Investment funding deals for fintech businesses were lower in 2016, according to data from CB Insights; the firm reports that the number of deals remained steady with a 1% decrease to 836 however the total amount funded decreased by 13% to $12.7 billion in 2016; global instability and industry challenges in P2P lending were among the factors contributing to the lower investment. Source
OpenFin has raised $15 million for its capital markets software business from Bain Capital Ventures, DRW Venture Capital, JPMorgan, Euclid Opportunities, Nyca Partners, Pivot Investment Partners and an undisclosed list of angel investors and financial industry executives; the OpenFin software can easily automate upgrades and has a unified interface for desktop applications; it is utilized by sell-side and buy-side analysts for a range of applications. Source
Deloitte has identified the need for developing auditing standards for blockchain as the technology becomes increasingly tested and utilized across all industries; the firm has checked blockchain protocols and applications against professional auditing standards in a project that audited an internally developed loyalty points blockchain application on a permissioned Ethereum network; the firm is currently seeking to be a market leader in defining how an auditor can provide audited assurance of blockchain applications. Source
Representatives Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) have announced the creation of a Congressional Blockchain Caucus; in comments regarding the Caucus, Jared Polis said, "Lawmakers need to understand that as the world rapidly changes, it's our responsibility to ensure that we craft policies and adapt laws that match our ingenuity."; the Caucus has already gained considerable support and will seek to educate, engage and provide research on blockchain innovation and issues that could require regulatory guidelines and laws. Source
Wells Fargo has been active in biometrics; in 2014 it launched a startup accelerator led by EyeVerify which it now uses for eyeprint verification with its commercial banking customers; it is also working with Kasisto in its startup accelerator and plans to launch some virtual assistant offerings for employees and customers; it has also now announced a refocused effort in its Innovation Group that will be dedicated to AI, payments and application platform interfaces; Wells Fargo's management is committed to biometrics and the firm wants to be a leader in the technology with a specific focus currently on voice recognition. Source
UK robo advisor Moola has hired Simon Moore, former chief investment officer of BlackRock's FutureAdvisor; Moola offers BlackRock's products to its clients for a minimum investment of £200 ($249.68); Moore will help the firm expand its investment capabilities and meet the evolving needs of the platform's customers. Source
The industry wide thinking is that most people who use check cashing or pre-paid cards were making a big mistake; banking executives believe check cashing and pre-paid cards are a lot more expensive than bank accounts, but the reality shows a different picture altogether; University of Pennsylvania Professor Lisa Servon wanted to understand why the check cashing industry was such big business and why people were using these services instead of banks; what she found was, if you factor in account fees and overdraft charges, banking was more expensive for people living paycheck to paycheck; these individuals were consciously making the choice to not use banks and she found that there were three main reasons for this trend: cost, transparency and service. Source
HNA Capital is a private Chinese company gaining market attention in recent weeks for its acquisition of Anthony Scaramucci's Skybridge Capital and interest in acquiring more asset management businesses including Old Mutual's asset management division; the company has been acquiring assets now worth $145 billion with revenue of $45 billion annually; HNA Capital sees a market opportunity for asset management businesses with market volatility expected during the Trump administration and more investors shifting to actively managed strategies. Source
Monzo's CEO talks about the digital bank's growing business in an interview with TechCrunch; the firm was recently granted a UK banking license with some restrictions; the digital bank has 100,000 users with activity driven by pre-paid Mastercards and mobile applications; Tom Blomfield gives his perspective on the fintech banking market and new PSD2 regulations; Blomfield also confirmed Monzo has already turned down an acquisition offer from a major bank. Source
Robo advisors have been increasingly gaining market share however Morgan Stanley says they are not likely to overtake incumbents; in a research note the bank says it is predicting a $6.5 trillion market globally for robo advice by 2025; despite the initial growth and market opportunity for robo advisors, the competitive landscape shows investors will still demand human advice; as a result, the hybrid model for robo advice is expected to emerge in the next wave of innovation for the industry; Betterment provides a market leading example of a hybrid model with its new Betterment Plus and Betterment Premium services announced in January. Source