NatWest is proud to announce it has exceeded its ambitious target of lending £2bn to female-led businesses by the end of 2025, reaching an impressive £2.84bn across more than 55,900 loans – well ahead of schedule. This milestone underscores NatWest’s commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs across the UK.

To help fight this financial crime, the FCA has launched Firm Checker, a tool to help consumers avoid scams. By using the tool and checking if a firm is authorised and has the correct permissions to provide services, people can significantly reduce their chances of falling victim to fraud.

10x Banking, the cloud-native core banking platform, has partnered with audax Financial Technology (“audax”), a comprehensive digital banking technology solutions provider supported by Standard Chartered, to transform how banks in Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East scale new digital offerings and modernize their core banking services.

Mastercard has identified six major trends that will shape the way people and businesses pay in 2026, as digital payments evolve from simply being faster to becoming smarter, safer and more deeply embedded in everyday life.

Drawn from Mastercard’s global insights, the trends highlight how advances in artificial intelligence, digital identity, real-time payments and new payment rails are transforming money movement, building trust and opening fresh opportunities for innovation across markets worldwide.

Payfuture, an enterprise payments partner for high-growth international businesses, has launched its operations in South Africa, creating new opportunities to engage with one of Africa’s most mature and fast-growing digital economies.

Mastercard is bringing extra excitement to the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025 with the launch of its first-ever Mastercard Fan Garage. Created as part of Mastercard’s partnership with the McLaren Formula 1 Team, the interactive space is designed to bring fans closer to the sport they love.

Swiipr, a leading global paytech that is digitally transforming airline disruption payments, has partnered with Google to launch the aviation industry’s first instantly provisioned digital compensation card, eliminating the need for passengers to download an app to receive funds.  

Global financial technology company SumUp today announced its merchant business account ecosystem has achieved two major milestones: surpassing €1 billion in customer deposits and growing to 1.5 million active Business Account users globally. The rapid adoption comes as SumUp rolls out a suite of new features, including cash deposits and local IBANs, deepening its role as the primary financial partner for Europe's small businesses.

Tide, the leading business management platform, has appointed Dan McNally as SVP and CEO of Tide Insurance Services, to lead its growing global insurance business and drive the next phase of Tide’s expansion into business protection for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The appointment is subject to FCA approval.