Palm Secures Amex Ventures Investment for Business Identity
Palm, a portable business identity infrastructure platform serving 35 million U.S. firms, has secured a strategic investment from Amex Ventures, the corporate venture arm of American Express. The funding will fuel product development, partner integrations, and a broader rollout of Palm’s API‑driven identity network across financial services and SaaS platforms. Palm aggregates authoritative data from all 50 states and the IRS to create a single, continuously updated identity record that travels with a business, eliminating the need for repetitive re‑verification. The solution shifts verification from point‑in‑time checks to event‑driven monitoring linked to real‑time registry changes.
Energy Shock Hits Europe: Prometeia
Prometeia’s latest brief warns that a sharp rise in energy prices—sparked by shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and heightened Iran tensions—has pushed Italy’s 2026 GDP growth forecast down to 0.4% and inflation up to 2.9%. The energy shock...
CLO Market 2026: How Investor Strategies Are Shifting
The 2026 collateralised loan obligation (CLO) market is shifting from reliance on broad macroeconomic cues to a focus on granular, deal‑level analysis. Investors are scrutinising fundamental credit factors such as collateral quality, CCC concentrations and tail‑risk exposure, especially after AI‑related...
Wtp Shifts Pension Accountability to Insurers
Kidbrooke’s analysis highlights that the Dutch Wet toekomst pensioenen (Wtp) transfers legal responsibility for pension transition communications from advisers and employers to insurers. Under the legacy defined‑benefit model, participants relied on trust, but the new defined‑contribution framework demands individualized explanations...
Insurteam Raises $1.3m to Expand MGA Ops in Europe
Swiss InsurTech Insurteam closed a $1.3 million round to accelerate its Managing General Agent (MGA) rollout across Europe. The capital will fund the deployment of its AI‑driven platform that can slash claim‑handling costs by up to 80% and shrink processing times...
How to Operationalise CARF Reporting Effectively
The Crypto‑Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) marks the most significant extension of global tax transparency into digital assets, mirroring FATCA and CRS but adding crypto‑specific complexity. Firms must move beyond a simple reporting exercise to embed continuous data collection, validation, and...
Middle East Retail Investing: The WealthTech Opportunity
Retail investing is rapidly gaining momentum across the Middle East, driven by a young, digitally native population and strong economic growth in hubs like the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The GCC digital neobrokerage market reached $1.2 bn in 2024, while government...
Why Good-Weather Pension Numbers Are Misleading Participants
Kidbrooke warns that the Dutch pension sector’s standard three‑scenario statements—bad‑weather, expected, and good‑weather—mislead participants by anchoring expectations to the 95th‑percentile figure. Under the Uniforme Rekenmethodiek, 10,000 stochastic scenarios are reduced to these three points, but the optimistic number represents only...
Nordic Banks Turn to CaaS to Fight Rising Fraud
Nordic banks are grappling with a surge in digital fraud as cashless payments dominate the region. Norwegian banks blocked roughly NOK 2.3 bn (about $250 m) and Danish banks prevented DKK 500 m (around $70 m) in attempted fraud in 2025. At the same time, compliance...
Global FinTech Funding Tops $2bn as RegTech Deals Run Rampant
Global FinTech funding surged to $2.17 billion across 23 deals in the past two weeks, driven largely by RegTech and AI‑security investments. RegTech accounted for over a third of transactions, while the largest single deal was German insurer Talanx’s €1 billion ($1.09 billion)...
How Metadata Supercharges AI Document Processing
M-Files argues that metadata – structured business context – is the missing link for effective AI document processing. When metadata is captured systematically and evolves with a document’s lifecycle, AI moves from simple extraction to true reasoning, delivering explainable outcomes....
Pello Companies to Acquire ByAllAccounts From Morningstar
Pello Companies announced a definitive agreement to acquire ByAllAccounts, a long‑standing data aggregation provider, from Morningstar. The transaction, expected to close in the first half of 2026, will leave ByAllAccounts operating as an independent entity under new CEO Cynthia Rojas...
Tune Protect Malaysia Selects Akur8 to Enhance P&C Pricing
Tune Protect Malaysia, the general insurance arm of Tune Protect Group, has partnered with Akur8 to deploy its AI‑driven actuarial pricing platform across its property‑and‑casualty portfolio. The solution leverages machine‑learning models to accelerate model development, provide transparent, explainable outputs, and...
Modernising FATCA and CRS Compliance for Fund Administrators
Fund administrators, tasked with FATCA and CRS reporting, are confronting operational bottlenecks as investor data volumes surge. Legacy workflows built on spreadsheets and manual reviews generate costly reconciliation and strain during reporting peaks. The article highlights a shift toward integrated,...
Sigma360 and Consilient Partner on AI-Driven pKYC
Sigma360 and Consilient announced a strategic partnership to deliver an AI‑driven perpetual KYC (pKYC) platform that unifies real‑time risk intelligence with federated machine learning. The joint solution addresses the industry’s “silo effect” by allowing institutions to share and improve detection...
AI Supercharges Scams as ASIC Hits Record Takedowns
Australia’s securities regulator ASIC dismantled a record 11,964 phishing and investment‑scam websites in 2025, a 90% jump from the 6,270 sites removed in 2024. The surge coincides with scammers exploiting artificial‑intelligence tools to craft more convincing fraud content. Despite the...
Mimir Acquires PayEx Platform to Launch Everspring
Mimir, a technology investment firm, has acquired the payments platform of Swedbank‑owned PayEx to create a new fintech venture called Everspring Solutions. The deal gives Mimir majority control while PayEx retains a minority stake, preserving continuity for the existing merchant...
Finova Broker Payments Partners with MBT for Brokers
Finova Broker Payments, the mortgage club known for competitive procuration fees, announced a partnership with Mortgage Broker Tools (MBT). The agreement grants Finova members an exclusive 20% discount on MBT’s affordability and criteria research platform. MBT currently serves more than...
PremFina Expands Waterfall Funding Deal to £100m
PremFina, the UK’s fastest‑growing insurance premium finance provider, has expanded its junior capital facility with Waterfall Asset Management to £100 million (≈$127 million). The amendment upsizes and extends the funding partnership, bolstering PremFina’s balance‑sheet capacity and giving it a longer runway for...
Apax Digital Invests $60m in MillTech at $325m Valuation
MillTech, a next‑generation FX hedging and cash‑investment platform for funds and corporates, secured a $60 million minority investment from Apax Digital, valuing the company at $325 million. The funding will accelerate MillTech’s expansion into North America and enhance its treasury‑management suite. The...
Lucky Secures $23m to Scale Credit and Neo-Banking Push
Egyptian fintech Lucky announced a $23 million Series B round that blends equity and debt, led by Disruptech Ventures and DPI Venture Capital with new strategic investors Suez Canal Bank and OneStop. Mohamed Farouk, chair of OneStop, was appointed chairman of Lucky’s...
How WealthTech Can Shape the Next Generation of Investors
WealthTech platforms have democratized financial access, enabling users to manage money, save, and invest from their smartphones. A World Economic Forum study shows 30% of Gen Z begin investing in university, double the rate of Millennials. Industry leaders such as...
FINEOS Wins MAIB Contract for Claims Platform Overhaul
Tasmania’s Motor Accidents Insurance Board (MAIB) has selected FINEOS to replace its aging Motor Accidents Claims System with a modern, secure platform. The new solution addresses cybersecurity gaps, limited data access, and reporting constraints while aligning with MAIB’s client‑centric strategy....
Freedom Bank Partners with InvestiFi for Digital Investing
Freedom Bank has teamed up with InvestiFi to embed a full‑service digital investing suite into its online banking platform. The integration lets customers trade stocks, ETFs and digital assets directly from their checking accounts, while also offering Guided Investing portfolios...
Vertafore Cuts Clicks with Project Impact Workflow Gains
Vertafore’s Project Impact initiative has achieved its target of returning up to two hours a day to account managers by streamlining agency workflows. The program eliminated redundant steps, cut manual work and reduced clicks in high‑volume servicing tasks. Improvements to...
Liberty Mutual Investments Backs Square Nine Capital
Liberty Mutual Investments (LMI), the $124 billion investment arm of Liberty Mutual Group, announced a long‑term strategic partnership with Square Nine Capital, a private firm specializing in senior secured loans and structured capital for U.S. middle‑market companies. The alliance will allow...
Diamante Raises $1.5m to Advance Quantum-Safe Blockchain
Diamante Financial Technologies announced a $1.5 million strategic investment from Khofiz Shakhidi, founder of Jefferson Capital and co‑founder of Minexx. The funding will accelerate development of its quantum‑safe Layer‑1 blockchain, expand the ecosystem, and drive enterprise go‑to‑market efforts across the US,...
Canadian FinTech Funding Rose by 52% YoY in Q4 2025 as Investor Confidence Grew
Canadian fintech companies raised a record $1.6 bn in Q4 2025, a 52% year‑over‑year increase despite completing only 18 deals. The average transaction size jumped to $89.1 m, up 34% from the same quarter last year, highlighting a shift toward larger, strategic investments....
CMB Monaco Accelerates Digital Transformation with Avaloq
CMB Monaco, a Monaco‑based private bank, has completed migration to an integrated platform that combines Avaloq’s core banking suite with BlackRock’s Aladdin Wealth. The cloud‑based SaaS solution streamlines front‑, middle‑ and back‑office workflows, adds AI‑driven portfolio analytics and delivers a...
Webull UK Scraps Commission on US and HK Shares
Webull UK, a subsidiary of Webull Corporation, announced it will no longer charge commissions on trades of US and Hong Kong shares. The move coincides with the launch of a flexible Stocks and Shares ISA, giving UK residents tax‑efficient access...
TaxTec, Proxymity and Label Launch End-to-End MiKaDiv Fix
TaxTec, Proxymity and Label announced a strategic partnership to deliver the industry’s first fully connected, end‑to‑end solution for MiKaDiv withholding‑tax compliance. The joint offering links issuer, custodian and investor data, validates it across the custody chain, and produces schema‑driven regulatory...
What Are Firms Getting Wrong with Perpetual KYC?
Perpetual KYC (pKYC) promises continuous, automated risk monitoring, contrasting with static, periodic checks. While the market is expanding—valued at $1.2 bn in 2024 and projected to reach $6.5 bn by 2033—many firms misinterpret pKYC as merely increasing review frequency or adding data...
LSEG Launches Workspace Top 50 to Track Market Trends
LSEG has introduced Workspace Top 50, a monthly feature that ranks the most searched commodities and equities among finance professionals worldwide. The list is published within the LSEG Workspace platform and shared on LinkedIn, offering a quick view of emerging...
M-Files and Microsoft Deepen Strategic AI Partnership
Document management firm M-Files announced new integrations with Microsoft 365 Copilot and the Copilot Agent Builder, embedding its context‑first repository directly into the Microsoft 365 experience. The partnership adds permission‑aware answers, metadata‑rich context, and seamless access to M-Files content alongside...
Generative AI Shifts From Market Boom to Disruption Risk
Prometeia’s latest event‑study shows investor sentiment on generative AI turning sharply negative, especially in technology, financial and real‑estate sectors. Over a ten‑day window after AI‑related news, S&P 500 firms now post cumulative abnormal returns below expectations, with software firms lagging 0.75%...
Ortec Finance: Macro Hedging for US Pension Stability
Ortec Finance released a whitepaper titled “From Volatility to Stability,” highlighting how declining interest rates expose U.S. pension funds to balance‑sheet risk. The paper uses a stylised case study to show that strategic interest‑rate hedging can materially reduce downside risk....
Navan Launches AI-Powered Audit Engine for Expense Risk Screening
Navan unveiled an AI‑driven Audit Engine that adds over 45 configurable checks to its travel‑and‑expense platform, enabling real‑time fraud, compliance and policy violation detection. The system automatically approves roughly 75% of transactions, directing finance teams to the remaining 25% that...
The Hidden Cost of Fragmented Tax Data in Private Capital
FATCA and CRS filings seem on track, yet private‑capital firms wrestle with fragmented investor tax data. Records are siloed across onboarding tools, fund administrators, internal databases and external providers, forcing compliance teams into repetitive reconciliation work. Legacy, manually‑driven infrastructures amplify...
Prometeia Expands Wealth and Asset Management Push in Spain
Prometeia is expanding its presence in Spain by offering data‑driven, AI‑enhanced solutions for the country’s fast‑growing wealth and asset‑management sector. The firm introduced a Digital Wealth Management Platform and an Asset Management Insights SaaS tool that combine analytics, ESG metrics...
Fincite • Cios Adds Three Features to Cut Advisor Friction
Fincite has rolled out three new capabilities on its fincite • cios platform aimed at cutting advisor friction. The updates introduce a many‑to‑many user‑client model that lets a single e‑banking identity access multiple mandates, embed mandatory comments into every activity...
How Dutch Insurers Can Govern Wtp without Rebuilding Systems
The Wet toekomst pensioenen (Wtp) reform has moved Dutch pension insurers into a decisive implementation phase, with regulators treating communication plans as binding operational commitments. Insurers possess strong actuarial and administration systems but lack a unified mechanism to translate approved...
How Australia’s AML Reforms Are Reshaping FinCrime Strategies
Australia is poised to implement sweeping anti‑money‑laundering and counter‑terrorism financing reforms that pivot AUSTRAC toward outcomes‑based regulation. The changes compel banks and fintechs to shift from reactive detection to proactive prevention, emphasizing risk‑based strategies, biometric verification, and early‑stage safeguards. Industry...
The Evolving Role of Actuaries in the Age of AI
Artificial intelligence promises up to $1.1 trillion of annual value for insurers, reshaping how risk is quantified. Automation of routine calculations is freeing actuaries to focus on strategic risk insights, especially as pension annuity premiums surge to roughly $9.4 billion in 2025....
Growth without Drift: How Akur8 Protects Its Culture as It Scales
Akur8, the actuarial‑platform provider, expanded its global footprint in 2025, adding a new Madrid office and deepening presence across North America and Europe. Chief Talent Officer Delphine Marsh says the company’s biggest achievement was preserving its core culture while scaling....
KYND Warns Insurers of Surge in US Website Privacy Lawsuits
Cyber‑risk firm KYND warns insurers that U.S. privacy lawsuits tied to routine website tracking have surged from a few hundred to over 2,000 cases annually. The claims focus on marketing pixels and analytics tools rather than data breaches and can...
The Case for Modern Client Lifecycle Management in Banking
Modern client lifecycle management (CLM) software is emerging as a solution to the fragmented, multi‑system processes that banks use for prospecting, onboarding, compliance and ongoing relationship management. By unifying these stages on a single platform, CLM reduces the months‑long onboarding...
PensionBee Supports FCA Move to Regulate ESG Ratings
PensionBee has welcomed the FCA’s proposal to regulate ESG ratings providers, calling it a long‑overdue step toward greater transparency. The retirement‑savings platform urged the regulator to adopt a proportionate, internationally aligned framework that reduces reporting burdens on smaller firms. It...
Huskeys Raises $8m Seed to Modernise Legacy Web Security
Edge security startup Huskeys announced its emergence from stealth after closing an $8 million seed round led by investors such as 10D, SV Angel and a roster of athlete angels. The company launched its Edge Security Management platform, which sits atop...
Ani Tech Launches Free AI Cash Flow App for Advisors
Ani Tech has introduced a free AI‑driven cash‑flow modelling app for UK financial advisers, allowing them to build and compare complex scenarios using natural‑language commands. The tool, powered by an agentic AI called ‘Flo’, automates data entry and provides real‑time...
Energy Crisis and Conflict Drag Down Global Growth in 2026
Prometeia’s latest outlook warns that the Iran‑Hormuz conflict and resulting energy shock are eroding global growth in 2026. Euro‑area GDP is trimmed to 0.8%, a 0.4‑point downgrade, as gas reserves dwindle and inflation‑driven recovery stalls. The United States is projected...