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NCINO LAUNCHES ENHANCED SMALL BUSINESS BANKING SOLUTION AT AMERICAN BANKER CONFERENCE
nCino, Inc., a pioneer in cloud banking and digital transformation solutions for the global financial services industry, today announced that PeoplesBank, an independent community bank based in York, Pennsylvania, is live on nCino’s Small Business Banking Solution. The $2.3 billion asset PeoplesBank had previously deployed nCino’s Commercial Banking Solution, creating a single, cloud-based platform to meet the growing needs of the institution and its clients.
“nCino has enabled us to address the unique needs of our small business clients and create a specialized banking experience that supports their goals and growth,”
“Our industry is rapidly changing and we’re very proud of our ability to better support small business owners in our community with premier technology offerings. Their success relies on being agile and able to scale and, with nCino, we now provide tailored experiences that evolve with our clients as their businesses grow.”
Amy Doll, Senior Vice President, Chief Commercial Banking & Lending Officer at PeoplesBank.
According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), small businesses account for more than 99% of businesses and create 65% of new jobs in the United States. As organizations around the world define small business banking in different ways, nCino has reinforced its commitment to the small business sector with an enhanced small business banking solution that creates scale as well as the flexibility to fit any definition of a small business, from 2 people. cafe for a 300-person tech startup.
“PeoplesBank has done an extraordinary job of leveraging the nCino platform to provide exceptional service for their small business banking clients and help position them for long-term growth and success,”
“We offer our customers the opportunity to focus on meaningful work and build positive, profitable relationships with their clients, while their tech does the heavy lifting. We’re very excited to continue this journey with PeoplesBank and look forward to further enabling them to support their small business clients and the communities in which they live and work.”
Garrett Adams, General Manager of Small Business at nCino.
People’sBank’s Amy Doll will speak with nCino’s Garrett Adams in a keynote at The American Banker’s Small Business conference tomorrow, detailing Pe People’s secret to success’ sBank for small businesses. Pe People’sBank will also feature one of its customers, Martin’s Snacks, to showcase its journey from scaling production to becoming an industry leader.
CIRCLE ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF ELEMENTS TO ACCELERATE CRYPTO PAYMENTS
On stage at Converge22, Circle announced an accelerated crypto payments roadmap enhanced by the recent acquisition of Elements, a merchant and developer-first payments orchestration platform. The announcement includes plans to quickly scale payment offerings to unlock utility value for crypto and lower the barrier of entry for merchants to access next-gen payments and financial services.
The new payment offerings make it simple for merchants to integrate their existing PSP relationships with Circle’s crypto payment offerings.
“We are very impressed by the Elements team for their work in taking the complexity out of crypto payments,”
“Lowering barriers of entry for payments and financial services and establishing dollar payments utility are core to Circle’s mission. Providing well-designed payment products that can facilitate seamless, efficient, frictionless and delightful customer experiences are key to empowering merchants to take advantage of these next-gen payment solutions.”
Nikhil Chandhok, Chief Product Officer at Circle.
Circle is in a unique position to promote digital payments and an always-on financial system as inherent aspects of the internet because it is the issuer of both USD Coin (USDC) and Euro Coin (EUROC). As of September 28, 2022, there are more than $49 billion of USDC in circulation, and since its launch in 2018, it has enabled more than $5 trillion in on-chain transactions. The development of a payments infrastructure that enables businesses to take USDC and other cryptocurrencies as payment methods at the point of sale is a logical next step in the increasingly widespread use of digital currencies.
“Elements’ mission is to put more money into the hands of merchants. With Circle, we knew the natural synergy in our business models would create an opportunity to deliver a seamless and low-cost payments and settlement experience for merchants using a digital currency they can trust,”
“Today’s news is only the beginning of our joint mission to deliver first-class payments offerings and define the next generation of payments.”
Nafis Jamal, Founder and CEO at Elements.
At Circle’s first Converge22 conference, co-founders of Elements Jamal and Hao Min joined Chandhok on stage to demonstrate Circle’s Crypto Payments API, which is now in beta, as well as the one-stop checkout SDK for cryptocurrency merchants, which will be accessible in Q4 2022. Beta access to Circle’s Crypto Payments API is available; for more information, please click here.
UNLOCKING INVESTING TOGETHER: PLUM JOINS FORCES WITH BITPANDA TO BRING CRYPTO INVESTING TO MORE CUSTOMERS
Smart money app Plum and fintech unicorn Bitpanda have joined forces to make crypto investing available to Plum’s rapidly growing European customer base.
The development underlines the growing demand from investors in Europe for easy access to safe cryptocurrency trading that allows them to diversify their investment holdings.
Plum’s specialized financial services app is now completely linked with Bitpanda’s cutting-edge API solution, which enables fintech and traditional banks to provide their customers with 24/7 access to investment. As a result, Plum’s interface can be used to access Bitpanda’s crypto services, and Bitpanda will handle all transactions.
“It’s our ambition to provide access to a broad range of assets for our customers so they can properly diversify their investment portfolios and support their growth over the long-term. We’re delighted to work with Bitpanda, a digital asset leader, so our customers can now also access crypto in a secure, convenient and simple way, alongside our existing, broad range of stocks and funds. We have a shared mission of a more accessible and informative financial system that helps people get the most from their money. Plum already enables people to save, invest, spend and budget more easily. The addition of crypto to our app helps our customers to manage their finances in one place.”
Victor Trokoudes, CEO and co-founder of Plum.
Since the development of Bitpanda’s API solution, a number of major fintech companies and online platforms have partnered with Bitpanda to make use of a trading infrastructure that is both compliant and secure.
“At Bitpanda, we are keen to bring investing closer to everyone, everywhere. In a world where financial services are rapidly evolving, and consumers demand more convenience and safety, we have created an innovative API-based infrastructure that provides other companies and their customers with access to a state-of-the-art trading experience. This saves time and money and ensures they are trading via one of Europe’s leading exchanges, which complies with the strictest regulatory standards – something that our partners can rely on. We share a core mission with Plum, to make investing accessible to all, and I’m excited we are now able to do that together.”
Eric Demuth, co-founder and CEO of Bitpanda.
These connections have been made possible by Bitpanda’s dedication to legal compliance and its long track record of dependability. The Bitpanda Group also holds the PSD2 and MiFID II licenses, and is registered with the Czech Trade Authority as VASP, the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA), the French Autorité Des Marchés Financiers (AMF), and the Austrian Autorité Des Marchés Financiers (AMF), and became Austria’s first Electronic Money Institution (EMI) in accordance with European law (EMD2), in addition to having a fully AML5 compliant KYC process. Additionally, Bitpanda obtained registration with the Bank of Spain and the Italian Virtual Asset Services Provider (VASP), becoming the first international cryptocurrency provider to do so.
HSBC AND NOVA CREDIT LAUNCH PARTNERSHIP TO OFFER CUSTOMERS BORDERLESS INTERNATIONAL CREDIT CHECKING
Nova Credit, the world’s leading consumer-permission credit bureau, today announced that it has partnered with HSBC to provide the bank with global access to its cross-border credit data product, Credit Passport, creating more opportunities for credit access to cross-border customers across the globe.
Through this partnership, HSBC will have the authorization to access the translated credit histories of clients who have just moved to a new nation as part of their credit applications. The bank will be able to responsibly and broadly approve more real-time application requests thanks to this cutting-edge system. In May, the initial deployment with HSBC Singapore began.
HSBC Ventures has invested $10 million in Nova Credit to demonstrate its support for the firm and hastened its global expansion.
Global Deployment Starts with Singapore
Credit history has traditionally halted at the border, making it difficult for many financial services organizations and lenders to work with clients who have established creditworthiness in their home country but arrive with credit that is invisible. The process of applying for credit at a financial institution is made easier and more secure by Credit Passport®, which enables quick and easy access to applicants’ global credit histories and scores.
As part of the bank’s global rollout, HSBC Singapore is the first HSBC entity to introduce the capability, making it the first company to use Credit Passport® outside of the U.S. This allows HSBC Singapore to instantly access the translated credit histories of newcomers moving to Singapore and facilitating their quick access to credit.
To accommodate the thousands of new Singaporeans with credit histories in India, Nova Credit and HSBC Singapore will first employ Credit Passport®. In order to increase the number of newcomers to Singapore, the bank plans to extend the solution’s coverage to customers with credit histories from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the Philippines in 2022 and to more country bureaus in 2023.
“Opening up a world of opportunity sits at the core of HSBC’s purpose, and we’re always passionate about identifying new ways to solve problems faced by our International customers,”
“Accessing credit in a new market can be a challenge and is something we’ve been helping customers with for years. We’re excited to be partnering with Nova Credit, to improve our ability to do this even more, with its innovative digital Credit Passport. We’re proud to be the first organization to offer this to customers in Singapore.”
Taylan Turan, Group Head of Retail Banking and Strategy, Wealth and Personal Banking at HSBC.
Additional Investment to Support Company’s Global Scale
HSBC Ventures has invested $10 million in Nova Credit as a sign of their faith in the company’s mission to bind together the global financial system. With the help of this funding, Nova Credit will be able to assist HSBC in hastening the global rollout of Credit Passport.
“Nova Credit and its Credit Passport® product are at the forefront of financial innovation and we are delighted to bring this solution to our large international customer base,”
“Seeing the company’s success in reaching migrant communities over the past six years in the U.S., it is clear that Credit Passport® should be shared with a wider audience. This is the first step in an exciting journey, and we look forward to working with Nova Credit to bring scale to the business and its work towards financial inclusion.”
Catherine Zhou, Global Head of Ventures, Digital Innovation and Partnerships at HSBC.
Leading investors like Kleiner Perkins, Canapi Ventures, General Catalyst, and Index Ventures, as well as officials from Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Citi, have joined forces with HSBC Ventures.
“Despite considerable globalization, our financial world remains far from borderless. This historic partnership with HSBC will bring the Credit Passport® to new parts of the world, unlocking new frontiers in the flow of financial information,”
“This partnership ensures that more people who cross borders can take their data with them, in a secure and compliant manner, and ultimately arrive and thrive in their new home.”
Misha Esipov, co-founder and CEO of Nova Credit.
Since its debut in the United States in 2016, Nova Credit has forged connections with credit bureaus in more than 20 nations to obtain consumer-permitted access to more than a billion credit profiles and formed alliances with renowned lenders like American Express and Verizon.
“This partnership and funding is the first step toward achieving a core goal of delivering the Credit Passport® globally: ensuring your financial identity is your own, no matter where you’re from or where you choose to live,”
“We are honored to take this historic step in partnership with HSBC.”
Collin Galster, VP of International at Nova Credit.
ESUSU AND FANNIE MAE TEAM UP TO CREATE EQUITABLE FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH RENT REPORTING
Esusu Financial Inc. today announced a new collaboration with Fannie Mae to help renters build credit by incorporating on-time rent payments into renter’s credit scores as part of its strategy to advance equity in the housing market. Through this relationship, Fannie Mae will incentivize its borrowers to report on-time rental payments to the three major credit-reporting bureaus through Esusu’s rent reporting platform. The platform will automatically unenroll renters when missed payments occur, preventing harm to those who struggle financially.
Starting today, every borrower who enrolls will get discounted fees moving forward in addition to the first full year of service fees for Esusu’s platform being covered by Fannie Mae. Together, the program’s participants’ multifamily property owners will boost rent payments made on time, cut down on evictions, and—most importantly—scale their Environmental Social Governance (ESG) initiatives in a way that is transparent and profitable.
“Fannie Mae is committed to implementing scalable solutions to help renters build their credit history and improve credit scores by providing access to its Multifamily Positive Rent Payment Reporting pilot program,”
“Working with Esusu, we hope to bolster equitable access to credit for individuals and families while adding value for owners and operators.”
Michele Evans, Executive Vice President, Head of Multifamily, Fannie Mae.
Less than 10% of renters have on-time rental payment history that is reflected in their credit ratings, which historically means that renting does not help credit building in the same way that a mortgage does. The roughly 44 million rental households in the United States are at a severe disadvantage as a result of this legacy paradigm when trying to establish their credit, which is crucial when looking for other financing choices.
“The reporting of a renter’s positive rent payments to credit bureaus has been shown to have a positive impact on credit scores, and for renters, with no established credit score, it could help them establish a credit history,”
Jonathan Gross, Vice President – Multifamily Strategy & Impact, Fannie Mae.
For Fannie Mae Multifamily property owners seeking for ways to assist their tenants, Positive Rent Payment Reporting is available. Fannie Mae and Esusu share a long-standing dedication to advancing renter financial access and sustainable housing opportunities as well as to creating a more equitable multifamily housing ecosystem.
“Over the past year, we have seen what Esusu’s rent reporting platform can do for Related Affordable residents to help improve their financial health,”
“We are thrilled to have extended our partnership with this forward-thinking company to better serve all 50,000+ Related Affordable residents.”
Jeffrey I. Brodsky, vice chairman of Related Companies.
“Esusu and Fannie Mae share the common goal of bolstering diverse, successful, and equitable communities,”
“Today, there are still systemic barriers to access for millions of people looking to create a pathway to financial stability. Working with Fannie Mae enables Esusu to create opportunity pathways for those who have historically been deemed credit invisible while also laying the foundation to access other financial instruments that contribute to generational wealth-building opportunities that come from good credit.”
Samir Goel and Wemimo Abbey, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Esusu.
Fannie Mae borrowers can learn more about enrolling with Esusu and how to gain closing cost benefits and discounts at Esusu Rent.
AFFIRM AND AMAZON INTRODUCE PAY-OVER-TIME OPTION TO CUSTOMERS IN CANADA
Affirm, the payment network that empowers consumers and helps merchants drive growth, today announced the expansion of its relationship with Amazon to Canada, bringing increased payment flexibility and transparency to customers shopping on Amazon.ca. This payment option will be available during checkout to all eligible customers in both English and French within the next month.
“We’re always looking to enhance the paying experience for our customers, including how and when they can pay for their orders,”
“Introducing Affirm in Canada gives our customers another flexible payment option for their purchases.”
David Williams, Vice President of Amazon Payment Products.
Customers who choose Affirm as their method of payment at Amazon.ca’s checkout will experience a brief, free soft credit check that won’t affect their credit score. The available payment alternatives for each consumer will be determined by Affirm’s technology in a matter of seconds. If authorized, qualified customers can divide purchases totaling $50 or more into straightforward monthly payments. Eligible consumers will be aware of their monthly payments’ duration and number right away. Customers won’t have their total payment amount increased and won’t be assessed a late or additional fee even if they pay late or miss a payment.
“Since launching with Amazon in the U.S., we’ve been providing eligible Amazon customers with a powerful tool to responsibly increase their purchasing power,”
“We are excited to bring customers shopping on Amazon.ca the opportunity to pay for everyday items and milestone purchases with Affirm as we deliver the same level of transparency and flexibility that customers have come to expect from Affirm across our markets in North America and beyond.”
Geoff Kott, Affirm’s Chief Revenue Officer.
NEXI AND GLOBAL BLUE SIGN A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO PROVIDE FRICTIONLESS OMNICHANNEL PAYMENT EXPERIENCE FOR THE HOSPITALITY, RESTAURANTS, AND RETAIL ON ORACLE® PLATFORMS
Nexi, the leading PayTech in Europe, and Global Blue, the leading technology company in tax‐free shopping and added‐value payments, enter into a strategic partnership aimed at integrating Nexi’s payment solutions directly into existing Property Management Systems (PMS) and Point Of Sale (POS) software platforms. This agreement further strengthens a long‐term relationship on DCC (Dynamic Currency Conversion service), now enabling merchants in 25 countries where Nexi operates, to accept payments across the Oracle® suite of products, thanks to Global Blue’s certified gold-level payment integration partner status with Oracle®.
By streamlining operational processes and minimizing time and effort for Front Desk and Back Office staff, this integration offers significant benefits for hotels, restaurants, and retailers using Oracle® OPERA Cloud Property Management, Simphony Point of Sale, and Oracle Retail XStore Point of Service. By utilizing Nexi’s distinctive blend of European scale and in-depth local understanding, it allows merchants to deliver a genuine omnichannel and seamless experience.
The customer experience is made easier, quicker, and more secure thanks to end-to-end tokenization for secure card data storage and compliance with the strictest security requirements of PCI DSS.
“The strategic partnership with Global Blue further reinforces our capabilities to offer merchants and corporates the best combination of European scale and customer proximity,”
“We will extend our omnichannel acceptance solutions and continue to provide propositions that enable new user experiences for consumers and new business opportunities for merchants, with a specific focus on the hotellerie, hospitality and retail verticals.”
Roberto Catanzaro, Group Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer at Nexi.
“Through this cooperation, Global Blue confirms itself as a leading partner in the technology and payments sector, enabling its customer base operating in the hospitality and retail sectors to have an integrated, omnichannel management tool for a frictionless experience”
“As a provider of this innovative solution, we can and will continue to be the point of reference for all our acquirers and partners, who recognize our expertise as necessary to increase their market performance.”
Damian Cecchi, SVP Added Value Payment Solutions.
FLUTTERWAVE ENABLES GOOGLE PAY FOR AFRICAN BUSINESSES
Flutterwave, Africa’s leading payments technology company, today announced Google Pay, a mobile payment service, developed by Google, as a payment method on Flutterwave. As part of this collaboration, Google Pay will serve as an additional payment option for merchants on Flutterwave for business. This collaboration will offer safe and seamless payments, as well as convenient checkout experiences for customers.
Google Pay is a secure, convenient, and practical way to make contactless in-store, app, and online payments. In Google Wallet, a digital wallet app accessible on supported Android smartphones, tablets, or watches, users save their cards for Google Pay.
Through this partnership, customers of Google Pay in supported nations can make payments to companies using Flutterwave in Africa. This integration is intended to lower the rate of cart abandonment for businesses using Flutterwave, with an average transaction completion time of 3 minutes.
How it Works
- Get on a Flutterwave-supported website
- Select what you want to pay for
- Fill out the order form
- Select Pay with Google Pay as your payment method
- Complete the payment with your Google Pay details.
To get paid via Google Pay, Flutterwave merchants must manually opt in on their dashboard.
“The continued and rapid growth of Flutterwave is due to our commitment to building a platform with simplified payments for everyone. The GooglePay payment option will attract more international customers and increase the current success rates for businesses on Flutterwave. Integrating with Google pay will allow users across the globe to participate in the booming e-commerce ecosystem in Africa. It will enable us to further fulfill our promise of creating endless possibilities for all”.
Olugbenga ‘GB’ Agboola, Founder and CEO of Flutterwave.
ITAÚ SELECTS GENESIS GLOBAL FOR NEW TRADE AUTOMATION AND CLIENT PORTAL SYSTEM
Genesis Global, the low-code application development platform purpose-built for financial markets organizations, today announced that the Genesis platform will provide new trade automation and client portal system for Itaú Securities.
The Genesis solution will automate pre-trade workflows, minimizing data checks, trade input, order routing, and other administration needed of Ita Securities traders, and combine transaction and portfolio information, increasing the experience provided to clients of Ita Securities.
“Genesis has the expertise to understand our challenge and the technology to deliver an effective, modern solution,”
Marcelo Aagesen, Managing Director, Global Markets and Strategy at Itaú Securities.
“This partnership is part of our continued digital transformation and we expect the new system to improve the experience we offer our clients,”
Alberto Tani, Head Trader at Itaú Securities.
“The challenge at Itaú is the perfect environment for the Genesis platform,”
“We have the ability to quickly automate a range of proprietary workflows and integrate with multiple internal and external technologies to create a modern, high-performance system that will enhance how Itaú serves its clients and manages its trading operations.”
Stephen Murphy, co-founder and CEO of Genesis Global.
Genesis was chosen because of its extensive domain expertise in asset management, trading, and financial services. To create the new, entirely cloud-based system, Genesis will use an agile implementation method and make use of the platform’s numerous technical and business components. The Genesis platform’s components will make it easier to integrate Ita systems for credit, compliance, and documentation checks with order management systems (OMS), execution management systems (EMS), and order management systems (EMS).
INSURTECH LEMONADE LAUNCHES IN UK
Lemonade, the insurance company powered by AI and social impact, today launched in the United Kingdom. Residents across the UK can now get Lemonade Contents insurance instantly, from anywhere, on any device, as well as file claims and get paid in seconds.
Today’s launch follows Lemonade’s previous launches in France, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Founded in 2015, Lemonade launched the top renter insurance product in the United States in 2016, where it currently ranks among the top renters insurance products on the market. With today’s launch, Lemonade will bring an instant delicious experience to the people of the UK. Customers can get quotes, purchase content insurance, claim and get paid, all in seconds.
As a public good and certified by B-Corp, Lemonade has a social impact built right into its business model. Through its Giveback program, the company donates remaining premiums to nonprofits selected by customers that support causes like equality, climate, and poverty. UK residents can now protect their wealth with Defaqto’s 5-star rated Lemonade, from just £4 per month. Lemonade’s Content Coverage includes worldwide coverage of individual personal items up to £2,000 each, up to £100,000 total coverage and no cancellation fees. Additional coverage is also available for those who want additional protection against theft and accidental loss and damage to mobile devices, as well as expert help through protection. juridical.
“Insurance as we know it hails from the UK, as do I. So both professionally and personally bringing Lemonade to the UK is a homecoming of sorts,”
“We believe the millions of local renters will appreciate what Lemonade has to offer. After all, who doesn’t want instant, transparent, personalized, and mission-driven insurance?”
“Pairing Lemonade’s strengths with Aviva’s promises to deliver insurance that is digitally native, yet rooted in the birth of modern statistics in the 1700s. It’s the best of both worlds, giving people a refreshing experience backed by a company they’ve known and trusted for years,”
Daniel Schreiber, Lemonade co-CEO and co-founder.
Lemonade is entering the UK market in a long-term, strategic partnership with leading UK insurer, Aviva.
“We’re excited to be appointed as the long-term partner for Lemonade in the UK. We share a common outlook for how digital, AI and data can transform customer experiences, and the role insurers can play in building stronger communities,”
“By joining forces we can ensure compelling propositions reach a broader range of customers, including renters, an under-served yet growing segment of the UK insurance market. In our 325-year history, we have adapted and thrived in a changing world and our partnership with Lemonade is a marker of our intent to continue just this.”
Adam Winslow, CEO of Aviva UK & Ireland General Insurance.
Lemonade Insurance NV is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and subject to limited regulation by the Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA) in the UK.
BLACKSTONE ANNOUNCES COMMITMENT TO 2,000 REFUGEE HIRES ACROSS GLOBAL PORTFOLIO COMPANIES AND REAL ESTATE PROPERTIES
Blackstone announced a commitment to 2,000 refugee hires across its global portfolio companies and at its real estate properties, including 1,500 refugees in the United States alone, by the end of 2025. As part of the announcement, Blackstone is joining Tent, a non-profit network of major companies committed to supporting refugees worldwide. To date, Blackstone’s portfolio companies and real estate properties have hired nearly 500 refugees from around the world, including Afghanistan, Ukraine, El Salvador and Guatemala. Additionally, Blackstone has joined the Welcome.US CEO Council, an effort to accelerate and scale private sector support for refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine.
With more than 250 portfolio companies and over 12,000 real estate properties, Blackstone has used its power of scale to grow its veteran recruitment initiative, through which more than 100,000 veterans US soldiers, veteran spouses and carers were employed in his portfolio. Blackstone believes this new partnership with Tent will have a positive impact on the lives of those who have fled war, violence, conflict or persecution and have crossed international borders in search of salvation. safe in another country. Blackstone will continue to work with its portfolio companies, third-party asset managers and venture partners to support refugee employment efforts.
“Blackstone’s advantage lies in our deeply integrated approach to building resilient companies and properties, and doing so at scale,”
“Today’s commitment to 2,000 refugee hires across our portfolio reflects the tremendous focus on this effort from our team and allows our portfolio companies and real estate properties to welcome a powerful spectrum of backgrounds, identities and experiences.”
Kathleen McCarthy, Global Co-Head of Blackstone Real Estate and Welcome.US CEO Council Member.
Blackstone intends to work with organizations that specialize in refugee resettlement, including the Tent as well as state and local resettlement agencies, to ensure that everyone is involved in the effort. job seekers for refugees all have the tools and resources needed to hire, promote, and train these new employees.
“At Blackstone, we believe diverse teams make stronger companies. Our unique platform has already supported nearly 500 jobs for refugees globally, bringing valuable talent into our portfolio’s workforces. We are proud to announce this commitment and will work hand in hand with on-the-ground teams at our portfolio companies and properties,”
Stephen A. Schwarzman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
“The American business community is showing incredible leadership, and I am so proud of the companies standing up for refugees today,”
“These companies will benefit from welcoming these hard-working, loyal, and resilient individuals – but my hope is that this is only the beginning. As refugee crises start to fade from the headlines, I hope that companies will recognize that hiring refugees is not only the right thing to do but also the smart thing to do.”
Hamdi Ulukaya, CEO of Chobani and founder of Tent.
Blackstone’s hiring programs for refugees and veterans are a part of the company’s larger portfolio of hiring programs. Career pathways, a flagship initiative of Blackstone, was created to promote economic mobility and aid ongoing diversity initiatives within Blackstone portfolio firms. The program’s objective is to promote employment opportunities and career mobility for members of diverse and historically underrepresented populations by systematically removing existing hiring barriers. Putting in place programs to support their recruitment and professional growth gives them fulfilling careers and expands, more durable talent pools for businesses around the world.
SQUARE LAUNCHES TAP TO PAY ON IPHONE FOR US SELLERS
Square launched Tap to Pay on iPhone to its millions of sellers across the U.S. Available within the Square Point of Sale iOS app, Tap to Pay on iPhone lets sellers of all sizes accept contactless payments directly from their iPhone, with no additional hardware required and at no additional cost to the seller.
With Tap to Pay on iPhone, Square offers a solution to make it easier for new merchants and established businesses to conduct direct commerce. Any Square merchant with a compatible iPhone can accept contactless payments by simply opening the Square POS app, recording the sale, and presenting their iPhone to the buyer. Buyers make payments by tapping a contactless payment method such as Apple Pay, another digital wallet, or a contactless credit or debit card. Tap to pay on iPhone uses built-in iPhone features to ensure the privacy and security of company and customer data. When a payment is processed, Apple does not store the card number on the device or on Apple’s servers.
The public launch follows Square’s Early Access Program for Tap to Pay on iPhone, which began in June. Over the course of the program, a wide range of sellers found new value in the ability to seamlessly and securely conduct business with no additional hardware:
- Mobile professionals like contractors and caterers gained the ability to securely take contactless payments onsite at their project location.
- Retailers found new efficiency through line busting and the convenience of helping shoppers complete their purchases wherever they are in the store.
- Hairstylists and beauty professionals benefited from the speed and ease of enabling customers to pay for their services right from their chairs.
“Deploying Tap to Pay on iPhone has really enhanced the retail experience we’re able to provide our shoppers, in multiple ways,”
“Our young customer base would rather use their digital wallets or contactless cards, and rolling out Tap to Pay on iPhone has helped us meet our shoppers’ preferences with a convenient solution that also brings an air of sophistication to the buying experience. What’s more, given our store’s large footprint, we’ve been able to speed up purchases by bringing the checkout process to wherever our shoppers are.”
Franco Salerno, owner of Warrington, Pennsylvania-based Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo and an Early Access Program participant.
With Tap to Pay on the iPhone, merchants now have a mobile solution that is adaptable to any setting and meets changing customer expectations for contactless payments. Tap to Pay on the iPhone is powered by Square’s beautiful, user-friendly software. Customers gain from Square’s software as well since it delivers a simple, streamlined checkout process that gives them all the information they need to confidently finish their transactions.
“As commerce continues to rapidly evolve and contactless adoption in the U.S. continues to grow, Square is focused on ensuring sellers of all types and sizes have the technology needed to delight their customers and never miss a sale,”
“Tap to Pay on iPhone offers a new level of accessibility for merchants to begin taking payments in minutes and processing transactions in seconds from anywhere in the store or on the go without the need for a separate payments device.”
David Talach, Head of Financial Services at Square.
The most recent addition to Square’s expanding collection of software-powered commerce solutions is Tap to Pay for iPhone, which offers new merchants a simple entry point into the company’s larger ecosystem of cutting-edge business offerings. Sellers may use a fully integrated technology stack that allows them to launch, manage, develop, or modify their businesses with just the Square POS app and a compatible iPhone.
Download the Square POS app on compatible devices to start utilizing Tap to Pay on iPhone right away for Square sellers and new merchants.
DTCC PARTNERS WITH SNOWFLAKE TO TRANSFORM FINANCIAL INDUSTRY DATA ECOSYSTEM
The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), the premier post-trade market infrastructure for the global financial services industry, today announced that it is partnering with Snowflake, the Data Cloud company, to transform how data is accessed, shared and leveraged across a number of its services. Using the Snowflake Data Cloud, DTCC aims to further promote market transparency, reduce risk, and provide greater operational efficiency by leveraging Snowflake data and cloud technology.
As the financial services industry continues to modernize, there has been a focus on the need for better data access and how improved data analytics can drive strategic decision-making while reducing risk. finance and operations. Cloud technology has emerged as the ultimate way to deliver innovative services around data access and collaboration.
As part of this initiative, DTCC will leverage Snowflake technology to build applications that improve access to data and provide enhanced user experiences with interoperability and access control. higher. DTCC is exploring a number of new opportunities for these capabilities, including risk management, regulatory reporting for securities and derivatives financing transactions, and institutional post-trade processing.
“It is an exciting time to be in financial services, as technology advances at a rapid pace and introduces new capabilities to enhance how the industry operates,”
“We have been using Snowflake’s platform since 2018 and view their data applications as an integral part of DTCC’s modernization strategy. This strategic initiative will enable us to build upon our success and further transform the data ecosystem, unlocking new insights and supporting greater transparency to protect markets, increase efficiency, drive business and propel the industry forward.”
Lynn Bishop, Chief Information Officer at DTCC.
This endeavor deepens the connection we’ve built with Snowflake over the past few years. Most recently, DTCC and Snowflake worked together to make it easier for clients to use DTCC’s Kinetics data services. DTCC Kinetics offers market intelligence for many asset classes. Users of DTCC Kinetics can now access equity and fixed income data products through Snowflake Marketplace thanks to the Snowflake Data Cloud. In the upcoming months, DTCC will extend DTCC Kinetics capabilities on Snowflake Marketplace to more asset classes including ETFs, reference data, and corporate activities depending on client input and rising demand.
“DTCC is proud to be working with Snowflake to transform how DTCC Kinetics data is delivered to clients,”
“We look forward to building upon the success we’ve seen across equities and fixed income, and to expanding this capability to additional asset classes.”
Tim Lind, Managing Director of DTCC Data Services.
“DTCC has led with the vision for modernizing the financial services industry. As an early adopter of data in the cloud, DTCC is in a prime position to take advantage of Snowflake’s platform and Native Application Framework to fundamentally alter the way in which financial markets access and use data,”
“Snowflake has been core to several DTCC modernization initiatives and we look forward to this partnership to drive deeper insights for their clients.”
Christian Kleinerman, Senior Vice President of Product, Snowflake.
SWIFT PARTNERS WITH CHAINLINK ON A CROSS-CHAIN INTEROPERABILITY PROTOCOL
SWIFT, the interbank messaging system that allows for cross-border payments, is working with Chainlink, a provider of price feeds and other data to blockchains, on a cross-chain interoperability protocol (CCIP) in an initial proof-of-concept.
The interbank network will be able to interact across all blockchain systems thanks to CCIP, which will make it possible for SWIFT messages to specify on-chain token transfers.
According to Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov, this will speed up the adoption of DLT blockchains and be advantageous to several institutions throughout the capital markets. Nazarov made this statement on Wednesday at the SmartCon 2022 conference in New York City.
“One of the reasons working with Chainlink on CCIP has been successful is that there is “undeniable interest” in crypto from institutional investors. Traditional finance (TradFi) players want access to various digital and traditional assets on one network that can connect different types of asset classes”
“The partnership between Chainlink and SWIFT in cross-chain interoperability will help bridge the gap between traditional and digital assets for TradFi institutions, he added. Chainlink’s native token is LINK.”
SWIFT’s Strategy Director Jonathan Ehrenfeld Solé.
Interoperability has become more in demand in recent months as TradFi investors who are investing in digital assets as well as crypto natives look for the next big thing.
On September 22, the cryptography network Lit Protocol announced that it had raised $13 million in Series A financing, which was led by the cryptocurrency investment company 1kx, to employ programmers who would provide decentralized ownership and interoperability amongst protocols. In the meantime, in August, a number of Solana-based initiatives banded together to launch the Open Chat Alliance, an open chat system.
The improvement of information flow between participants and systems that interact during the lifecycle of tokenized assets was the focus of a series of experiments SWIFT announced last year that will be conducted in the first quarter of 2022.
PREZENT ANNOUNCES ZOOM VENTURES AS LATEST INVESTOR TO HELP POWER PRESENTATION PRODUCTIVITY FOR THE ENTERPRISE
Prezent, the AI-powered presentation productivity platform for enterprise teams, announced that it has added Zoom Ventures as an investor. This comes after the $20 million raised in a Series A funding round in April 2022 and the $4.3 million raised in seed capital in August 2021.
“As an immigrant and engineer working in corporate America, I have found that great business storytelling is essential to making your ideas come to life and growing your career. Yet, millions of busy business professionals in Fortune 2000 companies don’t have the time, training, and resources to bring their ideas to life. Alternatives like management consulting and design agencies are expensive and inaccessible. That’s where Prezent comes in. The Prezent platform gives everyone a fair chance to bring their ideas to life,”
Rajat Mishra, Founder and CEO of Prezent.
The global investment arm of Zoom, Zoom Ventures, aims to advance international businesses that are compatible with Zoom’s core technology and surrounding markets while fostering innovation within the Zoom ecosystem. Companies seeking to pioneer hybrid workforce collaboration, disrupt the modern workforce, and provide extraordinary customer experiences are eligible for funding from Zoom Ventures.
“We are grateful for the partnership with the team at Prezent and are excited to align more deeply with them with our investment. Prezent’s disruptive platform and impressive growth demonstrate the tremendous value they deliver within the ecosystem,”
“Zoom’s platform has always centered on offering customers seamless, efficient, and secure collaboration and communication experiences through video communications, which is why we are excited to build a relationship with Prezent as they pursue the same objectives through presentation applications.”
Sanjay Rao, Head of Corporate Development and Zoom Ventures.
The enterprise business presentation process is automated by Prezent, which also employs machine learning algorithms to generate recommendations that are contextually aware. In order to boost efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance, the platform blends audience empathy, tribal knowledge, business narrative, and brand-approved designs, cutting down on traditional presentation development time by up to 70% and spending on design firms by up to 60%. Additionally, it has a gamified learning curriculum and best practice examples to assist users in making their presentations more effective.
“We are thrilled and honored to team up with Zoom. The expanded customer reach and integration of Prezent data intelligence will help us reimagine the business presentation experience for enterprise teams,”
“The Zoom Ventures investment will supercharge Prezent’s mission to democratize business communication in enterprise teams.”
Rajat Mishra, Founder and CEO of Prezent.
CHASE, DOORDASH AND MASTERCARD ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP TO LAUNCH CREDIT CARD
Chase, the largest co-brand card issuer in the U.S., and DoorDash, the local commerce platform, today announced plans to launch the first-ever DoorDash credit card, with Mastercard as the exclusive payments network for the new card. The DoorDash Rewards Mastercard will allow cardmembers to unlock benefits and earn rewards on purchases both on and off the DoorDash platform.
“Connecting people with the best of their neighbourhoods is core to our mission, and we’re excited to unlock even more of that value for customers with this first-of-its-kind credit card,”
“We are thrilled to deepen our relationship with Chase and continue building more everyday shoppable moments for consumers on and off the platform while empowering the local communities we serve.”
Usman Cheema, Senior Director of Global Partnerships at DoorDash.
“Chase and DoorDash have worked together since 2020 and we’re excited to provide exclusive benefits through their first-ever credit card,”
“The new card is designed for those who love the convenience and options DoorDash provides and want to earn more where they are spending, whether ordering from the broad range of categories available on DoorDash or spending in-person at a favourite neighbourhood store.”
Ed Olebe, President of Chase Co-Brand Cards.
The DoorDash Incentives Mastercard, a World Elite Mastercard®, will give consumers rewards and privileges, like free round-the-clock concierge service and access to Mastercard Priceless® Experiences, to offer even more value, variety, and convenience.
“Mastercard recognizes that today, people are seeking out financial products, technology and benefits that add more value to their everyday lives,”
“Chase and DoorDash share in this vision, and we’re delighted to extend our relationship to deliver a credit offering that meaningfully connects people to the businesses around them, while also providing a one-of-a-kind payments experience.”
Sherri Haymond, executive vice president, Digital Partnerships at Mastercard.
The current partnership between the three parties is strengthened by the new co-branded card. Since January 2020, Chase and DoorDash have collaborated to provide most Chase co-brand cardholders as well as Sapphire®, Freedom®, and Slate® cardholders with a variety of complimentary DashPass membership benefits. More customers are choosing DashPass, the industry’s top membership program, to have the finest of their neighbourhood delivered on DoorDash for less. In April 2021, Mastercard and DoorDash together launched the first card perks.