Insurance leaders are beginning to see artificial intelligence (AI) move from hype to real-world impact, according to a new report from Economist Impact and sponsored by SAS. The research finds that emerging technologies such as generative AI haven't yet transformed the industry, but they are demonstrating gains in productivity.

Cross River Bank, a technology infrastructure provider that offers embedded financial solutions, today announced it has extended a $150 million senior secured revolving credit facility to Activehours, Inc. d/b/a EarnIn (“EarnIn”), a leading earnings management company.

Zone & Co, the ERP-native financial operations platform that unifies order-to-cash and procure-to-pay workflows at scale, today announced the launch of direct bank connectivity within ZoneReconcile. The new treasury feature allows finance teams to connect directly to more than 12,000 banks and financial institutions across the U.S., Canada and the European Union, streamlining transaction imports without leaving their ERP environment.

Bolt, the checkout, identity and payments leader powering faster, smarter commerce, today announced the launch of Bolt Activate, a new program designed to help the next generation of innovative digital commerce founders bring their ideas to market faster and scale with confidence.

Ripple, a financial technology company that offers crypto solutions for businesses, today announced a $25 million commitment to leading nonprofits Accion Opportunity Fund and Hire Heroes USA. This funding, delivered in Ripple USD (RLUSD), Ripple’s U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, will expand access to capital for underserved small business owners and create career pathways for veterans and military spouses. It will also equip entrepreneurs with digital payment tools so communities across the U.S. can thrive in today’s rapidly evolving economy.

UnionPay International (UPI), a global leader in payment solutions, announced the launch of its program for international students, in partnership with multiple universities, tuition payment platforms, student housing operators, and local banks.

Street Wallet, the South African fintech empowering informal traders and service providers with accessible, low-cost digital payment solutions, is delighted to announce its acquisition of Digitip, a South African startup enabling informal workers to receive digital tips. The move strengthens Street Wallet’s footprint in KwaZulu-Natal and accelerates its mission to empower informal traders to enter the digital economy.

Swiss Financial Institution, Bivial AG, is pleased to announce the launch of instant 24/7 CHF payments through the SIC Instant Payments (SIC IP) clearing system. As an early adopter of this national infrastructure, Bivial now enables all clients to send and receive Swiss Franc payments instantly, 24/7, 365 days a year.

VoPay, a leading provider of Embedded Payments and Treasury-as-a-Service solutions, today announced an extension of its payment orchestration platform with real-time payouts to PayPal and Venmo. Effective immediately, businesses in North America can send funds directly to PayPal and Venmo accounts, unlocking faster, more flexible, and highly inclusive payout options.