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  • 08:00 am

John Glen, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, has praised the UK’s robust Anti-Money Laundering (AML) approach and pledged that the government will not compromise on its high standards. Addressing delegates in his keynote speech at the Innovate Finance Global Summit during FinTech Week 2022, the minster gave a wide-ranging speech covering issues such as growth in the UK’s FinTech sector, regulation, management of crypto assets and tackling the challenges posed by money laundering.

Mr Glen praised the innovation and resolve of the sector, stating that year-on-year investment growth in UK FinTech was up more than 200 per cent in 2021. He also re-affirmed the government’s commitment to embracing cryptocurrencies, as he stated, “If crypto-technologies are going to be a big part of the future, then we – the UK – want to be in, and in on the ground floor. In fact, if we commit now - if we act now - we can lead the way.”

On regulation, he said: “The FCA has already expanded and reinforced its world-leading Regulatory Sandbox, it’s piloting the new ‘scalebox’, which offers enhanced support to newly authorised firms and just a few weeks ago, Innovate Finance announced the launch of their International Fintech Group, which they will co-chair with the Department for International Trade.

“We’re setting direction for how the UK can build on its successes so far, notably through a new regulatory oversight committee that will work with industry to agree and implement the vision for the future of open banking in the UK.”

Commenting on the speech, Wayne Johnson, CEO and co-founder, Encompass Corporation, said:

“It’s encouraging to see the government pledging its commitment to robust regulatory standards and outlining a proactive approach to tackling the widespread problem of money laundering. The UK’s FinTech sector has so much potential, but, in an increasingly uncertain world, having the ability to investigate and ratify sources of wealth and income is critical. 

"With the right regulatory tools and technology in place, organisations will be able to continue growing, without the fear of failing to adhere to increasingly complex and strict requirements when it comes to AML and Know Your Customer (KYC)."

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  • 03:00 am

WITH QUIMMO THE ILLIMITY GROUP INTENDS TO BRING THE POWERFUL INNOVATION  IT HAS ALREADY BROUGHT TO THE FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY TO THE REAL  ESTATE BROKERAGE SECTOR 

THE REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE SECTOR HAS GROWN IMMENSELY THERE ARE  CURRENTLY OVER 120 BILLION EURO OF DEALS A YEAR 

QUIMMO WILL INCREASE THE TECH COMPONENT OF ILLIMITYS ASSET PORTFOLIO  EVEN FURTHER AND CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY TO ACHIEVING THE TARGETS SET IN ITS 2021-25 STRATEGIC PLAN (REVENUES OF OVER 60 MILLION EURO EXPECTED BY  2025) 

Quimmo represents currently a unique model on the market 

Everything for buying and selling real estate to be found on a single platform Fully digital, but with a staff of about 200 specialised professionals throughout Italy  All the information required at each stage of the purchase or sale 

Every type of sale in any kind of market  

illimity Bank S.p.A. , today presents Quimmo, the  Italian prop-tech set up to respond to the needs of both private and institutional buyers and  sellers. A latest-generation platform created to simplify the purchase and sale of real estate and  cover the entire value chain

Quimmo is the result of a significant investment made by the illimity Group in technology and  the active experience it has gained in real estate brokerage over the past few years. This has  already become one of illimity’s key activities and in 2021 alone generated 26 million visits to its  portal, 900 thousand registered users and deals involving over 2,000 properties, thanks also to the  presence of 200 professionals working in the Group’s central and local structures. 

The arrival of Quimmo will enable the offer based on the judicial segment to evolve to a subsequent phase. In this respect, over the next few months the platform also aims to cover, even more  completely, the needs of other kinds of sellers – real estate developers, builders, funds, banks,  insurance companies and simply families. 

Quimmo is setting its sights on a significant growth in volumes in 2022, aiming at 34 million visits1.4 million registered users and deals involving more than 3,000 properties.

illimity Bank S.p.A., Sede Legale Via Soperga 9, 20124 Milano, Italia - www.illimity.com 

Quimmo brings the property to the fore and provides clear and complete assistance in order to  accompany the buyer and seller throughout the whole process – whatever the proposed  method of sale, from online auctions to private deals – and at any stage whatsoever – from the  selection of the property through to the purchase. 

Homes, offices, commercial and industrial properties have always been fundamental items of life in  general and the economy. And in a very wide world the property sales market is worth over 120  billion euro a year, and is undergoing a considerable evolution as far as tools and services are  concerned, even if still at a low level of digitalisation. Quimmo has been set up to respond to this  need, to make both the buying and selling process more effective and more efficient and  provide a contribution to bringing the benefits of digitalisation to this sector too. 

EVERYTHING NEEDED FOR BUYING AND SELLING REAL ESTATE 

Quimmo is a competitive new prop-tech model because it brings together, in one single place, everything that is needed to buy and sell a property, reassembling the existing fragmentation of  estate agents, portals and services. It will be possible to have the visibility of the large portals, the  assistance of estate agents and digital buying and selling processes led by the data in one single  platform. 

In addition, Quimmo will also include value-added services, since both the buyer and the seller need  assistance in selecting all the professional skills required when buying and selling, such as for  example a network of specialists and a network of affiliated notaries. All built into a single interface  from start to finish. 

FROM A PERFECTLY INTEGRATED DIGITAL PLATFORM TO PROFESSIONALS WHO  ACCOMPANY THE PROCESS AT ALL STAGES 

Quimmo takes the best in terms of technology, processes and products and combines these with  a simple user experience and the ability to accompany the customer, buyer or seller,  throughout all the stages of the purchase or the sale, with top quality services and swift,  transparent and digital procedures. But not only this. In addition to being able to perform many of its  functions automatically, Quimmo also provides the assistance of specialist professionals,  throughout Italy, centrally coordinated and led by a single digital mind. 

DETAILED INFORMATION ALWAYS ON-HAND 

Quimmo produces the information and depending on the case shares it with buyers and  sellers to guide their strategies and decisions. 

Private and institutional sellers can access a wealth of data about their potential customers, their  properties and their reference market. Sellers are able to know who has visited their property,  virtually and physically, who has downloaded documents, who has requested information and who  has asked for an appointment to view. They will have access to their dashboard and will have  awareness of the path, and they will be able to talk with the professionals to analyse the data  gathered and redirect their strategy, in this way speeding up the sales process. Buyers have a  personal account in which they can file research and be informed about available opportunities and  those corresponding to their interests.

illimity Bank S.p.A., Sede Legale Via Soperga 9, 20124 Milano, Italia - www.illimity.com 

ACCESS TO ALL TYPES OF SALE 

Quimmo multiplies the possibilities because it enables access to all properties regardless of  the reference market, including those often considered too “complicated”, such as the judicial  market. Each seller is able to deal with a single market, in which everything is available for sale and  not only put in the window. Quimmo has been created to give every seller the possibility of meeting 

up with every buyer and removing the distance between them. 

*** 

Quimmo is one of the portals controlled by abilio, the illimity Group company specialising in digital  intermediation. Find out more on: Quimmo. 

Corrado Passera, CEO and Founder of illimity, commented: “Quimmo is an initiative with  significant entrepreneurial prospects and one that is immensely useful for the real estate brokerage sector. We have accumulated experience – the illimity Group is today already one of the leading  players involved in the digital intermediation of moveable and immoveable assets – we have invested  in innovative technologies and in the field we have built a network of specialised professionals. We  can accompany both buyers and sellers with a model which we consider to be unique, effective and  efficient and which will continue to be enriched over time. As envisaged in our 2021-25 Strategic 

Plan, the tech component, and therefore one that is highly scalable, will continue to grow within our  portfolio of activities.” 

Renato Ciccarelli, Head of the Quimmo project, stated: “With Quimmo we wanted to create a  unique platform and model in the real estate market that covers the entire value chain and simplifies  the buying and selling process. We have made the real estate sector democratic by bringing the  property to the fore and providing the widest possible variety of selling methods, ranging from  auctions to private deals. To do this we have developed a hybrid paradigm, a formidable blend of an  innovative business model with the human touch, by digitalising all the purchase and sale stages,  building in the analysis of the big data companies and putting these innovative tools at the service  of our agents throughout the country.” 

 

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  • 05:00 am

 


New Guide Provides A Breakdown From Common Terminology, Know Your Customer Overview, Digital Identification Guidance, Regulatory Updates To Choosing The Right AML Tools

ComplyAdvantage, a global data technology company transforming financial crime detection, today announced the release of a new Anti-Money Laundering Essentials Guide for Startups. The new guide was developed as part of ComplyLaunch, a program that provides qualified startups with free access to ComplayAdvantage's award-winning AML and Know Your Customer (KYC) tools plus additional resources.

For many early-stage firms, implementing anti-money laundering compliance tools and processes can be a challenge. This guide is designed to offer startups with practical tips in order to build a compliance function that can scale with their business needs. The Anti-Money Laundering Essentials Guide for Startups will explore the following including:

  • What are KYC and Digital ID processes, and why do they matter?
  • What is the latest on the regulatory landscape in the UK, US and European Union?
  • How should firms look to appoint an MLRO?
  • How can the ComplyLaunch program help early-stage firms?

For firms wanting to maximise their competitive advantage through rapid service deployment then they need access to trusted AML information and tools in order to implement best regulatory practices. This is why the mandate for ComplyLaunch is to provide fintech startups with free world-class tools and information so they can transact with trust and grow with confidence.

"It's amazing to see all the incredible startups that have signed up to our program through 2021 and now into 2022," said Kanisha Patel, Head of ComplyLaunch. "How startups address risk management is becoming a growing factor for everything from investment to partnerships. That's why we continue to make our AML tools and training free as it's not only good for the startups that join our program but it's ultimately a benefit for our entire ecosystem."

ComplyAdvantage offers a true counter risk intelligent solution that leverages machine learning and natural language processing to help regulated organisations manage their risk obligations and prevent financial crime. The company's proprietary ComplyData™ knowledge graph is derived from hundreds of millions of data points that provide dynamic, real-time insights across sanctions, watchlists, politically exposed persons, and negative news. This reduces dependence on manual review processes and legacy databases by up to 80% and improves how companies screen and monitor clients and transactions.

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  • 06:00 am

Forecourt retail specialist Suresite Group has partnered with leading equipment and service supplier to the energy sector, TSG UK, to enhance its payments offering. This partnership will enable Suresite to offer a one-stop shop for hardware, software, installation and customer support, providing a range of simple, affordable and secure payment solutions to its forecourt retail customers.

The British Retail Consortium’s 2021 annual payments survey, published last September, shows that, for the first time, more than 80% of all UK retail sales last year were made by a payment card, with more than half of these by debit card. 

With the 2021 Forecourt Report finding that 7,395 of the 8,384 fuel forecourt sites in the UK have a ‘shop’, forecourt retailers need to meet customer demand for quicker and simpler payment methods as non-fuel retail continues to grow.

Safer and more reliable payments for the forecourt

With over 15 years’ experience in payments processing, Suresite offers a full suite of payment services, from payment processing to terminals. This perfectly complements TSG’s forecourt retail services, which include equipment installation – from point-of-sale to car washes - as well as on-site servicing and back-end software.

The new PCI approved point-to-point encryption (P2PE) terminal will offer a safer choice for fuel forecourts, offering both bank and fuel cards payment processing, and ensuring cardholder data is captured and encrypted before it enters the computer network. Not only will this reassure customers that their sensitive data is safe and secure, but for forecourt retailers it will also significantly reduce the paperwork and potential costs associated with PCI compliance.

Using leading technology, all of Suresite’s payment terminals are continually monitored to proactively check functionality, highlighting potential issues and triggering online resolution – sometimes before an issue has even been noticed at the site. 

Backed by TSG’s experienced servicing team on the ground, and the fact that Suresite answers 97% of customer service calls in 15 seconds from their UK call centre, customers have peace of mind that their crucial payment facilities will remain operational.

One stop payment solution

By having one point of contact, Suresite’s customers benefit from a hassle-free experience that is also more cost-effective, thanks to better purchasing power - with no need to use sub-contractors and affordable payment plans. 

Nick Horne, sales and commercial director at Suresite says: 

“We are excited to be partnering with TSG UK to bring a new P2PE enabled device to the market.  We have always prided ourselves on first-class customer service and this is another step forward as we continually improve our products and service for customers. This partnership will see us positioned as offering a one-stop payment solution by providing hardware as well as our traditional card acquiring solutions.  

“We are pleased to be able to bring this exciting new product to the market and can’t wait to introduce it to our customers and prospects in the coming weeks and months”.

Features and benefits of new P2PE enabled terminal

  • Quick and secure payments
  • PCI P2PE approved card machine
  • Simplified PCI DSS compliance
  • Easy contract management
  • Accepts all major payment types including fuel cards
  • 24/7 customer service

Steve Watts, sales director at TSG UK commented:

“The alliance between TSG UK and Suresite will further enhance TSG’s already strong offering in secure payment solutions for retail forecourts. 

“Suresite’s vast experience in payment processing, backed up by unparalleled customer service, ensures total satisfaction for operators across the UK. We are delighted to partner with Suresite to provide this highly-secure payment solution to our extensive customer base.”

https://www.suresite.co.uk

https://www.tsg-solutions.com/uk/

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  • 07:00 am

Antler, a global early-stage venture capital investor, announced the expansion of its presence to Denmark with the addition of Michael J. Wiatr as Partner and the promotion of Lavanya Indralingam to Associate Partner. The firm has also made twenty-four new investments in early stage startups in the region.

Antler is the most active early-stage investor in the Nordics and has made 102 investments to date. Of these companies, 39% have at least one female co-founder, of which 50% are CEOs, and the founders represent more than 76 nationalities. Antler Nordics has received over 12.000 applications to date, assessed over 5.000 founders, and supported more than 700 startups.

“Venture activity in the Nordics skyrocketed last year, and Antler is ahead of this curve, supporting founders from the earliest stage,” said Magnus Grimeland, Founder & CEO of Antler. “We look forward to continuing to embrace and foster innovation in the region at a very exciting time.”

In February, Antler welcomed Michael J. Wiatr as Partner for Denmark operations, who will lead the Denmark team and work closely with the rest of Antler Nordics in Stockholm and Oslo.

Wiatr has over a decade of experience building, scaling, and investing in startups. Michael began his career with BCG as a consultant. Most recently, Michael was part of the leadership team of LastObject, a sustain-tech startup in Denmark.

Antler’s global presence allows it to be part of the ecosystem in cities like Copenhagen to really drive innovation,” said Michael. “I’m excited to be a part of this international team and continue building from the great ideas in this region.”

In March, Lavanya Indralingam from Antler´s Oslo team was also promoted to Associate Partner.  She will join the Nordic leadership team working closely with Michael and other Nordic fund partners.

Lavanya was instrumental in building the founder sourcing framework for Antlers Norway launch. Lavanya previously led operations and communications at impact investment fund Katapult, helping portfolio companies secure successful fundraising rounds.

At Investor Days this spring, Antler will unveil the twenty-four startups it has invested in recently. Nine have a female co-founder and twelve are building within sustainability.

Below is a preview of the startups and the spaces they are building in:

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  • 05:00 am
From humble beginnings to multimillions, VizyPay will continue to put small businesses first and catalyze Iowa’s growing tech landscape
 
VizyPay, a leading payment processing company, is celebrating five years of serving small businesses with transparent, money-saving payments solutions. In the years since its founding, the Iowa-based company has revolutionized the payments industry, received countless accolades for its innovative solutions, installed thousands of merchants across the nation and is on track to achieve $4 billion in total payments processed by year’s end. Looking forward, VizyPay is poised to become an industry disruptor with expansion plans that will further super-charge its outstanding growth while continuing to put small businesses first.
 
The VizyPay story began in 2017 when the three founding partners – including CEO and Founder Austin Mac Nab and Managing Partner Frank Pagano – put together $197,000 of their hard-earned savings to launch the company. Since then, the company has become a prominent figure in Iowa’s flourishing tech landscape and grown exponentially with an estimated revenue of $22 million in 2022 alone, all while remaining completely self-funded and founder-owned. This approach has allowed VizyPay to stay true to its company values of culture, transparency and advocacy for small business owners.
 
Now, VizyPay looks to boost its merchant base and build upon its growth by expanding its salesforce with the official launch of its W2 sales representative program. Initially piloted in Iowa, these account managers will focus on growing VizyPay’s presence within rural communities where merchants are using outdated technology or forced to utilize overpriced systems with bloated processing fees. The W2 program will focus on door-to-door sales outreach and connecting on a personal level with the small business owners VizyPay’s low-cost proprietary tech was designed for. With this new program, not only will VizyPay help more small businesses keep more of their hard-earned money, but VizyPay will also diversify the stagnated payments space with talent from diverse backgrounds and professional histories.
 
“We’re truly betting on ourselves with this hiring blitz, but if we’re successful we’ll be pushing our company ahead five years,” said Mac Nab. “It’s incredible if I think about it, I’m honored to have so many people who believe in VizyPay next to me as we look at our future. #TeamVizy has never been stronger, and our growth will only continue.”
 
Potential account managers need not have any extensive sales or payments background but instead should have an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion to help local businesses within their community. VizyPay believes anyone can have a successful career in payments as long as they have the drive to learn. As such, account managers will receive extensive training and support from VizyPay. As a result, small business owners across America will be better accommodated, with a representative from VizyPay always close at hand to help with installations and assist with any issues in-person, in addition to a customer support and sales center a phone call away. VizyPay ultimately seeks to hire over 30 new account managers in over 9 states.
 
“I’m excited to see how we can use this program to better serve the needs of small businesses and meet them on their home turf,” said Regional Director Matt Stipp who will be helming this initiative. “There’s no better way to celebrate five years of VizyPay than by improving the help we can provide small businesses." 
 
For more information, visit www.vizypay.com.

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  • 02:00 am

The funding will launch the Earthbanc protocol and web3 platform, enabling the onboarding of 150,000 farmers on the waitlist in South Asia and Africa

Earthbanc the leading carbon credit and finance platform headquartered in Stockholm with operations across 20 countries, raised a US $1.5M investment in a Pre-Seed Round with participation from Regen Network Development Inc (USA), Rampersad VC (Australia), Visive Capital (EU), Katalista Ventures (Lithuania), Sting Accelerator (Sweden), clients of Jindabyne Capital and Kaai Capital (Australia), European Space Agency Incubator (Sweden) and Regenerative Ventures Holdings (USA).  

Earthbanc develops carbon projects, sells verified and audited carbon credits, and enables investors to finance carbon removal. The company has audited the carbon stocks of over 13M hectares of forest globally using satellites and proprietary remote sensing technology. 

Launch of the Earthbanc Protocol on Regen Ledger

The number of corporations committed to Net Zero has increased exponentially since COP26, but it has been difficult for carbon buyers to source third-party annually audited carbon credits. With venture backing from the European Space Agency for their patent-pending technology, Earthbanc leverages AI, web3, and data science to annually audit the underlying carbon asset in carbon credits bringing increased transparency and credibility to carbon markets. 

This investment enables the launch of the Earthbanc Protocol on Regen Ledger, a publicly governed ecological ledger for verification of claims, data, and agreements on ecological state and carbon credits. Earthbanc Protocol will utilize Regen Ledger to store carbon reporting and auditing information on the transparent blockchain, and Earthbanc will mint carbon credits on Regen Registry, the carbon credit registry operated by Regen Network. Earthbanc Protocol is introducing web3 wallets for the nascent regenerative finance (ReFi) market, enabling Regen Network-based eco credits to be financed, held, and staked via the new Earthbanc Protocol web3 platform.

Earthbanc CEO Tom Duncan said: "We welcome the investment from Regen Network Development Inc and Rampersand VC to accelerate the growth of the Earthbanc Protocol platform, which will enable investors to access 8% fixed - 15% variable APY yields and finance nature-based carbon removal projects globally. We are excited to scale up carbon markets with our technology and onboard millions of farmers around the world to help them monetize their carbon, and give investors access to this fast-growing asset class."

Earthbanc has been tapped by the African Development Bank to demonstrate the issuance of the world's first Sustainable Land Bond with fully audited carbon removal on the Earthbanc platform, at the UNCCD COP15 in Africa, May 2022. Solving carbon removal auditing issues with its AI technology is helping attract corporate carbon buyers and investors, unlocking the USD 14 billion pledged at COP26 for the Great Green Wall - an African-led and UNCCD sponsored program. Earthbanc is well-positioned to deliver climate finance and carbon credit services to this 156M hectare mega-project that will sequester 250M tonnes of carbon, estimated to generate USD ~7.25B in credit revenue for local farmers and carbon service providers. 

Regen Network Development Inc CEO, Gregory Landua, said: "Regen Network invests in the best regenerative finance (ReFi) ventures to scale faster. The Earthbanc platform is built for the next 1 billion people coming out of poverty through regenerative agriculture, carbon payments, and regenerative payments - enabling capital to flow where it's needed to achieve planetary regeneration and stabilize the climate. The Earthbanc app will provide a carbon bank with accessible on and off fiat ramps for users globally, particularly for the unbanked, bringing the next billion users into the regenerative finance revolution."

Nicole Small, Investment Director at Rampersand VC: "The Earthbanc team has extensive experience in regenerative finance markets,  with a demonstrated capability and commitment to the community and environment. Earthbanc's tier-one relationships with leading NGOs, together with proprietary automation and remote sensing technology, deliver huge value in the fast-growing climate finance and nature-based solution (NbS) carbon markets. Equally important is that Earthbanc provides a win-win outcome to farmers through global carbon market access and meaningful carbon sequestration projects."

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  • 01:00 am

Wallis brings extensive markets, surveillance and sales experience to role, leading Eventus’ growing sales team in the region

Eventus Systems, Inc., a leading global provider of multi-asset class trade surveillance and market risk solutions, today announced that Nick Wallis has just joined as Managing Director for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region – leading the fast-growing company’s sales efforts in the region. Wallis has extensive experience in financial markets, energy derivatives and technology, including 12 years at Nasdaq, where he ran its surveillance sales and account management in EMEA.

Based in London, where he has spent most of his career, Wallis reports to Scott Schroeder, Global Head of Sales for Eventus. The firm continues to expand its presence in EMEA, with plans to further grow the sales, account management and support staff in the coming months.

Schroeder said: “Nick is an outstanding addition to our team as he brings a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory challenges our clients and prospects face in the UK, EU, Middle East and other jurisdictions, as well as great technical knowledge of the surveillance space. He’s a strong leader and proven sales professional. We’re excited to have him build out our sales force of experienced market practitioners.”

Wallis said: “The role of the compliance officer has never been more demanding, with new markets, new asset classes and complex data challenges. Firms are looking for agile partners able to address issues quickly in a fast-moving landscape. I believe Eventus is well positioned to attract new clients with its next-generation technology, machine learning and deeply experienced staff. I’ve been really impressed by the Validus platform and by how quickly it can be enhanced to meet clients’ bespoke needs.”

Wallis held positions in both the markets and technology businesses of Nasdaq. Most recently, he served as EMEA Head of Surveillance Sales and Account Management, having moved into surveillance after holding responsibility for the firm’s risk management solution. Earlier in his tenure, Wallis served as Director of Commodity Sales, focused on building and managing energy trading accounts.

From 2008 to 2009, Wallis was Business Development Manager for Tullett Prebon (now part of TP ICAP Group) – one of the world’s leading interdealer brokers – responsible for marketing and promoting the brokerage business to senior management at investment banks and trading firms.

In 2005, he joined Incisive Media (now InfoPro Digital), working on Risk Magazine’s sales and sponsorship team in Europe, before moving to New York to serve as U.S. Publisher, overseeing the magazine’s U.S. commercial business.

Wallis holds a Bachelor’s degree from The University of Sheffield.

 

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