Streamly

Streamly Snapshot Doubleheader: Payment Optimization and the Great Wealth Transfer

Streamly Snapshot Doubleheader: Payment Optimization and the Great Wealth Transfer
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Speaker series, Streamly

With spring in full swing, we’ve got another doubleheader in our Streamly Snapshot series in store for you this week.

To start, we talked with Philip Froom, Founder and CEO at PayIP, about navigating the complexity of payment networks. Froom discussed how PayIP leverages advanced technologies such as AI and machine learning to uncover hidden value for banks and fintechs around the world.

“Banks and fintechs around the world pay a lot of money, billions of dollars to the payment networks—the payment networks being Visa, Mastercard, American Express, UnionPay. Our clients pay fortunes and the money and the billing from the payment networks back to the banks is extremely complicated. There’s thousands of different billing line items from fixed fees to variable fees, tiered fees, daily, weekly, annual fees.”

Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, PayIP specializes in payment network (Visa and Mastercard) billing recovery and optimization. The company leverages decades of card and data expertise to simplify complex card network invoices and reporting, and identifies recoveries for bank finance and card payment teams.

Next, we talked with Jurgen Vandenbroucke, Managing Director at everyoneINVESTED, KBC, about the value of decision science and how it can be effectively applied to financial services. We also discussed the Great Wealth transfer, and the challenges faced by financial services companies when it comes to serving a new generation of investors.

“Decision science is a broad field. I think a more popular term is perhaps choice architecture in the sense of putting into models (people’s) decision-making process as much as possible in order to anticipate their behavior … For example, trying to optimize the small screen of a smartphone in order to present data in such a way that it triggers desired behavior or discourages undesired behavior.”

Brussels-based everyoneINVESTED helps financial institutions increase their investor conversions, fortify their customer base, and put behavioral finance to work to help them have more of their clients invest in their solutions. A wealthtech spin-off of KBC, everyoneINVESTED was named to FinTech Global’s WealthTech100 for the fifth consecutive year.

Photo by Steshka Willems

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Streamly Snapshot: The Power of Data Visualization Driven by AI

Streamly Snapshot: The Power of Data Visualization Driven by AI
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Speaker series, Streamly

In today’s data-saturated world, the ability to visualize information in a meaningful way is no longer just a nice-to-have—it’s a competitive advantage. Financial institutions, fintechs, and large enterprises are increasingly turning to AI-driven data visualization tools to unlock insights, improve decision-making, and streamline operations.

In a recent conversation on Streamly, Plotly European Sales Director Andy Wisbey shared how organizations can harness the full power of their data using advanced visualization tools. The discussion touched on common pain points financial institutions face when scaling AI, as well as the benefits of enabling cross-functional teams to explore and communicate data insights more effectively.

“What we’ve seen over the last few years is really a move towards more things like GenAI, where perhaps with large language models we’re doing more analysis around predictive analytics. So, we’re trying to predict where the market might go if certain conditions are met. And that really is going to encompass both structured and unstructured data.”

Plotly, best known for its open-source graphing libraries and enterprise-grade data visualization platform Dash, helps organizations turn complex datasets into accessible visual insights. With its low-code capabilities, Dash enables data scientists and business analysts to build powerful, interactive dashboards using Python without needing to rely on front-end developers. Dash Enterprise supports secure, scalable deployments across large teams, making it a popular choice for banks, insurance firms, and governments.

Andy Wisbey brings nearly two decades of experience in enterprise software sales and has a deep understanding of the challenges financial institutions face when trying to operationalize AI. At Plotly, Wisbey focuses on helping clients across Europe use Dash Enterprise to enhance their data storytelling, improve regulatory compliance, and drive innovation. His passion lies in helping organizations bridge the gap between technical teams and business stakeholders through effective data visualization.

Photo courtesy Cottonbro via Pexels

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Streamly Snapshot Doubleheader: AI in Digital Banking & Compliance for Financial Institutions

Streamly Snapshot Doubleheader: AI in Digital Banking & Compliance for Financial Institutions
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Speaker series, Streamly

This week’s edition of Streamly Snapshot features a pair of conversations from FinovateEurope discussing two of the hottest topics in fintech in 2025: AI and compliance.

First up, my interview with Christian Blaser (LinkedIn), Chief Technology Officer with b-next. Blaser discusses compliance for financial institutions, including specific issues in trade surveillance, insider compliance, personal account dealings, and market abuse. Blaser also provides his perspective on the role of AI and machine learning in enhancing compliance for financial institutions.

“What we initially did when we built our platform and our solutions was focus on modularity. We can easily come up with new solutions and our customers can always pick and choose from whatever offerings we provide to them. It definitely helps the client’s ability to react to any regulatory changes very, very fast.”

Founded in 1989, b-next is a compliance solutions provider and specialist in capital markets trading surveillance. With offices in Germany, the UK, and the US, b-next serves banks, brokers, supervisory entities, and energy suppliers with the solutions they need in order to meet regulatory requirements and manage operational risks.

Second, Ben Goldin (LinkedIn), Founder and CEO of Plumery talks about the rise and evolution of lifestyle banking, as well as other key trends in digital banking such as the role of AI and the demand for hyper-personalization. Goldin also discusses the impact of generative AI on all aspects of banking and what he believes is the “secret” to successful modernization in financial services.

“Plumery is a digital banking company. We’ve built a technology that we call Digital Success Fabric. The mission of Digital Success Fabric is to modernize the banking experience and essentially democratize access to delightful experiences for financial institutions globally.”

Headquartered in Amsterdam and founded in 2016, Plumery offers a digital banking experience platform that empowers financial institutions to launch their own mobile and online applications. The company’s developer-friendly platform supports constant enhancement of the customer experience, helping financial institutions meet the demands of an increasingly digital-first, tech-savvy customer base.

Photo by Pixabay

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Streamly Snapshot: Digital Assets – Are You Ready?

Streamly Snapshot: Digital Assets – Are You Ready?
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: FinovateEurope 2025, Streamly

This week’s edition of Streamly Snapshot features Swift Managing Director and Head of Innovation Nick Kerigan in a conversation titled, “Digital Assets in Financial Services: Are You Ready?”

In this interview, Kerigan talks with Finovate Senior Research analyst Julie Muhn about the rise of the digital asset market and its potential impact on banking and financial services. Kerigan explains why financial institutions should act now in order to take advantage of the opportunities in digital assets. He also discusses Swift’s collaboration with organizations throughout the industry as part of its live digital asset trials this year.

“We’ve seen a real resurgence in interest in digital assets. There are many institutional changes that are happening, (including) developments in the US with the executive order, in the European Union, Hong Kong, Singapore, with new regimes coming into place. We’re seeing that institutional framework being developed and, as a result, we’re also seeing quite a lot of real-world issuance of digital assets.”

The world’s leading provider of secure financial messaging services, Swift is an international, member-owned cooperative founded in 1973 and headquartered in Belgium. Swift’s messaging platform, products, and services connect 11,000+ banking and securities organizations, market infrastructures, and corporate customers in 200+ countries and territories.

Kerigan has served as Swift’s Managing Director and Head of Innovation since 2020. In his role at Swift, Kerigan is responsible for executing Swift’s innovation strategy, managing the organization’s portfolio of innovation sprints, and leading Swift’s response to emerging trends such as CBDCs and tokenized assets.

Photo by BOOM 💥

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Streamly Snapshot: The Real Reason Open Banking has Floundered in Europe

Streamly Snapshot: The Real Reason Open Banking has Floundered in Europe
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Streamly

Open banking was expected to revolutionize financial services in Europe, but years after its introduction, adoption has fallen short of expectations. While regulation like PSD2 laid the groundwork for greater financial data sharing, the actual implementation of open banking has been fragmented, inconsistent, and underwhelming. Many financial institutions still treat open banking as a compliance exercise rather than an opportunity for innovation, leaving consumers and businesses with limited, disjointed experiences instead of the seamless financial ecosystem that was promised.

In this exclusive interview recorded at FinovateEurope 2025, David Barton-Grimley, Strategy Director at 11:FS speaks with Finovate VP Greg Palmer to discuss why open banking has floundered in Europe, the underlying issues slowing adoption, and what needs to change for it to deliver on its full potential. From poor API standards to a lack of clear monetization strategies, Barton-Grimley explores some of the underlying implementation issues and addresses how financial institutions can shift their approach to make open banking work for both consumers and businesses.

“Too often the conversation about open banking is very binary,” Barton-Grimley said. “Is it successful, and what does success even mean in this category? It is growing, and we are seeing year-on year multi-digit uptake of it as people are getting used to it and using it.”

11:FS is a digital financial services consultancy that helps banks, fintechs, and businesses stay current with changing demands. The company is known for its deep industry expertise, research, and advisory services that help financial institutions design and launch truly digital financial products. With a mission to make financial services “truly digital” rather than just digitized versions of old models, 11:FS works with some of the biggest names in banking and fintech to drive real innovation in open finance, embedded banking, and digital transformation.

As Strategy Director at 11:FS, David Barton-Grimley specializes in helping banks and fintechs navigate the evolving financial landscape. He has advised financial institutions on how to build better digital banking experiences and leverage open finance as a competitive advantage. At 11:FS, Barton-Grimley works closely with financial services leaders to develop and execute strategies that drive growth, customer engagement, and long-term success in an increasingly digital-first world.

Photo by Jeff Vinluan

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Streamly Snapshot: Overcoming Increased Regulatory Scrutiny on Financial Promotions

Streamly Snapshot: Overcoming Increased Regulatory Scrutiny on Financial Promotions
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: CEO Interview, Interview, PromoComply, Streamly

The regulatory landscape for financial promotions has become increasingly complex as regulators focus on ensuring that promotional materials are fair, transparent, and compliant. Today, both banks and fintechs are having to take a new approach to how they create, approve, and distribute promotional content to avoid regulatory breaches and potential penalties, while still conveying their messaging.

In this exclusive interview recorded at FinovateEurope last week, Sage Franch, CEO of PromoComply, shares her insights into how firms can navigate this increased scrutiny, the importance of real-time compliance monitoring, and how technology is transforming the way financial promotions are managed.

“Regulators are really cracking down on non-compliant financial promotions,” said Franch. “And every financial organization that markets a financial product here in the UK has to comply with these. If they don’t, illegal financial promotion is a criminal offense and so the potential consequences are huge.”

PromoComply offers a comprehensive compliance automation platform designed specifically for the financial services sector, helping firms streamline the review and approval process for financial promotions. The platform uses AI-driven content analysis to automatically flag potential compliance risks, reducing the manual burden on compliance teams while enabling faster marketing campaign approvals. By integrating with existing content management systems, PromoComply ensures that compliance is embedded into every step of the promotional lifecycle.

As CEO and Co-Founder of PromoComply, Sage Franch brings a unique blend of technological expertise and regulatory insight to the world of financial services marketing compliance. With a background in software development and product management, Franch helps banks and fintechs leverage technology to simplify complex regulatory processes.

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Streamly Snapshot: Unpacking the Impact of Automation in Finance

Streamly Snapshot: Unpacking the Impact of Automation in Finance
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Sponsored, Streamly

Automation has helped the financial services industry advance rapidly. It not only helps firms save costs and better serve users, but it has also influenced everything from customer service to regulatory compliance. However, as the industry continues to embrace automation, what should financial institutions consider to ensure innovation doesn’t overshadow empathy and trust?

In this Streamly video, Finovate Research Analyst David Penn and ShareFile Director of Sales for Financial Services Matt Geiger speak about the transformative effects of automation on the finance sector. They explore the opportunities, challenges, and the balance required to implement automation effectively while maintaining a human touch.

“In some ways, automation is awesome because we can take these workflows and have our people focus on more specialized activity… The place that we need to find when we’re talking about automation is to find the balance between [automation and manual activity]. What should I automate and what should I have as a personalized customer experience that’s not automated where humans can interact with each other? And we need to have a balance of both of those things.”

ShareFile provides secure document sharing and workflow automation solutions for companies in a range of industries. Founded in 2005, the North Carolina-based company helps its financial services clients document workflow automation, enhance and simplify their client collaboration, and it also aids them in regulatory compliance.

Matt Geiger has been with ShareFile for three years and currently serves as the company’s Director of North American Sales. With over 20 years in tech sales, Matt develops go-to-market strategies that deliver exceptional value. Before ShareFile, he spent 13 years in the partner community, building strategic alliances and driving success. Matt began his career as a teacher and coach, shaping his leadership style and commitment to team development.

Photo by Pavel Danilyuk

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Streamly Snapshot: Balancing High-Tech and High-Touch Strategies in Digital Banking

Streamly Snapshot: Balancing High-Tech and High-Touch Strategies in Digital Banking
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Streamly

Since the dawn of fintech, financial services companies have struggled to find the sweet spot of “high tech” vs. “high touch.” However, in today’s technology saturated environment, finding the perfect balance between automation and personal interaction is crucial. While technology enables scalability and efficiency, customers still value connecting with a human for complex financial decisions. This balance — where high tech meets high touch — is shaping the future of digital banking.

In the following Streamly video, Finovate Research Analyst David Penn speaks with Christopher Hollins, Head of Solution Sales and Delivery at Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), who highlights the transformation of B2B client expectations through digital channels and how SVB’s approach combines high-touch and high-tech strategies.

We spend a lot of time from a design perspective recognizing the user trends both on the consumer side, as well as the business side, and figuring out what’s the most logical thing we can do to avoid obstacles and make things very simple and straightforward. We always say that we want people to feel comfortable doing banking at 4:17 pm and 4:17 am, which means that your digital capabilities must be up to snuff and that you must be able to create an experience that they feel comfortable working with you any time of day,” said Hollins.

SVB is a division of First Citizens Bank that provides commercial and private banking services to individuals and companies. Originally founded in 1983, SVB focuses on investing in high-growth companies that tend to be on the cutting edge of innovation. In fact, 50% of U.S. VC-backed tech companies with IPOs in 2024 are SVB clients.

Hollins sits at the helm of SVB’s Global Solution Sales and Delivery, where he drives business growth and fosters team motivation. With a focus on sales strategy, design integration, and product marketing, Hollins’ team has successfully executed strategies that resonate with the unique demands of the fintech industry and the innovation economy.

For more video interviews, be sure to check out Finovate’s other Streamly content.

Photo by Leonardo Iheme on Unsplash

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Streamly Snapshot: Fusing Traditional Old School Practice with Futuristic Practice in Banking

Streamly Snapshot: Fusing Traditional Old School Practice with Futuristic Practice in Banking
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Interview, Streamly

How are banks managing the challenges of digital transformation? What do financial institutions need to do in order to ensure that new digital initiatives are aligned with customer preferences and needs?

In this Streamly interview, Finovate Senior Research Analyst Julie Muhn sits down with Milton Santiago, Global Head of Digital Solutions at Silicon Valley Bank. The two discuss the bank’s current digital transformation and the role of enabling technologies like AI in enhancing the customer experience, among other topics.

“What excites me the most about what’s going on in our bank is the fact that we continue to invest, we continue to focus really on what our customers need to grow their businesses and to be successful at a variety of life stages: be it at small inception where maybe it’s just you and me as a startup to where we have gone through multiple rounds of funding, or we’re a large company that is also publicly traded. Our needs are being met by the same financial organization, regardless of our size.”

Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) serves many of the most innovative companies and investors in the world. A division of First Citizens Bank, SVB provides commercial and private banking services to individuals and companies in industries ranging from technology and healthcare to private equity and venture capital. With 70% of the 2024 Forbes Cloud 100 among its customers, SVB is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

Milton Santiago has worked for Silicon Valley Bank for more than six years and is currently Global Head of Digital Services. In this role, he is responsible for creating end-to-end omni-channel and API experiences and solutions for startup (Pre-Series A) and mature companies, alike. Santiago is also a veteran industry speaker on topics including security and fraud, mobile and emerging payments, big data, and innovation.

Photo by Pixabay

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Streamly Snapshot: Disrupting the Market with Refunds-as-a-Service

Streamly Snapshot: Disrupting the Market with Refunds-as-a-Service
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Interview, Sponsored, Streamly

One of the latest developments in the payments space, Refunds-as-a-Service, promises to bring innovation to an area of customer experience – refunds – in which more than a trillion dollars of value are exchanged every year.

In today’s Streamly interview, Jeremy Balkin, Founder and CEO of TodayPay, talks with me about his path from a Managing Director at J.P. Morgan to the launch of his refunds-as-a-service startup. Balkin explains the inspiration behind the decision, the company’s progress to date, as well as TodayPay’s upcoming direct-to-consumer product launch.

“We’re the world’s first dedicated refund payment network. It’s an alternative payment method for both merchants and consumers to receive refunds. We’re pioneering a category we like to call refunds-as-a-service, serving merchants, marketplaces, insurers, issuers, and consumers to get a better refund experience.”

A finalist in the “Top Emerging Fintech” category of the 2024 Finovate Awards, TodayPay enables merchants to offer their customers instant refunds over a variety of payment choices, including cashback. A pioneer in the field of Refunds-as-a-Service, TodayPay is part of the Visa Fasttrack program.

Before launching TodayPay, Jeremy Balkin was a Managing Director for J.P. Morgan in New York City where he led fintech innovation and corporate development in the payment space.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Streamly Snapshot: Creating Revenue Streams for Community Banks and Credit Unions

Streamly Snapshot: Creating Revenue Streams for Community Banks and Credit Unions
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: BankShift, Sponsored, Streamly

Community banks and credit unions have long been the cornerstone of local economies. As technology and consumer preferences evolve, however, so must their revenue strategies.

Today’s Streamly video highlights a conversation I had with Rob Thacher, CEO at BankShift, a banking-as-a-service platform. During our conversation, Thacher and I discussed embedded finance, leveraging data to create personalized products, fintech partnerships, subscription services, and BankShift’s Brand on Banking.

BankShift built a business model all around the credit union space because they give dividends back to their members. And so we built a Brand on Banking ecosystem that enables community banks and credit unions to be different and have a new revenue stream. Financial institutions can embed their own technology inside that brand for revenues, for loyalty, and control.

BankShift creates a digital banking platform that helps community banks and credit unions generate new revenue streams, enforce control, and build loyalty. The company’s SDK provides low-code tools that help financial institutions create a branded, a unified app with a single login and a money transfer tool. The Oregon-based company was founded in 2020.

Photo by Museums Victoria on Unsplash

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Streamly Snapshot: Upgrading Your Digital Knowledge Management

Streamly Snapshot: Upgrading Your Digital Knowledge Management
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Interview, Streamly

With digital rising to the preferred channel for audiences across the globe, it is more important than ever for firms to manage their brands’ digital presence. Organizations no longer need to just worry about sending out consistent messaging, they also need to ensure that the information that search platforms are sharing about them is correct and consistent in order to uphold their reputation

Earlier this fall, Finovate Research Analyst David Penn spoke with Stuart Greer, VP of Enterprise Sales at digital presence platform Yext to get an idea of how the company not only helps brands manage their reputation, but also with managing information on data aggregators about their physical locations, setting up , and more.

“One of the biggest things I’d say that large enterprise financial services companies deal with… is their online presence across all of the platforms, said Greer. “Yext is a digital presence platform that essentially helps multi-location businesses. When you think about multi-location businesses, you can think of banks, ATMs, wealth advisors, insurance agents– anyone who has that presence online.”

Yext was founded in 2006 to help brands with multiple locations manage their digital presence. Companies can leverage Yext’s platform to ensure they deliver accurate, consistent information, while connecting with customers across the globe via digital channels. The New York-based company leverages AI to automate workflows at scale and provide actionable insights to do everything from enhance SEO to manage social media reputations. Michael Walrath is CEO.

Photo by KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook