nCino, Inc., a pioneer in cloud banking for the global financial services industry, today announced an expanded partnership with Salesforce to accelerate the delivery of best-in-class cloud solutions to the financial services industry. This builds on nCino and Salesforce’s long-standing collaboration, established in 2011, to empower financial institutions with digital innovations that increase efficiency, transparency, and reduce risks while driving customer growth and loyalty.

“Our strategic partnership with Salesforce has enabled nCino to transform the financial services industry by providing industry-specific solutions that drive efficiencies, deliver intelligence, and help institutions modernize for a more agile future,” said Pierre Naudé, Chairman and CEO of nCino. “We’re glad to again be expanding our work with Salesforce and are committed to utilizing each other’s strengths to further benefit financial institutions of all sizes around the globe.” 

“nCino’s success is a testament to the enormous opportunity in front of ISVs building on Salesforce,” said Brian Landsman, Executive Vice President, Global Technology Partners, at Salesforce. “Salesforce is the world’s #1 AI CRM, trusted by thousands of partners to power purpose-built solutions for highly specialized industries. The expansion of our work with nCino will only accelerate how our customers are reimagining the future of personalized financial services.”

As part of the agreement, nCino will deepen its connectivity to Salesforce platform tools including CRM, powered by AI and automation, and Financial Services Cloud. These innovations will empower financial institutions utilizing nCino and Salesforce to further modernize customer experiences like onboarding, loan origination, deposit account opening, and portfolio management. 

The expanded agreement also includes updated commercial terms which are expected to improve nCino’s subscription gross margins, minimum payment commitments from nCino during the first four fiscal years of the term of the extension, and an extension of the term of the agreement to 2031.

Tabby, the MENA’s leading shopping and financial services app, has secured up to $700 million in receivables securitization from J.P. Morgan. The deal represents the largest asset-backed facility obtained by a fintech company in the MENA region.

In parallel to the securitization financing, Tabby has extended its Series D financing to close $250 million with participation from Hassana Investment Company. The Series D was also joined by US-based Soros Capital Management and KSA-based Saudi Venture Capital (SVC).

The financing bolsters Tabby’s balance sheet amidst increasing demand for its core buy now, pay later platform and enables more capital to continue expanding Tabby’s financial services and shopping products for its 10 million consumers and 30,000 retailers.

Hosam Arab, CEO and Co-Founder of Tabby, said: “Securitization is a major milestone, not only for Tabby but also the first of its kind for the region. It mirrors the rapid growth and evolution of the fintech landscape in our markets. We’re incredibly proud of our collaboration with J.P. Morgan, Hassana, Soros and SVC. Their teams’ confidence in our vision and capabilities underscores Tabby’s pivotal role in reshaping personal finance and shopping in MENA.”

George Deves, Co-Head of Northern European ABS at J.P. Morgan, said: “We are pleased to be collaborating with Tabby on this new transaction. A vibrant and growing consumer lending sector is vital for the local economy and we are pleased to work with Tabby on this strategic initiative to support retail credit throughout the Middle East.”

Ahmed Al Qahtani, Chief Investment Officer for Regional Markets at Hassana Investment Company, said: “The recent Series D funding round, coupled with the $700 million asset-backed securitization, will support Tabby in amplifying its reach and impact. As a committed and long term investor, we believe in Tabby's vision to empower consumers and merchants alike and reshape the future of financial services in Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region. Tabby is poised for accelerated growth, further market penetration, and continued innovation. The company remains focused on delivering exceptional value to both consumers and merchants while maintaining its commitment to transparency, affordability, and responsible lending practices.”

Alchemy Pay, the pioneering fiat-crypto payment gateway, has entered into a strategic partnership with Worldpay, the No.1 global acquirer, to amplify its payment channels and elevate its payment capabilities. This partnership grants access to Worldpay's Visa and Mastercard payment rails on Alchemy Pay's On & Off-Ramp, empowering users to enjoy increased efficiency and better customer experience when buying and selling crypto using their credit and debit cards. Moving forward, Worldpay's payment channels will also support Alchemy Pay's NFT Checkout, making NFT accessible for a wider audience.

Acquired by the global financial technology leader FIS (NYSE:FIS) in 2019, Worldpay stands as the top acquirer on Nasdaq in terms of market capitalization and is also recognized as the largest global acquirer based on general-purpose transaction volume. On a daily basis, Worldpay handles over 130 million transactions across mobile, online, and in-store platforms, supporting operations in more than 146 countries and dealing with 135 currencies. With a vast network of over 1 million merchants globally, Worldpay's expertise lies in fast settlement and extensive experience in international and cross-border payments. Through the partnership with Worldpay, Alchemy Pay aims to significantly enhance its global presence by reducing the barriers associated with buying and selling cryptocurrencies and NFTs.

In response to the emergence of innovative trends in crypto and blockchain technology, Worldpay has enthusiastically embraced cryptocurrency by offering payment services and set its sight for a future marked by widespread crypto adoption. The FIS group has facilitated over $20 billion in transactions from card to crypto. Worldpay has forged partnerships with prominent crypto entities, including Fireblocks, Circle, and crypto.com, among others. Notably, in 2022, Worldpay achieved the distinction of being the first global merchant acquirer to provide direct settlement in USDC.

"Utilizing Worldpay's extensive global reach, Alchemy Pay is now better positioned to assist our business partners and users in seamless cryptocurrency transactions worldwide, providing enhanced payment experiences and more favorable fee structures," commented Robert McCracken, the Ecosystem Lead at Alchemy Pay. "We are excited about the collaboration with Worldpay to advance the mainstream accessibility of crypto and digital assets."

"As a global leader in providing payment solutions to the digital assets space, Worldpay is delighted to have been selected by Alchemy Pay as their payment processing partner. Alchemy Pay's mission to promote global adoption of digital assets by connecting fiat to the Web3 economy is aligned with Worldpay's role in bridging the gap between traditional and digital finance. We are proud to be a part of Alchemy Pay's growth story and look forward to a successful partnership." said Nabil Manji, the Head of Crypto and Web3.0 at Worldpay.

As a leading crypto payment service provider, Alchemy Pay seeks to enable widespread use for crypto and Web3 services by facilitating access to fiat payments. Demonstrating a successful history of robust payment capabilities, Alchemy Pay supports transactions in over 50 fiat currencies through payment methods such as Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and Diners Club across 173 nations. Additionally, it accepts payments through Google Pay, Apple Pay, various domestic transfer options, and popular mobile wallets in emerging markets.

Alchemy Pay is proactively pursuing and securing licenses to operate payment services in diverse countries and regions, encompassing Arkansas in the United States, Canada, Indonesia, and Lithuania. Notably, in November, Alchemy Pay successfully obtained a Money Services License in Iowa, following its acquisition of an MTL license in Arkansas in September. Furthermore, Alchemy Pay has gained recognition from Visa and Mastercard as an authorized third-party service provider. These achievements underscore Alchemy Pay's expertise in the crypto payment industry and its steadfast commitment to compliance and regulatory standards.

JULO, a leading Indonesian peer-to-peer financial technology company, launched JULO Cares on December 15th, 2023, a first-in-market unique insurance cover embedded within the core JULO digital credit solution. This benefit launched under the JULO Cares platform provides ongoing device protection to users when they avail of JULO's digital credit.

The general insurance penetration rate in Indonesia is low at 2.75 % and the Indonesian government aims to increase this to 3.2% by 2027, according to The Indonesia Financial Services Authority. Lack of literacy and affordability of insurance premiums are the primary reasons for this low penetration.

Chief Business Officer of JULO Group, Nimish Dwivedi, explained "We aim to add a layer of insurance inclusion to financial inclusion. With JULO Cares, we provide a unique gadget protection cover to our valued users. This embedded insurance cover gets auto-activated as part of the transaction flow itself when customers are using JULO's digital credit. Once activated, this cover protects their existing smartphone against all forms of device damage, ranging from dropping their phone by accident to incidents of phone theft. With this protection, we aim to ensure that our valued customers never lose access to their JULO app."

One of JULO's users, Susanna, shared her experience: "This is quite new to me! Working as a tutor requires me to move a lot and I rely heavily on my smartphone gadget. Felt reassured that this gadget is now protected".

"JULO Cares offers unique and helpful benefits to our customers. This also includes an Accident Protection Cover, in partnership with the Indonesia Social Security Agency for Employment. We are committed to continuously expanding our range of protection options under the JULO Cares platform", said CEO & co-founder of JULO, Adrianus Hitijahubessy.

This innovative product is backed by Sompo, a global general insurer with a track record of more than 48 years in Indonesia.

Throughout 2023, JULO has been committed to innovation by launching various products and features to empower underbanked and unbanked individuals in Indonesia. These include JULO Turbo, a product that provides instant credit from download to disbursement in just 5 minutes, and JULO Education, which provides education financing across any school, any college, and any online course in Indonesia.

"Through JULO Cares, we want to give our valued customers not just financial benefits, but peace of mind", ended Nimish.

Newgen Software, a global provider of low-code digital transformation platforms, announced that the Development Bank (DB) selected Newgen to streamline its Banking Processes and Deliver Transformed Experiences.

The financing arm for the government to support SMEs based in Oman is dedicated to enhancing its banking processes, aiming for a seamless, secure, and omnichannel experience for its customers. To achieve this, they opted for Newgen's intelligent process automation (BPM) and contextual content services (ECM) offerings, built on the NewgenONE low-code platform. This project would be executed with the help of Newgen's platinum implementation partner, Ikyam Technologies.

Leveraging Newgen's solutions, the bank will oversee the entire content lifecycle, from origination to disposition. The solution provides efficient tools for capturing content from diverse sources and facilitates instant document uploads—managed within a secure, centralized repository. The bank can optimize processes and foster collaboration between front- and back-office teams through user-friendly workflow automation. Moreover, the solution will allow DB to mitigate business risks by ensuring compliance and securing business-critical information. The integration with core banking and third-party systems will provide a unified experience.

"With Newgen's robust solution, we look forward to achieving a paperless work environment that will enhance efficiency, reduce overall costs, and eliminate process bottlenecks. This will help us meet the targeted growing demand and scale operations to handle high-volume transactions efficiently, leading to a better customer experience. With this implementation, we are poised to set new benchmarks in delivering innovative financial services, empowering SMEs financially, and aligning with the country's economic development goals," said Mahmood Al-Yafai, Digital Transformation Program Director, Development Bank.

"It brings us great pleasure to partner with DB, supporting and advancing their digital transformation program's goals. DB's trust enhances our standing as a robust, adaptable, and scalable platform meeting the diverse spectrum of banking customer needs. We look forward to helping the bank build a strong foundation with digital banking and supporting their future initiatives," said Vivek Bhatnagar, VP – EMEA Sales, Newgen Software.

AppTech Payments Corp., a pioneering Fintech company powering frictionless commerce between business-to-business and business-to-consumer, announces it has retained CORE IR, leading investor relations, public relations, and strategic advisory firm, to assist the Company with investor relations and shareholder communications services.

AppTech CEO Luke D’Angelo commented, “We believe CORE IR’s integrated approach to communications and investor engagement will help AppTech to expand our breadth of both institutional and retail investors while clearly articulating our story to the public at large. We believe we have the potential to revolutionize the mobile commerce industry with Specialty Payments and look forward to collaborating with CORE to help investors understand the opportunities we represent as we continue on our growth trajectory.”

CORE IR will focus on expanding market awareness for AppTech, conveying the company's business model and growth strategies to the institutional and retail investment communities. CORE IR, a boutique Investor and Public Relations and strategic advisory firm specializes in leveraging the most effective investment, growth, and exposure strategies for small to mid-sized publicly traded and privately held companies through an integrated approach to relationship development and corporate communications.

“CORE IR is a great fit for AppTech, as the breadth of our team’s experience and capabilities will serve the Company’s Investor Relations and communications goals by utilizing tailored strategies toward driving market awareness, expanding outreach, and engaging with the investment communities. We look forward to a strong strategic partnership that facilitates improved communications and supports shareholder value creation,” added Scott Gordon, president of CORE IR.

Layer2 Financial, a leading BaaS and payments infrastructure technology, is excited to announce a strategic partnership with Evita, a B2B cross-border payments solution specializing in large transactions. This groundbreaking collaboration marks a significant milestone in the financial technology landscape, leveraging the strengths of both entities to streamline and optimize cross-border payment processes.

"Evita's decision to partner with Layer2 was driven by their exceptional speed, agility, and ability to navigate complex compliance layers". Said George Goognin, Founder of Evita. "The partnership enables us to manage compliance efficiently, and paves the way for ramping up USD operations."

Evita distinguishes itself by focusing on large transactions, particularly in markets where traditional financial institutions fall short. Notably, the company excels in facilitating transactions related to high-value items such as luxury cars and Italian furniture, offering an alternative to major banks like Bank of America and Chase. By utilizing their own liquidity and direct local payment rails, Evita ensures faster and more cost-effective payments for their clients.

Goognin expressed his astonishment at the remarkable speed of onboarding with Layer2, stating, "I thought they were joking with me when they said our account was up and running. After engaging with more than 40 banks,, and encountering promises of months-long processes, the efficiency and speed with which Layer2 had our account ready took me by surprise. It's a testament to their commitment to streamlining financial processes and providing a level of service that goes beyond industry expectations."

Evita will leverage Layer2 to open FBO (For Benefit Of) accounts for its clients, enhancing Evita's ability to operate seamlessly with US Dollars and enables customers to have individual US/Native accounts, simplifying wire instructions and reducing the likelihood of errors.

In an environment where many banks now shy away from crypto, George is a vocal advocate for its transparency, trackability, and safety in the financial system. He believes that the collaboration between these two companies will help rebuild trust as digital and fiat currencies are poised to reshape the landscape of large, cross-border transactions.

Spectrum Markets (“Spectrum”), the pan-European trading venue for securitised derivatives, has become associate member of the Italian Association of Certificates and Investment Products (ACEPI), reinforcing its commitment to enhance knowledge, transparency and investor protection around structured retail products. Spectrum is the first MTF to join the Association, confirming its pioneering approach in strengthening the industry advancements through a collaborative approach.

ACEPI represents major issuers and stakeholders in the Italian securitised derivatives industry, aiming to foster the culture and conscious use of investment products, with a particular focus on certificates. Established in 2006, ACEPI engages in regulatory discussions and actively works to enhance education among financial advisors and private bankers. By participating in ACEPI's committees, Spectrum aims to contribute to the development of industry standards that prioritize investor education and protection.

“Joining forces with a leading association such as ACEPI is a meaningful step forward for us, proving our dedication to fostering transparency, supporting retail investors, and advocating for industry interests. This membership, which follows the announcement of Spectrum being a supporting member of the German Association for Structured Securities (BSW - Bundesverband für strukturierte Wertpapiere) reinforces our effort to be an active part of the change. After Germany, Italy is the second largest securitised derivatives market in Europe and it is very important for us to see how the industry is embracing innovation and change”, comments Nicky Maan, CEO of Spectrum Markets.

“I am pleased to see the growth progression of our Association. Welcoming Spectrum Markets among the newest members is a gratifying step forward, confirming the leading role achieved by ACEPI in the financial industry. Their contribution introduces a different and innovative perspective that will bring further value to the Association's initiatives aimed at promoting the culture and conscious use of investment certificates”, concludes Nicola Francia, President of ACEPI.

WealthKernel, a wealthtech provider of digital investment solutions, today announces the launch of US equities trading for new and existing clients. This strategic move positions WealthKernel among the select group of API-first companies to offer institutional-grade UK and US equities trading at highly competitive prices. 

Wealthyhood, an investment app popular with millennials and one of WealthKernel’s clients, is one of the first companies to go live with US equity trading on WealthKernel’s platform. 

The launch of US equities positions WealthKernel within a market largely dominated by American fintechs like DriveWealth, Alpaca and Apex. This move also closely aligns with WealthKernel’s commitment to offering cost-effective investment solutions to everyday investors. 

US equities are currently among the most popular investment choices, with a significant surge in positive sentiments towards this asset class from Europe’s major private banks. Given the changing investor preferences, the launch of WealthKernel’s institutional-grade US equity dealing is a timely addition to its full suite of products for an evolving investor landscape. 

Karan Shanmugarajah, CEO of WealthKernel, said, 

“With the launch of the US equity trading, we’re responding not only to market preferences but also to the growing needs of our clients. 

We’re very excited to have Wealthyhood join us as our launch client. The collaboration shows the industry’s readiness to adapt to customer needs and improve on providing more accessible and affordable investment options.” 

Alexandros Christodoulakis, Co-founder and CEO of Wealthyhood, said, 

“We’re very excited to be introducing individual stock investing on Wealthyhood! Until now, our users could invest in a curated selection of ETFs, but there was something missing. Our users’ consistent feedback inspired us to elevate our offerings, and we worked hard with WealthKernel to deliver. Starting today, over 100 of the most popular US stocks are now available on Wealthyhood (also as fractional shares) starting from only £1! 

We couldn’t be more confident about our partnership with WealthKernel, as the platform is constantly evolving to meet the changing preferences of retail investors!”

Adrian Lester, Head of Product, WealthKernel, said, 

“We’re on a mission to make financial services better for everyday people. This fresh release is a critical enabler, making institutional-grade rates available to retail investors for the first time. It comes at an opportune time, as investors begin to return to US shares. 

The launch also presents an opportunity for financial services companies to leverage our extraordinarily low rates and capture a significant market share.” 

Payoneer, the financial technology company empowering the world’s small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to transact, do business, and grow globally, announced new features to improve the customer experience and help entrepreneurs easily connect with the global economy.

“SMBs trust us and grow with us because we’re constantly evolving to help them in ways that give them more control and flexibility,” said Oren Ryngler, Payoneer Chief Product Officer. “Our new ‘Add Funds’ feature gives customers more control of their finances by allowing them to add money into their Payoneer accounts directly from their bank accounts, ensuring they always have the necessary funds at their fingertips to make payments globally. Our new updates to Payoneer Checkout help customers accept online payments via their webstores safely and easily and can contribute to a higher rate of customer conversions. Our commitment to always leveling the customer experience enables SMBs to scale to new markets and thrive.”

Key new features include:

More flexibility and control with Add Funds
The ‘Add Funds’ function marks a new development in Payoneer’s capabilities, helping customers better manage their finances. Payoneer customers can now easily add single-currency funds directly from their local bank accounts into their multi-currency Payoneer accounts. This feature allows greater financial flexibility and control for SMBs to use their funds for ordering inventory, buying services, or paying contractors via their Payoneer account. This new capability is live in select countries in Latin America and Europe, with further rollout planned soon.

Smoother experiences with Payoneer Checkout
Payoneer Checkout is a solution that empowers SMB merchants to seamlessly and securely accept online payments from their global customers who shop for goods and services at their online stores. Introduced in 2022, Payoneer Checkout has experienced significant growth since its launch as SMBs increasingly rely on it to scale their businesses. Updates include new pre-dispute alerts to help SMB merchants avoid costly chargebacks. The Native Shopify checkout feature helps merchants deliver a seamless payment experience to their customers when shopping at their Shopify store. With this major update, the checkout process becomes native, removing redirects so consumers can pay on the same page within the online store.

Increased efficiency when managing payments
Other feature updates support multiple payment requests, giving Payoneer account holders greater flexibility and saving them time. For example, as part of the latest feature release, Payoneer improved bulk payment processing for customer convenience. Batch payment requests now handle up to 200 requests at once, and batch payments now support sending funds to 500 Payoneer accounts simultaneously. The upcoming role management feature will help distribute workloads by letting account owners set up contributor roles for staff.