The economic recovery from the COVID-19 accelerated in the first half of 2021, causing the global banks' market cap to almost completely recover and reach pre-pandemic levels.

According to data presented by StockApps.com, the market capitalization of the global banking sector jumped by nearly 20% since December and hit €7.3trn in the first quarter of 2021.

The Amsterdam branch of the global early-stage venture capital firm, Antler, has recruited executives from Dutch FinTech innovators, Adyen, Mollie and bunq. 

Leading anti-money laundering specialist SmartSearch has warned property agents are in serious danger of non-compliance with new regulations, unless they ditch documents and embrace a digital solution.

As the June 10 deadline approaches for estate and lettings agents to register with HMRC to ensure compliance, there are concerns that some agents are not yet prepared for the extra regulatory responsibility, and that relying on outdated methods of ID verification is leading to a rise in fraud.

Manchester-based fintech start-up Hydr today announces the launch of its proprietary invoice finance platform to help small businesses optimise their cash flow.

Co-founded by fintech experts with first-hand experience of the challenges that long payment terms and late payments can create, Nicola Weedall and Hector Macandrew are on a mission to tackle poor payment culture in the UK.

Open finance partnership platform, mmob, has today announced the appointment of award-winning entrepreneur and sought-after expert in open banking and finance, Irfan Khan as CEO. 

CleverCards, a leading global payments platform, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the business of ExpendiaSmart® including the related Italian Licensed Electronic Money Institution, subject to regulatory approval.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a consent order today against 3rd Generation, Inc., doing business as California Auto Finance (California Auto) for illegally charging interest for late payment on its Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) product without its customers’ knowledge. The CFPB’s order requires California Auto to refund or credit customers harmed by the conduct, furnish corrected information to credit reporting agencies, and pay a civil penalty and also prohibits the company from charging interest on late payments without disclosing costs.

Manuel Silva Martinez, General Partner, Mouro Capital:

“In the business and technology media, you often see references to a city being a leader in a particular sector or technology. Equally commonly, you hear politicians and business leaders talking about ways that their own cities can retain or get to the ‘top spot’ in their chosen sectors. Often, this is calculated by way of VC investment in particular cities and industries.

Waters Tec-hnology has announced Alveo, a leading financial data management solutions provider, as the winner of the prestigious Inside Market Data and Inside Reference Data Best Reference Data Managed Service award for 2021. The award follows increased adoption of, and momentum for Alveo’s PaSS managed data service with recent customers, including Mediolanum International Funds Limited, Bankia and Venerable Insurance and Annuity Company.