The SmartStream Reference Data Utility (RDU), today announced the joining of Eric Bigelsen as Senior Vice President, Sales for the Americas. In his role, Eric will be leading the sales and business development efforts for The SmartStream Reference Data Utility (RDU) initiative for banks, broker/dealers, asset managers, hedge funds and trading companies.

Online lender Spotcap today opened the Fintech Fellowship to applicants. The programme offers an £8k award to a postgraduate student studying a fintech related course at a UK university. Applications will be open for four months and close on the 1  August 2018.

Vantiv, now Worldpay, Inc. (NYSE: WP) announced today at ETA TRANSACT (Booth #410) it is adding the handheld PAX A920 to its line of SmartPay Series™ terminals. These devices feature a single software platform providing a common user experience for merchants. SmartPay terminals also use a flexible Android-based operating system with pre-loaded business application bundles specifically designed to best meet a merchant’s needs.

The Open Banking Implementation Entity (the ‘OBIE’), the body created by the UK’s largest personal and small business current account providers to create a better way to move, manage and make more of your money, announces that regulated companies are now able to offer new Open Banking services to consumers and businesses.
Since launch on 13 January 2018, the OBIE has operated a ‘Managed Roll Out’ programme designed to prove that this critical new piece of UK financial infrastructure is ready for customers. *1

Avoka, the global leader in customer acquisition journeys in banking, today unveiled the findings of its 2018 State of Digital Sales in Banking Report. The report, now in its third year, compares the digital account opening capabilities of 50 of the largest banks in North America, Europe, and Australia, measuring both the breadth of their offerings and the quality of their customer experience.

InvestCloud Inc., a global FinTech firm, has announced FCI Advisors as the latest wealth manager to adopt its digital platform. FCI will use InvestCloud to digitize services and engagement for its high-net-worth and institutional clients.

FCI Advisors has been using InvestCloud’s document storage apps since 2014. The wealth manager has now added new functionality from InvestCloud to give clients the ability to interact with their wealth in more ways online. It allows them to monitor allocations, securities and transactions, and to review performance.

Path Solutions, the global leader in Sharia-based technologies to the Islamic financial services industry, announced today that the company and its Group Chairman & CEO, Mohammed Kateeb, have been awarded this year’s ‘Best Islamic Banking Technology Provider EMEA’ and ‘Best Islamic Finance Technology CEO EMEA’ respectively by Global Banking & Finance Review.  

SafeCharge, a leading payments technology company, today announces that it recorded an increase of 60% in number of processed transactions for Saturday’s Grand National, the biggest race in the British horseracing calendar, compared to last year’s event. With over £200m in bets placed each year during this event, SafeCharge payments data suggests that Grand National bets are significantly increasing in payment processing volumes, challenging payment processing infrastructures just like Valentine’s Day or Black Friday.

Tigo Tanzania’s (www.Tigo.co.tz) mobile financial services business, Tigo Pesa (www.Tigo.co.tz/tigo-pesa), has received the GSMA Mobile Money Certification, recognizing Tigo’s ability to deliver safe, transparent, reliable and more resilient services that promote consumer rights and