Published
- 06:00 am

Core10, Inc. (Core10), a U.S.-based financial technology company that provides lending and account opening products, as well as software development services, today announced that Russ Bernthal, Rodney Whitwell and Ryan Zacharia have joined its board of directors.
Bernthal, the former SVP, Jack Henry and Associates, and president, ProfitStars; Whitwell, a principal at Patriot Financial Partners; and Ryan Zacharia, a managing partner at JAM Special Opportunity Ventures (JSOV), have more than 75 years of combined Fintech experience and will play an instrumental role in furthering the growth of Core10.
“Our board shares a common vision, and Core10 recognizes their exceptional leadership abilities and the vast amount of experience each has in our industry,” said Jeff Hanson, CEO of Core10. “Core10 exists to unleash untapped potential in our team members, clients we serve and communities in which we engage. We welcome Russ, Rodney and Ryan, who understand the value Core10 brings to its clients.”
Bernthal retired from Jack Henry and ProfitStars in 2021. Before these positions, he was SVP of consulting for SHL Systemhouse and EVP at Parks Consulting. Bernthal was also a board member and president of the Association of Financial Technology (AFT). He brings more than 40 years of entrepreneurial and leadership expertise in software products, consulting services, business development and profitable operations throughout the global market to Core10’s board.
Whitwell is a principal at Patriot Financial Partners, a private equity firm focused on investing in community banks, thrifts and financial services-related companies throughout the United States. Whitwell has a strong track record of strategic and organizational transformation across the financial services industry. Previously, Whitwell was senior EVP and CAO at Sterling National Bank, in addition to holding several senior roles at financial institutions.
Zacharia is the managing partner at JAM Special Opportunity Ventures (JSOV). With more than 15 years of experience from his positions at Jacobs Asset Management (JAM), he has amassed a wealth of knowledge in depository and speciality finance companies. Prior to JAM, Zacharia was an investment banking analyst at Citi Corporate Markets & Banking in the Diversified Financial Services group.
“Having individuals with the passion for technology, industry insights and unprecedented experience Russ, Rodney and Ryan possess will be impactful to the future growth of Core10,” said Joe Maxwell, chairman of Core10’s board and managing partner at FINTOP Capital. “The depth of knowledge and understanding of technology, banking and scaling will be pivotal to supporting not only Core10’s current clients but also those with which we will work in the future.”
Core10 provides community financial institutions and fintechs with subscription and project-based API integration solutions to eliminate backlogs, reduce staffing costs and support business growth opportunities. The company’s Accrue platform is a highly-configurable and scalable solution designed specifically for community financial institutions. An OEM Salesforce Platform provider, the platform provides digital account opening, digital lending, and core/fintech connectivity to accelerate community financial institutions’ digital transformation strategies.
Recently, Core10 closed a $6.5 million Series B funding round to strengthen its services offerings in API development, SaaS implementation, customer success and its Accrue platform. Bernthal, Whitwell and Zacharia’s addition to the board will provide expert guidance toward enhancing and accelerating Core10’s product and service offerings.
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- 05:00 am

Tech-focused investment bank ICON Corporate Finance has appointed Will Cave as its new associate director.
With experience in buy-side, sell-side and fundraising due diligence, Will began his career with London-based SRLV before qualifying as a chartered accountant in BDO’s international team.
Having worked across deals in sectors including FinTech, SaaS and IoT, he brings a wealth of relevant knowledge to ICON’s growing Bristol-based team.
The M&A and fundraising firm, founded by CEO Alan Bristow in 1999, has further offices in London and San Francisco and has closed over 250 deals since business conception.
Tech sector specialisms across the international team include FinTech, Cyber, AI, HealthTech, Digital Media, EnablingTech, Enterprise Software and Managed Services.
Commenting on the appointment, ICON CEO and Founder, Alan Bristow says: “We are delighted to welcome Will to the ICON team. His track record and evident appetite for the role makes for an ideal fit as we forge ahead in the next stage of the business.
“Will’s arrival will no doubt boost the capabilities of the team to execute deals across the globe, achieving the best possible outcome for our clients.”
ICON Associate Director, Will Cave, said: “I'm thrilled to be joining ICON at an exciting point in the company's journey. Alan and the team have continued to execute deals in all market conditions as the business moves from strength to strength.
“I'm thoroughly looking forward to the new challenges ahead and getting involved in the impressive work ICON carries out across the tech sector.”
Recent ICON deals include advising on the acquisition of Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider TechQuarters by Babble; the acquisition of Import.io by Scaleworks, the B2B SaaS-focused venture equity firm; and the acquisition of Integritie by enChoice, a leading provider of business automation solutions.
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- 05:00 am

EMVCo, the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) have renewed the charter for the Web Payments Security Interest Group (WPSIG) for a further two years. Formed in 2019, the charter renewal will enable the organisations to continue collaborating to enhance the security and interoperability of web payments to support seamless e-commerce checkout experiences.
The renewal follows the recent publication of an updated version of the ‘How EMVCo, FIDO and W3C Technologies Relate’ document to meet the evolving needs of the payments industry. This reflected updates to EMVCo’s EMV® 3-D Secure (EMV 3DS), EMV Payment Tokenisation and EMV Secure Remote Commerce (EMV SRC) technologies, FIDO’s Client-to-Authenticator Protocol (CTAP), and W3C’s Web Authentication, Secure Payment Confirmation (SPC) and Payment Request API initiatives.
The document describes how these technologies may be used together to enable a more secure card-based payment during an e-commerce guest checkout on the web. It also addresses how these technical specifications can support merchant efforts to protect user privacy, fight fraud and meet regulatory requirements, while helping to reduce costs and streamline the online payment process.
Looking ahead, an ongoing focus for the group is promoting consumer privacy while ensuring convenient and seamless e-commerce checkout experiences. Identifying new functionality, use-cases and user experiences for EMVCo, FIDO and W3C technologies is a priority, including updates to SPC to promote streamlined strong customer authentication, understanding how passkeys can combine with other technologies, and exploring how EMV SRC can work together with other technologies to simplify online checkout.
The group will also continue to engage with, and receive feedback from, a broad range of industry stakeholders – including merchants – to better understand requirements for secure web-based payments. As part of this engagement, in February the WPSIG presented at the Merchant Advisory Group (MAG) Mid-Year Conference and the U.S. Payments Forum 2023 Payments Summit to explore the value the group is bringing to online commerce.
“Our continued collaboration with FIDO Alliance and W3C demonstrates the important role this collaborative forum plays in bringing technologies together to make transactions more seamless for consumers, reduce fraud for issuers and increase approvals for merchants. This reflects EMVCo’s commitment to engaging across the industry to evolve the EMV Specifications,” said Arman Aygen, Director of Technology at EMVCo.
EMVCo, FIDO Alliance, and W3C encourage the wider payment industry to join the Interest Group.
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- 04:00 am

Mahalo Banking, a CUSO that provides online and mobile banking solutions for credit unions, has been selected as one of five finalists in the National Association of Credit Union Service Organizations’ (NACUSO) Next Big Idea Competition. Now in its eleventh year, the Next Big Idea Competition is designed to showcase innovation, collaboration, and new solutions for the credit union industry.
The finalist organizations will present their digital banking innovations at the NACUSO Network Conference on Tuesday, March 28 in Las Vegas. Mahalo’s Denny Howell will showcase the provider’s latest neurodiversity functionality platform enhancements that are engineered to improve digital inclusivity and accessibility and better accommodate the cognitive needs of all credit union members. Following the presentations, the conference audience will select the first and second-place winners of NACUSO’s 2023 Next Big Idea Competition.
Designed by credit union industry veterans, the Mahalo platform intuitively meets the common needs and challenges faced by today’s credit unions and their members. The platform enables credit unions to remain competitive and grow their membership by providing an enhanced digital banking experience. Through deep integrations into credit union cores and streamlined third-party integrations, credit unions leveraging Mahalo’s platform can offer members a cohesive omni-experience with mirrored features across mobile and online browsers.
“We’re honoured to be selected as one of NACUSO’s finalists paving the way for member experience innovations, and I look forward to sharing how our technology enables credit unions to better serve and embrace each of their member’s unique needs,” Howell. “Our new platform embodies the ‘Next Big Idea’ because there is nothing like it in development within the credit union digital banking space. Credit unions are constantly searching for technology that can better support their members, and our platform delivers a solution that supports all members including those who are neurodivergent and have cognitive distinctions who have previously been neglected in the era of digital transformation.”
The 2023 NACUSO Network Conference will take place in person at the Wynn Las Vegas Resort, March 27-30, 2023. The yearly event is designed to offer a collaborative connection point for credit unions, CUSOs and industry innovators and entrepreneurs. The 2023 conference will feature a lineup of notable Keynote Speakers who aim to challenge and inspire attendees with their insights, as well as break-out sessions focused on addressing important industry issues and opportunities for credit union and CUSO CEOs.
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- 05:00 am

Global payments technology company, Brightwell, today announced that it is making it easier for fintechs, money transmitters, and prepaid and banking providers to integrate real-time payment technology into their solutions utilizing ReadyRemit via Visa Direct. Through this collaboration, Brightwell customers can launch a fully managed cross-border payments program that includes compliance, tier two support and pricing management into their offerings. With the addition of Visa Direct’s global push to card functionality, the ReadyRemit platform now has the global reach to eligible debit and prepaid cards, providing more choices and options for global payouts in the market for different use cases, including capital disbursements, cross-border payments, account transfers, peer-to-peer, and more to over 3 billion eligible cards globally.
Following the onset of the pandemic, the global payments industry has demonstrated resilience. In fact, McKinsey’s five-year revenue outlook on the sector now exceeds pre-pandemic expectations, topping $3 trillion by 20263. Brightwell is helping overcome the challenges of offering a near real-time payments program as fintechs and payment providers looking to modernize their current infrastructure and enter new markets. ReadyRemit, Brightwell’s comprehensive remittance engine enables businesses to easily and quickly integrate cross-border transactions via APIs or SDKs. The program also comes with a compliance-as-a-service offering including KYC, OFAC, AML/BSA and transaction monitoring to name a few.
“Since Brightwell’s inception, we’ve been passionate about helping people and businesses send money securely around the world,” said Larry Hipp, CEO of Brightwell. “Not only are we creating products that are simple to use, easy to integrate with and achieve measurable results, but we’re offering our customers options, too. By adding Visa Direct to the list of international payment providers powering ReadyRemit, our customers can choose the best option that addresses their needs.”
“Visa is committed to helping spur innovation in cross-border money movement,” said Yanilsa Gonzalez-Ore, SVP, North America Head of Visa Direct. “By embedding Visa Direct in Brightwell’s ReadyRemit platform, we are excited to expand cross-border remittance and payout capabilities for Brightwell’s customers across a variety of industries, such as travel and financial services.”
Since introducing ReadyRemit to the market last year, Brightwell is helping organizations like Dash Solutions, Virgin Voyages and inCruises move funds in over 175 countries. Powered by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. and Brightwell’s international payment partners, ReadyRemit enables businesses to quickly launch a global payment program to drive customer loyalty and capitalize on a new revenue stream.
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- 05:00 am

A Gateshead-based entrepreneur and property developer is looking to drive growth and diversify into the assisted-living space after securing a six-figure business funding deal with Reward Finance Group.
Dane Nicholson, director and founder of Zebra Leisure Lease, has various other businesses spanning motorhome hire through to window film and tint installation, but has utilised the facility provided by Reward to expand his 33-strong residential and commercial property portfolio, primarily across South Tyneside.
The company specialises in purchasing homes via auctions to then refurbish them to a bespoke standard for letting purposes and housing scheme requirements across the region. Due to the fast-paced nature of property auction deals and the need to complete purchases within 28 days, the business needed an agile and responsive finance solution that could meet these cash flow pressures and overcome barriers to growth.
Reward provides SMEs with tailored business finance loans and asset-based solutions between £50k and £5m and worked closely with Zebra Leisure Lease to identify both its operational business challenges and opportunities to expand. The company, like many other SMEs in the current climate, has historically found it challenging to secure short-term commercial finance within a tight timeframe via traditional high-street banks and other lenders.
Now boosted by the cash injection from Reward, the business aims to expand its property portfolio by 48% and double revenue in the next 12 months. Key to that growth will be its move into assisted living accommodation, to meet the shortage of housing schemes and suitable properties for vulnerable young adults across South Tyneside.
In recognition of Zebra Leisure Lease’s growing property empire, Dane is also set to feature this Spring on BBC One’s ‘Homes under the Hammer’ TV programme, in which experts uncover the tricks of the property auction trade.
Commenting on the new funding deal, Dane Nicholson, director and founder of Zebra Leisure Lease, said: “As an SME business owner it can sometimes be difficult to access the finance and working capital needed to drive growth or capitalise on market opportunities in the North East, particularly within the fast-moving residential property sector.
“Our entire business model is built on identifying and purchasing properties at auction and then transforming them to let. Whether it’s completing the transaction within 28 days or then funding the refurbishment and build costs, both challenges put immense pressure on our cashflow situation and can naturally stunt the progress of my business.
“Finding a finance provider, that is both willing to lend and also offer the necessary speed and flexibility of loan facility, has provided a vital lifeline that is now powering my ambitions and future plans for the company.”
The funding deal was brokered between Reward and Zebra Leisure Lease by David Padget who is managing director for Atlas Trade Finance based in Newcastle.
Harriet Gibbs, business development director for Reward Finance Group in Yorkshire and the North East added: “We’re increasingly meeting a range of SMEs like Zebra Leisure Lease that are simply unable to access commercial finance or find a tailored funding solution that will enable business growth. This is a big challenge facing the region’s economy and so we’re delighted to be able to buck the trend and work with entrepreneurs like Dane to provide common sense, agile lending that overcomes barriers and delivers working capital at speed.
“Dane’s plans to expand the company and diversify into the assisted living space within the property market are gathering real momentum and we look forward to working together to help that upward trajectory continue in the year ahead.”
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- 03:00 am

Challenger credit card Yonder has announced a new feature that allows members to send earned rewards points to others within the app - the first credit card of its kind to offer this benefit.
‘Send Points’ uses hashing to enable users to send points to other members in their contacts within the app, without the need to upload a member’s contact book to the server. The move will allow members to access larger-scale rewards when combining them with other members’ points, give multiple members the option to benefit from points earned by a group spend, and enable the ability to send points as gifts.
Offering a unique take on loyalty rewards based around real people’s lifestyles, Yonder members can earn high-value points and use them at a variety of hospitality and culture experiences that change monthly. On average, spending £1,000 will earn each member around £25 off, with current partners including Lina Stores, Kricket, Unplugged, Brigadiers and BAO.
Founded in 2021 by Clearscore alumni Tim Chong, Theso Jivajirajah and Harry Jell, startup Yonder aims to rebuild customer relationships with credit, eliminating stress and complexity from the customer experience. Having launched publicly in March 2022 after securing £20m in seed funding, Yonder takes a novel approach to evaluating credit suitability based on transaction data, using open banking to build a more nuanced, personalised picture of its customers’ spending habits than relying on traditional credit checks alone. Yonder secured FCA authorisation in just nine months.
Yonder is designed for the five million-strong ‘credit invisible’ market underserved by current credit providers. Its aim is to help young professionals to build more secure financial futures through responsible use of credit, giving them the ability to build credit scores earlier while providing greater purchase protection and enabling them to unlock more value from their spending.
“It doesn’t seem fair to us that credit card users have been so restricted when it comes to how they can spend the points they earn,” says co-founder and CEO Tim Chong.
“Our new Send Points feature gives our members even more freedom in terms of how they choose to use their earned points, and is another step towards our mission to redesign the credit market with the customer at the heart. Send Points makes Yonder an even better option for Londoners who love exploring their city and sharing experiences with friends.”
Yonder features and benefits:
Earn 1 point for every £1 you spend
Choose to earn up to 5x points at partners across London
Points can be redeemed at any of their experience partners that update each month
No expiry date on earned points
Points sharing between members to unlock bigger experiences
New members receive £50 credit to spend at one of Yonder’s reward partners
No fees abroad so you can earn fee-free points overseas to spend at home
Worldwide family travel insurance
It’s a Mastercard so it’s accepted everywhere (unlike AMEX)
Purchase protection from theft, damages and refused funds on eligible purchase
Mastercard World Elite Priceless benefits
Membership costs £15 a month with the first month free. Yonder currently operates in London, with plans to expand to other major UK cities soon.
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- 09:00 am

Fyle Inc, the expense management platform, is today announcing the launch of a real-time credit card feed integration for business cards issued on the Mastercard network. With this capability, any Mastercard customer can access real-time transaction feeds from users’ cards that enroll and provide consent to help them improve operational efficiencies and get a sharper lens on their financial numbers.
Despite digital advances, many smaller businesses are often still managing expenses manually. These businesses may have to wait up to 30 days before they can download card statements to reconcile spending, which delays accounting and reporting cycles.
The Fyle integration with Mastercard reduces a substantial burden on both accountants and finance teams, as well as the card users themselves. The real-time feeds eliminate the dependency on bank statements, offers greater insights for budgeting and planning, and allows teams to monitor for fraudulent transactions. Fyle also streamlines processes for employees, who can reply to real-time SMS text notifications with an image of their receipts for Fyle to match with the transactions, completely automating reconciliation.
“Fyle is democratizing access to businesses’ own expense data and removes the dependence on the issuing bank,” said Yashwanth Madhusudhan, CEO and Co-Founder of Fyle. “This integration with Mastercard will empower small businesses to harness the power of real-time visibility for any card that suits their business needs. We look forward to working with Mastercard to boost these businesses with productivity and bridge the digital divide for the ecosystem.”
The stark reality is that small businesses can find it challenging to manage and account for business credit card spend due to broken bank feeds. Very few banks offer transaction APIs and most of these are inaccessible to the typical small business customer. And in 2023, their accountants are still logging in to their bank portal to scrape or export statements at the end of the month, and manually match each expense with a receipt. Through this Mastercard partnership we will bridge the digital divide for the ecosystem and make it easier and faster to manage this everyday process.”
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- 03:00 am

Ecommpay, a leading international payments service provider and UK and European card acquirer, has implemented innovative graph analysis to strengthen its proprietary Risk Control Management System (RCMS). With this graph model, Ecommpay analyses fraud patterns and blocks not only one but multiple fraudulent activities in a chain. This update also enables the RCMS to identify patterns of fraudulent behaviour even when criminal entities are not active at that moment.
Last year alone, £4 billion was lost to fraud in the UK, up from £2.4 billion in 2021. To tackle the growing issue of online payment fraud, the technology can now detect unusual, interprocess connections, prompting an analysis of the connection. If fraudulent activity is found, chains are blocked and when fraudsters attempt fraudulent actions again, the graph model once again neutralises the threat. This process is repeated until the scammer has exhausted all its efforts and ceases all intrusions.
Most payment providers outsource their fraud protection capabilities, however, Ecommpay’s proprietary system allows the anti-fraud controls to be tailored to each client’s needs, particularly those operating in the e-retail, travel and fintech sector. With this flexibility, businesses can adjust the antifraud filters accordingly to maintain a high level of customer conversion and achieve maximum revenue.
The graph analysis adds another layer of protection to the already sophisticated fraud solution, which combines an automated monitoring feature with manual analysis. This approach ensures a 97% fraud detection and prevention rate without interfering with customer interactions. The system also employs machine learning for enhanced detection, as well as a whitelist and blacklist database functionality. Uniquely, Ecommpay also provides a dedicated personal anti-fraud manager, who uses modern approaches to data visualisation and link analysis to add human insight to powerful machine capabilities.
Marija Solovjova, Head of Fraud & Chargebacks Department at Ecommpay, comments: “When it comes to fraud, merchants need a system that provides a holistic analysis of behaviour. As UK businesses tackle a competitive market in a tough economic environment, they are now looking to expand overseas to explore growth opportunities in different markets. However, this makes them more susceptible to fraudulent actors. Fortunately, our anti-fraud system, combined with graphic analysis, can help companies expand safely to other markets.
Furthermore, according to our survey, 31% of respondents said that their businesses have experienced fraud or attempted fraud (including attempted phishing scams). As fraudsters’ attacks become more sophisticated, the technology available to defend against them must stay one step ahead. Innovative graph analysis is a logical addition to our robust RCMS solution. What makes it so effective in tackling fraudulent activity is that it doesn't just go after an individual action which looks fraudulent, but it finds entire patterns of suspect activity and dismantles full chains of criminal activity. All of this is actioned within the monitoring stage to understand shared patterns of behaviour, what they have in common, and where the discrepancies lie. Our graph analysis enhances Ecommpay’s combined human and machine approach that successfully detects and prevents fraudulent activity.”
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- 02:00 am

Equals Money, an innovative expenses and global payments solution, is bringing its 17-years of expertise in accounting, payments, and FX, to the US in a bid to transform how businesses move money.
In particular, Film and TV production companies based in the US can now benefit from a range of solutions to make money movement easier, including simplified expense management and virtual cards either for individual employees or shared for subscriptions or recurring payments. By removing the logistical difficulties of managing cash on location, productions can benefit from greater control and visibility of all transactions .
Simon England, Global CIO at Equals Money says, “From delayed shoots to sourcing overseas crew, we understand the challenges the film and TV industry has faced in recent years. That’s why our solutions are designed to make managing production finances simple and easy - creating one less thing to worry about.
“Our business account combines cutting-edge technology, support from expense management experts and high-level security. We remove the security and logistical difficulties of using cash on location, also enabling cards to be sent to crew members overseas so they’re ready for set. Production and account teams are also given more financial control knowing exactly where money is being spent through real-time data, and the ability to allocate budgets to specific teams by department, location and more.
“We help customers manage currency risk and save time, so they can get back to what’s most important: growing their business. We have a track record of 17 years of continuous growth, and helping over 20,000 business customers and counting.”
Already trusted by production companies based in the UK, Equals has worked with a host of household names including Warner Bros and Universal Pictures.
“I have used Equals Money cards on a wide range of productions over the past few years”, said a Location Accountant working on the set of The King by Netflix. “It gives control to production which is a major change to the traditional credit card.”
“The Equals Money corporate platform and prepaid cards allow us control and transparency in our staff travel costs and expenses, as well as in meeting corporate obligations”, adds Joint Managing Director from Bankside Films. “As a film sales company, we need flexibility and control in one system, and the Equals Money platform offers exactly that.”
Equals Money also now offers instant-issue virtual cards for employees to give employees the freedom to make purchases and allow finance teams to set limitations and budgets for individuals, as well as block or pause cards which have been compromised.
They also offer a shared virtual card solution, removing the need for physical cards and allowing businesses a secure and convenient way to manage, spend and track shared budgets.
Equals Money continually invests in its open API infrastructure, meaning solutions can be integrated into its customers systems with ease. Last year, it made several exciting new partnerships, including the acquisition of Roqqett, a back-end payments company focused on open-banking payments.