As an active partner, PA will work with the Hub to support fintechs, banks, regulators and investors to drive innovation in the Swedish financial services industry. PA will bring its hands-on knowledge and experience on how to innovate and transform the financial services industry.

PA has a strong track record of working with regulators, financial institutions and technology firms across Europe and has helped financial market players develop open banking strategies, respond to the changing payments market, and create shared service utilities. PA has also worked with the UK regulator to design their first innovation hub and sandbox.

Magnus Krusberg, financial services expert and country head for PA Consulting Group in Sweden says: "We believe that the financial services industry is going to transform significantly in the coming years and that Stockholm Fintech Hub will be at the centre of this innovation process. We are very pleased to be part of this very exciting journey alongside the other partners in the hub."

Matthew Argent, CEO of Stockholm Fintech Hub says: "We're really excited to have such a competent partner as PA Consulting on board. Having worked with regulators and banks across Europe, they are bringing exactly the right knowledge set and experience that the Swedish fintech community is eager to take part of. Adding PA Consulting to our list of partners ensures we can continue to build a broad network of expertise, that is so important to the development and evolution of fintech."

Corlytics, global leaders in regulatory risk intelligence, was selected for its advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) modelling that it has used to develop the world’s deepest regulatory enforcement database. The internal team at Corlytics is already made up of leading data scientists, seasoned technologists, proven banking risk practitioners and expert lawyers. Making integration into the broader Fuse eco-system a natural fit.

The Corlytics team is already working with regulators and tier one banks, providing regulatory risk intelligence and compliance heat maps. Having been selected to join Fuse, Corlytics is looking to make the most of the expertise within Allen & Overy. This will allow Corlytics to further access the market, get expert mentoring for its legal teams and insight on optimising its risk intelligence.

Over 80 RegTech and LegalTech firms applied to join the programme with multiple companies giving pitches, before the successful eight were selected. The companies were asked to present to a series of regtech and legaltech experts from Allen & Overy, Balderton Capital, The Funding Circle, JP Morgan and Amazon.

Come September, the selected firms will work in a specially-designed area, housed within Allen & Overy's London offices.

Once in residence, firms will have access to the expertise of Allen & Overy lawyers, technologists and clients to co-operate on developing practical solutions to some of the troubles faced by financial institutions and law firms today.

Mike O’Keeffe, general manager of Corlytics Solutions said, “We are very excited about the opportunity to work in Fuse. Allen & Overy has proven itself to be to the forefront of the legal and regtech revolution. We believe that this is a great opportunity for Corlytics to benefit from the guidance and experience of A&O technologists and lawyers to further our global regulatory taxonomies, and interpretation of regulations. We believe that A&O and Corlytics have a unique opportunity to bring combined offerings to market to the benefit of both A&O’s and Corlytics’ customers.”

Three areas of innovation have been fast developing for the legal sector: technology supporting legal advice, law firms and in-house legal functions; technology supporting regulatory compliance; technology changing how companies and financial institutions transact and negotiate deals with each other.

Mrs. Eftyhia Kasselaki, Executive General Manager of Retail Banking, Branch Network & Deposits of Piraeus Bank, said "Piraeus Bank is faithful to its strategic commitment to continuously expand and upgrade its innovative services to all its customers. We consistently invest in offering cutting edge services and products to our customers, as well as new processes which are in line with the highest international standards, complementing the Bank’s extensive multi-channel customer-centric service framework".

Through the modern banking experience of the e-branch concept, we offer the following services to visually impaired customers: 
• For the first time, transactions can be carried out using the "Remote Cashier" service without the need of representation and signature by witnesses. In particular, customers can communicate via video call with an experienced Teller of the Bank, who provides full guidance with the help of special signage in the Braille numbering system placed on the various interactive parts of the “Remote Cashier”  
• Customers are assisted throughout their stay at the e-branch, by specially trained personnel (Facilitators), who may offer help and directions for the use of the available services at the various machines, such as the ATM, the easypay kiosk, the coin deposit machine and the prepaid gift card dispenser 
• Customers can get acquainted and familiarize themselves with Piraeus Bank’s awarded web banking service (winbank), using a PC with voice support which is available in the e-branch 
• Instant issuance of “winbank” codes for existing bank customers can be completed via the “winbank remote registration telephone service” and without the need to sign any contract

Piraeus Bank is committed to systematically upgrade and improve its procedures for excellent and comprehensive services to all its customers, whilst is planning to expand its e-branch network (currently 3 in Athens), in order to meet successfully the constantly increasing customer needs.

The authorisation will allow NEX Regulatory Reporting to provide enhanced MiFID II services.

The decision to apply for APA status was driven by client demand, with most of the business’ new and existing clients already in testing to ensure they are prepared to go live in January. NEX Regulatory Reporting has been providing MiFID I reporting services to banks, brokerage houses, hedge funds and asset managers since 2011 and is at the forefront of transaction services innovation and regulatory reporting expertise.

In addition to obtaining APA status under MiFID II, NEX Regulatory Reporting is also acting as a Registered Reporting Mechanism for REMIT and a hub for EMIR. Pending approval from ESMA, it will also be able to act as an Approved Reporting Mechanism under MiFID II and a Trade Repository under EMIR.

Collin Coleman, Head of NEX Regulatory Reporting, said: “The FCA’s approval of our APA under MiFID II is an important milestone in building our multi-regime transaction reporting infrastructure and helps strengthen our position as the partner of choice for market participants’ global regulatory needs.

“The use of APAs will be essential for efficient functioning under MiFID II and we strongly encourage any market participants who have not yet commenced testing to do so immediately to ensure they can continue to trade post 3 January 2018.”

NEX Regulatory Reporting is a reporting partner to over 135 clients including banks, asset managers, hedge funds, brokers and trading firms and venues. 

The notice describes the factors CSA staff consider in assessing whether prospectus, registration and marketplace requirements apply. It also outlines how the CSA Regulatory Sandbox can help fintech businesses contemplating such offerings and summarizes key issues that businesses should be prepared to discuss with CSA staff.

“The technology behind cryptocurrency offerings has the potential to generate new capital raising opportunities for businesses and we welcome this type of innovation,” said Louis Morisset, CSA Chair and President and CEO of the Autorité des marchés financiers. “Given the growing activity in this novel area, we are publishing guidance to help fintech businesses understand what obligations may apply under securities laws.”

Any business that is planning to raise capital through an ICO or ITO, or that is seeking to establish a cryptocurrency investment fund, should consider whether it involves a security. Businesses should also contact their local securities regulatory authority to discuss possible approaches to complying with securities laws.

The CSA Regulatory Sandbox is an initiative of the CSA to support fintech businesses seeking to offer innovative products, services and applications in Canada.

The CSA, the council of securities regulators of Canada’s provinces and territories, coordinates and harmonizes regulation for the Canadian capital markets. 

That’s why we’re excited to announce that we’ve opened the Square Showroom — our first brick-and-mortar location — right in the heart of Manhattan.

The Square Showroom lets sellers experience our products in person. Whether it’s seeing what your POS might look like or demoing products and offerings like Square APIs, Square for Retail, or our many partner integrations, the Showroom gives you space to try before you buy.

The space also includes:

A support desk where you can make an appointment to meet with one of our staff to troubleshoot a specific issue or get training on a new product.

A showcase of Square sellers’ merchandise that changes every month. This month we’re featuring:

• Son of a Sailor: Handmade jewelry and accessories inspired by the application of color, pattern, and geometry to materials with a rich history.
• Avenue Dee: An accessory brand where #FUNMEETSFUNCTION and fanny packs reign as the brand’s pioneer piece.
• Koe-Zee: Specializing in fiber arts, specifically cross stitch and embroidery with inspiration pulled from the Pacific Northwest, pop culture, and plant life.
• 1820 House: Candles created to support agriculture, sustainability, and community.

Special events including workshops and events with our partners.

So come visit us! Book a private onsite demo with your sales contact. Or book an appointment with our Support team online or via our Square Appointments app for hands-on training and troubleshooting. 

VERAX is a privately-owned company founded in 2003 that employs around 180 people at offices in Toronto and Halifax. Its key service areas include IT strategy, enterprise architecture consulting, project and program management, financial risk and compliance solutions, as well as business intelligence and data warehousing. Serving leading banking, insurance and capital markets institutions, VERAX delivers IT consulting initiatives across the full range of financial-services lines of business, including wealth management, brokerage and mutual funds, mobile and online banking, retail and commercial banking, and insurance and capital markets.

The addition of VERAX – with its proven technology and systems-integration expertise across the financial services sector – will complement and enhance Accenture's consulting and technology capabilities in Canada.

"VERAX consultants are known for their deep technical expertise, collaborative culture and strong reputation for delivery, which we believe will greatly complement and enhance the breadth and depth of our financial services capabilities in Canada," said Robert Vokes, managing director of Accenture's Financial Services practice in Canada. "The combination of Accenture and VERAX will help enable our clients to react even more quickly and with even more confidence, as banks face increased pressure to adjust to new digital capabilities, new regulatory requests, and increased competition."

Sid Thomas, VERAX's CEO and founder, said: "We are excited to join Accenture, whose scale, scope and reputation for excellence will benefit our clients and will provide an opportunity for our employees to escalate their careers and enhance the benefits they deliver to our clients."