FinTech Global

French investment banks face growing pressure to strengthen conflicts of interest frameworks as the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) raises the bar on compliance expectations, according to RegTech firm MCO (MyComplianceOffice). MCO highlights that managing conflicts of interest and tracking employee conduct has become increasingly critical for French investment banks, with regulators moving well beyond paper-based policy checks towards demanding demonstrable, day-to-day controls.

Onboarding is the first impression a new client forms of their private bank, yet according to fincite, it is often the weakest link in the entire relationship. Paper forms, repeated data requests and waits of several weeks between the initial consultation and an opened account remain commonplace across the industry. fincite argues that the stakes are economic, not merely reputational. Every day between an investment decision and an active mandate is a day in which a client can walk away.

Phishing and fraud targeting digital wallets are surging globally, creating a growing challenge for banks and customers alike. Tieto Banktech recently delved into how phishing and fraud in digital wallets are stopped. While services such as Apple Pay and Google Pay have made payments easier, they have also handed criminals a fresh attack route. Fraudsters harvest card details through phishing and trick cardholders into revealing activation codes.

Triple-A, a global payment institution, has been awarded In-Principle Approval (IPA) from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) for the provision of Broker-Dealer services. The IPA represents a major step in the regulatory journey, taking the firm into the last phase of VARA’s licensing procedure before a full licence can be issued.

Float, the Stockholm-founded revenue-based financing platform serving European tech SMEs, has secured €4.5m in a Series A round as it looks to narrow the funding divide holding back the continent’s startups. The round was led by Hamburg-headquartered CHAPTERS Group AG, whose CEO Jan-Hendrik Mohr will take a seat on Float’s board.

JetBlue, the New York-based airline, has teamed up with ClarityPay, a specialist in customised point-of-sale credit, to roll out a pay later programme that ties embedded financing directly into the airline’s loyalty and personalisation strategy. Billed as the first of its kind, the initiative goes live with an introductory 0% APR on plans lasting up to 12 months, alongside the ability to collect TrueBlue points from day one.

Optalitix, an underwriting and pricing InsurTech, has released independent research showing that MGAs need to overhaul their pricing and underwriting operations to stay profitable as market pricing softens and rivalry grows. The report, ‘Pricing Transformation in MGAs‘, found that digitisation of pricing has shifted from intention to action, with over four in five MGAs either currently upgrading their pricing capabilities or intending to start projects within the coming 12 months.

Shoreline Hometown Credit Union, a member-owned financial cooperative headquartered in Wisconsin’s Manitowoc County, has gone live with Mahalo Banking‘s Thoughtful Banking platform as it looks to modernise its digital banking services. The rollout gives members access to new digital capabilities, including external account linking for moving money between accounts, enhanced financial visibility and expanded card management tools.

Saible, a Birmingham-based construction FinTech developing software to prevent project funds being delayed, withheld or trapped before reaching suppliers, has secured £2.9m in funding. The total comprises £2.1m previously raised alongside a fresh £800,000 angel round, bringing the company’s overall funding to £2.9m.

Willis, the WTW-owned broking business, has partnered with embedded insurance infrastructure firm Kayna and construction workforce platform Kwant to launch KwantSure, a digital insurance programme integrated into Kwant’s workforce management platform. The programme targets a recurring challenge in construction, subcontractors needing to secure required insurance coverage to remain compliant on projects.