Customer centricity has always been at the heart of travel businesses. But it is essential that businesses keep pace with both technological advancements and the evolving consumer demand as innovation in the sector is rapidly transforming the customer experience.

However, one element of the customer experience that is often overlooked by travel businesses is payments. Previously, payments have been perceived as a functional necessity; however, they can play a vital role in meeting customer demands.

Levelling the playing field for retail and institutional investors is a step in the right direction, but it’s too little, too late in terms of engendering real change. Investing in new interface technology without addressing fundamental issues with the stock exchange model is really just putting lipstick on a pig. The London Stock Exchange is still utilising the same antiquated legacy environment, and the investment model is still reliant on intermediaries – Primarybid is just another neo broker – so it’s not actually widening access to IPOs.

Mumbai-based Pareto Capital, which is in the business of Investment Banking, Investor Relations advisory and Asset Management, have ventured into PMS business by acquiring equity stake in Crescita Investment Management Private Limited. Crescita Investment Management, founded in 2016 by an industry veteran Vijay Sarda, is a PMS firm that offers Portfolio Management Service, Investment Advisory Services to High Net Worth individuals (HNIs), Ultra HNIs, Family offices and institutions. 

Capitolis, a 'next generation' provider of capital markets technology founded by Gil Mandelzis, ex-Traiana, and Icap, Tom Glocer, ex-CEO of Thomson Reuters, and Igor Teleshevksy, formerly Traiana, has raised $40 million in financing from Spark Capital and SVB Capital.

PayPal has agreed its largest ever acquisition - a $4 billion deal to buy Honey Science Corporation, the firm behind a browser extension and app that helps people find online shopping rewards and deals.

Switzerland's Cornèrcard has teamed up with Gemalto and Visa to launch the country's first credit card featuring a biometric fingerprint reader.

Fast-growing Brazilian neobank Neon has raised $93.5 million in a Series B round led by General Atlantic and Banco Votorantim as it seeks to grow its two million customer base beyond the Rio-Sao Paulo corridor.

 Financial Data Exchange Managing Director Don Cardinal testified before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services Task Force on Financial Technology, regarding the role of big data in financial services and the protection of consumer privacy.  

Finastra has hired Lisa Fiondella as Chief Data Officer to lead its comprehensive data strategy, including how data collected through the FusionFabric.cloud platform and various cloud-based solutions, can be best utilized. She will be responsible for developing a data product roadmap and manage the process of bringing new data products to market.