Mercuryo, a leading crypto payments company, has launched open banking payments within their cryptocurrency wallet, used by over two million global customers. The real-time account-to-account payments (A2A) will be facilitated by leading open payments gateway Volt and will provide Mercuryo wallet users, alongside their business partners, with single-click payment solutions via fiat.

The partnership signifies another milestone use case for open banking payments, but also serves as a reminder of the growing demand and mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies worldwide, with Mercuryo becoming one of the first crypto powered companies to incorporate open banking payments for consumers and businesses inside and outside of Europe.

Alongside Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay payment options, Mercuryo users will now be able to purchase cryptocurrency in real time via an open banking account to account transfer, with the funds leaving their bank account and their purchased cryptocurrency being deposited directly into their Mercuryo wallet in a matter of seconds.

This is likely to be welcomed by consumers who are looking to make swift purchases of cryptocurrency, at a specific price and at a specific moment in time. Another advantage is an unlimited transfer amount, which many cards have implemented for customers on the purchase of cryptocurrency. 

Furthermore, with SCA requirements on card transactions coming into force on both sides of the English Channel, an extra security step has been added into the card payment process. Whilst many have welcomed this verification process, it’s likely to make Open Banking payments more desirable in the long run, offering a potentially swifter, safer and more convenient payment experience.

Mercuryo’s latest partnership with Volt follows their recent expansion into Latin America, with the business planning to open ten more regional offices in 2022, in Africa, South America and Asia.

Since launching in 2019, Volt has fast become the leading open payments gateway globally, whilst building and managing infrastructures for real-time open banking payments. Volt currently enables merchants and PSPs to process payment transactions between accounts held at more than 5,000 banks in the UK, EU and Brazil.

Petr Kozyakov, CEO of Mercuryo, comments: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Volt, whom we share a very similar mission with - to enable faster, more secure and more cost-efficient payment experiences. Incorporating open banking payment methods was a natural next step for Mercuryo, putting consumers back in the driving seat when it comes to making crypto payments, whilst reducing the number of customer drop-outs for businesses due to previously lengthy bank transfer processes.”

Jordan Lawrence, Co-Founder and CBDO of Volt, comments: “This partnership represents a turning point in the relationship between FIAT currencies and Digital Assets. The ability to instantly take advantage of Crypto prices via a real time payment transfer not only ensures price transparency and trust but encourages interoperability between currencies. Mercuryo are forward thinking in everything they do and this is a giant leap for user adoption of Open Banking and Digital Assets. Volt is really excited to join forces with Mercuryo.”

Always strive for financial independence. You should have something to grab from your pocket when the time comes. When you're financially independent, you won't have to worry about the future. Here's why you should change your habits now.

You won’t always have a stable job

Sure, you may be currently employed. However, there's no guarantee that things will stay the same. You may lose your job the next day, week, or month. You don't want to start from scratch when that happens. Hence, you should set aside a sufficient amount to keep you going during this challenging time.

You want to see the world

You always dream about travelling the world, but you keep suspending your plans because of financial issues. The best way to make it possible is by being financially independent. Then, when you need to take a break, you won't have second thoughts. You know that there's enough money in your bank account to help you move forward with your plans and other goals in life.

You can’t always get a loan

Banks and other financial institutions are there when you need money in case of an emergency. The problem is you might have difficulty applying for loans. You will also find it challenging to repay them even if you get approved. Besides, relying on loans will make you less independent. Even if you have a good-paying job, your salary will only repay the loan.

The good thing is you can consult with experts regarding loans and other money matters. You can talk with a financial advisor in Kent at www.fingerprintfinancialplanning.co.uk if you don't know where to start. It helps to have someone who understands the needs of those who are in the area. If you're from Kent or neighbouring regions, you will feel good about consulting with experts.

You want to sleep well at night

Imagine if you're running away from tons of debt. Sleeping at night can be challenging, and the amount you owe others will haunt you. When you finally let go of these financial difficulties, you won’t have anything to worry about. You will also be in a good mood to keep fighting the next day.

You want to move forward

You can't be in the same place forever. You want to have investments, or you may even desire to move up the economic ladder. Just because you're used to what you have now doesn't mean things can't get better. There's always hope for a better tomorrow.

Make the necessary adjustments

Since you understand the need for financial independence, the next step is to change your ways. You can't do the same thing repeatedly if you know it makes you less stable. Consider changing your budget or spending less on unnecessary expenses. You're not where you need to be because you refuse to change. It might entail sacrifice, but it will be worth it. When you eventually need money for an emergency, you know there's enough amount in your account.

Image: https://unsplash.com/photos/I3HPUolh5hA

Scienaptic AI, a leading global AI-powered credit decision platform provider, announced today that GO, a first-of-its-kind car subscription, has partnered with the company to provide enhanced and faster decisions to its customers. In partnering, GO looks to increase the availability of its offering using transformative technology in its screening and decisioning process.

GO provides consumers a cheaper and easier way to get their daily driver. GO thrives where other car subscriptions failed: Price. Through a complete reimagining of the car subscription model, GO saves customers around 20-30% per month compared to traditional car ownership. The entire process is handled online without stepping foot in a physical location. With Scienaptic’s AI-powered platform, GO will be able to offer quicker approvals, drive higher automation, receive enhanced risk signals and help more customers with poor credit history.

“Until now, the only attempts at innovation outside of the traditional automotive experience were extremely expensive and not practical for, or even desired by, most consumers. GO serves the mass audience of payment-driven shoppers looking to get the best car for their monthly budget. By removing all the things that add cost and frustration with little value in return, we provide customers a value proposition so compelling that it almost seems too good to be true,” said Michael Beauchamp, GO’s Founder and CEO. “Our partnership with Scienaptic allows us to further streamline our customer application and transaction process resulting in less friction and smarter screening to extend the GO offering to an even larger audience.”

Correspondingly, Pankaj Jain, President of Scienaptic AI, said, “We are excited to partner with GO Car Subscription, which is helping people achieve one of the basic requirements of modern times – car drivership for all. Our AI-powered platform will enable GO to assess potential customers faster, make advanced decisions and expand their business while reducing the associated risk significantly. We are looking forward to helping GO Car Subscription grow and ensure that millions of customers have the car of their dreams.”

Latest funding brings total investment to over $3 million as Connectd attracts investors with its 16% month-on-month growth rate

Connectd, a growth network for the early-stage business ecosystem that helps startups, investors and advisors make and manage meaningful connections, has secured a further $1.6 million in seed funding to expand into the European market and launch two innovative new tools.

Founded by serial entrepreneur Roei Samuel, Connectd has expanded its operation into Europe with a new office opening in Stockholm, Sweden. Since its launch in February 2020, Connectd has brought together more than 1,000 startups, and over 1,000 investors and business advisors fostering more than 20,000 connections in over ten countries.

Connectd operates through a subscription-based model and has grown on average 16% every month since its launch. In the space of just over a year, its team has grown to 40 personnel working across the UK, India, Sweden, and Poland.

“This investment takes us another step forward in becoming the leading community-driven platform that provides founders, investors, and advisors with the holistic tools they need,” said Roei Samuel, Founder and CEO of Connectd.  

“Our new legal tool is designed to benefit founders and investors by helping them establish their essential legal documentation without incurring expensive fees. Also, our new portfolio solution enables angel investors to see everything in one place thanks to our intelligent dashboard.” Samuel continued.

Joining the round were Rob Wilmot, TEDx Speaker and founding executive of Freeserve; Jonas Anker, CEO of Anker Capital; Business Angel, Gareth Hawkins; serial entrepreneur brothers Aleks and Dejan Subosic of Deep North; and Steve Scruton, former head of Equity Research at HSBC. The culmination of this round means that Connectd has now raised $3m in seed funding.

Dejan Subosic, serial entrepreneur and angel investor in Connectd said: "We see huge global application for Connectd's technology, and having built, exited and invested into companies across Europe and beyond, we're excited to help launch Connectd in Stockholm in Q2 and build a broader European footprint from there."

The launch of ConnectdLegal provides members with a hub to easily access documents including SEIS/EIS registration, advisory agreements for NEDs and board advisors, NDAs, and employment contracts. Not only will Connectd’s founder community be able to use ConnectdLegal, but advisors and investors will be able to share these with their portfolio companies.

The new ConnectdPortfolio tool acts in the same way as a consumable dashboard for a crypto-wallet or for public shares, but tailored to the early-stage investment ecosystem. It allows investors to manage all their angel investments in one place, and it is not limited to investments made through the Connectd platform.

“Connectd has proven to deliver consistent month-on-month growth, and the trajectory for the business is looking very strong. I feel I can add value beyond my investment to Roei and his team, which is why I’m pleased to go on this journey with them.” Said Paul Redbourn, former head of Equity at UBS and current investor in Connectd.

Partners with ESG Book to Drive Investor Sustainability Engagement

Xignite, Inc., the leading provider of market data APIs to brokers and wealth managers, announced the launch of a new Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) data API in partnership with ESG Book, a global leader in ESG data and technology. Xignite’s brokerage, wealth, and media customers can now increase user engagement and retention with state-of-the-art sustainability trading products. 

As ESG investment has gone mainstream, today’s digital investors, institutional investors, and corporations alike require ESG data to help them answer questions that range from a company’s workforce diversity to its commitment to a net zero future. In this context, brokers and wealth managers can use ESG data to increase client engagement around their portfolios and differentiate their offerings in a very fragmented marketplace. 

“We are thrilled to extend our highly scalable and advanced API platform to include ESG Book’s real-time sustainability dataset. With the recent SEC announcement of proposals for climate disclosure, the momentum for sustainability data in the U.S. just keeps on building. If you do not offer ESG data and portfolio analytics to your clients today, you will run into growth and retention challenges” said Steìphane Dubois, the CEO of Xignite. 

Dr Daniel Klier, CEO of ESG Book, said: “As capital markets transition towards a more sustainable, net-zero future, demand for accessible, comparable and transparent ESG data has never been higher. We are delighted to be partnering with Xignite, a global leader in API solutions, to deliver our real-time ESG data products to clients at both speed and scale through the latest cloud technology.”

Xignite’s new ESG API is designed to fast track the launch of ESG powered products. Transparent, well-structured and easy to understand ESG datasets eliminate the need for robust in-house ESG expertise. Advanced screener endpoints further simplify development by eliminating the need to maintain a database. 

XigniteGlobalESG API covers a comprehensive universe of public companies domiciled in North America, EMEA, APAC, and Latin America. In addition to ESG scores, this API provides Global Compact scores, involvement data, temperature scores, and raw emissions data. 

Competitive digital solutions, new features are welcomed by customers and employees alike

Jack Henry & Associates, Inc. announced today that Lea County State Bank selected Jack Henry to upgrade its technology platform with open, flexible and user-centric digital solutions.

Hobbs, N.M.-based Lea County State Bank has deep roots in the region’s oil and gas industry, having served the community since 1928. The $600-million asset bank selected Jack Henry as its technology provider of choice to compete with large banks and non-traditional financial institutions while maintaining its strong community culture. Lea County State Bank will gain open access to a broad ecosystem of Jack Henry solutions such as the Banno Digital Platform™, as well as to more than 850 third-party fintechs to shape custom offerings for both its business and retail customers.

Disa Walker, vice-president at Lea County State Bank, said, “Our bank has a proven history of doing what is best to meet the current and future needs of our community. Today, the best way to support our customers is to offer them modern digital solutions that are backed by the very best customer support; Jack Henry is helping us enable that balance. For example, both our business and retail customers will have the same digital experience, removing friction, improving satisfaction, and ultimately helping us grow. Jack Henry brings an understanding and collaboration to the table that we haven’t experienced with other key technology partners.”

Lea County State Bank will also benefit from an internal digital transformation: automating and streamlining processes to drive standardization and efficiency across the organization. Walker adds, “We always remember the key role that our employees play in driving our success, so we aim to provide them with modern technology tools that facilitate their jobs, allowing them to focus on building and nurturing relationships with our clients. Jack Henry helps us achieve that. For example, ​​Branch Anywhere™ will be a game-changer for our bankers, allowing them to access key information about their accounts, hold face-to-face meetings with their customers, answer questions, and solve issues from anywhere outside the branch.”

Stacey Zengel, senior vice president of Jack Henry & Associates and president of Jack Henry Banking, said, “Community banking has changed --  today, a bank like Lea County State Bank can be as efficient and convenient as non-traditional financial institutions. The bank is able to deeply penetrate its market with technology that brings it closer to customers and allows it to focus on building strong relationships. Lea County State Bank knows what it takes to support its community in good times and in times of need. We are proud that the bank has chosen our technology to continue its legacy through both personal service and digital

CPM software provider announces 67 percent year-over-year Annual Recurring Revenue growth

OneStream, a leader in corporate performance management (CPM) solutions for the world’s leading enterprises, today announced it has achieved 67 percent year-over-year Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) growth in the quarter ending March 31.

The company added over 60 new customers in the first quarter, increasing its customer base by 38 percent year-over-year, now totaling over 950 organizations globally. New customers signed in the first quarter include: Arkema, Delaware North Companies, DirecTV, Medivet, Menzies Aviation, Pegasystems and Suffolk County Government.

“Now more than ever, it is critical for organizations to have a steady pulse on their business and agility in their planning and decision-making processes,” said Tom Shea, CEO at OneStream. “Organizations are turning to OneStream to drive digital transformation by unifying complex financial processes in order to unleash the data and insights required to drive agile, informed decision-making.”

OneStream has added over 100 employees since the beginning of 2022, and now has over 1,100 employees across 18 countries. The company plans to open its new headquarters facility in Birmingham, MI in the second quarter of 2022. OneStream has also added 7 new partners in the same time period.

“Following on our strong performance in 2021, we continued to see increased demand globally for our solutions in Q1 2022 from new as well as existing customers,” said Craig Colby, President at OneStream. “With OneStream’s platform, organizations are replacing spreadsheets, cloud point solutions, and multiple legacy CPM applications unifying planning, financial close, consolidation, reporting and analytics – and creating a strong foundation for agile decision-making in finance and across line of business operations.”

OneStream has earned several industry recognitions since the start of 2022, including the following:

• Recognized as Market Leader in BARC Score Financial Performance Management 2022 Report
• Placement on CRN® 2022 Partner Program Guide
• Named a winner of the Atlanta Top Workplaces 2022 Award by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• Recognized as a First Place Champion in the 2022 EPM Emotional Footprint Report by SoftwareReviews
• Named a winner of the 2022 Top Workplaces USA Award by Energage
• Recognized as a Leader in the Nucleus Research CPM Technology Value Matrix

OneStream is planning to hold its 2022 Splash User Conference and Partner Summit in San Antonio, TX from May 23-26. For more information and event registration, visit the Splash event page at splash.onestreamsoftware.com.

Nuvei Corporation (“Nuvei” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: NVEI) (TSX: NVEI), the global payment technology partner of thriving brands, announces today its partnership with nextmarkets, one of Europe’s most innovative commission-free online brokers. 

Through its proprietary payment platform, Nuvei will help solidify nextmarkets’ capabilities in the markets they already operate in, as well as power their expansion outside of Europe, as they continue to democratize the trading experience for people around the world. 

“nextmarkets’ vision to enable all investors, regardless of experience to achieve financial success in their online trading activities by combining innovative technology with powerful expert knowledge, is aligned with our own,” said Nuvei Chair and CEO Philip Fayer. “Uniting payment technology and consulting, we help businesses remove payment barriers and increase acceptance rates. We are excited to partner with nextmarkets to aid their international expansion,” he added.

Leveraging Nuvei’s more than 530 alternative payment methods and local acquiring in 46 markets, nextmarkets will be able to facilitate seamless pay-ins and pay-outs for their customers with a payment method of their choice. 

Commenting on the partnership, nextmarkets Co-founder and CEO, Manuel Heyden, said: “nextmarkets develops the latest technologies for one purpose: to make people more successful on stock markets. We believe the trading experience should be high-performing, seamless, and intuitive – and the payment process is an integral part of the investment journey.”

nextmarkets Co-founder and CTO Dominic Heyden said: “We are proud of the fact that we built an online broker top-to-bottom, on our own technology, with a comprehensive regulatory framework, active in seven European markets.”

“As nextmarkets prepares to grow the business outside of Europe, we need partners on this journey. Nuvei’s flexible technology delivered through a single integration, complements our own and positions us perfectly for our ambitious growth plans. So, we’re excited about the future,” he said. 

 NYMBUS®, a leading provider of banking technology solutions, today announced Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) has selected Nymbus to launch and grow its new standalone digital brand, AlumniFi.

As the 42nd biggest credit union in the United States and the largest University-based credit union in the world, MSUFCU has a national reputation for excellence that has led to its more than $6.7 billion in assets. With the goal of continued growth by engaging new segments of members, MSUFCU chose Nymbus to quickly open up this addressable market by helping deliver cutting-edge products and services tailored to meet the unique banking needs of MSU and other Michigan-based college and university alumni.

“MSUFCU established our own ‘Lab’ two years ago to drive innovation forward internally and explore new opportunities for growth. One of our long-time goals with this has been to stand up a subsidiary digital brand targeting MSU alumni, whose financial needs and habits match our digital offerings” said MSUFCU President and CEO April Clobes. “We have spoken and collaborated with hundreds of innovative fintechs and startups through our CUSO, the Reseda Group. The Nymbus approach was unlike any other we have seen. We’re thrilled to have them bring our concept to life with the combined skilled services and transformational technology only Nymbus provides for launching a new digital brand quickly and effectively.”

Nymbus integrates everything needed to build out and operate a full-scale digital bank positioned for success on day one. Its Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) model means skipping a core conversion and the need to hire additional resources. The Nymbus Labs award-winning support team further leads marketing efforts through intentional branding and comprehensive data. This partnership empowers client institutions to offer robust solutions founded on speed, flexibility and meaningful growth.

“To support a growth model that prioritizes exceptional experiences for a specific niche of customers, financial institutions need partners that prioritize intentional innovation and can move at the speed of impactful change,” said Jeffery Kendall, Chairman and CEO of Nymbus. “We value the confidence that MSUFCU has placed in Nymbus for building truly differentiating financial products that will soon be serving the unique banking needs of this significant niche segment of alumni members.”

Bank Pekao, Poland’s second-largest bank and one of the largest financial institutions in Central and Eastern Europe, has selected Murex’s solution and plans to implement its MX.3 platform to optimize costs of the bank’s ongoing, comprehensive technological transformation.

Murex, the global leader in trading, risk management and processing solutions for capital markets, has accompanied Pekao on the transition to the unified integrating platform, slated to be delivered in 2022. Pekao underwent an intensive vetting process with potential technology vendors before selecting MX.3.

Pekao’s implementation covers front-to-back-to-risk, cross-assets. The platform also addresses collateral and hedge accounting along with accounting, and regulatory reporting for Fundamental Review of the Trading Book (FRTB) and Standardized Approach for Counterparty Credit Risk (SA-CCR).