Fintech

Fintech startups from all over Europe were nominated for the European Fintech Awards in Holland.  Now, over 20 of them have been named as part of the “European Fintech Top 100“. This means that the top companies have been invited to participate in the European Fintech Awards on April 14th in Amsterdam, where the top 25 on the list will …

Banks are kicking the tires on blockchain technology, but implementation is some time away – especially since banks need to learn to collaborate extensively to make it work. By Rubert G. Walker Blockchain is a type of “distributed ledger”, that is, a database maintained collaboratively by several participants.  The computers update transactions using a “consensus mechanism” after which the modifications …

The phenomenon of innovations from the emerging world making great impact in developed markets, popularly known as “reverse innovation”,  has been keenly observed since the 80’s. Read on to learn which trends in fintech from emerging economies gaining traction in the developed world. Reverse innovation is generally a response to global MNCs falling short of fulfilling the market needs in …

Singapore has unveiled a plan to become the world’s leading startup ecosystem within fintech, challenging similar initiatives in the Nordic countries. Singapore has developed a lot since becoming independent in 1965. Before, the country was a central post for major banks and finance houses, but as the country looks to the future, it has shifted it’s focus towards startups. In …

A new report by BDO and Danske Bank singles out Nordic fintech disrupters as medicine for “sick” banking industry, and emphasizes the need for both fintech startups and traditional banks to form symbiotic relationships if they want to create true positive disruption. “The Fintech Disruptors Report: Nordic Edition” analyzes current trends in the fintech industry across Europe and the Nordic …

The term diversification is a term regularly associated with investment strategies and it is without a doubt the single most powerful tool available to investors. Diversification isn’t a difficult concept to understand, yet it is still often misunderstood. Omar Shaikh, founder of Cocoa Invest, a completely independent online saving and investment company, explains exactly what diversification is and how important …

Juwan Lee has spent over 30 years working around the world in financial services, before leaving money management to create NexChange, a global social network for the financial services industry. Armed with in-depth experience from the worlds major financial capitals, he shares his insights for the Nordic countries. Fintech, such as electronic finance, digital wallets, and cryptocurrencies, are changing the …

Millennials have grown up with technology, which makes them an entirely new breed of consumer. Armed with their devices, they have the world at their fingertips. But access to more knowledge does not necessarily mean making better choices, or does it? Memories of the financial collapse are firmly embedded in the minds of millennials, which has been attributed to their …

A number of countries are competing to become the world’s first economy to ditch paper currency.  NexChange recently reported that Kevin Jenkins,  managing director of Visa Europe, stated that within five years, cash will be seen as “a peculiar way of paying for things.” But one region stands out as the front runners in the race to become cashless:  the …

As the economy created by alternative finance expands, services like Capdesk will become an essential tool for investors.  Capdesk is a shareholder platform that improves the experience for shareholders of unlisted companies by gathering all investor activities in one place. Although currently only a small percentage of people buy shares in unlisted companies (companies not listed on the stock exchange), …

Mike Hearn, one of the core developers of Bitcoin, recently wrote a Medium post in which he publicly announced that he will no longer be taking part in Bitcoin development and that “the bitcoin experiment has failed.” A New York Times article soon followed, and then countless other journalists joined in, echoing Hearn’s remarks without attempting to explain the highly …

After a turbulent year that saw markets riled, commodities plunge, and currencies wither against the dollar, many expected the American dollar to come back out as the top currency in 2015. Instead, the cryptocurrency Bitcoin is being heralded as the best performing currency.  Does this mean everyone is poised to get on board with bitcoin?  Not yet. On the face …

Fintech companies have been a hot topic in the Nordics as startups rush to disrupt the traditional financial sector.  Here is a look back at some of the main fintech trends and Nordic companies to watch in 2015.   Bitcoin Bitcoin reached a big milestone in 2015, when it scored a major win in Europe by earning EU tax free …

With its Danish partner bank in place, the Scandinavian “neo-bank”, Lunar Way, is now rolling out its partner model in Northern Europe.  It will be the first mobile bank in Norther Europe to rapidly scale through this model. The partner model is the first of its kind in the world of European neo-banking and gives Lunar Way the advantage of …

With a mission to create new frontiers for the expanding digital economy, Strawpay has developed a new open payment network: Stroem. It all started with a discussion club in Stockholm several years back, where the founders discussed their common interest in bitcoin. They hit upon an idea: to create a new open payment system that builds on advanced features of …

More than 60 events have been gathered at the annual Oslo Innovation Week, the largest innovation fair in all of Europe. Ranging from investors meetings to insightful talks and pitch competitions, Oslo became a global arena for connecting, networking, and learning more about innovation in the startup world. The convention catered to circa 9000 participants under the three main themes …

Vest, a fintech company, is bound to shake up the financial services sector. The company resides partly on the East Coast of the United States in Washington, D.C., conveniently close to all of the financial action of New York. The company is also partly based in Stockholm, Sweden as a member of the prized startup hub Sup46, which is abuzz …

Mobile payment is going to be free. This is the hypothesis of serial entrepreneur Erik Hougaard, founder of Zalr,which he aims to make the Mobile payment. 2.0. Not a day goes by without  media coverage of a new store introducing mobile payment. Which is kind of funny, because you have been able to pay with your mobile for several years …

The app that makes jamming fun and simple, takes over the music education in Finland. If you have ever played a musical instrument – you will love that! If you need a reminder that business can be about having fun and doing what you love, you will love it even more! Find something really annoying about a hobby you are …