Investing in fintechs with Information Venture Partners

Investing in fintechs with Information Venture Partners

In an interview with The Financial Revolutionist, Jane Podbelskaya, Principal at Information Venture Partners, suggests economic fundamentals will help early-stage fintechs weather upcoming volatility, and will make them capable of sustained growth under any economic conditions.

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Is a recession really coming?

Is a recession really coming?

A recession is defined as a “significant decline in economic activity that is spread across the economy and lasts more than a few months.” The uncertainty of the term, as well as improving supply-chain conditions in the auto industry, suggest a slump isn’t inevitable.

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Remaking Samsung Pay

Remaking Samsung Pay

Samsung announced that it’s merging its Pay and Pass apps into Samsung Wallet, a single, integrated platform for financial products, official documents, home and car keys, and more. Users in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and the US are the first to have access to the updated service.

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Dutch regulators throw wrench in Apple’s payments plans

Dutch regulators throw wrench in Apple’s payments plans

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) said Apple will comply with a ruling that requires the computing giant to allow other payments methods for dating app purchases. Penalty payments surrounding the case totaled €50M.

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African payments company acquires US fintech

African payments company acquires US fintech

Digital payments company MFS Africa acquired US-based Global Technology Partners (GTP), a card-issuing startup, which will let MFS issue virtual debit cards to its customers. MFS Africa paid $34M for GTP through cash and shares.

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Citigroup commits to “digital explosion”

Citigroup commits to “digital explosion”

Jonathan Lofthouse, Head of Markets and Enterprise Risk Technology, said Citigroup plans to hire more than 4,000 tech workers to help digitize services for institutional clients.

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Reconsidering the dollar bill

Reconsidering the dollar bill

In an op-ed for MIT Technology Review, Lana Swartz, who studies the history and future of money at the University of Virginia, reflects on monetary tools that serve public interests. Cash, she argues, is the best financial technology for community and individual autonomy.

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Small businesses are people, too, with Grasshopper Bank

Small businesses are people, too, with Grasshopper Bank

In an interview with The Financial Revolutionist, Danielle Kane, Director of Small Business Banking at Grasshopper Bank, explains the bank’s lean partnership model, describes how small businesses can operate like consumers, and hints at the bank’s long-term goals.

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Compliance as a gateway to growth with Federico Baradello (Finalis)

Compliance as a gateway to growth with Federico Baradello (Finalis)

In an interview with The Financial Revolutionist, Federico Baradello, Founder and CEO of Finalis, dives into his company’s mission, outlines how compliance can be a strategy for growth, and encourages other entrepreneurs to find “unsexy” but promising niches to disrupt.

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Why does Mastercard want to monetize your face?

Why does Mastercard want to monetize your face?

The payments giant announced the launch of its Biometric Checkout Program, which lets customers pay by smiling or waving their hand over a reader. It will first be used at five supermarkets in Brazil as a pilot program.

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Will Affirm's new strategy keep it afloat?

Will Affirm's new strategy keep it afloat?

The BNPL provider announced that it will offer its solution on Fiserv point-of-sale technology, including the Carat commercial system as well as Clover POS devices at brick-and-mortar stores. Visa announced a similar partnership with FIS last week.

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Preparing for a business exit with James Jack (UBS)

Preparing for a business exit with James Jack (UBS)

In an interview with The Financial Revolutionist, James Jack, Head of the Business Owners Client Segment at UBS, suggests ways fintechs can learn from the experiences and strengths of banks like UBS.

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Can Visa pull off a BNPL overhaul?

Can Visa pull off a BNPL overhaul?

Visa announced that it’s added a BNPL option to its “Visa Ready” program. Unlike traditional BNPL solutions, Visa’s product also lets consumers opt into BNPL installments at point-of-sale through virtual cards, not just online.

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3 trends shaping celebrity power in finance

3 trends shaping celebrity power in finance

Four years of hindsight, especially the underwhelming results of crypto’s Super Bowl ad blitz, suggest the power of celebrity endorsements in finance is overhyped, or, at the least, uneven.

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Will the EU kill Apple’s fintech plans?

Will the EU kill Apple’s fintech plans?

This morning, the European Commission released the initial findings of an antitrust case surrounding Apple Pay and third-party access to NFC technology on Apple hardware. The Commission has concluded that Apple unfairly prevents competitors from using NFC payments tech on Apple devices.

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