As Finovate goes increasingly global, so does our coverage of financial technology. Finovate Global: Fintech News from Around the World is our weekly look at fintech innovation in developing economies in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Central and Eastern Europe.
Asia-Pacific
- CompareAsiaGroup picks up $20 million in Series B1 funding in round led by Experian.
- Standard Chartered Bank’s eXcelerator innovation lab goes live in Shanghai.
- Finish fintech PearlPay announces partnership with the Philippines’ Rural Bank.
Sub-Saharan Africa
- Ghana’s Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia declares his country to be “the undisputed leader in Africa” in terms of innovation in payment services.
- Oromia International Bank of Ethiopia goes live with core banking software from ICS Financial Systems.
- Fintech Futures examines the challenger bank scene in South Africa.
Central and Eastern Europe
- Piotr Jan Pietrzak of ING Bank Slaski looks at the fintech scene in Poland.
- Romania open banking solution provider Finqware raises €180,000 in seed funding.
- Poland introduces $737 million co-investment plan to attract private equity firms.
Middle East and Northern Africa
- Bahrain-based cryptocurrency exchange Rain earns its license from the nation’s central bank, and announces a fundraising of $2.5 million.
- Egypt’s MoneyFellows raises more than $1 million in pre Series A funding.
- African payment gateway Innovate 1 Pay opens office in Dubai.
Central and Southern Asia
- Indian SME lender Indifi raises $21 million in Series C funding.
- Mashreq Global Services, a subsidiary of Mashreq Bank, teams up with Indian fintechs.
- India’s biggest mobile payments company Paytm now boasts 10 million customers in Japan.
Latin America and the Caribbean
- Brazil’s Nubank raises $400 million in funding in round led by TCV.
- Argentina’s largest national private bank Banco Galicia integrates PFM technology from Strands.
- Stripe opens office in Mexico City.