AutoFi has raised $10 million from a Series A fundraising and has plans to expand its auto lending technology services; the platform currently allows auto dealers to sell cars online, connecting buyers with lenders; it will add vehicle leasing options for customers; it is also expanding its services to Canada through a new partnership with Tricor Automotive Group. Source
Fluid received the LangDi PitchIt Fintech Choice Award; competing as one of eight finalists in the LangDi PitchIt competition, the company was recognized for its development of an innovative credit product for college students; Fluid provides college students with interest free loans of up to $500 and is supported by adtech revenue. Source
Zopa will reduce its high risk loan exposure following reports on the UK market's consumer credit outlook; data shows consumer defaults and insolvency levels are increasing; the firm says it will seek to target more low risk borrowers; the changes will allow it to offer higher returns in some of its leading products; the company plans to publish a monthly blog post with its perspective on the consumer credit market. Source
After receiving FCA authorization earlier this month, ThinCats provides some insight on plans for its IFISA; Stewart Cazier, head of retail for ThinCats, says the company is planning for a 2017 release of its IFISA; Cazier also says the firm is planning a staggered rollout with registered investors receiving first priority. Source
China ranks top among 20 world markets in terms of fintech adoption, with 69% of surveyed consumer respondents saying they are actively using fintech services, 33 percentage points higher than the global average, according to a report by consultancy services provider EY; the report is based on more than 22,000 online interviews in 2017; around 64% of fintech users said they prefer using digital channels to manage "all aspects of their life"; money transfer and payment services are major drivers of the fast growth, said the report. Source
Global fraud prevention and identity verification startup Emailage raised $10 million in growth funding; the round included Anthos Capital, with participation from Radian Capital, Wipro Ventures, Mucker Capital and Tallwave Capital; they are looking to increase existing partnerships and accelerate growth in North America, Europe and Latin America markets; the company provides real-time risk intelligence by leveraging the email address as a unique global identifier. Source
Clarity Services reports on details of its new Clear Bank Debit™ product in a blog post; product allows underwriters to confirm a consumer's banking status and utilize banking account transaction details for alternative credit underwriting; according to Clarity Services, the view provided by Clear Bank Debit™ can help lenders better understand risk. Source
Innovate Finance's CEO Lawrence Wintermeyer has left the association to pursue other opportunities; Wintermeyer served as CEO for two and a half years and helped the association increase its membership to 250 members; Charlotte Crosswell, former CEO of Nasdaq NLX, has been appointed as the association's interim CEO while it searches for a successor. Source
Bitkan, a China-based bitcoin-focused data and trading services provider, has released the trailer of the first Chinese bitcoin documentary, "Shape the Future"; the documentary will provide a panoramic view of the development of the bitcoin and blockchain ecosystem in China, the country with the number one hashrate in the bitcoin realm. Source
According to a new World Economic Forum report, tech giants like Facebook, Google and Amazon have enormous potential to disrupt finance; the big tech companies already have scale and brand recognition, something most startups are still looking to achieve; AltFi reports that the 200-page report says: "Financial institutions increasingly resemble, and are dependent on, large tech firms to acquire critical infrastructure and differentiating technologies, the coming collision between financial institutions and large techs leads to tough choices for all firms: become dependent on large techs or risk falling behind."; the report goes on to say fintechs, while successful, have still yet to really disrupt big financial firms as many of their solutions are beginning to be built by the incumbents. Source