Daily news

ID.me Raises $340 Million at a $2 Billion Valuation

ID.me Raises $340 Million at a $2 Billion Valuation
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Daily news, Funding, ID.me
  • ID.me raised $340 million in a Series E investment plus a credit facility, which boosts its valuation to over $2 billion and brings its total funding to $1.1 billion.
  • The funding will accelerate secure, reusable digital identity solutions and combat AI-driven fraud, which cost the US up to $521 billion annually.
  • ID.me now counts 152 million users, totaling 60% of US adults, with adoption across 20 federal agencies, 45 states, and 600+ brands.

Digital identity network ID.me revealed this week that it has raised $340 million in a Series E financing round plus a credit facility. The round values ID.me at more than $2 billion. 

Ribbit Capital led the investment, while existing investors Ares Credit Funds and Moonshots Capital, as well as new investors, including Positive Sum, also participated. ID.me will use the funding to accelerate its mission to expand access to secure, reusable digital identity and to stop AI-driven fraud.

The funds, which bring ID.me’s total raised to $1.1 billion, come at a time of rising fraud across the globe. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the US government lost up to $521 billion annually to fraud between 2018 and 2022. The increase in fraud is fueled by stolen identities and deepfakes, both of which are increasing vulnerabilities faster than ever.

“Fraud is evolving at the speed of AI—and so are we,” said ID.me Founder and CEO Blake Hall. “Secure identity is foundational to AI ecosystems that will depend on memory, context, and authentication, and ID.me is leading the charge. This funding strengthens our ability to expand secure digital access, protect privacy, and innovate faster to stay ahead of criminal networks.”

ID.me was founded in 2010 to serve as a digital identity wallet that helps users prove and share their identities online without disclosing additional personal information. The company maintains a digital identity network that includes 20 federal agencies, 45 state agencies, and 600+ retail brands, all of which use ID.me to verify customers’ identities and affiliations. ID.me’s ID wallet helps users prove they belong to certain affiliated groups, such as teachers, students, first responders, or military veterans.

Last year, ID.me added 20.4 million new wallets, which breaks down to over 55,000 each day. That same year, it also powered more than 409 million successful logins, representing a 44% increase year-over-year. In total, ID.me counts 152 million users, representing nearly 60% of adults in the US.

“We believe the AI revolution will reshape the global economy, and identity will be its foundation,” said Ribbit Capital General Partner Justin Saslaw. “As AI agents become ubiquitous, trusted identity tokens will enable secure, seamless interactions between people, organizations, and machines. ID.me has built one of the most advanced and widely adopted digital identity wallets in the world, giving it a durable advantage in creating and scaling the identity tokens that will power this new era. We’re excited to partner with Blake and the ID.me team as they expand their leadership in the token-driven AI economy.”

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Gusto To Acquire Retirement Specialist Guideline

Gusto To Acquire Retirement Specialist Guideline
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Daily news, Gusto, Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Payroll and HR platform Gusto plans to acquire retirement plan provider Guideline, expanding its small business benefits offerings.
  • While terms of the deal were not disclosed, Guideline was valued at $1.15 billion in 2021, and given that fintech valuations have compressed by around 26%, is estimated to be worth around $851 million today.
  • The combined companies aim to simplify retirement plan access for tens of thousands of small businesses, especially as states increasingly mandate employer-sponsored retirement options.

Payroll, benefits, and HR management solutions company Gusto unveiled plans to acquire retirement plan provider Guideline.

While financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, Guideline had a $1.15 billion valuation in 2021 and claimed an annualized revenue of $140 million as of January 2025. Generally speaking, fintech valuations have been compressed by about 26% on average since 2021, so it is roughly estimated to be valued at $851 million today.

Gusto, originally known as ZenPayroll, was founded in 2011 to provide a cloud-based payroll, benefits, and HR management solution. The company’s tools help businesses track time and attendance, onboard new employees, manage existing talent, and more. In 2015, Gusto added to its small business offerings by offering health insurance and workers’ compensation, and a year later launched 401(k) retirement plans via a partnership with Guideline. Today, the San Francisco-based company serves more than 400,000 small businesses and is now valued at $9.3 billion.

Founded in 2015, Guideline helps businesses offer 401(k) and IRA retirement benefits to their team in a simplified approach. The California-based company works with small-to-mid-size businesses, franchises, and self-employed individuals across multiple industries, with dentist offices being the top category.

While Guideline has a direct-to-business approach, it also offers its plans via distribution partnerships with ADP, Block, Intuit, Paylocity, TriNet, and Rippling—all competitors of Gusto. Interestingly, Guideline plans to maintain integrations with those partners even after the acquisition closes.

Together, the two will serve tens of thousands of small businesses, offering them an integrated approach to adding retirement benefits, no matter the size of their team. Today’s deal will help Gusto serve its customers with more of Guideline’s services without having to worry about revenue sharing.

“We’re going to have the ability, in the right moment at the right time, to help [small business customers] if they want. It’s never going to be something they have to do—it’s always their choice—but help them understand that they can actually go provide retirement benefits to their team,” said Gusto CEO and Co-Founder Josh Reeves. “And so one thing I’m really, really excited about is I think we’re going to have a chance to help a lot more companies with retirement benefits by being together than if we had stayed separate.”

The acquisition is especially salient for Gusto, given that some states have passed mandates that now require businesses to provide their employees with retirement plans. The move also helps Gusto differentiate itself from competitors like ADP and Paychex by owning more of the retirement infrastructure directly, rather than relying solely on partnerships. In doing so, Gusto is strengthening its full-service appeal as the go-to HR and benefits provider for small businesses.

Photo by MART PRODUCTION

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Ant International, Standard Chartered, and Swift Build Bank-to-Wallet Payment Solution

Ant International, Standard Chartered, and Swift Build Bank-to-Wallet Payment Solution
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Daily news, Standard Chartered Bank
  • Ant International, Standard Chartered, and Swift have launched a new bank-to-wallet solution linking Swift’s 11,500-institution network with Alipay+’s 1.7 billion digital wallet accounts across 36 providers.
  • The service offers faster, regulated alternatives to stablecoins, with ISO 20022 backing to ensure interoperability, compliance, and scalability for cross-border payments.
  • Beyond speed, the initiative aims to boost financial inclusion, giving underbanked consumers access to funds through wallets they already use while allowing banks to stay relevant in wallet-first markets.

Global payments and fintech provider Ant International, international banking group Standard Chartered, and provider of secure financial messaging services Swift are banding together this week to launch a bank-to-wallet payment solution.

The three are leveraging Swift’s network of over 11,500 financial institutions in more than 200 countries and territories, as well as Ant International’s global wallet gateway service Alipay+. The new payment solution will connect Swift’s network to the 1.7 billion user accounts on the 36 global digital wallets in Alipay+’s ecosystem.

“We are very excited to be part of this ground-breaking multilateral collaboration with Swift, banking leaders, and Alipay+ e-wallet partners to facilitate bank-to-wallet transactions on a global scale,” said Ant International General Manager of Global Remittance Jacques Xu. “Ant International will continue to support such cross-sector collaboration with fintech innovations, to build a more connected payment and financial ecosystem for businesses and consumers with ever higher standards of transparency and security, as part of our focus on promoting global interoperability and inclusion.”

The digital wallet can also create an onramp into the traditional financial system. That’s because wallets connected to banks via Swift create a bridge that allows users to build transaction histories, potentially improving access to credit, insurance, and other financial services. Additionally, it has the potential to help unbanked and underbanked consumers because the bank-to-wallet capabilities allow them to receive money directly into a wallet they already use, circumventing the barriers to opening a bank account.

“In a world of fast-moving innovation with a growing number of ways to move value, consumers and businesses expect more choice and optionality in their international payments experience,” said Swift Chief Executive, Asia Pacific, Kevin Wong. “Swift is at the forefront of providing a best-in-class experience with greater flexibility and choice. This collaboration with Ant International and Standard Chartered reflects that strategic commitment to faster, frictionless payments across multiple networks.”

The first transactions on the new payments solution have already been successfully completed between a Standard Chartered Bank customer account and a partner e-wallet.

The launch of the new bank-to-wallet solution comes as stablecoin capabilities gain traction as an alternative for cross-border payments. However, while stablecoins promise fast, low-cost settlement, regulatory uncertainty and fragmentation have limited their adoption at scale. By contrast, today’s initiative shows how banks and fintechs can deliver many of the same benefits through established, regulated rails. Backed by the ISO 20022 messaging standard, the model also ensures interoperability and compliance with global payment systems, giving it a more durable foundation than many of today’s experimental stablecoin frameworks.

This partnership is a great example of how traditional banks and infrastructure services are collaborating with international tech players, moving from competition to interoperability. By linking Swift’s rails with Alipay+’s wallet ecosystem, the bank-to-wallet solution not only brings underbanked consumers into the financial system, but also strengthens cross-border payments. For Standard Chartered, it offers a chance to remain as a central player in markets where digital wallets dominate. The launch is also validating for fintechs that digital wallets have now gone mainstream.

“We are pleased to be the bank of choice to conceptualize, test, and deliver this innovation,” said Standard Chartered Global Head of Transaction Banking Michael Spiegel. “It is testament to the versatility of our banking platform and our strategic relationship with both Swift and Ant International. We will continue to push the boundaries of finance to shape the future of our industry, securely and in compliance with regulatory requirements.”

Photo by Sora Shimazaki

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Pipe Taps Airwallex to Power Same-Day Payouts

Pipe Taps Airwallex to Power Same-Day Payouts
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Daily news
  • Pipe is partnering with Airwallex to expand its global reach, leveraging Airwallex’s infrastructure for same-day and next-day payouts to SMBs in need of fast working capital.
  • Airwallex’s global network supports local collections in 60+ countries and transfers in 21+ countries, which will help Pipe deliver seamless, localized financial services as it scales.
  • Pipe is already live in the UK and Canada with Airwallex, and is preparing to launch in Australia by year’s end.

Global trading platform for recurring revenue streams Pipe has selected global commercial payments and financial platform Airwallex to help Pipe grow globally.

The partnership enables Pipe to tap into Airwallex’s tools for delivering same-day and next-day payouts to small businesses that rely on accessing working capital quickly. Combining Airwallex’s extensive international coverage with Pipe’s local payment rails will help Pipe scale its platform globally while ensuring its clients enjoy seamless, localized financial experiences.

Pipe was founded in 2019 to provide businesses with access to working capital and financial tools. The company helps business owners who want to have the option of launching in multiple markets, saving them the hassle of selecting different partners and infrastructure providers.

“Our goal at Pipe is to enable software platforms that are serving SMBs to unlock revenue potential through embedded financial tools—no matter where they operate,” said Pipe CEO Luke Voiles. “With its broad global coverage and deep product capabilities, Airwallex gave us the support to launch in our first international market in weeks, not months. That speed and scale are critical for us as we look to expand our global footprint.”

Airwallex provides alternative accounts to help businesses manage their funds, access capital, control their spending, and embed financial services. The company helps businesses collect funds like a local in 60+ countries and make local transfers in 21+ countries. Founded in 2015, the Melbourne, Australia-founded company now processes $200 billion each year.

Pipe has already demonstrated momentum in its partnership with Airwallex, launching in the UK in late 2024 and entering Canada earlier this year. The California-based company is set to expand further, with plans to go live in Australia before the end of this year and a vision to enter markets across Europe and Asia Pacific in 2026.

“Pipe is bringing innovative embedded financial solutions to global markets with remarkable speed, and we’re proud to help power that momentum,” said Airwallex CRO Kai Wu. “Our global payments infrastructure was built to help leading businesses like Pipe reach new heights, expand access to new markets and verticals, and help them better serve their customers around the world.”

Today’s partnership is a testament to the fact that embedded financial services and offering global payments infrastructure are no longer optional but essential, especially for firms that want to scale. For Pipe’s business customers, this could make the difference between competing locally and thriving globally.

Photo by haryadi lilik

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Chime Workplace Integrates Workday Wellness Tools

Chime Workplace Integrates Workday Wellness Tools
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Daily news
  • Chime is partnering with Workday to integrate Chime Workplace into Workday Wellness, expanding access to financial wellness tools through employers’ existing HR systems.
  • Chime Workplace helps employees manage money, save, and build credit, while giving employers insights into overall financial health and benefit usage.
  • The move positions Chime beyond consumer banking, signaling its push into the employer-driven financial wellness space.

Chime announced its latest move to build up Chime Workplace, the financial wellness suite it launched in March of this year. The company has partnered with HR solutions company Workday, becoming a Workday Wellness partner for financial benefits. 

Chime will integrate Workday Wellness into Chime Workplace to bring financial wellness into its employee benefits suite. Chime Workplace offers employers a single platform with financial wellness tools and an aggregated view of employee financial health. The platform helps employees manage their money, track their savings, build their credit, and more.

Workday was founded in 2005 to provide HR tools as a service to businesses across industries. Today, in addition to offering a wide range of HR tools, the company also offers AI tools such as agents, financial tools such as payroll and financial management, legal tools such as contract intelligence, supply chain management solutions, and more.

Under the partnership, organizations using Workday can turn on benefits for their employees using Chime Workplace directly through Workday Wellness in their existing HR systems. Workday’s Workday Wellness solution offers its clients insights into which benefits their employees want and use, helping them to improve their programs and add appropriate new offerings, all in the Chime Workplace dashboard. Chime Workplace will be available via the Employer Benefits Selection Portal for Workday customers. 

“Employees today are increasingly looking to their employers for competitive financial wellness benefits,” said Workday General Manager, HCM, Workforce Management and Payroll Cristina Goldt. “Our partnership with Chime makes it easy for Workday customers to provide their workforce with financial wellness tools directly through Workday Wellness. This ultimately helps them manage money, build credit, and save—fostering a more financially confident and resilient workforce.”

The integration is Chime’s latest move to differentiate itself as a competitor in the challenger banking field. The company was founded in 2012 and formed Chime Enterprise in 2024 after acquiring employee rewards and loyalty platform Salt Labs. Chime has more than 8.7 million members. By embedding its workplace tools into HR platforms like Workday, the company is positioning itself not just as a consumer bank alternative, but as a partner in the employee benefits ecosystem. This shift may indicate that Chime intends to grow beyond direct-to-consumer banking and capture a larger share of the employer-driven financial wellness market.

Photo by Höhenverstellbar Tischgestell Maidesite

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Electronic Payments Acquires Handpoint

Electronic Payments Acquires Handpoint
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Daily news, Handpoint, Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Electronic Payments is acquiring Handpoint to expand into Europe, gaining offices in the UK, Iceland, and Spain.
  • Handpoint’s tools include mobile payment acceptance, an embedded payments platform, a card-present gateway, and real-time transaction reporting.
  • The deal strengthens Electronic Payments’ mobile and embedded offerings, helping it compete with newer players like Stripe and Square.

New York-based Electronic Payments has agreed to acquire UK-based Handpoint for an undisclosed amount.

Handpoint was founded in 1999 to provide in-person payments tools. The company helps its customers accept payments on smartphones, tablets, and handhelds, and enables merchants to accept card payments securely. In addition to hardware, Handpoint also offers an embedded payments platform, a card-present gateway, and provides real-time transaction data that gives merchants in-depth reporting. Before today’s announcement, Handpoint had raised a total of $8 million, most recently pulling in $2.4 million in 2021.

Handpoint demoed at FinovateFall 2012 and FinovateEurope 2012, at the height of the mobile payment acceptance wave that Block (then Square) kicked off in 2010.

Electronic Payments was founded in 1998 and offers a network of POS value-added resellers (VARs), agent banks, sales agents, and independent sales offices (ISOs) to businesses across multiple industries. Among the company’s products are Cygma, a full-stack authorization and clearing platform; Exatouch, a full-featured point-of-sale device; and ProCharge Gateway, a virtual terminal that helps process and manage payments from one central location.

Handpoint will give Electronic Payments an immediate European presence, as Handpoint maintains offices in the UK, Iceland, and Spain, new territories for Electronic Payments. Integrating Handpoint’s tools could allow US merchants that require cross-border capabilities to tap into a single payments partner on both sides of the Atlantic. Additionally, Electronic Payments could integrate Handpoint’s embedded payments platform with its Cygma clearing system, which would facilitate a more omnichannel approach.

Purchasing Handpoint will also help Electronic Payments strengthen its mobile and embedded payments offerings. This will help it compete with the self-service model that new players, like Stripe and Square, offer.

Photo by Ivan Samkov

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Starling to Acquire Tax and Bookkeeping Startup Ember

Starling to Acquire Tax and Bookkeeping Startup Ember
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Daily news, Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Starling Bank has agreed to acquire Ember with plans to integrate Ember’s tax and bookkeeping tools into its business banking platform, giving small businesses streamlined support for invoicing, expenses, payroll, and tax submissions.
  • Ember’s software currently serves customers of major UK banks, but will become exclusive to Starling customers in 2026.
  • The move positions Starling to help businesses comply with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC’s) Making Tax Digital mandate by April 2026.

UK-based Starling Bank announced this week that it will acquire fellow UK fintech Ember, a tax and bookkeeping platform. Starling will build Ember’s resources into its banking platform to provide small business owners with tools they need to manage their transactions and tax submissions. Terms of the acquisition are undisclosed.

Ember was founded in 2019 to give small businesses a human accountant to work with throughout the year to offer real-time insights into their finances and automated bookkeeping. The company offers tools for invoicing, expense management, payroll, tax optimization, and more to do the heavy lifting of tax and VAT compliance while maximizing companies’ visibility into their finances.

“Ember’s platform is beautifully designed to simplify complex accounting tasks through a user-friendly interface,” said Starling Bank Managing Director of SME Banking Adeel Hyder. “As Starling ramps up the roll-out of best-in-class solutions for small businesses, we will continue to build, partner, or buy as best meets customers’ needs.”

Ember currently serves thousands of UK-based small businesses, including customers of HSBC, Revolut, Barclays, and Lloyds. Under the agreement with Starling, however, the company’s software will be exclusively available to Starling Bank customers starting in 2026. Also, as part of today’s deal, Starling will discontinue Ember’s accountancy advisory services.

This is a key move for Starling and strategic timing, given that His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has mandated a Making Tax Digital requirement starting in April of 2026. Starling’s integration of Ember’s tools will help the many businesses that aren’t prepared for online tax reporting to integrate Ember’s HMRC-recognized software by the end of 2025.

The integration of Ember will be available to Starling’s business customers as part of a suite of business services. Among the bank’s other commercial customer tools are Spaces, a tool that allows business owners to put money aside for designated purposes; Bills Manager, which helps businesses pay suppliers on time; and Spending Intelligence, an AI-powered spending tracker.

“We are a natural fintech consolidator, so targeted acquisitions like Ember will form a key part of our strategy as we continue to develop Starling Bank in the UK and Engine by Starling overseas,” said Starling Group Chief Financial Officer Declan Ferguson. “Just as Fleet Mortgages has flourished since we bought it in 2021, I’m confident that Ember’s best-in-class tools will become a fantastic addition to Starling Bank’s offering.”

Photo by Peťka Šurinová

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Incode Acquires Identity Verification Company AuthenticID

Incode Acquires Identity Verification Company AuthenticID
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, authenticID, Daily news, Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Incode has acquired AuthenticID to combine AI-driven fraud detection with enterprise-scale expertise, aiming to become a top global identity verification provider.
  • The deal strengthens Incode’s defenses against rising AI threats like deepfakes and synthetic fraud.
  • Together, the companies serve major banks, telecoms, and neobanks worldwide.

Identity verification company AuthenticID has been acquired by biometric identity organization Incode. The acquisition will bring together Incode’s AI solutions with AuthenticID’s enterprise expertise to combat fraud. The amount of the deal is undisclosed.

Incode said that the acquisition will accelerate its growth and position it as a leader in the identity authentication market. California-based Incode has seen an 80% year-on-year organic growth rate, and with AuthenticID on board, the company aims to broaden its global reach and solidify its position as a top-tier provider of end-to-end identity verification solutions.

“In the age of synthetic fraud, AI impersonation, and Agentic AI, verifying human identity has become the foundation of digital trust. Together with AuthenticID, we’re hardening the front line against these threats, so every enterprise can trust every interaction,” said Incode Founder and CEO Ricardo Amper.

Founded in 2015, Incode offers advanced neural networks and large visual language models that help detect and prevent identity fraud in real time. AuthenticID will add its expertise in regulated environments that require a high volume of verification.

Together, Incode and AuthenticID will strengthen defenses against advanced AI-driven threats, including deepfakes, which have fueled a 300% year-over-year surge in account opening fraud, and AI agents operating without identity safeguards. Collectively, the two companies serve eight of the ten largest US banks, protect eight of the nine biggest telecom providers in North America, work with four of the top five banks in Latin America, secure three leading global neobanks, and safeguard hundreds of organizations against retail fraud.

AuthenticID was founded in 2001 and offers identity proofing, ID verification, biometric authentication, and fraud shield tools to support the fight against cybercrime. Additionally, the company’s Identity Fraud Taskforce continuously develops new algorithms to improve AuthenticID’s identity decisioning engine to help identify and stop fraud. Last June, the company launched a new solution to detect deepfake and generative AI injection attacks. 

“As AI-driven fraud becomes more sophisticated, our clients need more than just point solutions—they need a holistic AI-first approach delivered by a true strategic partner,” said AuthenticID CEO Reed Taussig. “Incode’s vision and AI technology leadership, leveraging foundational vision models, enable us to deliver an identity orchestration platform that is fast, secure, and highly adaptive across our expanded customer base.”

Today’s deal is a good example of how identity verification is a strategic pillar of digital trust. As AI-driven fraud accelerates and regulators tighten controls, financial services firms need partners that can combine speed, accuracy, and adaptability at scale. By uniting Incode’s AI-first innovation with AuthenticID’s enterprise and regulatory expertise, the acquisition signals a future where identity is more holistic.

Photo by cottonbro studio

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Klarna Lands $26 Billion Scalable Funding Round

Klarna Lands $26 Billion Scalable Funding Round
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Daily news, Funding, Klarna
  • Klarna has secured a $26 billion funding deal with Nelnet to expand its Pay in 4 product in the US, diversifying capital sources beyond banks and securitizations.
  • The multi-year agreement provides off-balance-sheet funding, giving Klarna predictable access to capital at scale and strengthening its long-term growth strategy.
  • The deal bolsters Klarna’s IPO story as it postures for public markets amid rising BNPL regulation and credit risk.

IPO hopeful BNPL company Klarna revealed today that it has closed an agreement with investment firm Nelnet, which will support the expansion of Klarna’s Pay in 4 product in the US.

Under the multi-year agreement, Nelnet will purchase Klarna’s US Pay in 4 loans on an ongoing basis over the life of the program, up to $26 billion in total payment volume. In addition to diversifying Klarna’s funding sources beyond banks and securitizations, the transaction is expected to power the company’s US growth and support its long-term capital strategy.

“This is a landmark transaction for Klarna in the US,” said Klarna CFO Niclas Neglén. “Our partnership with Nelnet allows us to scale a core product responsibly, while continuing to deliver smooth, interest-free payment experiences to millions of consumers.”

Klarna notes that the structure of the funding arrangement will offer predictable, off-balance-sheet funding and showcase its ability to structure and execute large-scale capital markets transactions. The Swedish-based company will continue to originate and service all of its receivables under the program.

“Nelnet is thrilled to work with Klarna on this important transaction and support their continued success,” said Nelnet Financial Services Chief Investment Officer Judd Deppisch. “This strategic partnership leverages our expertise and financial strength to invest in attractive cash-flowing assets while supporting Klarna’s valuable offering to U.S. consumers, with the support of our lending partners.”

This comes as Klarna has been positioning itself to go public. While the company postponed its IPO plans earlier this year, it has partnered with Clover for in-store BNPL, signed an agreement to serve as Walmart’s BNPL provider, and teamed up with Marqeta on a debit card. Additionally, Klarna reached 100 million active consumers in April 2025. 

For Klarna, today’s deal with Nelnet provides a critical pillar in its IPO story. The stable access to capital at scale signals to investors that Klarna has the key to sustaining growth while navigating BNPL’s rising regulatory and credit risks. Additionally, the structured, off-balance-sheet arrangement signals Klarna’s intent to present itself as more bank-like and responsible ahead of its IPO.

Photo by Aurelijus U.

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Payoneer Taps Stripe to Improve Checkout for Cross-Border Merchants 

Payoneer Taps Stripe to Improve Checkout for Cross-Border Merchants 
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Daily news, Payoneer
  • Payoneer has partnered with Stripe to expand its Online Checkout, giving SMBs selling cross-border direct-to-consumer access to BNPL options and digital wallets.
  • The partnership will launch in the Asia Pacific where wallets and BNPL are often preferred over credit cards.
  • Payoneer, which went public in 2021 and has a market cap of around $2.5 billion, has rapidly grown Online Checkout to nearly $1 billion in annual volume.

Global payments company Payoneer is teaming up with payments infrastructure fintech Stripe to improve the checkout experience for global merchants. The strategic partnership will enable Payoneer to expand its Online Checkout offering for merchants selling cross-border goods direct-to-consumer.

Payoneer’s new capabilities will help small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) accept more payment methods at their online point of sale. Stripe will help Payoneer facilitate buy now, pay later (BNPL) options like Affirm and Klarna, as well as digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay.

At launch, Payoneer’s new checkout capabilities will be available in the Asia Pacific region first, including in China and Hong Kong, geographies where digital wallets and BNPL are often preferred over credit cards.

Payoneer and Stripe expect that the partnership will help merchants enhance their customer conversion rates, improve acceptance rates, reduce fraud, and expand payment acceptance options for SMBs selling to direct-to-consumers browsing their own ecommerce sites.

“We are committed to simplifying cross-border online trade for SMBs,” said Payoneer Chief Growth Officer Adam Cohen. “This partnership with Stripe is a strategic step in our journey to expand our Checkout offering and deliver a best-in-class user experience at scale. By combining Payoneer’s local market distribution and expertise with Stripe’s exceptional checkout technology, we’re combining the strengths of both companies to deliver unmatched value to our customers.”

Launching new payment methods will help Payoneer attract SMB merchants, as it can help them compete globally by offering a sophisticated checkout experience with multiple payment options that are often offered by larger retailers.

Payoneer was founded in 2005 to help SMBs transact, do business, and grow globally. The company’s global financial stack helps remove barriers and simplify cross-border commerce to make it easier for businesses to connect to the global economy, pay, get paid, manage their funds across multiple currencies, and grow their businesses.

The New York-based company launched Payoneer Checkout in 2022 and has since scaled from zero to almost $1 billion in run-rate annual volume. From June 2024 to June 2025, Payoneer generated $30 million in revenue, representing over 100% year-over-year growth.

Payoneer went public via a SPAC merger with FTAC Olympus Acquisition Corp. in 2021. The company listed on the NASDAQ in June of that same year under the ticker PAYO and has a current market capitalization of approximately $2.5 billion.

Photo by HT_NGUYEN

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Worldpay Taps Trulioo to Safeguard Agentic Commerce

Worldpay Taps Trulioo to Safeguard Agentic Commerce
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Daily news, Trulioo, WorldPay
  • Worldpay is partnering with Trulioo to bring trust, consent, and accountability to agentic AI commerce, where AI agents shop on behalf of consumers.
  • The collaboration uses the Know Your Agent (KYA) framework, which is powered by the Digital Agent Passport, to verify agent identities, ensure code integrity, confirm user consent, and monitor agent behavior.
  • The goal of the partnership is to enable secure, transparent AI-powered transactions with smarter controls for verified agents, real-time fraud detection, and enhanced consumer and merchant confidence.

Payment technology company Worldpay announced this week that it is preparing for a future of agentic AI commerce by partnering with digital identity platform Trulioo. Worldpay selected Trulioo to bring trust, consent, and accountability to AI-powered digital payments.

Because agentic AI commerce involves AI agents that shop on behalf of consumers, it is important to verify agent identities and obtain consent from the human on the other side of the agent. Knowing exactly who is in charge of each aspect of the transaction is key to not only maintaining trust and preventing fraud, but also in staying compliant with regulatory requirements.

“Innovation in payments must always be grounded in integrity and trust,” said Worldpay Chief Product Officer Cindy Turner. “By partnering with Trulioo, we’re delivering the trust infrastructure our ecosystem needs and empowering businesses and consumers to embrace AI-powered commerce with confidence, knowing that safety and transparency are at the heart of every transaction.”

Under today’s partnership, Worldpay and Trulioo will deliver tools that follow the Know Your Agent (KYA) framework to ensure that merchants, payment providers, and consumers can trust agent-based transactions. KYA is powered by Digital Agent Passport, a secure digital ID and trust certificate for AI agents. The certificate confirms who made the agent, ensures their code hasn’t been tampered with, checks that they have user consent, and monitors their behavior continually so merchants can process agent-initiated transactions confidently.

“Agentic commerce has significant potential, but it can only scale with trust built in from the start,” said Trulioo CEO Vicky Bindra. “With Worldpay, we’re laying the foundation for a more secure and accountable digital ecosystem – one where AI agents can operate transparently, and consumers stay in control.”

Adding the new KYA framework will help merchants and platforms create new experiences at the point of sale, including smoother checkout flows and real-time fraud detection, while maintaining security. Additionally, instead of blocking AI agents by default, the partnership offers smart controls that allow verified agents to gain access, while inserting friction for unknown agents, and blocking malicious bots.

As both consumers and merchants face uncertainty in navigating the new world of agentic AI commerce, Trulioo and Worldpay aim to provide a roadmap for inserting trust into the process. By embedding identity verification, consent management, and ongoing monitoring directly into the payment process, the partnership seeks to ensure that AI agents can participate in commerce without sacrificing safety or transparency. The hope is that with a solid trust infrastructure in place, agentic AI can move from experimental novelty to a mainstream, reliable part of the digital economy.



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Jack Henry Teams with Moov to Launch Tap2Local to Facilitate Merchant Acquiring

Jack Henry Teams with Moov to Launch Tap2Local to Facilitate Merchant Acquiring
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Banno, Daily news, Jack Henry
  • Jack Henry is launching Tap2Local in partnership with Moov to enable banks and credit unions to offer small business clients tap-to-pay card acceptance.
  • Tap2Local is exclusive to financial institutions, offers automated account reconciliation, and doesn’t require any extra hardware.
  • Tap2Local integrates into the Banno Digital Platform and will roll out to over 1,000 banks and credit unions after closed beta testing.

Small banks are under increasing pressure to match the tech-forward tools offered by larger competitors. Financial services platform Jack Henry is aiming to help them rise to the challenge with its latest solution, which is designed to enable banks and credit unions to provide merchant acquiring services to their small business clients.

The Missouri-based company developed the new tool, Tap2Local, in partnership with payment infrastructure company Moov. With Tap2Local, businesses will be able to accept debit and credit card payments using tap-to-pay, which eliminates the need for hardware. The tap-to-pay functionality is available on both Android and iOS through all major card networks. Tap2Local also offers continuous, automated account reconciliation to the business’ accounting platform of choice.

“Tap2Local is the first new key component of our overall SMB strategy to help banks and credit unions win with small businesses and capture significant new market opportunities,” said Jack Henry President
 and CEO Greg Adelson. “This innovative solution integrates with banking services, enabling financial institutions to simplify the payments experience for small businesses, capture more deposits, and win back business from payments-only fintechs.”

Moov’s Tap2Local is offered exclusively through banks and credit unions. The technology, which is in closed beta testing with several financial institutions, will be rolled out to more than 1,000 banks and credit unions using Jack Henry’s Banno Digital Platform over the next several months.

For many small banks, competing with tech capabilities that legacy players offer is more than just a challenge; it has increasingly become a survival issue. Merchant acquiring, in particular, has become a lucrative area dominated by fintechs and large institutions. Tap2Local will help level the playing field.

“Tap2Local helps all small businesses and the millions of people who participate in the gig economy accept card payments face-to-face and on-the-go,” Jack Henry Chief Technology Officer Ben Metz said. “We’ve made it easy for them to enroll through their bank or credit union and start accepting payments in their banking app within minutes. Additionally, our automated accounting feature can save them time, giving them back valuable hours to focus on their passion.”

Moov was founded in 2017 by Wade Arnold, who originally launched Banno in 2008 before selling it to Jack Henry in 2014 for an undisclosed amount. Moov’s cloud-based payment processing technology helps businesses accept, store, send, and spend money through a single integration. The company has built its platform with developers in mind, offering open-source libraries and a growing community.

Photo by Afta Putta Gunawan

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