On Finovate.com

• Finablr Takes Majority Stake in Digital Gifting Innovator Swych.

• Simple Appoints Former Amazon Exec as CEO.

Around the web

• Analyst Ian McKenna highlights six Finovate alums – Access Softek, Bucket Technologies, Systelos, BlueRush, Tinkoff, and Golden – in his roundup of “fintech innovators making waves.”

• Marketing Technology Insights interviews CallVU CEO Ori Faran.

• Hydrogen, iProov, Ocrolus, and James Finance are among 20 startups competing for top honors at the India FinTech Awards 2018.

• The Constant Investor’s Crypto Watch interviews Identitii CEO Nick Armstrong on the role of blockchain technology in fighting cybercrime.

• Tinkoff Mobile extends service to seven additional areas of Russia including Smolensk and the Republic of Mordovia.

• Kofax pays $400 million in cash to buy Nuance’s imaging division.

• Walmart’s in-store Direct2Cash service gives PayActiv users instant cash access to earned wages.

• Kony enhances Kony AppPlatform to support progressive web apps.

• CEO Review magazine features AdviceRobo CEO Diederick Van Thiel.

• BehavioSec launches new features for version 5 of its behavioral biometrics platform.

This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.