Vested, a new communications agency for a new financial industry, today announced the launch of Vested startups. This new division of Vested will make strategic investments in and provide communications services to startup companies in the finance and technology space.  

Vested Ventures made its first capital investment in an artificial intelligence company, Remesh, that uses machine learning, artificial intelligence and natural language processing to help companies including financial institutions better understand their customers and key constituents by allowing organizations to instantly gather, rank, and filter the collective opinion of crowds. By combining elements of crowdsourcing, machine learning, and qualitative market research, the Remesh platform enables users to have a conversation with a group of people as if it were one person, in real-time.

“Vested Ventures will develop strategic, long-term partnerships with companies that create a positive impact, whether that be by promoting financial literacy, helping bring under-banked people into the financial system or promoting transparency in financial services," said Dan Simon, CEO of Vested and a mentor at Techstars, Barclays’ startup accelerator.

He adds, “Remesh is a revolutionary technology platform that helps companies including major financial institutions better understand the needs of its customers. The firm has enormous disruptive potential, a stellar founding team and an important industry impact, and we are thrilled to help them grow.”

Another successful Vested Ventures company is SPARE, an app that helps people automatically round up their dinner bills to feed the hungry. 

Nomura Research Institute (NRI) is an advanced provider of consulting services and system solutions. Today it has announced that its Valuable OTC Products and Liquidity Control System (VOLCS) received the Best Utilities Technology award at Fund Technology and WSL Awards 2017.

NRI’s VOLCS offering provides a multipurpose management system for financial institutions. Specifically, it establishes strong due-date management for structured bonds and OTC derivatives and cash management. Being designed for financial institutions, the solution can also be separated and utilized individually by non-financial firms.

Most recently, structured bonds and OTC derivatives have been receiving more attention due to the effects of stock price changes and Japan’s negative interest rates. Both financial products are complicated and require detailed calculation and settlement day management, causing a major operational and financial burden to financial institutions.

VOLCS enables its users to reduce the operational burden significantly, which will result in increased trading volume. As well as provides the option to reallocate their resources from due day management to strategic division for more sales power. A couple of major financial institutions have already adopted VOLCS since its launch last year.

“Financial institutions across the globe are looking to drive efficiencies in their day-to-day operations with innovative technologies to lower their cost burden, ease management challenges and increase their bottom line,” said Minoru Yokote, Senior Managing Director of NRI.

“NRI is committed to distributing our system solutions and consulting services that are industry-leading in Japan across the global marketplace to address these key challenges, and it is an honor to be recognized for our contribution.”

The Fund Technology and WSL Awards recognize technology solution and providers catering to asset managers and institutional traders that have demonstrated exceptional customer service and innovative product development over the past year. 2017’s event has been expanded to recognize the efforts of technology providers, data specialists, and exchanges meeting the needs of the wider asset management community, particularly mutual funds.

CLX Communications, Cloud-based communications provider and cloud mobile marketing platform, Waterfall, have declared a partnership with Google to provide the next generation of messaging services. The service will aim to brand marketers using Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard included directly into consumers' native messaging apps.  

The collaboration is part of Google's Early Access Program (EAP) announced today and debuting at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week. The program will enable brands to reach customers in new and dynamic "mobile app-like" ways directly within Android smartphones' native messaging service. It will provide features including suggested replies and actions, dynamic rich media, and company branding. 

With 27 carriers and device manufacturers committed to launching RCS to Android users with Google, the Early Access Program is the first progression towards making RCS messaging universally available worldwide. CLX and Waterfall are striving to provide enterprises access to the growing global RCS user base, enabling feature-rich communication with consumers that use Android and other handsets that support RCS now and in the future.

Through the EAP, CLX and Waterfall will enable enterprises to build with the technology, influence the roadmap, and be the first to offer customers an upgraded messaging experience. Marketers can use RCS Business Messaging to engage with customers, grow subscribers, and drive transactions without leaving the native messaging app.

The rising popularity of OTT messaging apps confirms the demand for a messaging option more powerful and seamless than currently available natively. The new messaging service serves as an alternative to apps by giving brands similar features directly in the messaging environment without the need to build an app audience.

As the first software cloud enabling RCS for enterprises and brand marketers, Waterfall will create a single point of contact for marketers to broadcast messages to their entire mobile subscriber base. The solution made possible by Waterfall and CLX automatically identifies consumers with RCS-enabled handsets and optimizes the content to deliver the best messages to its respective audiences.

Research and Markets has revealed the addition of the "UK IFAs, Investment Managers and Platforms 2017" report.

Independent financial advisors (IFAs) are a key distribution network for investors in the United Kingdom. Product providers will do well to understand the priorities and criteria advisors use in choosing their investment partners and platforms, particularly with an increasing tendency to cooperate with discretionary fund managers (DFMs). As nearly all advisors in the UK use a platform or several platforms to manage their clients' assets, understanding why certain platforms are favored above others remains crucial. Online access to platforms is important for IFAs, which will continue to leverage digital capabilities to remain relevant.

Specifically the report examined the role IFAs have in providing financial services. As well as, details market developments and the evolving landscape of the UK market. It analyzed the most important features IFAs consider when selecting platforms.The companies that offer the most attractive platform packages were identified. The report also features the criteria for selection of pension fund providers.

There is a range of essential findings unleashed through the research. For instance, UK fund platforms continue to grow their market share by providing both advisors and direct investors with access to a range of products. In 2015 these platforms accounted for 52% of industry gross retail sales. The attractiveness of products is driven by cost along with the quality of administrative and reporting functions. Furthermore, beyond these two features, the investment fund range is also important to advisors. Investment product providers are regularly assessed by IFAs, with 47.3% carrying out reviews more than once a year. In addition, 91% of advisors use platforms, with the majority relying on more than one. The three most widely used platforms are Old Mutual, Fidelity Funds Network, and Aviva.There is also increasing interest in the use of model portfolios and discretionary portfolio management, driven by clients' preference for a better investment range and less administration.Finally, cost is the main driver for switching platforms, highlighting the increasingly commoditized nature of the service.

Japan-based SoftBank Corp., U.S.-based Sprint Corporation, and U.S.-based TBCASoft, Inc. today stated the aim for a technology cooperation jointly developing blockchain technology for telecommunication carriers.

TBCASoft is a startup company developing consortium-based blockchain technology, specifically for telecommunication carriers. SoftBank, Sprint and TBCASoft will be promoting research and development with the purpose of building a cross-carrier blockchain platform for various services. Among those, are such services as secured clearing and settlement, personal authentication, IoT applications, and other services provided by telecommunication carriers.

Starting from June 2017, the three companies will aim to commence a technical trial that connects TBCASoft’s blockchain platform to telecommunication carriers’ systems. The three business organizations will collaborate closely on issues related to technology, business, and the regulations of various jurisdictions.

Taboola, the global major discovery platform, today unveils an exclusive, 3-year renewal agreement with India Today. Under the agreement, India Today will be integrating Taboola’s personalized content recommendations, Full Page Personalization, Newsroom, and Audience Exchange. The goal is to drive user engagement, audience development, and revenue.

India Today Group is India's leading and most diversified media conglomerate with magazines, newspapers, books, radio, television, print, and Internet. India Today first worked with Taboola in January 2014 with the primary goal of introducing high quality native advertising to consumers, whereby in the new agreement Taboola will work tightly with India Today to integrate its full Discovery platform across desktop and mobile devices.

The agreement will leverage Taboola’s suite of platform capabilities. In addition to continuing to serve sponsored content recommendations, India Today will launch Taboola’s Personalization in an effort to increase onsite user engagement. India Today’s properties will also utilize Taboola’s “audience exchange” architecture, which empowers publisher teams to strategically manage and optimize the flow of traffic across the India Today network, driving users to relevant off-site content and high-value video pages.

“We want to double down on serving content that is tailored to users interests and behaviors, so our readers remain engaged and excited about what they are reading,” said Kalli Purie, Group Editorial Director (Broadcast & New Media), India Today Group. “Taboola has already helped us achieve success, we look forward to working towards our goal of driving increased user engagement and audience development.”

Taboola works as a search engine in reverse. Instead of expecting people to search for information, Taboola helps information find people at the right time in the form of recommended content. Its predictive engine analyzes hundreds of real-time signals (including location, device type, referral source, social media trends and more) to match users with content they are most likely to be interested in consuming next.

Media consumption in India is on a steady rise and the country has remained a key priority for Taboola, which has established partnerships with several Indian publishers including Times of India, NDTV, Jagran, Bhaskar, Aajtak, Amarujala, Rediff and Deccan Chronicle.

CEPRES today reported about demonstration of PE.Analyzer³ at upcoming SuperReturn conference in Berlin. PE.Analyzer³ mixes three products, such as an advanced investment research tool, an innovative due diligence system, and an exclusive private investment network for high quality, verified GPs, into one secure online platform for private markets.

PE.Analyzer³ was developed with the combined thought leadership of 100s of leading LPs and GPs. It introduces an entirely novel user interface that puts decision makers in control of all the information they need - at their fingertips. PE.Analyzer³ also ushers in an era of investment data and sophistication never seen before in private markets. It completely redefines how investors make commitment decisions to funds, directs and co-investments.

“PE.Analyzer³ is a revolutionary and innovative product that is literally five years ahead of any tool for private equity”, says Dr. Daniel Schmidt, CEPRES’s founder and CEO. “We all want to be empowered and ensure that we make the best investment decisions — whether internally, or via a consultant or advisor. PE.Analyzer³ delivers this through the most revolutionary tools and data since private equity investing began”.

Additional important highlights are:

• Advanced Investment Research Tools Empower Analysts and Decision Makers
  • Quickly find answers to most demanded questions
  • Aggregates live data direct from 1000s of GPs
  • Over $4.2 trillion of PE-backed companies
• Innovative Due Diligence System Based on Thought-Leadership of 100s of Leading LPs
  • 1-click analysis for instant in-depth screening
  • Pioneering deal and operating company benchmarking
  • Build library of GPs and compare to own portfolio
• Exclusive Private Investment Network to Connect for Investments around the World
  • Only verified, high quality GPs
  • Fast access to new strategies
  • Save time and expense on initial screening 

Atom bank, the UK’s pioneer bank, built exclusively for mobile, announces a revision of its Fixed Savings products. The purpose is to offer a full range of market leading rates. The new rates will be available across several terms from Friday 24^th February.

• 1 year Fixed Saver                                    2.00% Gross  / 2.00% AER
• 1 year Fixed Saver (monthly interest)       1.98% Gross / 2.00% AER
• 2 year Fixed Saver                                    2.10% Gross / 2.10% AER
• 2 year Fixed Saver (monthly interest)       2.08% Gross / 2.10% AER
• 3 year Fixed Saver                                    2.20% Gross / 2.20% AER
• 3 year Fixed Saver(monthly interest)        2.18% Gross / 2.20% AER
• 5 year Fixed Saver                                    2.40% Gross / 2.40% AER
• 5 year Fixed Saver(monthly interest)        2.37% Gross / 2.40% AER

Atom has introduced a new generation of banking that simplifies the processes and provides fast, easy and secure service. Moreover, it is accessible to everyone through their smartphone. Customers can open and access all Fixed Savers via the Atom Bank App, the first banking app to allow users to customize the design of the platform and create a truly personalized, as well as pioneering banking security experience using biometric technology with both face and voice recognition.

Interested customers can download the Atom App from the Apple or Android Play stores to open their account in a few taps, or visit www.atombank.co.uk for more information.

Clare Framrose, Atom’s Head of Customer Propositions commented that savers had a tough deal with traditional banks, and there is determination to offer something better.

Furthermore, the company is absolutely delighted to offer a wider and more competitive range of Fixed Savers. It truly believes in giving customers the best products and experience, without the pain and frustration, as it happens in case of traditional providers. Being purely digital enables to execute lower cost model and pass these savings back through great interest rates. In addition, UK licensed Atom bank offers full FSCS protection on savings to provide extra reassurance to the customers.   

Insurance technology specialist SSP has introduced the Polaris imarket. It is a live-chat service on its commercial e-trade platform. Allianz Insurance is the first UK insurer to go live with this integrated web chat functionality, and other insurers are due to implement it soon.

The imarket live-chat service enables SSP's brokers to chat online with underwriters at Allianz in real-time to ask any questions about its rates and products. By being able to communicate easily and directly with an insurer without leaving the SSP application, brokers can get the answers they need to continue placing the business. With such increased ease of engagement, brokers have greater confidence in the rates and more trade will be kept within the e-trade space.

Ron Atkinson, Head of Distribution Relationships at SSP comments: "SSP has an excellent track record in the personal lines space, and we have brought all our functions together to employ the same methodology to commercial lines. The launch of the imarket live-chat service on our platform is confirmation of SSP's commitment to the commercial lines market and to getting things done quicker.”

“Furthermore, by revitalizing company’s approach and introducing innovative initiatives such as live-chat, we are helping to drive adoption of commercial e-trading. Our brokers offer a source of significant untapped GWP for insurer partners. As we add more insurers to the panel, our brokers will benefit from greater efficiencies, freeing them to provide the advice and support customers want in order to deliver the best service possible.”

Julie Tongue, Digital Trading Manager, Allianz Insurance also adds that Allianz is delighted to be the first insurer to deploy live-chat with SSP. Live-chat provides brokers with an alternative method to contact our team of expert SME underwriters and makes it easier for our customers to do business with us. It allows brokers to remain within the e-trading journey whilst contacting Allianz in real-time, providing operational efficiencies for both parties.