effects on liquidity. Stablecoins remove liquidity. That’s because when consumers exchange their fiat currency in exchange for stablecoins, their fiat currency leaves their wallet and sits in reserves, generally in the form of safe, passive assets like US Treasuries or custodial accounts. This reduces the money multiplier effect and may even weaken bank balance sheets over time. In contrast, tokenized deposits stay on the bank’s balance sheet, making the funds usable for lending, investing, and general liquidity management.

Use cases also differ between stablecoins and tokenized deposits. While stablecoins are best known for their use in cross-border payments, programmable payments, and in DeFi. Tokenized deposits are useful for domestic real-time payments, B2B payments, and treasury automation.

Similarities

But though they differ in all of these aspects, there are also a handful of similarities between stablecoins and tokenized deposits. First, both are programmable, blockchain-based representations of fiat currency. However, it is important to distinguish that, while stablecoins are backed by dollars (fiat currency), tokenized deposits are actual, digital representations of dollars.

Next, both can be used to enable payments and reduce settlement times. Because they take place on the blockchain, transactions in both stablecoins and tokenized deposits can take place in near-real-time. This eliminates the delays associated with traditional clearing and settlement systems, which can take up to three business days. Whether it’s a purchase, B2B payment, or interbank transfer, blockchain-based transactions allow for faster value exchange.

Additionally, both can be used in smart contracts, programmable payments, and embedded finance applications. And while tokenized deposits aren’t commonly used in the DeFi economy at the moment, that may change once regulated or institutional DeFi networks become more common.

Finally, stablecoins and tokenized deposits alike are useful for modernizing payment rails. Already in their infancy, both are acting as gateways to more advanced financial infrastructure. By enabling real-time, programmable payments on blockchain networks, they help move the financial system away from slow, batch-based legacy systems like ACH or SWIFT.

The future of both

Looking ahead, it is possible that stablecoins and tokenized deposits will coexist, as they both serve different niches. No matter which structure reigns supreme, however, we will certainly see traditional financial institutions and private DeFi companies increase their focus on interoperability and shared infrastructure. As regulatory clarity is enhanced on both sides and new pitfalls are discovered, the industry will likely converge on a hybrid model that blends the safety of traditional finance with the speed, transparency, and programmability of decentralized infrastructure.

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DASH Merges with S4i, Combining Accounts Payable and Compliance

DASH Merges with S4i, Combining Accounts Payable and Compliance
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Daily news, Mergers & Acquisitions
  • DASH and S4i Systems have merged to form SMRTR, a new company focused on delivering automation and compliance solutions to the manufacturing and food and beverage industries.
  • SMRTR offers a cloud-based platform that streamlines accounts payable, document automation, supplier onboarding, and regulatory compliance.
  • The new organization bridges the gap between finance and supply chain operations.

Accounts payable automation specialist DASH announced this week that it is joining forces with compliance and content management solutions provider S4i Systems. The new entity is called SMRTR, and will offer automation and compliance solutions to manufacturing and food and beverage companies.

SMRTR’s cloud-based solutions will help customers improve operational efficiency with its tools that include AP processing, document automation, supplier onboarding and compliance, and electronic proof of delivery. By combining DASH’s financial process automation with S4i’s supplier compliance tools, SMRTR is uniquely positioned to streamline both front-and back-office operations, ultimately bridging finance and supply chain documentation in a unique way.

SMRTR CEO Susanne Moore highlighted how industries facing labor shortages and increased regulation are undergoing a shift toward platform consolidation. “Our customers have consistently told us they want fewer vendors and more comprehensive solutions,” said Moore. “This merger allows us to deliver exactly that—a complete automation platform that addresses both operational efficiency and regulatory compliance from a single source. We’re bringing together decades of industry experience to solve problems that matter to our customers’ bottom line.”

DASH was founded in 1998 to help its customers automate accounts payable processes and manage their documents. The company supports its clients by offering ERP tools that provide regulatory compliance and audit preparation by reducing manual processes and improving accuracy in financial operations.

S4i Systems launched in 2002, offering automation solutions for companies working in the food & beverage industry. The company’s supplier management platform helps clients meet industry-specific regulatory requirements by offering documentation management and supply chain traceability.

Logistically, SMRTR will bring on employees from existing locations. The company will support product portfolios of both DASH and S4i Systems, maintaining each company’s existing customer relationships.

This merger reflects a growing trend among mid-market automation and compliance vendors to consolidate services into end-to-end platforms. As regulatory demands and supply chain complexities increase in the food and beverage industry, companies are looking for partners that can handle both compliance and operational efficiency.

Photo By: Kaboompics.com

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Tink and Chip Forge Open Banking Partnership

Tink and Chip Forge Open Banking Partnership
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Tink
  • Payment services and data enrichment platform Tink announced an open banking partnership with wealth app Chip.
  • Chip will leverage Tink’s Pay by Bank solution to enable its users to securely and seamlessly top up their saving and investing accounts.
  • Tink won Best of Show in its first two Finovate appearances in 2014 and 2017. The Stockholm, Sweden-based company most recently demoed at FinovateEurope 2019.

A new partnership between open banking pioneer Tink and Chip will bring open banking capabilities to the Chip app. Tink’s Pay by Bank solution will help Chip provide open-banking powered money transfers for its users when they seek to top up their savings and investment accounts on the company’s app. Pay by Bank reduces friction and costs, while enhancing the user experience with secure, seamless connectivity. Additionally, the partnership with Tink will give Chip users access to account insights in real-time, bringing greater visibility to the savings and investment process.

“It’s brilliant to partner with Tink, whose open banking solutions provide a fast and secure option for our users adding money to their savings on the Chip app,” Chip Co-Founder Alex Latham said. “We’re looking forward to working with the Tink team to promote these payment options, with a few more exciting updates coming soon.”

Tink’s Pay by Bank enables Chip customers to launch payments directly from their accounts on their banking apps. This reduces the amount of cumbersome and potentially error-prone manual entry and avoids the inconvenience of waiting for funds to clear when transferring money. The seamlessness of the process helps ensure that users complete their transactions before dropping off in frustration, and empowers Chip to offer its customers a variety of ways to fund their accounts.

“Chip has been on a tremendous growth journey in recent years, and we’re delighted to become a part of their success story by bringing more payment options to their user base,” Tink Head of Payments Ian Morrin said. “The Tink Chip partnership highlights how open banking APIs are powering smarter saving tools and reshaping the personal finance ecosystem.”

Chip offers an automatic savings and investing “wealth app” that enables users to build, manage, and grow their long-term wealth. The company’s Chip Cash ISA allows users to earn tax-free interest on their savings, with new customers earning 4.33% AER (annual equivalent rate) for the first 12 months. For investing, Chip customers can choose between a free plan that allows users to begin buying and selling funds, stocks, and shares with a platform fee of 0.25%, and the company’s ChipX account that offers a full curated range of funds with 0% platform fees. Founded in 2016, London-based Chip announced its first profitable quarter in Q4 2024, assets under administration of £5.2 billion, and 327,000 customers.

Tink won Best of Show in its first two appearances on the Finovate stage in 2014 and 2017. The company most recently demoed its technology at FinovateEurope 2019. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Tink makes its open banking solutions available in 20 markets around the world and boasts 13,000 connections to financial institutions. The company was acquired by Visa in 2021.

Photo by Jon Flobrant on Unsplash

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Zafin Unveils Transaction Enrichment to Transform Data into Actionable Insights

Zafin Unveils Transaction Enrichment to Transform Data into Actionable Insights
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Alumni profile, Zafin

Enterprise banking software company Zafin has launched Transaction Enrichment. The new capability transforms raw transaction data into rich, contextual insights that will enable banks and other financial institutions to deliver more personalized experiences to their customers.

“Transaction Enrichment is foundational to delivering true personalization in banking and is an integral part of a long-term strategy to improve customer relationships and personalized service,” Zafin CEO Charbel Safadi said. “Our approach is more than just data enrichment. It enables banks to move beyond generic offers and engage and reward customers in ways that reflect their daily behaviors, financial goals, and full relationship with the bank.”

Transaction Enrichment is a key component in Zafin’s effort to provide financial institutions with the tools they need to boost customer loyalty and build a foundation for relationship banking. The capability transforms raw transaction records into contextualized information using 70 expense and income categories, merchant logos, clean merchant names, merchant website links, and more. The technology includes an adaptive accuracy engine that helps build confidence via machine learning models that adapt continuously to new inputs and patterns, as well as feedback loops that leverage human insight to ensure accuracy.

Zafin’s technology is currently deployed with UAE-based Commercial Bank International (CBI). The financial institution has used Transaction Enrichment as part of its strategy to provide a more intuitive and personalized digital banking experience for its customers. Transaction Enrichment facilitates online transaction categorization and provides spending insights to help the institution’s customers gain a more comprehensive understanding of their spending and greater control over their financial lives.

“Enhancing our transaction data has helped us deliver a clearer, more intuitive digital experience for our customers,” CBI Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer and Head of Ventures Giovanni Gavino Everduin said. “It goes beyond transparency—it’s about laying the foundation for deeper personalization and fostering a new kind of loyalty built on everyday behavior.”

Zafin made its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2017 in New York. In the years since then, the Vancouver, Canada-based fintech has partnered with many of the world’s top banks including ING, CIBC, HSBC, Wells Fargo, PNC, and ANZ. Zafin also works with regional and mid-market banks to help them increase speed to market, reduce operational complexities, become and remain compliant with relevant regulations, and strengthen customer engagement.

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

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InComm Partners with NCR Atleos on Cardless Cash ATMs

InComm Partners with NCR Atleos on Cardless Cash ATMs
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, InComm, NCR Corporation
  • InComm Payments and NCR Atleos (dba Atleos) have forged a new partnership that will enable cardless cash pickup at more than 23,000 ATMs around the US.
  • The partnership will help InComm cover the “digital-to-physical” gap when it comes to self-service cash payments.
  • Founded in 1992, InComm made its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2011. NCR Atleos was formed when NCR Corporation split into two entities (the other being NCR Voyix).

Want cash but don’t have your card? A new partnership between InComm Payments and NCR Atleos might have you covered.

InComm Payments has adopted Atleos’ ReadyCode API which will enable InComm Payments’ fintech and banking partners to offer cardless cash pickup at more than 23,000 ATMs around the country. The partnership offers a scaled ATM network and API solution in ReadyCode that will help InComm Payments bridge the “digital-to-physical” cash payments gap and allow consumers to make cardless cash withdrawals via a simple and secure code delivered through their preferred application. ReadyCode is currently enabled in ATMs in retail locations in more than 40 states in the US.

“Atleos’ ReadyCode API offering provides an additional modality and channel for our money movement partners and their consumers to access cash in a self-service manner at ATMs located at some of the nation’s most convenient retailers,” InComm Payments VP of Product John Houseal said. “This service expands our cash-out network in a new way, connecting our partners with differentiated access to serve their customers beyond the counter.”

Atlanta, Georgia-based InComm Payments made its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2011. The company also participated in our developers conference, FinDEVr SiliconValley 2014 (in partnership with Cashtie). Founded in 1992, InComm today delivers end-to-end payment platforms that enable omnichannel connections and alternative payment options for companies in industries ranging from financial services and gifting to healthcare and human resources. Operating in more than 40 countries around the world, InComm has more than 525,000 points of retail distribution, processes more than $65 billion in annual transaction volume, and manages more than one billion cards a year.

“Enabling InComm Payments’ broad and deep program relationships with access to the ReadyCode solution will provide more flexibility for consumers to transact where and how they want, without the need for a card,” Atleos SVP, Global Network Solutions, Ben Bregman said. “This relationship will also provide additional use cases to drive utilization of the ATM for increasingly digital-first providers beyond traditional financial institutions, and continue to fulfill on our promise to our retail partners to drive incremental foot traffic to their stores.”

Formed in 2023 when NCR Corporation split into two entities (the other being NCR Voyix), NCR Atleos offers self-service financial access through one of the largest independently-owned ATM networks in the US. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, the company helps boost operational efficiency for financial institutions, increase footfall for retailers, and provide consumers with the kind of digital-first, self-service financial experiences that are secure and convenient. Atleos is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange, under the ticker NATL, and has a market capitalization of $2 billion. Tim Oliver is President and Chief Executive Officer.

Photo by Stephen Cook on Unsplash

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Yonder Introduces Premium Debit Card

Yonder Introduces Premium Debit Card
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Daily news
  • Yonder is launching a premium debit card that offers travel rewards, zero FX fees, and lifestyle perks.
  • There are two tiers available for debit cardholders, Free Debit (£0/month) and Full Debit (£15/month), with the latter earning 4 points per $1.40 (£1) and including travel insurance.
  • With today’s launch, Yonder is targeting debt-averse, experience-driven users that value financial wellness without credit card debt.

When you think “premium” you may not think “debit card,” but travel and dining card provider Yonder is hoping to flip that thought pattern with its latest offering. The UK-based company is launching a Mastercard-branded debit card to sit alongside its credit card.

Yonder is marketing the new payment tool with debit “memberships” that will still help users earn rewards, but without having to borrow funds via a credit card. The debit card will carry the same rewards and travel perks as Yonder’s credit cards, and boast zero fees on foreign exchange (FX). To open a Yonder debit account, users must pass a soft credit check and meet minimum income criteria. While not a common requirement for obtaining a debit card, requiring a minimum income reinforces the brand’s premium positioning, even for debit users.

Yonder’s new debit card comes in two tiers: Free Debit and Full Debit. Free Debit is, as the name suggests, £0 per month. The card also offers zero FX fees during travel and access to national rewards and experiences in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bath, and Bristol. The Full Debit card costs $20.50 (£15) per month or $220 (£160) per year and allows users to earn four points per $1.40 (£1) they spend. The elevated tier also gives users travel insurance, as well as full access to Yonder Experiences—which range from preselected travel and dining perks to shows and entertainment.

“Credit cards can be great—but they’re not for everyone,” said Yonder CEO and Founder Tim Chong. “We kept hearing from people who loved Yonder’s vibe but wanted the same experience on debit. So we built it. Now, anyone can enjoy market-leading rewards, epic travel perks, and totally fee-free foreign spending, without the need for credit.”

Yonder was founded in 2020, at the height of the digital banking hype. The company offers two tiers of credit cards, a free card that offers 1 point for every $1.40 (£1), and a $20.50 (£15) per month card that offers five points for every $1.40 (£1).

The move hinges on the fact that younger, travel-savvy consumers are averse to debt and credit cards, but still value (and sometimes even expect) premium experiences. By offering rewards and perks without requiring users to borrow, Yonder is serving this demographic by tapping into their mindset around financial wellness and lifestyle spending.

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Bud Financial Inks Partnership with Fruition

Bud Financial Inks Partnership with Fruition
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Bud
  • Financial empowerment platform Fruition announced a partnership with transaction enrichment and insights and analytics company Bud Financial.
  • The collaboration will enable Fruition to provide its members with enriched transaction data to help them budget better and make more insightful financial decisions.
  • Bud Financial made its most recent Finovate appearance at FinovateFall 2024 in New York. The company is headquartered in London.

Financial empowerment platform Fruition has teamed up with transaction enrichment and insights and analytics company Bud Financial to bring enhanced, personalized financial experiences to customers.

“This collaboration brings Fruition’s members control over their financial futures by leveraging AI-driven insights, relevant education and expert guidance, all underpinned by Bud’s market-leading financial models,” Bud CEO and Co-Founder Edward Maslaveckas said. “Fruition’s commitment to providing smarter financial guidance makes them the perfect first client of our exciting Intelligent Search capability. We can’t wait to see how Intelligent Search helps Fruition’s members to take control of their financial data and smash their financial goals.”

Fruition will leverage a pair of Bud Financial solutions—Enrich and Engage—to provide its members with enriched transaction data and intelligent, personalized financial insights to support more informed financial decision-making. Enrich is Bud’s transaction enrichment platform that enables companies to convert difficult-to-understand customer transactional data into easier-to-recognize transactions with accurate categorization and identifiable merchant names.

Engage offers “next generation” personal financial management that puts transaction data to work in personalizing the digital banking experience. The solution features an AI-powered transaction search feature—Intelligent Search—that enables customers to interact with their bank using natural language. The feature is built on AI-powered transaction intelligence and helps reduce contact center queries about unclear or disputed transactions.

Fruition’s Folio offering will use enriched transaction data from Bud to help members secure a comprehensive overview of their finances in a single interface—making budgeting easier. The integration will also enable Folio to deliver customized, targeted notifications to members based on their transaction data. Fruition members will be able to share their data in mentoring sessions which will enable mentors to personalize financial education and ensure that the guidance is both actionable and appropriate for the member’s financial circumstances.

“On average, we’re seeing that 42.6% of all transactions are being enriched more accurately with Bud than with our previous enrichment provider,” Fruition VP of Engineering Elliott Beaty said. “Our partnership with Bud helps us deliver on our promise of financial understanding and actionable insights. Better data for our members means more accurate understanding of their financial situation.”

A personal finance management platform that uses financial data to provide actionable insights, educational resources, and mentorships for consumers and employees, Fruition rebranded from Mentoro in October 2024. Last month, the company launched its Debt Paydown tool, which lies within Folio. The solution allows members to include all of their debts in a personalized debt repayment plan, visualize future repayment strategies, and quantify the interest potentially saved via the paydown plan.

Headquartered in London and founded in 2015, Bud Financial made its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2023 and returned to the Finovate stage again last fall. At the conference, the company demoed its Drive solution which democratizes access to enriched data and actionable insights via AI-powered analysis and a Gen AI-based interface.

Photo by Chris Hardy on Unsplash

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