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Fincite and Harvest unite to create European WealthTech powerhouse
Two of Europe’s most prominent WealthTech firms, Fincite of Germany and Harvest of France, have announced a strategic merger to create a new European leader in wealth management software.
The union is supported by private equity investors TA Associates and Montagu and aims to drive growth through acquisitions and an expanded geographic footprint. Both firms will operate under the Harvest Group umbrella, with a shared vision to consolidate the fragmented WealthTech space and build a pan-European champion.
Fincite and Harvest have each developed robust B2B wealth management platforms designed to support financial institutions in delivering tailored, efficient investment solutions. Their software spans the full investment value chain, including onboarding, KYC/AML, advisory, execution, and reporting. By combining forces, they plan to offer deeper, more integrated solutions that can meet the evolving demands of banks and financial firms across Europe.
Fincite co-founder and co-CEO Ralf Heim said, “Today, banks struggle with fragmented and often outdated software systems. We are talking about legacy solutions that are 25 years old or more. This results in a complex and costly IT landscape with limited interoperability. Clients are looking for fewer but stronger partners who can provide deeper and more advanced WealthTech solutions from a single source. Together with Harvest, we are fulfilling this need on a European scale.”
The partnership is expected to accelerate the group’s growth trajectory, with a goal to double revenues within four years. Key markets for expansion include the DACH region, France, Benelux, Italy, and Northern Europe. This growth strategy will be supported by targeted acquisitions to bolster product capabilities and expand into new regions, aiming to position the combined entity as the go-to solution for wealth management technology.
Virginie Fauvel, CEO of Harvest, said, “We are seeing an ongoing wave of modernization in financial institutions. Banks must offer a seamless digital experience, similar to what has become standard in retail banking. The market demands modular and tailored solutions that integrate effortlessly.
“Together with Fincite, we are unlocking synergies and elevating wealth management to a whole new level. This merger represents a major new step for the creation of a solid European group, resolutely focused on development, innovation and customer satisfaction – and it marks the beginning of something truly significant.”
Both brands will continue to operate independently, retaining their current teams and offices. Ralf Heim will join the Harvest Group board while maintaining his role at Fincite. Alongside co-founders Friedhelm A. Schmitt and Stefan Post, and managing director Paul Kammerer, Heim will help steer the next phase of growth.
Doppel lands $35m funding round to boost AI-powered digital risk platform
AI-powered cybersecurity company Doppel has raised $35m in a Series B funding round to strengthen its social engineering defence platform for enterprises.
The round was led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from 9Yards Capital, Sozo Ventures, and existing investors including a16z, South Park Commons, Strategic Cyber Ventures, Script Capital, and Sabrina Hahn. Doppel’s valuation now stands at $205m, bringing its total funding to $54.4m.
Doppel specialises in tackling digital threats like phishing, deepfakes, and brand impersonation. Its platform, Doppel Vision, identifies and eliminates attacker infrastructure across channels such as domains, email, social media, and apps, combining large language models (LLMs) with expert human analysis to deliver real-time protection.
The company plans to use the funds to scale its platform and meet growing enterprise demand. Since its Series A in January 2024, Doppel has seen 400% growth in enterprise customers, 3X growth in annual recurring revenue, and an 8X increase in expansion revenue.
Bessemer Venture Partners partner Elliott Robinson said, “Doppel is quickly emerging as the market leading social engineering defense company by leveraging its proprietary AI-powered approach that is critical in today’s environment as these new threats become increasingly sophisticated for corporation’s brands, executives and employees.”
Doppel CEO Kevin Tian added, “We’re really excited to partner with Bessemer Venture Partners, a firm that understands what it takes to build a generational, category-defining company. We’ll use these funds to double down on our core products, serve the rapidly growing demand from enterprises across all sectors, and build the first social engineering defense platform.”
FinTech firm Surfin Meta Digital Technologies secures $26.5m to fuel global expansion
Surfin Meta Digital Technologies, a Singapore-based financial technology solutions provider for underserved communities, has announced the successful completion of its latest funding round.
The company raised $26.5m, with participation from Woori Venture Partners, Washington University in St. Louis, and Phillip Private Equity. This round builds on an earlier investment led by Insignia Ventures Partners in October 2024.
Surfin Meta Digital Technologies specialises in offering digital financial services to the unbanked and underbanked across emerging markets. Its platform delivers a range of solutions, including consumer lending, credit cards, payments and remittances, wealth management services, and B2B financial offerings.
With the newly raised capital, Surfin plans to accelerate its entry into new markets and invest heavily in research and development. The company aims to create a holistic suite of intelligent financial products designed to serve the needs of underserved populations.
Haitong International Securities Singapore acted as a financial advisor for this round, supporting the company in securing the investment.
Surfin Meta Digital Technologies CEO and founder Dr. Yanan Wu said, “I have always believed that financial inclusion is critical towards helping less privileged people who face difficulties to access even the simplest of financial services in emerging markets.
“We are proud to close our funding round with strong interest from well-known institutional investors that also stand testament to Surfin’s outstanding performance and potential to grow into a truly FinTech company.”
LendPro and SPLICE Software Announce Strategic Partnership to Enhance Retail Financing Engagement
LendPro, a leading provider of cloud-based consumer financing solutions, and SPLICE Software, an award-winning customer engagement platform, are pleased to announce a strategic partnership aimed at transforming the retail financing experience.
This collaboration integrates LendPro’s multi-lender application waterfall system with SPLICE’s Data-Driven Dialogs®, enabling retailers to deliver personalized, timely, and compliant customer communications across multiple channels. The joint solution empowers merchants to increase financing approvals, drive higher ticket sales, and enhance customer satisfaction through seamless, automated engagement.
“Our partnership with SPLICE Software represents a major advancement in how merchants can engage with their customers after the initial financing conversation. By combining LendPro’s multi-lender application waterfall with SPLICE’s intelligent communication platform, we are creating a powerful ecosystem where merchants don’t just capture leads they nurture them.” Said Matt Dishman CEO of LendPro
“Through this collaboration, merchants will now have the ability to drive Pre-Qualified Offers and Open-to-Buy financing opportunities back to the consumer all tied directly to the original merchant who created the lead. This means merchants maintain ownership of their customer relationships, create more buying moments, and ultimately increase ticket sizes and lifetime value.”
“At LendPro, our goal has always been to empower merchants to serve more customers and close more sales. This partnership ensures that no opportunity is left behind it brings financing full circle, from initial application to ongoing personalized engagement.”
“We are excited for what this means not only for our retailers, but for the future of embedded consumer financing and customer-centric marketing.”
“Our partnership with LendPro brings a new level of personalization and efficiency to retail financing communications,” said Tara Kelly, President & CEO of SPLICE Software. “Our combined technologies will enable retailers to engage customers more effectively, fostering stronger relationships and driving business growth.”
Circle rolls out global payment network for banks and FinTechs
Circle, a global FinTech firm, has announced the launch of Circle Payments Network (CPN), a new initiative designed to connect a wide range of financial institutions and enable real-time cross-border payments through regulated digital assets.
The launch of CPN comes in response to ongoing challenges in cross-border payments. Despite technological advances, such transactions still frequently take over one business day and cost more than 6%, according to the World Bank.
These inefficiencies, driven by intermediary layers, compliance requirements, and jurisdictional fragmentation, have particularly impacted emerging markets. Circle aims to provide a streamlined and modern alternative.
CPN is designed to modernise the fragmented cross-border payment landscape by allowing financial institutions to move money globally with internet-level speed, transparency, and programmability. It supports real-time settlements and ensures regulatory compliance through a governance framework requiring licensing, AML/CFT compliance, cybersecurity protocols, and risk management standards.
CPN supports a broad spectrum of financial use cases, from supplier payments and remittances to treasury operations and capital markets settlement. It is built on smart contract infrastructure and modular APIs, allowing third-party developers to create advanced financial modules, services, and workflows atop the network.
To ensure CPN meets high standards for operational integrity, Circle has partnered with leading global banks including Banco Santander, Deutsche Bank, Société Générale, and Standard Chartered. These institutions are helping shape the network to meet the demands of complex global payment systems.
A wide array of design partners, including Alfred Pay, BCB Group, Flutterwave, Coins.ph, Zodia Markets, and more, are already working with Circle to build out CPN. Additionally, digital asset infrastructure providers such as Fireblocks are integrating with CPN to broaden institutional access to secure, efficient payment capabilities.
Circle co-founder, chairman, and CEO Jeremy Allaire said, “Since our founding, Circle’s vision has been to make moving money as simple and efficient as sending an email. CPN is a significant step in making that vision a reality for businesses worldwide.”
Standard Chartered Bank global head of transaction banking Michael Spiegel said, “Standard Chartered is continuously looking for opportunities to make cross-border payments more efficient, secure, and compliant to various regulatory requirements, globally. Circle’s compliance-first approach to building products like CPN is a game changer for how money moves across borders, and we are pleased to build on our partnership and offer them our global expertise to support the success of CPN.”
Circle chief product and technology officer Nikhil Chandhok said, “Circle Payments Network is a foundational layer for the always-on economy — enabling trusted institutions to move value across borders, instantly. With programmable infrastructure at its core, CPN makes it possible to embed value transfer into modern financial applications in ways that weren’t feasible before.”
Checkbook Recognized as a Leader in Digital Payment Solutions by Frost & Sullivan
Checkbook, a leading innovator in digital payment solutions, has been named a leader in B2B Digital Payments by Frost & Sullivan in B2B Digital Payment Systems 2025. This recognition highlights Checkbook’s commitment to transforming outdated payment systems into seamless, scalable, and cost-effective solutions for businesses.
Frost & Sullivan’s fact based analysis identified Checkbook for its innovative approach to digitizing checks, enabling real-time, secure, and scalable payments across multiple rails, including ACH, RTP, Instant Pay, and newly added support for direct wallet transfers. This recognition validates Checkbook’s leadership in addressing inefficiencies in traditional payment systems by delivering a unified platform with real-time tracking, instant settlement, and unparalleled ease of use.
“Our mission has always been to simplify and modernize payments for businesses of all sizes,” said PJ Gupta, CEO of Checkbook. “Being recognized by Frost & Sullivan is a testament to our dedication to solving critical payment challenges while offering scalable and efficient solutions. We are thrilled to see our efforts acknowledged on a global stage.”
Checkbook has been lauded for its unique Digital Check, which eliminates the need for paper-based processes and reduces operational costs while converting payments from paper to digital. The platform’s seamless integration capabilities and user-centric design make it a standout choice for businesses seeking to digitize their payment workflows. Frost & Sullivan also highlighted Checkbook’s ability to provide end-to-end visibility and enhanced security, empowering businesses to manage their payments with confidence.
In March 2025, Checkbook extended its payment capabilities by integrating additional rails for direct digital wallet payouts. This enhancement allows businesses to send funds directly to customers’ preferred digital wallets with the same speed and reliability as Checkbook’s other payment rails, furthering its mission to offer flexible, secure, and user-friendly payment experiences.
Forter launches innovative Predictive Payment Routing beta
Forter, a global provider of digital commerce trust solutions, has launched major enhancements to its Payment Optimisation suite, including a beta release of Predictive Payment Routing and a new GenAI agent detection tool, as part of its spring product release.
These developments come in response to rapid changes in the digital commerce landscape, where evolving consumer behaviours, the rise of GenAI technologies, sophisticated fraud tactics, and increasing regulatory demands are reshaping how businesses approach payments and risk, according to FF News.
The firm offers a comprehensive Trust Platform that helps merchants fight fraud, improve identity verification, and optimise payments all while ensuring seamless customer experiences.
Its platform is used by some of the world’s largest brands to protect their online transactions.
The newly launched Predictive Payment Routing tool builds on Forter’s existing Payment Optimisation solution. It not only determines when and how to apply authentication, but now also recommends the most suitable processor, card network, and whether to use network tokenisation for each transaction.
This intelligent routing boosts authorisation rates, reduces costs, and gives merchants enhanced control over their payment strategies.
The spring release also includes GenAI agent detection, allowing Forter’s platform to identify when AI-powered agents are shopping or interacting on behalf of customers.
This feature helps differentiate between beneficial bots that assist shoppers and malicious bots that exploit vulnerabilities or commit fraud.
In addition, Forter has improved its device takeover detection by 20% and increased its ability to identify connection manipulation methods, such as VPNs and proxies, by 15%.
These advancements are vital as such attacks continue to grow in both frequency and sophistication.
To further enhance transparency and user confidence, Forter now offers a GenAI-powered feature that automatically generates plain text explanations of its decision-making process. This includes clear insights into the user profile, transaction details, and network behaviours that inform each decision.
Forter has also strengthened its global partner ecosystem, achieving Premier Partner status in Shopify’s Enterprise Technology Partner Program.
This designation places Forter among only 23 global partners and recognises its unique capabilities as the only fraud prevention provider in the group. Through this partnership, Forter helps Shopify’s largest merchants secure transactions, recover lost revenue, and deliver smoother customer journeys.
Forter chief product officer Cyndy Lobb said, “Digital commerce today doesn’t look the same as it did 12 months ago. Changing consumer behaviour, advanced GenAI technology, sophisticated fraud and new regulations have all fundamentally changed the industry. Our focus is on helping businesses stay a step ahead, tackling their payments, fraud and identity challenges head-on all within one platform. No matter how commerce evolves, Forter is positioned to ensure our customers grow by knowing exactly who they are doing business with.”
iLife Technologies rebrands as Infras to expand insurance infrastructure solutions
iLife Technologies, a leading technology provider in the insurance industry, has officially rebranded as Infras following a period of significant growth for the firm.
The move signifies the company’s evolution beyond life insurance as it looks to deliver headless connectivity infrastructure that enables insurance carriers to seamlessly integrate with any distributor user interface without extensive redevelopment, according to InsurTech Insights.
The move signifies the company’s evolution beyond life insurance and follows a period of accelerated growth for the company, which now serves enterprise clients across multiple insurance product lines, including life insurance, annuities, group benefits, disability, long-term care, and wealth management.
By focusing on API-driven infrastructure, Infras empowers carriers to modernize their operations while maintaining flexibility in distribution.
A core aspect of Infras’ mission is to help insurance providers become AI-ready. By abstracting user interface logic and standardising data creation across systems, Infras simplifies the way carriers collect, manage, and analyse data.
This enhanced data consistency forms a critical foundation for business intelligence and AI deployment, positioning insurers for long-term success in an increasingly digital landscape.
The company’s headless connectivity infrastructure supports any distributor interface without requiring backend redevelopment, converts complex back-end logic into modular, adaptable elements, reduces support and maintenance expenses by up to sixfold, accelerates deployment speed by up to sevenfold, and improves business intelligence and AI readiness.
“Our new name, Infras, speaks directly to what we provide: Headless Connectivity Infrastructure,” said Nelson Lee, Founder and CEO of Infras. “By decoupling business logic from specific user interfaces, we enable insurance carriers to streamline their operations, reduce costs, and expand their distribution capabilities without technical barriers.”
With this rebrand, Infras reaffirms its commitment to revolutionising the insurance technology landscape, ensuring carriers have the tools needed to scale efficiently in an increasingly dynamic market.
Saifr and Adobe GenStudio forge alliance for compliant FinTech marketing
Saifr has announced its integration with Adobe that aims to redefine compliant content creation within the financial services industry.
As part of the Adobe Experience Cloud as an Adobe Technology Partner, Saifr provides advanced AI compliance solutions that serve as a compliance guardrail for generative AI content, helping users manage their risk and enhance the speed to market of their content.
The reason for the partnership is to leverage Saifr’s AI technology within Adobe’s platform to streamline the creation of compliant content, particularly in the highly regulated financial services sector. This integration aims to enable marketers to use generative AI safely and in accordance with regulatory guidelines.
Saifr specialises in AI-driven compliance solutions that monitor and guide the creation of digital content in line with regulatory standards. Their tools act like a spell-check for compliance, detecting potential risks and suggesting amendments that align with guidelines from regulatory bodies like FINRA and the SEC.
Adobe offers a range of digital marketing and media solutions. Their GenStudio for Performance Marketing provides tools for marketers to create, manage, and optimise their content effectively across various digital platforms.
The integration enhances Saifr’s presence within Adobe’s ecosystem, expanding their reach and capabilities in the digital marketing space. It follows a previous collaboration where Saifr AI models were included in the Microsoft Azure AI Foundry model catalogue.
Saifr’s Retail Marketing Compliance and Suggested Language models are now accessible within Adobe GenStudio, allowing for an in-tool compliance review that aligns with the needs of financial marketers and complies with stringent industry regulations.
“Marketers are increasingly using generative AI in their work, which can introduce business risk, particularly in regulated industries, such as financial services,” Saifr CEO Vall Herard said. “Saifr’s integration with Adobe enables marketers to take advantage of a powerful new technology’s outputs in a way that prioritizes safety and can help facilitate compliance with regulatory guidelines.”
“Microsoft is committed to empowering organisations through industry-specific solutions that address their unique needs,” Microsoft Corporate Vice President Satish Thomas said. “Our collaboration with leading industry partners, such as Saifr, to offer partner-enabled adapted AI models in the Azure AI Foundry model catalogue gives organisations the ability to access, build and deploy AI solutions quickly and efficiently. This approach accelerates time-to-value and fosters a robust ecosystem of innovation that helps organisations across industries transform their operations and achieve new levels of success.”
PIMFA and Morningstar launch AI Tech Sprint to transform wealth management
PIMFA WealthTech, the innovation arm of the Personal Investment Management & Financial Advice Association (PIMFA), has partnered with Morningstar to launch a new AI-focused Tech Sprint, aimed at solving key operational challenges in the wealth management sector.
The competition offers FinTech firms the opportunity to present their AI solutions at the Morningstar Investment Conference UK, taking place on 7 May 2025.
As generative artificial intelligence continues to reshape the financial landscape, wealth and financial advice firms face growing pressure to integrate AI effectively. Yet challenges remain around access to high-quality data, rigorous evaluation frameworks, and seamless integration with existing systems. The Tech Sprint has been designed to address these barriers while accelerating innovation in the sector.
This year’s sprint poses a central question to participating FinTechs: how can AI be used to enhance operational efficiency by streamlining processes across front, middle, and back-office functions in wealth and financial advice firms?
Participants are encouraged to explore several high-impact use cases. These include AI-powered onboarding and KYC checks that automate identity verification and fraud detection, improved compliance through automated suitability reviews, hyper-personalised client reporting, and even the automation of entire software development cycles.
To support their development, FinTechs taking part will receive access to Morningstar’s Intelligence Engine. This advanced platform enables the end-to-end development of generative AI applications, offering a robust suite of evaluation metrics, integration tools, and direct access to Morningstar’s vast data sets. External data sources can also be added through API and direct storage connections.
PIMFA WealthTech outgoing chair and Evelyn Partners group chief operations officer Mayank Prakash said, “PIMFA WealthTech was created to be at the forefront of innovative thinking around tech solutions that can open up substantial opportunity for our industry. As Chair of the advisory council, I can think of no better example of this than the Tech Sprint we are launching today on AI.
“AI is undoubtably not only a major change moment in the wealth and advice space, but globally as well, impacting all of our lives. This sprint will give fintechs the opportunity to leverage Morningstar’s specialist data and analytics to delve into use cases, exploring opportunities for innovation that could bring meaningful improvements to the client journey by increasing adviser productivity and reducing end-to-end costs. I greatly look forward to seeing the entries to this Tech Sprint and sharing these fascinating insights with the wider community”.
NatWest and OpenAI join forces to transform banking with cutting-edge AI
NatWest and OpenAI have entered into a partnership aimed at driving substantial transformations within NatWest through advanced AI technologies.
NatWest, known for its comprehensive banking services, seeks to enhance its operational efficiency and customer service through this strategic collaboration. OpenAI, acclaimed for its groundbreaking work in generative AI, brings a wealth of technological expertise and innovative solutions to the table.
The primary motivation behind this collaboration is to streamline and simplify banking processes at NatWest, enhancing customer service across all its divisions. By integrating OpenAI’s advanced AI tools, NatWest aims to meet customer needs more swiftly and effectively, ensuring a seamless banking experience.
NatWest has been at the forefront of incorporating AI in banking, with successful tools like Cora+ and AskArchie+ enhancing customer interactions. OpenAI excels in creating powerful AI solutions that can transform industries. This partnership will focus on further developing digital assistant services to support complex customer tasks such as fraud identification and financial management.
The collaboration also promises to bring new advancements in AI that could revolutionize how NatWest supports its retail, commercial, and wealth management customers. For instance, the partnership aims to refine tools for fraud prevention and improve complaint handling, significantly boosting productivity and customer satisfaction.
Scott Marcar, Chief Information Officer at NatWest Group, emphasized the bank’s commitment to simplification and innovation. “With the needs of customers evolving at an extraordinary pace, it’s our role to be a trusted partner and meet their expectations faster and more effectively than ever before,” he said.
Angela Byrne, CEO of Retail Banking at NatWest Group, also highlighted the digital transformation, “Around 80% of our retail customers bank with us entirely digitally, which is why continually innovating to deliver the best digital experience possible is a non-negotiable,” she stated. The partnership with OpenAI is set to enhance these digital interactions further and provide superior protection against fraud and financial crime.
Giancarlo Lionetti, Chief Commercial Officer at OpenAI, commented on the collaboration, “This wide-scale collaboration with NatWest underscores its commitment to deliver industry-leading digital banking experiences. The first wave of activities will deliver tangible benefits to both NatWest’s customers and employees, while our ongoing work together paves the way for future AI banking innovations.”
With approximately 275 AI projects under exploration and around 25 use cases already in production, the collaboration has significantly improved customer satisfaction and operational efficiency within NatWest, showcasing the powerful impact of GenAI in banking.
Kennedys IQ launches InsurTech’s first neuro-symbolic AI solution for global insurance market
Kennedys IQ, the client-facing technology division of global law firm Kennedys, has introduced SmartRisk, the first fully explainable neuro-symbolic AI risk analysis solution for the insurance sector.
This latest addition to its data-driven IQ Platform aims to revolutionise policy review, liability, and coverage analysis by enhancing decision-making speed, accuracy, and consistency.
The launch of SmartRisk comes in response to increasing industry demand for AI-driven automation in risk analysis and underwriting.
Insurers face ongoing challenges with complex policy wording, inconsistent claims handling, and human error. Many current AI solutions, including generative AI chatbots, lack auditability, making them unsuitable for risk assessment. Kennedys IQ developed SmartRisk to bridge this gap by ensuring transparency and regulatory compliance.
Kennedys IQ provides data-powered technology solutions for insurers, brokers, and claims professionals worldwide.
Leveraging a combination of legal expertise and advanced AI, the company develops tools that streamline processes, enhance decision-making, and improve operational efficiency across the global insurance market.
SmartRisk differentiates itself by combining Large Language Models (LLMs) with insurance-specific knowledge, modelled using Evidential Reasoning (ER) and Belief Rule Base (BRB) methodologies. Unlike traditional generative AI, which relies purely on probabilistic outputs, SmartRisk offers a structured, fully auditable decision-making framework. This approach mitigates concerns around AI’s ‘black-box’ opacity while ensuring reliable and explainable results. The solution does not require extensive upfront data and can integrate seamlessly with insurers’ existing systems within weeks.
Designed for claims professionals, brokers, and underwriters across global insurance markets—including the London Market, specialty and general insurance in the UK, Europe, North America, LATAM, and APAC—SmartRisk enables insurers to automate risk assessments, enhance claims governance, extract critical data from complex documents (including handwritten notes), and reduce inconsistencies in decision-making.
SmartRisk has been developed by Kennedys IQ’s R&D team in collaboration with the University of Manchester and legal experts from Kennedys across multiple jurisdictions. This collaboration has helped create an AI model that effectively combines rule-based logic, deep reasoning, and explainable machine intelligence, making it well-suited for insurance applications requiring high levels of precision and transparency.
Initial pilots of SmartRisk have received positive feedback from leading insurers, with users highlighting the tool’s ability to reduce errors, eliminate inconsistencies in professional judgement, and significantly enhance operational efficiency.
Kennedys IQ chief product officer Karim Derrick said, “SmartRisk is built for the industry, by the industry. This is not just AI for the sake of AI – it’s about giving insurers real, explainable insights that reduce risk and improve efficiency.”
Derrick added, “There is a growing demand for AI-driven automation in insurance, particularly within specialty and complex risk underwriting. Policy wording analysis and claims handling are complex, inconsistent, and prone to human error, and GenAI chatbots today lack auditability, making them unsuitable for insurance risk assessment.
“Our interest is helping clients identify, manage and mitigate risk through the SmartRisk tool which can fill this gap to ensure transparency in decision making and regulatory compliance. In doing so, it eliminates the ‘black box’ concern around other AI models, while improving efficiency, minimising human error and providing insurers and brokers with deeper data-driven insights. Kennedys IQ’s SmartRisk frees up insurance professionals to focus on high-value decision-making while maintaining full control over risk analysis.”
Kennedys partner Neil Mody added, “The SmartRisk U.S. model is designed to help insurance adjusters navigate complex regulatory frameworks, including New York Insurance Law 3420. By mirroring the proprietary coverage evaluation process honed by seasoned professionals over decades, SmartRisk enables adjusters to reliably pinpoint key coverage issues, and make well-informed decisions. SmartRisk empowers adjusters by streamlining claim reviews while reducing high-frequency, high-risk human errors that cost insurance companies millions annually.”
Kennedys partner Richard West, head of client innovation and director of Kennedys IQ, said, “SmartRisk is devastatingly trustworthy and our proprietary response to the AI revolution. Built on our deep professional insights, it seamlessly integrates specialist judgement with cutting-edge technology. It is transparent, explicable, and designed to protect our clients’ and their customers’ reputations. We encapsulate professional integrity at the heart of Kennedys IQ SmartRisk.”
Crossmint secures $23.6m to simplify blockchain for businesses and AI agents
Crossmint, an all-in-one blockchain platform for businesses, has secured $23.6m in a funding round led by Ribbit Capital.
Other investors include Franklin Templeton, Nyca, First Round, and Lightspeed Faction. The investment follows a year of rapid growth, with Crossmint’s subscription revenue surging by 1,100% in 2024.
The company provides businesses with tools to develop blockchain applications using minimal code. Its platform enables companies to integrate wallets, tokenization, payments, and onramps without requiring blockchain expertise or digital asset holdings.
Consumers can engage with blockchain-based services using traditional methods like Face ID and email sign-ups while avoiding gas fees and other technical barriers.
Over 40,000 companies and developers, including global brands like Adidas and Red Bull, already use the platform. Businesses across various sectors are leveraging Crossmint to integrate stablecoins, enhance supply chain transparency, and develop interoperable rewards programmes. Additionally, startups are using the platform to accelerate the creation of blockchain applications.
Crossmint co-founder Alfonso Gomez-Jordana said, “AI agents are reshaping commerce. Soon, they will autonomously manage tasks like grocery shopping or personal styling. Traditional payment systems weren’t designed for AI agents—but blockchain is. Crossmint is building the infrastructure to support this next evolution.”
Ribbit Capital partner Zack Rosen highlighted Crossmint’s impact, stating, “Crossmint has demonstrated its ability to unlock new revenue streams and drive cost efficiencies for major brands while building the financial infrastructure for the next generation of AI-powered applications. We are excited to support Crossmint as they continue enabling enterprises and developers to innovate onchain.”
Nexi enhances contactless payments with Tap to Pay on iPhone in Switzerland and Finland
Nexi, a leading European PayTech, has expanded its Tap to Pay on iPhone functionality to merchants in Switzerland and Finland.
The company, which specialises in digital payment solutions, previously introduced the service in Italy, Germany, Austria, and Sweden, according to FF News.
The expansion aims to provide merchants with a seamless and secure method to accept in-person contactless payments.
By eliminating the need for additional hardware or payment terminals, Nexi is making digital transactions more accessible to businesses of all sizes, especially small merchants.
Nexi offers a range of digital payment solutions across Europe, providing businesses with secure and efficient transaction methods.
With a focus on innovation, the company continues to enhance payment experiences through its SoftPOS technology and mobile-based solutions.
Tap to Pay on iPhone enables merchants to accept various forms of contactless payments, including credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, and other digital wallets, using only an iPhone. The functionality is integrated into the Nexi SoftPOS feature within the MyPayments app, offering a convenient and cost-effective alternative to traditional payment terminals.
The service is particularly beneficial for small businesses, such as takeaways, taxis, and independent service providers, where mobility and ease of use are essential. With real-time transaction management and digital receipt options, Nexi’s SoftPOS solution provides enhanced flexibility for merchants.
Nexi has confirmed plans to continue expanding the availability of Tap to Pay on iPhone to more customers across Europe. The company is committed to driving digital payment adoption and increasing accessibility for businesses in various markets.
Suvi Ruoppa, country general manager of Nets Finland, part of Nexi Group, said, “The activation of Nexi SoftPOS on iPhone in Finland and Switzerland enables more merchants to offer customers enhanced flexibility and choice at the point of sale. This creates an easier and more convenient shopping experience for consumers, creating additional revenue opportunities for businesses of all sizes.”
David Emmanuel Gebhardt, country general manager of Nexi Switzerland, said, “With Nexi SoftPOS on iPhone, we are providing a simple and cost-effective payment solution for small businesses in Switzerland—especially for those who have not accepted card payments before. This is particularly beneficial for merchants such as take-aways, taxis, and independent service providers, where mobility and ease of use is key. By eliminating the need for additional hardware, we are making it easier than ever for merchants to accept contactless payments.”
EquiLend boosts securities finance technology with BNY investment
EquiLend has secured a minority investment from an affiliate of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (BNY).
This investment underscores BNY’s commitment to EquiLend’s mission and its innovative technological solutions.
BNY, along with eight other significant financial institutions, has invested in EquiLend to support the firm’s push for greater innovation and efficiency across the securities finance sector. This group of investors will also advise on the development of EquiLend’s solutions, ensuring that the company continues to meet the evolving needs of the industry.
At the core of what EquiLend does is its development of cutting-edge platforms designed to streamline operations and reduce inefficiencies within the securities finance market. A highlight of this innovation is the 1Source solution, a platform set to revolutionise the industry by providing a single source of truth for securities finance transactions through smart contracts on a distributed ledger (DLT).
The funds from this investment will be used to advance the development of 1Source and other projects aimed at enhancing transparency and setting new operational standards across the global market. By leveraging smart technology and DLT, EquiLend is positioned to lead a transformation in market infrastructure, focusing on efficiency and transparency.
Additional information about this partnership includes BNY’s new role among the initial users of the 1Source platform. This involvement highlights BNY’s active participation and support for EquiLend’s long-term strategic innovations.
“BNY has been a strong partner of EquiLend’s since shortly after the company’s founding over 20 years ago. This investment brings added advisory leaders and underscores the commitment to our products and transformative potential of our long-term strategy,” EquiLend CEO Rich Grossi said.
Head of Securities Finance at BNY, Nehal Udeshi, added, “This investment reflects our confidence in EquiLend’s ability to tackle the industry’s biggest challenges with innovative solutions that drive greater efficiency. We are confident in EquiLend’s central role in the marketplace and plans to further redefine securities finance with innovative market infrastructure.”
Digital wallet firm Curve secures £37m to accelerate growth and launch Curve Pay
Curve, a digital wallet provider known for its innovative approach to payment management, has raised £37m in a funding round led by Hanaco Ventures.
Existing investors, including Fuel Ventures, IDC, Outward VC, and Lord Stanley Fink, also participated in the round.
The fresh capital injection is set to support Curve’s strategic growth, with a strong emphasis on achieving profitability and launching new products in 2025. Among its key developments, the company is preparing to introduce Curve Pay, a digital wallet alternative for both Android and iOS users. The investment will also bolster Curve’s market expansion, infrastructure improvements, and customer experience enhancements.
Curve offers a digital wallet solution that consolidates multiple payment cards into a single platform, allowing users to manage their spending more efficiently. The wallet integrates features such as cashback rewards, real-time spending insights, and fee-free foreign transactions. Additionally, its unique ‘Go Back in Time®’ function enables customers to move past transactions between cards, aiding in cash flow management.
Curve founder and CEO Shachar Bialick said, “This latest investment reflects the confidence in Curve’s vision to redefine the digital wallet space. The Wallet Wars are here, and the only available solutions for customers to date are simple wallets which do nothing more than let you pay with your card.
“Curve is the only wallet that adds superpowers to your money; avoid Fx fees from any linked card, split old purchases into installments, earn cashback on top of any card and more. We see issuers looking to enter the market, and networks introducing innovative products such as Visa Flex and MasterCard One Credentials. This investment would allow us to invest further in our customer experience, bring new partnerships, and accelerate our path to profitability.”
Tomer Jacob of Hanaco Ventures praised Curve’s innovation, stating, “Curve reimagined the digital wallet delivering a one-of-a-kind financial experience that simplifies and supercharges how you pay and manage your money – all without changing your bank. The Curve team has proven to be resilient and innovative, and we are excited to support Curve as it continues to grow, bringing more choice and flexibility to the digital wallet market, and to its millions of users.”