Latest Innovation News: Finextra Research

Innotribe pivots to explore internal opportunities for innovation at Swift

Innotribe, the innovation arm of financial messaging co-operative Swift, is to narrow its startup focus to emerging economies and instead operate as a force for driving collaboration around new utility-based services for member banks.

07 December 2015

News/Innovation

DBS pledges S$10 million to support Singaporean startup ecosystem

DBS Bank has pledged to invest S$10 million in initiatives that will support the development of the startup ecosystem in Singapore over the next five years.

04 December 2015

News/Innovation

Umpqua creates innovation subsidiary

The parent company of Portland-based Umpqua Bank is setting up a new Silicon Valley unit tasked with "disrupting and advancing bank innovation".

03 December 2015

News/Innovation

Smartphone-only bank Number26 expands across Europe

German smartphone bank Number26 is to expand across Europe, opening its mobile-only account to consumers in France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Slovakia, and Spain.

03 December 2015

News/Innovation

Goldman files cryptocurrency-based settlement system patent

Banking giant Goldman Sachs has filed a US patent application for a "cryptographic currency for securities settlement".

02 December 2015

News/Innovation

Barclays launches app for customers to trial new mobile features

Barclays is inviting customers and developers to help shape its mobile banking services through the launch of an app providing early access to new features.

02 December 2015

News/Innovation

Electronic tattoos pitched for payments and fitness tracking

Electronic tattoos capable of fitness tracking and making payments are being pitched as the next big thing in wearable technology by creative design agency Chaotic Moon.

02 December 2015

News/Innovation

Scotiabank brings in ex-BBVA Bancomer chief Deschamps as digital strategic advisor

Scotiabank boss Brian Porter is bringing in former BBVA Bancomer CEO Ignacio Deschamps to advise on the Canadian lender's digital transformation strategy.

02 December 2015

News/Innovation

Santander InnoVentures and IE Business School to host startup series

Santander InnoVentures has teamed with IE Business School to run a series of 'pitch slams' for fintech startups in Tel Aviv, Sao Paolo and Madrid.

02 December 2015

News/Innovation

Challenger banks boosted by UK Government

The UK Government has confirmed a range of measures designed to help challenger banks take on the establishment, including extension of the Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) for SMEs, the launch of a new regulatory bank startup unit, and the establishment of a high level advisory group to review banking competition.

01 December 2015

News/Innovation

Mobile-first Tandem gets UK banking license

Tandem, a digital banking startup led by Azimo founder Ricky Knox and Capital One's Matt Cooper, has secured a license from the BofE, paving the way for it to join the scrum of challengers taking on Britain's high street lenders.

01 December 2015

News/Innovation

Lloyds invites smart savings startup to work at its digital hub

Swave, a smart savings startup founded by two former hedge fund data crunchers, is to undergo a 12-week innovation immersion with Lloyds Banking Group after winning a financial literacy challenge run by Innovate UK.

30 November 2015

News/Innovation

Swatch teams with Visa to launch pay-by-wrist watch

Swatch has partnered with Visa to launch its 'pay-by-the-wrist' Bellamy watch in the US, Switzerland and Brazil in early-2016.

30 November 2015

News/Innovation

Visa Europe gathers students for 'beyond plastic' design jam

Visa Europe's innovation hub has been tapping into the youth market, bringing together 100 students from City University London for a weekend-long 'design jam' exploring ways to pay beyond plastic.

27 November 2015

News/Innovation

BofE launches blockchain challenge to find interns

The Bank of England is challenging students to come up with ideas for using blockchain technology to make a "positive difference to society," dangling the carrot of paid internships to those delivering the best pitches.

27 November 2015

News/Innovation

WeChat launches mobile wallet in South Africa

WeChat, the social messaging app developed by Chinese e-commerce outfit Tencent, has launched a mobile wallet service in South Africa in partnership with Standard Bank.

26 November 2015

News/Innovation

UK plays host to mediterranean fintech startups

Canary Wharf innovation centre Level39 is playing host to 24 fintech startups from across the Mediterranean for a two-day programme organised by UK Trade and Investment, with the aim of raising the profile of London's vibrant financial scene as a strategic partner for growing early-stage businesses.

26 November 2015

News/Innovation

Nexussquared launches virtual blockchain startup programme

Swiss fintech acclerator Nexussquared has launched a virtual blockchain startup porgramme for early-stage European companies that have already acquired seed funding.

26 November 2015

News/Innovation

Former Barclays chief forecasts massive job cuts and branch closures as banks go digital

The world's banks will be forced to axe up to half of their staff and close 50% of branches over the next ten years if they are to remain relevant in an era of rapid technology change the former chief executive of Barclays Bank has warned.

26 November 2015

News/Innovation

Banks to raise IT and innovation spend to counter tech threat

The world's banks are to hike their IT and innovation budgets over the coming year to counter the growing threat from large tech companies like Apple and Google, according to a Capgemini survey of clients of core tech vendor Temenos.

25 November 2015