The Tech Finance Daily Bi-Weekly News Roundup takes a look at the latest fintech stories from around the world on Tuesday 14 January 2025.
Appointments
Attivo, a chartered independent lifestyle financial planning business, appoints Fiona Prendergast to the role of chief marketing officer, as the business looks to continue its growth trajectory. She will lead marketing and communications to enhance the Attivo brand and drive growth.
Etrading Software (ETS), the global regulatory data provider, has named Stephane Malrait as chair of its industry stakeholder group on the consolidated tape. Malrait was previously managing director and global head of market structure and innovation for financial markets at ING Bank.
Payment company Unzer has appointed Goetz Moeller as chief financial officer. Moeller will lead Unzer’s finance department, overseeing financial planning and analytics, treasury and accounting. He previously served as CFO and finance director for the DACH region at NEXI Group. Prior to that, he was a management board member and CFO at both PPRO and PAYONE as well as Equens (now part of Worldline).
Mashreq has welcomed Salman M. Hadi as its group head of treasury and capital markets. In his new role, Hadi will steer Mashreq’s global TCM operations, enhancing financial strategies and driving the bank’s growth in markets worldwide. Prior to joining Mashreq, he held key leadership roles at financial institutions, including Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank as well as Emirates NBD.
Deloitte Middle East appoints Simon Cuerden as forensic and financial crime leader for the region. Having spent 22 years as partner at Deloitte UK, he is an industry veteran with experience serving client across different global markets including the Middle East.
Partnerships
Blockchain Founders Capital (BFC), a Germany-based venture fund investing in early-stage founders shaping the future of the internet, has welcomed Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, as a limited partner. This marks the first time that Yat Siu, a prominent name in the global Web3 community, is partnering with a fund in Germany.
Fintilect, the hyper-personalised digital banking software provider, has partnered with DF Capital to provide full online self-serve functionality for its suite of business savings accounts for SMEs. The introduction of online functionality for these accounts follows the successful 2021 launch of full online functionality for DF Capital’s personal savings accounts.
Square, a technology company that makes commerce and financial services easy and accessible, has partnered with Salt Edge, an open banking platform, to help streamline and simplify payment operations for sellers in the UK. By integrating Salt Edge’s full-stack open banking compliance solution, Square customers can choose to share their data with banks and other regulated third-party providers through secure APIs.
Paragon Bank has selected Alfa to power a new commercial lending transformation programme, replacing its legacy systems and streamlining the end-to-end lending process. The strategic initiative will modernise Paragon’s SME lending operations, diversify its product portfolio as well as enhance the experience for customers and brokers.
Funding and investments
LemFi, a platform helping immigrant communities access financial services, has raised $53million in Series B funding led by Highland Europe with participation also from Left Lane Capital, Palm Drive Capital and Y-Combinator. The new round brings LemFi’s total capital raised to $85million. Over one million customers in diaspora communities across Europe and North America use LemFi to send money to over 20 countries.
Multi-channel broadcaster UKTV has invested in Rest Less, a UK digital platform for people aged 50 and older, using its multi-million-pound investment fund, UKTV Ventures. Through a digital platform and mobile app, Rest Less offers a range of services and resources specifically tailored to the needs of people aged over 50, covering travel, jobs and careers, money and pensions, health, dating as well as lifelong learning.
British Business Investments announces an initial £20million funding facility to Sprk Capital Limited. The facility will provide capital to smaller businesses in the UK engaged in innovation. British Business Investments, a wholly-owned commercial subsidiary of the British Business Bank, aims to improve access to alternative finance for smaller businesses across the whole of the UK, while supporting the UK’s transition to a net zero economy.
Global digital asset banking group Sygnum has raised a total of $58million in its oversubscribed strategic growth round, giving it a post-money valuation of more than $1billion. Final close cornerstone investor Fulgur Ventures, a Bitcoin-focused venture capital firm, is joined by new and existing strategic and financial investors, as well as Sygnum team members. Proceeds will drive multi-region market entry, expand product portfolio with focus on Bitcoin technology, as well as enable strategic acquisitions.
Industry updates
The Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) has struck an agreement with key industry partners that will see blue-chip financial institutions partner and fund CFIT’s next industry-led coalition, which will be launched in Q1 2025. Partners, including Mastercard and Lloyds Bank, will focus on advancing solutions to improve access to finance for the UK’s 5.6 million SMEs.
