article thumbnail

Square’s bank arm launches as fintech aims ‘to operate more nimbly’

TechCrunch

Known for its innovations in the payments sector, Square is now officially a bank. Nearly one year after receiving conditional approval , Square said Monday afternoon that its industrial bank, Square Financial Services, has begun operations. Lewis Goodwin had been tapped to serve as the bank’s CEO, and Brandon Soto its CFO.

Banking 352
article thumbnail

New challenger Ikigai combines digital banking and wealth management

TechCrunch

Ikigai , a London fintech founded by former McKinsey partners, thinks there’s room in the crowded challenger market for a new premium offering that combines digital banking with wealth management. “Our typical client is young — usually in their late twenties or thirties,” explains Ikigai co-founder Edgar de Picciotto.

Banking 273
article thumbnail

Are Global Stressors and Bank Failures Considered Strategically Net Positive by Some Market Players?

Ooda Loop

We take a look at the recently released Federal Reserve Board 2024 bank stress test scenarios, with an eye towards just how sensitive the stress tests are to disruptions and uncertainties created by exponential technologies - and how some disruptive markets see instability in the traditional banking system as a net positive for the strategic emergence (..)

.Net 59
article thumbnail

Wannabe ‘social bank’ Kroo swerves VCs to raise a $24.5M Series A from HNWs

TechCrunch

Launched in February 2019, Kroo, the London-based consumer-facing fintech, raised some seed funding last year for its prepaid card service which claims to offer more “social features” in its drive toward offering full-blown banking services. Kroo will use the funding in its drive toward a full banking license in early 2022.

Banking 253
article thumbnail

Pursuing A New Future of Innovation Through Digital Banking Strategy

CIO

How has banking evolved during the rapid digitisation of recent years? Banks are no longer the key players in the market, with fintech companies, digital-first start-ups, and tech giants delivering their own brand of financial services. One example is Banking-as-a-Service, with the market expected to reach US$3.6

Banking 246
article thumbnail

Pursuing A New Future of Innovation Through Digital Banking Strategy

CIO

How has banking evolved during the rapid digitisation of recent years? Banks are no longer the key players in the market, with fintech companies, digital-first start-ups, and tech giants delivering their own brand of financial services. One example is Banking-as-a-Service, with the market expected to reach US$3.6

Banking 246
article thumbnail

UK challenger bank Starling raises $376M, now valued at $1.9B

TechCrunch

Challenger banks continue to see huge infusions of cash from investors bullish on the opportunity for smaller and faster-moving tech-based banking startups to woo customers from their larger rivals. The bank is already profitable. It posted operating profits for a fourth consecutive month, and net income currently exceeds £1.5

Banking 275