Category : Switzerland

European Buy Now Pay Later Market Heats Up

Buy now pay later (BNPL) arrangements, which allow customers to buy items on credit and pay the money back over time, is witnessing record growth in Europe with demand from consumers rising and investor sentiment remaining overall optimistic, accordi...

Switzerland Has The Highest Contactless Payment Limit In Europe

Switzerland’s contactless payment limit stands at CHF 80 (approximately GBP 63) – the highest in Europe, a new study has found. Approximately two-thirds of the Swiss population currently owns a credit card but the country still lags far behind...

Pollen Street Capital Snaps Up 10% Stakes in Dutch Neobank Bunq for €193 Million

British private equity firm Pollen Street Capital has acquired 10% stakes in Dutch challenger bank Bunq for €193 million, raising its valuation to €1.6 billion. The investment round is pending regulatory approval by De Nederlandsche Bank. With this c...

Austrian Crypto Tax Solution Provider Blockpit Bags US$10 Million in Series A Fundraise

Blockpit, an Austria-based provider of legally compliant and audited tax reports for the treatment of crypto assets, announced that it has received US$10 million during a Series A funding round. The funding round was led by MiddleGame Ventures (MGV)...

Argentina’s Fintech Landscape Shows Strong Growth Despite Headwinds

Argentina’s booming fintech industry boasts over 300 companies that employ nearly 15,000 people. This year, the sector is expected to create more than 5,600 positions, reflecting on the industry’s massive growth and traction, according to data from C...

Central Bank Digital Currency: Non-Implementation Poses Risks Too, Warns Swiss Bankers Association

At a time when central banks around the world are ramping up digital currency plans, Switzerland’s inactivity and possible “non-implementation” of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) could, in the long run, jeopardize the country’s competitiveness...

Wise Makes Its Debut on the London Stock Exchange, Now Valued at US$11 Billion

Wise, a London-based remittance firm, has begun trading on the London Stock Exchange’s (LSE) main market through a direct listing. According to a statement by the LSE, this marks the first direct listing of a technology company in its history. Reuter...

Digital Lending Platform LoanPro Bags US$100 Million From Series A Fundraise

LoanPro, a SaaS-based loan management, servicing and collections platform for alternative, fintech and traditional lenders, announced it has raised a US$100 million growth equity investment in a Series A funding round from FTV Capital, a growth equit...

Freelance Fintech Platform Willa Closed US$18 Million in Series A Fundraise

California-based fintech Willa announced that it has secured US$18 million during a Series A funding round. The round was led by New York-based Fintech Collective, including additional investments from Entrée Capital and EQT Ventures. With the invest...

Swiss Stock Exchange SIX to Launch New Equity Segment Exclusively for SMEs

The Swiss stock exchange SIX announced that it will launch its new Sparks equity segment dedicated to Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) subject to regulatory approval. These companies will benefit from enhanced visibility, a more relevant peer gr...

Visa Customers Spent More Than US$1 Billion on Crypto-Linked Cards in 2021

Visa revealed that its customers had spent more than US$1 billion on its crypto-linked cards in the first half of 2021. The payments giant reported that it had partnered with 50 leading crypto platforms on card programmes that make it easy to convert...

Crypto Firm Circle Eyes IPO Through SPAC Merger, Bolstered by US$1.1 Billion in Capital

Cryptocurrency company Circle is eyeing an initial public offering (IPO) via a merger with Concord Acquisition Corp, a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition corporation (SPAC) in a deal that values the firm at US$4.5 billion. The transaction is...

UBS Ties up With Baloise to Offer Proptech Solutions for Swiss Property Owners

Swiss insurance holding company Baloise and UBS, with its mortgage brokerage platforms Atrium and key4, plans to enter into a strategic partnership in order to provide innovative solutions and services to property owners in Switzerland. The aim of th...

The Swiss Fintech Awards 2021 Winners Are…

The Swiss Fintech Awards is organized yearly since 2015 to promote regional development and to strengthen the Swiss fintech ecosystem. A network of partner organisations and fintech experts select the best early and growth-stage startups through a mu...

Here Are the Winners of the Swiss Fintech Awards 2021

The much-anticipated Swiss Fintech Awards has announced the winners for the year 2021 where winners of the three categories received CHF 24,000 each as prize money. The awards have been organised yearly since 2015 to promote regional development and...