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Absolutaris Base Aligns Financial Expertise with Global Philanthropy Initiatives
Absolutaris Base Limited, a global leader in smart financial technology, has launched its Global Philanthropy Strategy and released its Annual Public Welfare Impact Report from its UK headquarters. This initiative highlights the company’s commitment to embedding social responsibility into its long-term business model, pledging at least 1% of annual profits to public welfare and humanitarian efforts.
The strategy seeks to align financial innovation with social impact, ensuring that capital fosters not only economic growth but also human dignity and resilience during crises.
One core focus is financial literacy, viewed by Absolutaris Base as a fundamental right. Since its launch in 2022, the Absolutaris FinEd Program has aimed to equip underserved communities, low-income households, and youth with critical financial skills. It offers free courses on budgeting, saving, credit, and investing, and features a proprietary virtual tool for youth aged 14–22 to simulate financial planning. Operating across 12 local authorities in the UK, the program currently reaches over 5,000 secondary pupils and young people each year. So far, 68% of participants have opened their first savings account, 42% have created personal budgets, and average savings rates among participants have risen by 27%.
Another pillar is the Absolutaris Emergency Fund, designed to deliver rapid assistance within 72 hours of a natural disaster or humanitarian crisis. Funded by 1% of annual profits, the initiative works in coordination with UN agencies, NGOs, and local partners to ensure swift and efficient aid deployment. Recent efforts include providing medical tents and supplies to 18,000 people in Turkey after the 2025 earthquake, supporting over 6,500 women and children at the Ukrainian border, and addressing the cholera outbreak in Kenya with water purification units and epidemic prevention stations.
Absolutaris Base applies a strategic three-step model—Vision to Planning, Planning to Action, and Action to Impact—to ensure long-term, transparent, and measurable social value in all its philanthropic initiatives.
Synechron Scales ServiceNow Capabilities with Integration of RapDev, Calitii, and Waivgen
Synechron, a global leader in digital transformation consulting, has announced the launch of a dedicated worldwide ServiceNow business following its acquisitions of RapDev, Calitii, and Waivgen. By uniting the three firms under a single banner, Synechron is establishing the largest ServiceNow practice focused on financial services, while also extending its expertise across multiple other industries. The new entity will harness ServiceNow’s powerful cloud-based platform to drive workflow transformation and embed AI across mission-critical operations.
Traditionally recognized for its work in banking, financial services, and insurance, Synechron is now positioned to expand its reach into sectors such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, energy and utilities, and aviation. The combined strengths of RapDev, Calitii, and Waivgen will enable Synechron to deliver broader, more innovative solutions across these industries.
“This marks a defining step in Synechron’s growth journey,” said Faisal Husain, CEO of Synechron. “ServiceNow is an exceptional platform, and we are eager to help enterprises unlock its full potential by combining our deep industry expertise with the engineering excellence of our new teams.”
Each of the acquired companies adds distinct capabilities to the new practice. RapDev, the world’s largest Datadog partner, enhances observability and monitoring expertise. Waivgen brings leadership as an Appian partner and has developed a vast library of AI agents tailored for the needs of banks, insurers, and global financial institutions. Calitii contributes proven experience in delivering large-scale ServiceNow implementations for some of the world’s biggest banks. Together, their innovative use of AI in solution design and delivery strengthens Synechron’s ability to meet evolving client needs.
The leaders of all three firms emphasized cultural alignment and the opportunity to scale. Tameem Hourani, CEO of RapDev, highlighted the shared entrepreneurial, engineering-driven mindset. Patrick O’Connor, CEO of Calitii, underscored the combined potential to accelerate AI adoption in financial services. Arjun Devadas, CEO of Waivgen, pointed to the chance to bring Waivgen’s AI agent technology to a truly global audience.
Through these strategic acquisitions, Synechron is significantly expanding its capabilities and reinforcing its leadership at the intersection of digital transformation, AI, and enterprise workflow innovation.
Smarter Finance at Your Fingertips: Zeni Introduces AI-Driven Business Debit Card
Zeni, the AI-powered finance platform designed for modern businesses, has unveiled the Zeni Business Debit Card, marking the first debit card to merge instant cashback rewards with integrated AI-driven financial management.
Setting itself apart from conventional debit cards, Zeni’s new offering delivers 1.75% cashback on every transaction, automatically credited to the business’s Zeni Business Checking Account. Companies can instantly generate virtual cards without waiting for physical delivery, allowing immediate spending and seamless financial operations.
The Zeni Business Debit Card leverages AI to help organizations manage spending more efficiently while simplifying bookkeeping. Every transaction is automatically categorized, reconciled, and linked to receipts via Zeni’s AI Bookkeeper. This provides finance teams with real-time visibility into company-wide expenditures and includes smart spend controls that allow businesses to establish limits per user, department, or project.
“The Zeni Business Debit Card is more than just a payment method,” said Swapnil Shinde, CEO of Zeni.ai. “It’s a comprehensive financial tool that not only earns cashback but also automates reconciliation and offers businesses instant insights into how every dollar is being used.”
With its combination of rewards, automation, and AI-driven oversight, the card empowers finance teams to streamline operations, reduce manual accounting work, and maintain better control over business finances. By integrating these capabilities directly into Zeni’s Business Checking Account, organizations can manage spending, reconcile transactions, and optimize cash flow from a single platform.
The Zeni Business Debit Card is now available to all holders of Zeni Business Checking Accounts, providing businesses with a smarter, faster, and more rewarding approach to managing their finances while gaining actionable insights through AI technology.
This launch reinforces Zeni’s commitment to reimagining financial management for modern enterprises by blending automation, AI intelligence, and real-time rewards into a single, user-friendly solution.
OpenText and Fiserv Unveil AI-Powered Content Next for Financial Institutions
OpenText™ , a global leader in secure information management for AI, has partnered with Fiserv, Inc., a leading provider of payments and financial technology solutions, to launch Content Next, an AI-powered content management and workflow platform specifically designed for financial institutions.
Content Next transforms the way banks and credit unions handle information, moving beyond traditional document storage to intelligent, automated workflows. Built on OpenText’s multi-tenant SaaS platform, Core Content Management, the solution allows financial organizations to streamline operations, reduce manual work, and deliver modernized employee experiences. By embedding AI tools, providing self-service administration, and offering customizable workspaces based on roles and processes, Content Next empowers employees to access insights more quickly and enhance customer service, turning content into actionable intelligence.
Whitney Russell, President of Digital and Financial Solutions at Fiserv, emphasized that the solution “redefines operational efficiency for banks and credit unions,” highlighting the practical impact of AI-driven content management in day-to-day financial workflows. Through its integration into Fiserv’s enterprise content management suite, Content Next offers a single source of truth with governance, scalability, and native compatibility with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Enhanced AI search and summarization features allow institutions to optimize processes such as loan processing, deposit management, and regulatory compliance while maintaining secure access controls and privacy protections.
Sandy Ono, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer at OpenText, stated that Content Next is “not just a repository—it’s a catalyst for intelligent work,” underscoring the value of AI-enhanced content in helping employees work more efficiently and deliver better service to customers.edit
The collaboration between OpenText and Fiserv reflects a shared commitment to supporting AI-poweredited financial institutions. As AI and emerging technologies like quantum computing increase the volume and complexity of financial data, organizations need solutions that protect sensitive information while enabling innovation. Together, OpenText and Fiserv combine deep content expertise, governance capabilities, and industry knowledge to help banks and credit unions improve efficiency, ensure compliance, and drive enhanced customer engagement.
Content Next will be showcased at the Fiserv Forum Client Conference 2025, with availability expected soon, offering financial institutions a first look at the new AI-driven content management capabilities designed for the modern banking landscape.
Real-Time Treasury at Scale: Broadridge Implements Instant Cash Reporting for Merck
Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR), a global leader in fintech innovation, has announced that Merck has chosen Broadridge to implement Swift’s new Instant Cash Reporting service. Leveraging Broadridge’s Swift Service Bureau (SSB) and SCORE+ services, the initiative will provide Merck with real-time, on-demand access to balances and transaction details across more than 400 accounts worldwide, revolutionizing its treasury operations.
Broadridge’s Swift Service Bureau has long been recognized for delivering seamless connectivity to the Swift network, supporting a wide range of financial messaging from payments and securities to derivatives and corporate actions. The platform consistently ensures highly efficient transaction processing, robust connectivity, and proactive workflow management, making it a trusted solution for major corporates.
Instant Cash Reporting is part of Swift’s broader Corporate Evolution program, representing a major leap beyond traditional next-day cash reporting. The service was developed with input from the Swift Corporate Working Group, where Broadridge plays an active role as a key representative. This initiative builds on Broadridge’s track record of pioneering financial innovations, such as the introduction of ISO 20022 migration services for corporates back in 2007.
Johann Lee, Principal Expert at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, emphasized the value of Broadridge’s approach, noting that it eliminates the complexity and expense of deploying proprietary APIs across numerous banking partners. With SCORE+ and SSB, Merck gains a unified, standardized channel for real-time financial data that will strengthen cash management and streamline payment processing.
The launch of Instant Cash Reporting follows the earlier success of Swift’s payment tracking capabilities for corporates, marking another milestone in the evolution of global treasury operations. Kai Marzenell, Director of Swift Product Management at Broadridge, highlighted that providing Merck with instantaneous access to financial data across its global banking network transforms how liquidity is managed, improving efficiency and enabling more agile decision-making.
Broadridge is also preparing to expand its offering with new API-enabled tools, including Stop & Recall features and advanced Payment Preparation functions, creating a more comprehensive, end-to-end payment ecosystem for corporates. For a company like Merck, which expects to generate around 900,000 intraday reports annually, the benefits are significant. With SCORE+, Merck can now extract details from up to 1,000 accounts in one call, a substantial improvement over traditional, fragmented bank-by-bank integrations.
By combining scalability, innovation, and simplified integration, Broadridge is setting a new standard for global treasury management, reducing complexity while empowering corporations with the agility needed to navigate today’s fast-changing financial landscape.
BillingPlatform Expands Its Revenue Management Suite with Built-In Global E-Invoicing Capabilities
BillingPlatform, a leading provider of enterprise revenue lifecycle management solutions, has introduced BP E-Invoice-a fully integrated e-invoicing tool aimed at helping businesses comply with global regulatory requirements while enhancing billing and payment workflows. Already adopted by several clients, this new feature is tailored to meet evolving e-invoicing mandates across regions such as Europe and Asia-Pacific.
As governments worldwide implement stricter tax compliance measures and organizations push for digital transformation, the e-invoicing market is poised for significant growth, expected to rise from $12 billion in 2024 to $40 billion by 2030. BP E-Invoice automates the full e-invoicing process—including creation, delivery, and tracking—within BillingPlatform’s core system. This streamlines billing operations, minimizes manual errors, and accelerates cash flow by reducing reliance on manual invoicing and enabling quicker payments.
The solution supports global regulatory standards such as SAF-T and Peppol, offering native compliance without third-party tools or integrations. With end-to-end secure data transmission and built-in audit trails, businesses can meet complex tax requirements across multiple jurisdictions efficiently. BP E-Invoice also eliminates the need for separate licensing or costly third-party services, making it a cost-effective option for enterprises operating at scale.
In addition to being a certified Peppol service provider, BillingPlatform enables businesses to exchange cross-border invoices securely and meet both European and international e-invoicing standards. The unified platform allows organizations to manage e-invoicing processes across different countries—even when using various billing systems—ensuring accuracy and reducing the risk of data mismatches through native integration.
According to CEO Dennis Wall, BP E-Invoice represents a significant advancement for companies facing complex regulatory challenges, particularly those operating in global markets. With seamless integration, flexible configuration, and robust compliance capabilities, enterprises can modernize their invoicing systems while lowering risk and improving both efficiency and customer satisfaction.
BillingPlatform is trusted by global businesses across diverse sectors, including software, finance, media, and communications. It is the only billing and revenue platform capable of monetizing any offering-from basic subscriptions to intricate usage-based pricing models-while supporting the complete monetization lifecycle. The platform encompasses everything from product setup and quoting to billing, invoicing, revenue recognition, payments, and collections-all on a secure, next-gen cloud infrastructure.
The company has been widely recognized by industry analysts, including Forrester, Gartner, and MGI Research, and has earned top rankings across several market evaluations. BillingPlatform also holds accolades from IDC, ISG, and the SIIA CODiE Awards, further solidifying its position as a leader in billing and revenue management innovation.
Launch of PowerComps by TagniFi: A powerful middle market transaction database
TagniFi, the financial data platform focused on serving the middle market, has announced the launch of PowerComps, a groundbreaking database designed to transform how professionals analyze middle market M&A transactions. With a focus on precision, transparency, and scale, PowerComps provides unmatched access to private company comparables, empowering private equity professionals, investment bankers, valuation experts, and corporate development teams to make better-informed decisions.
For years, the middle market has lacked visibility into private company M&A activity. Most deals are not disclosed publicly, and when they are, key valuation details are often absent. This lack of transparency has made it difficult for dealmakers to benchmark valuations, develop fairness opinions, and negotiate effectively. PowerComps addresses this challenge by aggregating verified and anonymized transaction data directly from a growing network of buy-side and sell-side firms. The result is a trusted, comprehensive dataset that enables professionals to operate with greater clarity and confidence in today’s competitive deal environment.
At launch, PowerComps features more than 1,200 verified transactions contributed by 87 leading firms. Every deal undergoes a rigorous intake process to ensure accuracy and consistency. Contributors submit transactions through a secure and user-friendly platform, where data is anonymized, reviewed, and benchmarked before being added to the database. This strict verification process has established PowerComps as one of the most reliable and trusted sources for middle market valuation data.
One of the platform’s unique advantages is its inclusion of deals from both financial and strategic buyers, giving users a complete perspective of the middle market landscape. Whether evaluating sponsor-backed acquisitions or strategic takeovers, professionals have access to the relevant comparables they need to support their analysis.
The database offers comprehensive metrics across more than 400 industries. Users gain visibility into valuation multiples such as TEV/EBITDA and TEV/Revenue, as well as insights into EBITDA margins, revenue growth, and debt-to-equity structures. Additional details include junior, senior, and unitranche interest rates, along with earnout, escrow, and indemnification terms. To ensure confidentiality, data is displayed only when at least three transactions are available in a given industry.
With PowerComps, professionals can benchmark valuations across industries, buyer types, and deal structures while keeping track of current trends in middle market deal terms. The database also provides reliable support for valuations, fairness opinions, and financial modeling. By contributing anonymized transactions, firms not only grow the dataset but also gain access to valuable insights that benefit the entire community.
PowerComps bridges a huge gap by providing transparency to middle market values without compromising secrecy, said Chad Sandstedt, CEO of TagniFi, underscoring the significance of this breakthrough. And by including both strategic and financial buyer data, we’re giving dealmakers the full picture—not just one side of it.”
Investment bankers and private equity professionals are encouraged to explore the platform and may qualify for complimentary access in exchange for contributing anonymized deal data. PowerComps is built by the community, for the community, and rewards those who help expand its value.
TagniFi continues to modernize financial data delivery with its suite of tools and analytics designed to provide transparent, timely, and auditable insights. With PowerComps, the company reinforces its mission to help finance professionals analyze trends, value companies more effectively, and close deals with confidence.
An innovative, future-proof ACH solution is launched by Finastra for banks
Finastra, a global leader in financial services software, has introduced its modern ACH payment solution, marking a key milestone in the US payments market. With this launch, the company becomes one of the few providers to support all major US payment clearings-ACH, wires, and real-time payments-through its unified payments hub, Global PAYplus.
The new ACH Module is built on a modern technology stack, enabling financial institutions to implement a forward-compatible solution that streamlines ACH processing, reduces operational complexity, and adapts to evolving customer and regulatory demands. It offers advanced functionality such as same-day ACH, early pay, and late return handling, supported by rich APIs for seamless integration and operational control. Designed for scalability and high transaction volumes, the solution also delivers a user-friendly interface, making it adaptable for institutions of all sizes.
Barry Rodrigues, EVP of Payments at Finastra, emphasized the importance of this launch, calling it “a major leap forward in payment modernization.” He explained that the solution combines modern architecture with real-time capabilities, giving banks the ability to scale efficiently while delivering secure and resilient ACH processing. As ACH remains a cornerstone of the US payments ecosystem, Finastra’s offering provides banks with an advanced alternative to aging legacy systems, empowering them to bring more innovation and value to corporate customers.
The solution delivers multiple benefits, including cloud-native microservices and Kafka-based event streaming for resilient ACH processing, advanced risk and compliance tools such as exposure management, Positive Pay, pre-funding, and integration with fraud and OFAC systems, as well as scalability to handle large volumes across multiple batches and files. For customers, it means greater transparency, reliability, and real-time insights, improving trust and satisfaction.
According to Aaron Press, Research Director at IDC Insights, financial institutions are increasingly seeking modern ACH platforms integrated within payment hubs to enhance operations while offering advanced services customers now expect. He noted that adopting such solutions allows banks to streamline processes, cut costs, and improve overall user experience.
In addition to its integration within Global PAYplus, ACH processing will also become part of Finastra’s Payments To Go solution in the near future.
Finastra serves over 8,000 customers worldwide, including 45 of the world’s top 50 banks, across 130+ countries. Its portfolio spans lending, payments, universal banking, and treasury and capital markets, with products such as Loan IQ, LaserPro, Trade Innovation, Essence, Global PAYplus, and Payments To Go. Backed by Vista Equity Partners, Finastra continues to co-innovate with customers to deliver modern, scalable technology that supports long-term growth and resilience.
BACKLIT CAPITAL SOLUTIONS LAUNCHES PREMIER LEGAL FINANCE CONSULTANCY
Backlit Capital Solutions today announced the launch of its full-service legal finance consultancy helping claimants, law firms, lenders and investors navigate the legal finance and contingent risk insurance market. Backlit provides capital access and strategic advisory services to claimants and law firms, as well as targeted deployment strategies, portfolio management guidance, risk mitigation, and asset remediation solutions for lenders and investors.
Backlit was founded by Ken Epstein and Matt Leland, who combine more than forty-five years of experience in litigation finance, credit analysis and remediation, and both in-house and law firm legal services. Backlit’s principals have managed large, varied portfolios with hundreds of millions of dollars in claims across dozens of litigation investments.
Epstein, Backlit Principal and Co-founder, said, “Litigation funding is undergoing a period of growth and transformation, providing new opportunities and risks for claimants and investors. As the landscape becomes more complex, participants on all sides of these transactions require experienced, individualized and directed advice to protect their interests. Backlit Capital Solutions was purpose-built to deliver independent, trusted counsel focused on problem-solving and fully responsive to the unique short- and long-term needs of each client in this dynamic market.”
Backlit Capital Solutions provides a full suite of services for entities looking to raise, lend and invest capital:
For Law Firms and Claimants:
- Seamless Fundraising Support: Offering practical advice rooted in deep industry knowledge and proven strategies to ensure a smooth and successful fundraising process.
- End-to-End Transaction Management: Minimizing burdens on attorneys by managing transactions from inception through completion. Backlit organizes, optimizes, and presents key case information to engage the most appropriate capital sources, negotiate favorable economic and non-economic terms, and ensure fiduciary obligations to the funding recipient are satisfied.
- Financial Modeling and Scenario Analysis: Helping clients assess the economic impact of alternative deal structures and financial terms through financial modeling and scenario analysis to ensure well-informed decision-making.
For Lenders and Investors:
- Deal Sourcing and Evaluation: Assisting in finding, evaluating, pricing, and closing legal finance opportunities delivering superior risk-adjusted returns in both primary and secondary markets.
- Contingent Risk Insurance Solutions: Exploring the availability and potential financial benefit of insurance products to protect investor principal.
- Asset Recovery and Liquidity Solutions: Crafting tailored strategies to preserve value in non-performing legal assets, as well as facilitating access to secondary markets for monetization, exit, or redeployment into new opportunities.
- Expert Opinions and Testimony: Delivering formal opinions on legal finance industry practices and market standards, and providing expert testimony in proceedings involving the valuation, treatment, and structure of legal assets.
Leland, Backlit Principal and Co-founder, said, “Litigation finance is at a crossroads. While its use spreads rapidly among claimants and law firms, the competition for funding grows, driving meaningful economic opportunities, as well as risks. Backlit’s deep experience with litigation finance, business, and complex commercial litigation provides unmatched expertise and unique end-to-end support for those pursuing litigation resources in an increasingly challenging market.”
Kiwi secures $7.8m to grow AI-powered credit platform for Latinos
Kiwi, a FinTech company focused on building AI-driven credit and financial tools for underbanked Latino communities in the US, has closed a $7.8m Series A funding round.
The round was co-led by LIP Ventures and Advent-Morro Equity Partners, with further backing from Morro Ventures, Independent Capital, Neer Venture Partners, Invariantes Fund, and others. This latest funding brings Kiwi’s total equity investment to over $15m.
Founded in 2020 by Dominican Republic natives Mariano Sanz and Alexander Schachter, Kiwi was launched with a mission to address the lack of credit access among Latinos in the U.S. Its technology has since helped more than 100,000 users build credit histories and connect with formal financial services.
Kiwi offers a suite of AI-powered products that cover the entire credit lifecycle—from underwriting and fraud detection to compliance and servicing. The platform has been tailored specifically to how Latino immigrants and US-born Latinos manage their finances, providing access to tools that support spending, saving, borrowing, and staying financially connected.
With over 300% revenue growth in 2024 and ongoing profitability, the company now plans to use the new capital to accelerate its nationwide rollout, advance its AI capabilities, and develop new financial products aligned with the day-to-day needs of its users.
Kiwi CEO Mariano Sanz said, “Access to credit is often the biggest barrier for our customers. When you solve that first, you earn the long-term relationship. Our customers don’t want just another app. They want someone who sees them, understands them, and helps them thrive in a market where they’ve been historically overlooked. That’s what we’re building.”
Nomupay raises $40m to expand Asia payments with SBPS partnership
Nomupay has secured $40m in funding alongside entering a strategic partnership with Japan-based SB Payment Service Corp (SBPS).
According to Tech EU, the latest funding round, which values Nomupay at $290m, includes an investment from SBPS. The capital injection marks a milestone in the company’s efforts to accelerate cross-border payment capabilities between Asia and the rest of the world.
Founded in 2021, Nomupay offers a seamless, all-in-one payments platform serving over 1,500 merchants globally. With a team of more than 230 employees, the company facilitates pay-ins, payouts and acquiring via a gateway-agnostic solution integrated through a single API and managed within a single back office environment.
The new funding will enable Nomupay to expand its infrastructure further across Japan and Asia, simplify inter-regional transactions, and add more local payment methods and country-specific services. This will enhance accessibility for European, SEA, Middle Eastern and global merchants seeking to do business in Asia.
SBPS aims to use the partnership to grow its international footprint while enhancing its payment offering through improved scalability and broader payment options. Nomupay’s unified solution aims to address the fragmented regulatory and payment preferences across Asian markets, reducing the operational burden for businesses entering the region.
Nomupay group CEO Peter Burridge said, “We are very excited to announce the SBPS investment in our business and the formalisation of a strategic partnership. Since our inception in 2021, we have been robustly active in the region. The SBPS investment now enables us to double down and support inter-regional commerce by adding additional countries and payment methods to the platform in order to support bi-directional access between Japan, Asia and the rest of the world.”
SB Payment Service Corp. representative director, president and CEO Jun Shimba said, “With Nomupay as a key partner, we will leverage Nomupay’s payment solutions to support our clients entering the Asian market.”
This strategic investment also reinforces Nomupay’s ambition to become the leading payment platform across Asia by simplifying access and reducing operational friction for companies navigating the region’s diverse regulatory landscape.
Saudi FinTech Stitch raises $10m to streamline digital banking infrastructure
Stitch, a Saudi Arabia-based FinTech company, has raised $10m in seed funding to support its mission of transforming how financial and non-financial institutions build banking and payment products.
The round attracted backing from investors including Arbor Ventures, COTU Ventures, Raed Ventures, and SVC. It also saw participation from family offices and industry veterans such as Marqeta founder Jason Gardner and Abdulmalik AlSheikh, a key figure in building Saudi Arabia’s payment networks mada and Sadad.
Founded in 2022, Stitch operates as a unified infrastructure platform enabling institutions to build, launch, and scale financial services quickly and efficiently. Its API-driven solution is tailored to overcome the inefficiencies of legacy financial systems, offering a faster, more streamlined approach for creating modern digital products.
The new capital will be used to grow Stitch’s team and further enhance its platform’s capabilities. With clients already spanning Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and parts of East Africa beginning with Kenya the company is positioning itself as a key infrastructure provider for banks, FinTech firms, and enterprises looking to embed financial services into their offerings.
Stitch CEO Mohamed Oueida said, “At Stitch, our vision is to reinvent how financial and non-financial institutions bring banking and payment products to market.”
“Today, the process of building financial products is broken. Businesses are forced to navigate outdated legacy systems and complex regulatory frameworks, making things slow, expensive, and mostly painful. It doesn’t have to be this way. Stitch exists to change this. Institutions should be able to focus on what matters and have a platform that can mold around their creativity. We are generally looking to make this process a lot more enjoyable for our partners.”
SVC deputy CEO and chief investment officer Nora Alsarhan said, “Our investment in Stitch is driven by our commitment to supporting the growth of innovative Saudi-based startups, enabling them to compete both regionally and globally. We believe Stitch has the potential to play a significant role in developing a more capable and resilient financial ecosystem in the Middle East and around the world.”
Belgian FinTech Auditstage lands €750k to transform financial audits with AI
Belgian start-up Auditstage, an emerging player in the AuditTech sector, is developing an AI-powered collaboration platform to streamline and modernise the external audit process.
The company has raised €750,000 in pre-seed funding from venture capital firm Smartfin.
Founded in 2024 by certified auditor Natalia Khamraeva, Auditstage aims to overhaul the traditional financial audit by creating a digital command centre for external audits. The platform integrates tools, workflows, and communications into one AI-native environment.
Auditstage’s technology focuses on intelligent automation to eliminate manual, repetitive tasks that slow down audit cycles. The AI agents are designed to let auditors and accounting teams concentrate on delivering high-quality financial reporting. Although the platform is still in the pilot phase, several Belgian audit firms are already trialling it ahead of a broader launch scheduled for autumn 2025.
The funding will be used to accelerate the platform’s development, expand the founding team, and prepare for a wider commercial rollout in 2026. The company’s long-term goal is to become the default audit solution globally, replacing outdated legacy systems with a smarter, more connected approach.
Auditstage founder and CEO Natalia Khamraeva said, “Auditors today rely on a patchwork of tools and communication channels to get the job done. Auditstage streamlines that process by integrating everything into one secure, collaborative environment that is AI native and that uses intelligent automation for tasks nobody likes.”
Smartfin founding partner Jürgen Ingels said, “We’re seeing the wave of automation that first transformed accounting now ripple into the audit world, a high-stakes industry with real pain points. With Natalia’s deep audit expertise and bold product vision, we see tremendous potential for disruption in the AuditTech space.”
Personal finance platform Monarch raises $75m to scale financial wellness tools
Monarch, a personal finance platform focused on improving financial health for households, has raised $75m in a Series B funding round.
The round was co-led by FPV Ventures, represented by Wesley Chan, and Forerunner Ventures, led by Eurie Kim. Existing backers Menlo Ventures, Accel, SignalFire, and Clocktower Ventures also took part in the latest raise.
Founded six years ago, Monarch offers consumers a centralised view of their personal finances. The platform allows users to connect to a wide array of financial institutions, track their net worth, manage cash flow and budgets, and plan for long-term financial goals. It also features collaborative tools for couples and financial advisors, alongside a personalised advice function.
The new capital injection will be used to scale the Monarch team and broaden the capabilities of the platform. The company plans to invest heavily in product development as it aims to reach more households and improve access to financial wellness tools across income levels.
MuchBetter and NatWest team up to transform B2B banking with new business account offering
MuchBetter has partnered with UK banking giant NatWest to boost its B2B arm, MuchBetter Business (MBB), marking a major step forward in delivering banking solutions for underserved industries and specialised sectors.
The alliance brings together MuchBetter’s FinTech expertise with NatWest’s robust banking infrastructure. Under the partnership, NatWest will provide fund safeguarding, access to payment schemes, foreign exchange services, and core banking support to MBB’s Corporate Business Account clients. These offerings are targeted at businesses struggling to access traditional banking services.
Through its collaboration with a tier-one institution like NatWest, MuchBetter is reinforcing trust and confidence in its services. NatWest’s strong regulatory standing ensures that client funds are protected, and held in dedicated accounts to guarantee transparency and security.
The MuchBetter Business platform is designed to support international operations, offering operational and segregated accounts across 35 currencies. As a direct SWIFT member, the platform also ensures fast, secure, and fully compliant cross-border payments. By integrating with NatWest, MBB can enhance these features while maintaining a smooth, customer-centric banking experience.
MuchBetter CIO Gary Hill said, “This collaboration with NatWest marks a major milestone for MuchBetter Business as we expand our B2B offering and underscores the credibility of what we’ve built at MuchBetter. We’re proud to offer a robust B2B solution that empowers businesses. Partnering with an esteemed institution like NatWest reinforces their confidence in our offerings and our vision for the future of business banking.”
NatWest head of transaction services and trade Ritu Sehgal added, “NatWest chose to collaborate with MuchBetter due to its compelling business case, supported by an impressive track record of success. MuchBetter’s advanced bank-grade technology and experienced team further reinforce its position as a reliable and innovative partner. Together, we are well-equipped to deliver exceptional financial solutions tailored to the unique needs of our clients.”
FinTech giant Airwallex secures $300m to scale global payments platform
Airwallex, a global financial platform for modern businesses, has raised $300m in a Series F funding round, taking its total funding to over $1.2bn and placing the company’s valuation at $6.2bn.
The latest round features a mix of primary and secondary investment, with $150m in secondary share transfers. Investors include Square Peg, DST Global, Lone Pine Capital, Blackbird, Airtree, Salesforce Ventures, and Visa Ventures, as well as several leading Australian pension funds.
Founded in Melbourne, Airwallex has established itself as a key player in the FinTech space by offering cross-border financial infrastructure and services. Its core offering enables businesses to move money globally through a network built from the ground up, with direct integrations into local clearing systems and card networks. The firm supports local account creation in over 60 countries and processes transactions in more than 150 markets.
The company plans to use the new capital to continue expanding into markets such as Japan, Korea, the UAE, and Latin America. It also aims to boost its go-to-market operations across Europe, North America, and South East Asia, while further enhancing its financial infrastructure and software.
Airwallex has been experiencing rapid growth, reporting $720m in annualised revenue as of March 2025, a 90% year-on-year increase. The firm expects to hit $1bn in revenue run rate this year and currently supports over 150,000 businesses globally. Its gross profit in the Americas and Europe has grown at a CAGR of over 250% over the past four years.
Airwallex co-founder and CEO Jack Zhang said, “The global financial system wasn’t built for today’s borderless economy. Too many businesses are held back by legacy infrastructure that’s slow, costly, and fragmented. At Airwallex, we’re building a new foundation for the global economy – one that’s fast, seamless, and built for scale. This investment marks a major milestone in our journey to redefine global finance, and to empower businesses everywhere to grow without limits.”