Grasshopper, the client-first, full service digital bank, today announced it concluded a $46.6 million funding round. Patriot Financial Partners LP led the funding round, with additional participation from Glendon Capital Management.

Alaan, the Middle East’s leading spend management platform for businesses, has raised $48 million - one of the largest Series A funding rounds in the history of the region.

NCR Atleos Corporation, a leader in expanding self-service financial access for financial institutions, retailers and consumers, today announced that Ankeny, Iowa-based 

Axal, the fintech startup backed by a16z CSX and CMT Digital, has teamed up with MoonPay to launch Axal Yield, a groundbreaking savings tool that enables users worldwide to earn onchain yield effortlessly. Powered by decentralized finance (DeFi) lending and integrated with MoonPay’s new Virtual Accounts, Axal Yield combines passive income generation with full user control.

OpenWay, the global leader behind the award-winning Way4 digital payment platform, has officially expanded into Francophone Africa, empowering banks and fintechs in the region with access to its globally recognized payment technology and local service infrastructure.

As part of its commitment to accelerating fintech innovation across the African continent, OpenWay is taking two strategic steps in Francophone Africa:

Payment Labs, a global fintech leader specializing in payment solutions for sports organizations, today announced the appointment of industry veteran Paul Brewer as Executive Vice President of Sales & Sports Partnerships. A former revenue leader at The Sporting News, Rival, and ESL, Brewer will spearhead Payment Labs’ continued expansion in the sports market, building on the startup’s success in automating complex payment processes for sports and gaming properties.

MAPFRE AM, the asset manager of the MAPFRE Group, closed the first half of the year with €39.67 billion in assets under management, consolidating its position as the largest non-bank asset manager in Spain. MAPFRE Inversión, the parent company of MAPFRE AM, recorded a profit of €25.95 million, 19.4% higher than the previous year, marking the highest figure for that period.

Datos Insights, a leading global provider of data and advisory solutions to the financial services and insurance industries, today announced the acquisition of InsTech, the prominent London-based insurance innovation community and advisory firm. The strategic combination brings together Datos’ deep practitioner expertise and sophisticated data and analytics capabilities with InsTech’s established network of senior insurance executives and extensive experience in emerging technologies and risk methodologies.

Uzum, Uzbekistan’s leading digital ecosystem, has secured nearly $70 million in equity financing from Tencent and VR Capital, with participation from FinSight Ventures – a U.S. fund focused on AI, fintech and super-app investments, and lead investor in Uzum’s first equity round completed in March 2024.

Tencent is a world-leading internet and technology company with a diverse portfolio of innovative products and services. It is listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.

SimCorp, a global leader in financial technology and a subsidiary of Deutsche Börse AG, today announced that Peter Sanderson will be named the company’s Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.