Latest Innovation News: Finextra Research

IBM and Maersk advance blockchain project for global trade

IBM and transport and logistics outfit Maersk have unveiled a blockchain-based cross-border supply chain programme to manage and track the paper trail of tens of millions of shipping containers across the world.

06 March 2017

News/Innovation

Cherry-picking banking startups shed 'challenger' label

PwC says it is working with 15 firms who are preparing to apply for banking authorisation in the UK, reflecting the continued attraction of the market for cherry-picking startups.

03 March 2017

News/Innovation

Deutsche Bourse fintech venture fund targets blockchain and AI

Deutsche Bourse's new dedicated fintech venture fund, DB1, is hoping to make up to five investments this year, focusing on startups that use technologies such as blockchain and machine learning to rebuild the rails on which financial markets are built.

03 March 2017

News/Innovation

Scotiabank trials AlphaPoint blockchain tech for trade reports

Canada's Scotiabank has spent the last few months testing a distributed ledger platform from tech firm AlphaPoint.

02 March 2017

News/Innovation

Bank of Japan exec warns FS firms against leaving DLT expertise to tech providers

Distributed ledger technology has huge potential but has not yet reached the stage where it can fully replace current centralised systems, says a senior Bank of Japan official, who also warns FS firms against leaving the development and understanding of the tech to outside vendors.

02 March 2017

News/Innovation

Mastercard partners Turkish retailer on Messenger bot payments

Mastercard has teamed up with Getir to let the Turkish mobile retailer's customers make payments through its Facebook Messenger bot.

02 March 2017

News/Innovation

Big banks at forefront of UK Government Digital Strategy initiative

Lloyds Banking Group and Barclays have been named as a key partners in a new drive by the UK Government to arm the nation with digital skills and place Britain at the forefront of a sweeping technological revolution.

01 March 2017

News/Innovation

Millions of jobs at risk in Fourth Industrial Revolution - BofE staff blog

Economic arguments that the use of new technologies and artificial intelligence will lead to a reallocation of human labour to more productive tasks could be seriously wide of the mark, argues a staff paper on the Bank of England's unofficial Undergound blog, which holds out the possibility that millions of jobs may be at risk in the forthcoming 'Fourth Industrial Revolution'.

01 March 2017

News/Innovation

Switzerland's Crypto Valley Association draws blue chip support

Former UBS and Sap CIO Oliver Bussmann is leading a Government-backed initiative to position Switzerland as a global hub for blockchain and cryptographic development with the support of multiple blue chip partners, including UBS, Thomson Thomson Reuters, PwC, Consensys and Luxoft.

01 March 2017

News/Innovation

Nordea readies for PSD2 with Open Banking API site

Nordea has set up a site for developers to experiment with the bank's Open Banking APIs in a quest to become the "go-to hub" for banking APIs in the Nordics.

01 March 2017

News/Innovation

CommBank provides ID verification for gig economy marketplace users

Commonwealth Bank of Australia is letting members of local gig economy site Airtasker use their banking relationship to verify their identities.

01 March 2017

News/Innovation

Robot workers to monitor markets for abusive trading

Japan Exchange Group and the Tokyo Stock Exchange are looking to bring artificial intelligence to bear on determining abusive trading practices in market surveillance operations.

28 February 2017

News/Innovation

Banco Sabadell highlights commitment to startup ecosystem

Reflecting the growing trend for banks to partner with young technology companies, Spain's Banco Sabadell is highlighting its activity in the entrepreneurial ecosystem over the past three years, supplying funding for 2300 growth companies and investing EUR96 million in startups.

28 February 2017

News/Innovation

Anthemis secures insurtech investment partnership with Baloise

Swiss financial services group Baloise has committed CHF50 million with UK venture capital fund Anthemis to help source, execute and manage investments in startups across Europe, the UK and the US.

28 February 2017

News/Innovation

Ogden takes the wraps off ClearBank

Worldpay founder Nick Ogden has taken the wraps off ClearBank, the first new UK agency and clearing bank to be created in over 250 years.

28 February 2017

News/Innovation

DTCC moves ahead with project to use distributed ledger tech for repo market

Following a successful proof-of-concept, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) is pushing ahead with plans for a distributed ledger-based system for the clearing and settlement of US repurchase agreements (repos).

27 February 2017

News/Innovation

Visa exports 'Everywhere' innovation programme to Europe

Visa is hosting a live competition at Mobile World Congress, with five emerging technology companies competing for a €25,000 cash prize.

27 February 2017

News/Innovation

Mizuho carries out blockchain document sharing and digital currency trial

Japan's Mizuho says it has successfully completed trials that used distributed ledger technology for cross-border document sharing and a custom digital currency.

24 February 2017

News/Innovation

New fintech degree course aims to churn out next generation of entrepreneurs

Budding entrepreneurs looking for a career in the fast-growing financial technology industry can now sign up to the UK's first fintech undergraduate degree course at Wrexham Glyndwr University.

23 February 2017

News/Innovation

Starling releases Open API, talks up marketplace model

UK challenger bank Starling is to release its API to third party developers as it undertakes its first hackathon and prepares for the forthcoming launch of its banking-as-a-service marketplace platform.

23 February 2017