Karan Jain

Monzo Bank's strategic masterclass in a changing economic landscape In a time when many FinTechs are tightening belts, #Monzo is taking bold steps forward. Their latest valuation increase to $5.9 billion via a secondary sale shows more than just strong investor confidence—it’s a showcase of strategic foresight. Key Highlights: 🔸 Enhancing Liquidity: By opting for a secondary sale, Monzo is bolstering its financial flexibility without diluting its valuation. This sets the stage for expansion, product innovation, and entering new markets (Europe and the US) with confidence. 🔸 IPO Preparation: These moves mirror public market transactions, allowing Monzo to both test investor appetite and educate the market about its unique growth potential ahead of any IPO ambitions. 🔸 Market Timing: Monzo’s valuation boost in favorable market conditions reflects financial prudence, setting a strong baseline for future rounds. As FinTech continues to face economic volatility, Monzo's strategic positioning proves that with the right moves, opportunities abound. Read the full blog: https://lnkd.in/dgdNHRBN #CInnovation #FintechInsights #FintechInnovation #FinanceInsights #BankingRevolution #DigitalTransformation #BankingInnovation #FinancialGrowth #Finance #Banking #NeoBanking #FinancialServices #Fintech #BankingNews #TechInFinance #FinancialNews

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Marion King, OBL Trustee, commented: "Last month, we published Open Banking Standard v4.0, the first major release for several years, which has been developed collaboratively with the entire ecosystem.   The Standard has laid the foundations for a thriving open banking ecosystem which benefits 9.79 million active users and is worth more than £4 billion to the UK economy. OBL will continue to maintain and update the Standard to ensure it is robust and able to support the future development of open banking.” Find out more > https://lnkd.in/ec_2yJTm #OpenBanking #OpenBankingStandard #TechInnovation #Fintech #Innovation #FAPI #ISO20022 #OpenBankingEcosystem

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Broken Business Savings Market Is Costing British SMEs £9 Billion a Year in Missing Interest Richard Davies, CEO of Allica Bank, said:  “There’s no question the SME savings market is broken. “The fact the SME savings penalty has got larger since we first did our research last year – while the Bank rate has reduced slightly – is a travesty many SMEs will find hard to understand. “It’s very unfair SMEs don’t get similar rates to large companies, and our research suggests big banks won’t be improving their rates for SMEs any time soon. “It’s time for something to be done to make that change, get SMEs a better deal and release billions of pounds into the real economy.” https://lnkd.in/eqAmuVCf Chloe Fenton (née Vaidya) Georgie Burks Joe Jones James Heath Ravneet Shah Conrad Ford Mitch (Munish) Trehan Nick Baker #fintech #finance #banking #paytech #payments #fintechnews #paymentsnews

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Did you know 10 million UK users now rely on open banking? In just six-and-a-half years, open banking has revolutionized the UK's financial landscape, benefiting over 10 million consumers and small businesses. As Marion King, Chair and Trustee of Open Banking Limited, highlights, this milestone marks a significant shift towards consumer empowerment, enabling access to cost-effective credit and more informed financial decisions. With the recent government commitment to smart data powers, the future of open banking is poised for further growth. At SSV Capital, we're dedicated to driving positive investment for powerful change. We invite you to invest with us and see the changes—grow with us and feel the difference. https://lnkd.in/eVA8muHr #OpenBanking #FinancialWellbeing #InvestWithPurpose #SSVCapital

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New Norfolk FinTech Cluster Revealed as One of UK’s Most Significant InsurTech Centres, Outside of London Julian Wells, Director and FinTech Lead at Whitecap Consulting, said: “Throughout this project we have experienced the collective desire of a wide range of stakeholders across the region to work together to develop the FinTech sector. Norfolk is the 10th region of the UK that Whitecap has analysed in this way over recent years, and what we have found in this region is an emerging and distinctive FinTech ecosystem. “Whilst the region is smaller than others we have reviewed, the strength in InsurTech comes through very strongly in our findings, and for the first time in any of our reports this is found to be the most prominent FinTech sub-sector. It is also the first time that payments have not been the leading sub-sector in a region. The proportion of female FinTech founders is the highest we have observed to date, giving Norfolk a crown that every region would crave. There is strong potential for economic growth through the FinTech sector in the region, and collaboration on a regional and national level can help drive this.” https://lnkd.in/gkGxXVFQ Aviva Ben Luckett #fintech #finance #banking #paytech #payments #fintechnews #paymentsnews

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Financial Conduct Authority Confirms Anti-Greenwashing Guidance and Proposes Extending Sustainability Framework Sacha Sadan, Director of Environmental, Social and Governance, FCA, said: “Confirming the new anti-greenwashing guidance and our proposals to extend the Sustainability Disclosure Requirements and investment labels regime are important milestones that maintain the UK’s place at the forefront of sustainable investment. Our good and poor practice anti-greenwashing examples will help firms market their products in the right way. We continue to work closely with the ASA and CMA to address greenwashing. “Consumers care about investing in products that have a positive impact on the planet and people. That’s why we want to boost the integrity of the market and ensure people can make informed decisions about how to invest their money.” https://lnkd.in/efFqsgrR #fintech #finance #banking #paytech #payments #fintechnews #paymentsnews

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What’s the key to becoming even more confident in your SME lending decisions? Getting granular 🔎 By digging into the details of income and expenditure, then categorising that data appropriately, you can better assess the commercial affordability of the companies you work with. To learn more and see how our categorisation engine could help, our Market Engagement Director, John Griffiths explains all: https://lnkd.in/eDhT8C94 #SMEAffordability #CommercialAffordability #CreditRiskEngine

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ColCap UK and Molo Complete £300 Million Securitisation ColCap UK’s Treasurer, Paolo Tanca, commented, “This deal represents a significant milestone for us, showcasing our ability to structure and execute successful RMBS transactions in the UK market. We are excited about the opportunities for future growth and expansion.” Esther Morley Matthew Kimber https://lnkd.in/eyBXKnyR #fintech #finance #banking #paytech #payments #fintechnews #paymentsnews

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UK digital bank Monzo hires 2 CFOs with reports of possible IPO plan.  In 2024 March, Monzo raised $437 million (GBP 340 million) at $5.1 billion (GBP 4 billion) valuation with key investors including Google Alphabet Fund CapitalG, Google Ventures, HongShan Capital, Passion Capital & Tencent.  Monza reported turning profitable in 2023 March. Read - https://lnkd.in/gjrMeYrJ follow Caproasia | Driving the future of Asia UK digital bank Monzo has hired 2 CFOs with reports of possible IPO plan.  In 2024 March, Monzo raised $437 million (GBP 340 million) at $5.1 billion (GBP 4 billion) valuation with key investors including Google Alphabet Fund CapitalG, Google Ventures, HongShan Capital, Passion Capital & Tencent.  Monza reported turning profitable in 2023 March.  Monzo was founded in 2015 (by Tom Blomfield, Jonas Huckestein, Jason Bates, Paul Rippon and Gary Dolman), and in 2016, became a regulated bank.  Monzo is headquartered in London, United Kingdom (UK).  

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Monzo Bank, the UK challenger bank, has been a key player in the fintech space and encouraged wide adoption of Open Banking from Gen Z and Millennials. It recognised consumers’ desire for an intuitive, digital solution that enables them to manage all of their finances in one place - offering account aggregation, categorisation, and credit scoring through their Monzo Plus solution. After its plans to move into the pensions market went public in 2023, Monzo has announced it will be launching a new pension consolidation solution that finds users’ pension pots and brings them into one fund, accessible through the Monzo app. The announcement comes as Monzo’s research revealed that 51% of UK adults don’t know how much they have saved for retirement. It asked 2,000 people what would make engaging with their pension easier, and 38 per cent said a process that felt more accessible to manage alongside their everyday finances. What can we learn about the future of pensions from Monzo Bank? Read our post to find out ⬇ https://lnkd.in/esg9UKtv

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Monzo Bank, the UK challenger bank, has been a key player in the fintech space and encouraged wide adoption of Open Banking from Gen Z and Millennials. It recognised consumers’ desire for an intuitive, digital solution that enables them to manage all of their finances in one place - offering account aggregation, categorisation, and credit scoring through their Monzo Plus solution. After its plans to move into the pensions market went public in 2023, Monzo has announced it will be launching a new pension consolidation solution that finds users’ pension pots and brings them into one fund, accessible through the Monzo app. The announcement comes as Monzo’s research revealed that 51% of UK adults don’t know how much they have saved for retirement. It asked 2,000 people what would make engaging with their pension easier, and 38 per cent said a process that felt more accessible to manage alongside their everyday finances. What can we learn about the future of pensions from Monzo Bank? https://lnkd.in/esg9UKtv

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Monzo Bank, the UK challenger bank, has been a key player in the fintech space and encouraged wide adoption of Open Banking from Gen Z and Millennials. It recognised consumers’ desire for an intuitive, digital solution that enables them to manage all of their finances in one place - offering account aggregation, categorisation, and credit scoring through their Monzo Plus solution. After its plans to move into the pensions market went public in 2023, Monzo has announced it will be launching a new pension consolidation solution that finds users’ pension pots and brings them into one fund, accessible through the Monzo app. The announcement comes as Monzo’s research revealed that 51% of UK adults don’t know how much they have saved for retirement. It asked 2,000 people what would make engaging with their pension easier, and 38 per cent said a process that felt more accessible to manage alongside their everyday finances. What can we learn about the future of pensions from Monzo Bank? https://lnkd.in/esg9UKtv

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A recent report by the Joint Regulatory Oversight Committee (JROC) has thrown its weight behind the continued development of open banking in the UK. This is a significant step forward for a system that holds huge potential to revolutionise the financial landscape. From my point of view I see that in order to accelerate the adoption and innovation in open banking and open finance in the UK we need to: - Establishing common standards: how can we ensure financial data is exchanged securely and consistently across different institutions, fostering greater interoperability within the open finance ecosystem. - Promoting innovation: By streamlining data exchange, we can pave the way for the development of new and innovative financial products and services and drive new investment - look out for the Smart Data Bang! - Building trust: we must commit to data security and privacy that can help build trust among consumers and businesses participating in open finance. https://lnkd.in/g2UYcAC2 Let me know if you agree or not! #openbanking #openfinance #API #smartdata

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Yesterday, Dave and Dharmesh presented at the FinTech Futures event Banking Tech Insights. They kicked off proceedings with a presentation - Limitless. The Future of Everything… and Banking The format also included 2 round table discussions and a brilliant panel discussion hosted by Paul Hindle, with panellists Joe Thompson (hedgehog lab), Kam Chana (LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group)), Conrad Ford (Allica Bank), Chris Waring (NatWest Group) talking about the implications and opportunities of Limitless. Here are the highlights from Dave and Dharm’s presentation on what "limitless" means for banking and beyond: 1️⃣ The Convergence of Technologies   From AI and Quantum Computing to blockchain, bandwidth breakthroughs, and storage innovations, we’re entering an era where traditional constraints—processing power, memory, and scalability—disappear. This convergence is reshaping industries. 2️⃣ Lessons from the Past   Innovation success stories, like the iPhone, show that true breakthroughs happen at the intersection of usability, design, and timing. Similarly, technological evolution requires cohesive, cross-functional strategies rather than siloed approaches. 3️⃣ Banking Without Limits   - New Business Models: Embedded finance, open banking, and the subscription economy are driving a shift from traditional banking models to customer-first, value-creation ecosystems.   - New Architectures: Coreless, cloud-native systems and "autonomous banking" driven by AI are becoming the foundation for agility and scalability.   - New Experiences: Agents and connected devices will redefine how customers interact with their money, making banking more proactive and personalised. 4️⃣ The Role of Imagination   The biggest limitation? Our imagination. Organisations must move beyond extracting value to creating value, leveraging these limitless capabilities to redefine their purpose and impact. 5️⃣ Holistic Perspectives   Limitless isn’t just about technology. It’s about balancing people, planet, profit, and purpose. The future demands sustainability, global collaboration, and bold visions—like Dubai’s ambitious, zero-bureaucracy approach. Takeaway: The future is limitless, but achieving it requires visionary thinking and immediate action. Let’s build a world where innovation knows no bounds. We’re at a pivotal moment in history where technology, innovation, and human ambition intersect to create opportunities without bounds. What does "limitless" mean for you and your business? Special thanks to Tanya Andreasyan, Paul Hindle and the rest of the team FinTech Futures. 

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BIG NEWS: Upvest is now authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority! 🇬🇧💂‍♀️ This milestone opens new doors for us, enabling us to support fintech and enterprise partners in the UK market. What does this mean for you? 🔓 UK-based fintechs, banks, and wealth managers: launch or migrate your investment offering quickly and seamlessly using Upvest's investment infrastructure. 📈 Access to a diverse instrument universe: offer fractional stocks and ETFs in multiple currencies through our Investment API. You can count on a steady stream of new and more instruments to be added soon. 🛠️ Flexible operating models: whether you prefer to leverage our licences or bring your own, we've got you covered. Ready to take your investment offerings to the next level with Upvest? Connect with one of our experts today to learn how we can help you unlock the future of investments in the UK. P.S. With a new office in London and a growing team, we’re expanding our presence in the UK. Interested in joining the Upvest team? Let’s talk!

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Open Banking Limited have released version 4.0 of the UK open banking standard, and Banks and Financial Institutions in the UK will need to consider how this will affect them. But don't worry, there is an easy way to update your open banking API to the latest standard. Be smug like Francis and find out how: https://ow.ly/c2ba50SYAkT #UKOpenBanking #OpenBankingAPI #FintechUK

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