Challenge Accepted! Monzo Raises Millions

U.K.-based challenger bank Monzo secured an additional $190 million (£150 million) in funding this week, adding to the $426 million (£340 million) raised just a few days ago. The Series I round, totaling $616 million (£490 million) gives the digital bank a valuation of $5.2 billion (£4.1 billion) and represents one of the biggest fundraising rounds for a European fintech since 2023.

The bank’s financial backers included Hedosophia and CapitalG, Alphabet’s growth fund. CNBC’s coverage of the funding notes that Singapore-based sovereign wealth fund GIC was also a participant in the funding, but GIC has yet to confirm the report.

Monzo will use the funds both to build new products as well as move forward with its international expansion plans. Expansion to the U.S. is near the top of the company’s wish list, having resumed efforts to secure a banking license in the country after retreating from a previous attempt three years ago. Monzo hired Conor Walsh, former Head of Product for Cash App, as its U.S. CEO in 2023.

“At the heart of it, we are a mission-oriented company that’s looking to build the single place where people can meet all of their financial needs,” Monzo Co-Founder and CEO TS Anil told CNBC. “What’s exciting to me is that, as we pursue that mission of changing people’s relationship with money, we’ve built a business model that is congruent with that, as well, with this model that is built entirely around the customer.”

Founded in 2015, Monzo has more than nine million retail customers and 400,000 business customers in the U.K. The challenger bank offers current and joint accounts, as well as an app to enable customers to see all their accounts and control spending. The company launched its first business bank accounts for SMEs and self-employed workers in 2020 and, later that year, unveiled its first loan products for its personal current account customers. In 2023, Monzo announced that it had achieved profitability for the first time.

As part of its expansion plans, Monzo is looking to begin offering mortgage and pension products, with the latter being available as early as six to nine months from now. Last year, Monzo launched an investment product, giving customers the ability to invest in a trio of funds offered by BlackRock.

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Banked and NAB Promote A2A Payments in Australia

A new partnership between international payments network Banked and National Australia Bank will make it easier for merchants in Australia to adopt account-to-account (A2A) payments solutions. Specifically, the two entities are seeking to encourage the adoption of Pay by Bank technology via Australian Payments Plus (AP+) services.

Pay by Bank enables merchants to send PayTo Agreements to customers, and then initiate payments and refunds based on those agreements – which cover a variety of transaction experiences including online payments, and recurring payments with fixed, variable, or split payment amounts. Partnering with NAB gives Banked a partner with both an established presence in the Australian market, as well as a comprehensive knowledge of the needs of merchants in the country.

“The nascent A2A payments industry in Australia presents an incredible opportunity for Banked,” Banked CEO Brad Goodall said. “Local regulators have developed well-constructed mandates and the banking industry is primed for innovation, all of which sets the stage for rapid growth in real-time payments.”

An initial set of NAB business customers from industries such as e-commerce and retail, as well as non-bank lenders, is scheduled go live with A2A payments in the first half of 2024.

With offices in both Palo Alto, California and London, U.K., Banked was founded in 2018. Earlier this year, the company announced a partnership with FIS to promote use of Pay by Bank.

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Meet FinovateSpring 2024’s International Alums

FinovateEurope typically gets top billing as our most international fintech conference. But FinovateSpring has showcased a sizable number of fintech innovators from around the world, as well. And this year’s FinovateSpring is no exception.

Here’s a look at seven companies demoing at FinovateSpring, May 21-23, that hail from outside of the United States.

APIMatic – Auckland, New Zealand

Candour Oy – Oulu, Finland

Cardlay Payment Solutions – Odense, Denmark

Deeployalty – Ukraine

Dynatrek – Tokyo, Japan

FinTech Insights – London, England

TRIYO – Toronto, Canada

There’s still time to pick up your ticket and save your spot for our annual Spring fintech conference in San Francisco, May 21-23. Visit our FinovateSpring hub to register.

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Here is our look at fintech innovation around the world.

Sub-Saharan Africa

• Nigerian fintech and non-bank credit card issuer O3 Capital partnered with American Express to issue four new AMEX credit cards.
• South African fintech Lesaka acquired South African payments company Adumo in a deal valued at $85.9 million.
• SasaPay, a fintech headquartered in Kenya, announced a partnership with investments solutions provider Etica Capital.

Central and Eastern Europe

• Swiss Bitcoin Pay teamed up with Lithuanian regtech iDenfy to enhance its risk management and onboarding processes.
• Latvian fintech Huntli partnered with U.S.-based Payall to improve security for cross-border payments.
• Lithuania-based TransferGo secured $10 million in funding from Taiwania Capital Management.

Middle East and Northern Africa

• Digital payments company Wink Pay launched in Lebanon in partnership with Visa and Codebase Technologies.
• United Arab Bank expanded its partnership with Network International.
• Saudi Arabian insurtech Rasan to sell 30% of its stake in a Riyadh IPO.

Central and Southern Asia

• Nepal Clearing House inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ant International to enable QR payments via Alipay+ for visitors to Nepal.
• Finovate Best of Show winner Zeta launched its Digital-Credit-as-a-Service solution for banks in India.
• Saudi Arabia’s Alraedah Digital Solutions forged a strategic partnership with Pakistan-based fintech ABHI to launch new financial services in the kingdom.

Latin America and the Caribbean

• Brazilian digital bank Nubank tops 100 million customer mark.
• Indian private sector bank Yes Bank announced a strategic partnership with payment solutions provider EBANX.
• Chilean A2A payments startup Fintoc raised $7 million in new funding.

Asia-Pacific

• Australian fintech Karta secured a multi-year agreement with Visa.
• Is there a future for a retail CBDC? The Bank of Thailand thinks so.
• Banked forged a partnership with the National Bank of Australia to boost A2A payment adoption among merchants.

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Photo by Deeana Arts