Kiwi Stories

Revolut launches Ultra premium plan in New Zealand

Revolut targets affluent New Zealand customers with its Ultra plan, bundling travel perks, subscriptions and investing discounts for a monthly fee.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 3 min read • Last week

Global Stories

Data Protection

Ant International upgrades Alipay+ with privacy tech

Ant International rolls out privacy-enhancing tech across Alipay+ payments, letting encrypted data process at scale as regulators sharpen scrutiny.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last week

Data Analytics

9fin launches full Asia Pacific platform after funding

9fin expands into Asia Pacific with a full credit market platform, giving banks and asset managers wider access after its USD $170 million fundraise.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 3 min read • Last week

Data Analytics

Quantium launches Gemini Enterprise practice with Google

Quantium joins Google Cloud's Gemini Enterprise push with a new AI practice aimed at moving enterprise agents from pilots into production.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Last week

Software-as-a-Service

Backbase launches AI-native banking OS to unify frontline

Backbase unveils AI-native Banking OS to tackle fragmented bank operations and shared customer records, targeting practical AI gains across frontline work.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 3 min read • Last week

Surveillance

The missing link in eIDV: Why data quality drives fraud prevention

Banks warned to pair eIDV with address checks as data quality becomes central to spotting synthetic identities and strengthening KYC and KYB controls.

By Bud Walker • 4 min read • Last week

Data Protection

When identity becomes the payment rail

EU wallet rules could turn digital identity into the next payments backbone, forcing banks to rethink onboarding, fraud and customer trust.

By Martin Zeisel • 3 min read • Last week

Unified Communications

Gulf Edge & Kore.ai strike exclusive Thailand AI deal

Gulf Edge wins sole Thai access to Kore.ai's software, aiming to roll out localised AI tools across energy, banking and telecoms.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Last week

Stories from Other Regions

Data Protection

FinTech Australia names Finnies finalists for 10th year

FinTech Australia's 2026 Finnies shortlist spans payments, AI and web3, with 160 finalists and sector value touted at AUD $13.8 billion.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 3 min read • Last week

Crypto

Macropod lists Australian-dollar stablecoin AUDM on OKX

Macropod's AUDM lands on OKX Australia as Drew Bradford and Kate Cooper revive NAB stablecoin ties in a push for faster payments.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last week

Data Protection

Agiloft launches Astra AI contract platform with free tier

Agiloft's Astra AI contract tool targets legal, procurement, finance and sales teams with a free tier and stricter data safeguards.

By Catherine Knowles • 4 min read • Last week

Data Analytics

Creditinfo takes full control of Latvian credit bureau

Creditinfo snaps up the remaining stake in KIB Latvia, giving it full control of the bureau and a bigger platform in the Baltic market.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 3 min read • Last week

Software-as-a-Service

Firenze raises GBP £6 million to expand Lombard lending

Firenze lands GBP £6 million to scale portfolio-backed credit platform as wealth managers and banks chase faster access to client liquidity.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last week

Fintech

Fime launches trust framework for AI-initiated payments

Fime unveils neutral trust layer for AI-driven payments, aiming to verify autonomous purchases, compliance and auditability across networks.

By Sean Mitchell • 3 min read • Last week

Crypto

UK campaign urges faster stablecoin rules from Treasury

UK business groups and payments firms warn Treasury delays on stablecoin policy are holding back sterling-backed tokens and cross-border finance.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 5 min read • Last week

Digital Transformation

UK finance chiefs prioritise AI accuracy over speed

UK finance chiefs say AI adoption will hinge on traceable outputs and human oversight, as Bloomberg survey shows trust beats speed in regulated markets.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last week

Data Analytics

Standard Chartered & A*STAR launch S$15 million AI lab

Standard Chartered and A*STAR have launched a SGD$15 million Singapore AI lab to turn research into banking tools for fraud checks and faster analysis.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last week

Human Capital Management

Employment Hero launches HeroForce to ease compliance burden

Employment Hero's HeroForce aims to cut Australia's compliance costs as employers wrestle with awards, payroll rules and rising administration burdens.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Last week