UBS announced that Mike Dargan will step down as Group Chief Operations and Technology Officer at the end of December to pursue an opportunity outside the bank. From 1 January 2026, the Group Technology function will report to Beatriz Martin in her new role as Group Chief Operating Officer. Chris Gelvin will serve as interim Head of Group Technology, in addition to his current role as Chief Operating Officer, Group Technology, until a permanent successor is appointed. Adding Group Technology to the COO portfolio aims to support end-to-end operations, prioritise technology and AI initiatives, and complete the remaining technology integration process. Commenting on the appointments, Group CEO Sergio P. Ermotti said: Sergio P. Ermotti “Mike has been instrumental in positioning our technology as a driver of business growth and resilience and progressing the firm’s strategic shift towards AI and digitisation. I would like to thank Mike for his significant contributions to UBS and wish him all the best for the future. I also congratulate Bea on her expanded responsibilities and thank her for her ongoing leadership.”     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by ghiska via Freepik The post UBS Announces Changes in Technology and Operations Leadership appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

NatWest Group has opened applications for the second year of its Fintech Programme, aimed at UK-based fintechs using AI to reshape customer experience in financial services. Selected fintechs will take part in a 12-week programme. They will receive support from NatWest’s Innovation team to explore potential collaborations and mentorship from senior decision-makers. Participants will also gain access to the bank’s wider innovation network through workshops and events. Some sessions will take place in NatWest’s Accelerator Hubs, including its new London Hub. The 2026 programme seeks to include more fintechs from across the UK, addressing rapid technological change and shifting customer expectations. It is aimed at pre-series A and series A fintechs with proven product-market fit and traction, offering solutions for the customer of the future. This may involve improving engagement and relationships in an agentic AI environment, creating immersive experiences beyond traditional apps, or supporting vulnerable customers. David Grunwald, Director of Innovation at NatWest Group, said: David Grunwald “The pace of advances in AI and technology is fundamentally changing how customers interact with financial services. To stay ahead, whether through new channels, emerging technologies, or smarter engagement – innovation and collaboration are non-negotiables. Fintechs play a vital role in meeting these challenges, so it’s essential we support them to thrive as we come together to shape the future of banking.” Participants have the opportunity to explore collaboration with NatWest, with several last year’s start-ups entering extended discussions with the bank and its partners. Tunic Pay, a real-time payment intelligence platform focused on preventing fraud, formed a partnership with NatWest following the programme. The two organisations are now piloting fraud prevention for NatWest Retail customers via transaction authentication in the mobile app.   Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by noob via Freepik The post NatWest Opens Applications for 2026 Fintech Programme appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

The Agnelli family has rejected a surprise offer from crypto group Tether to acquire Serie A giants Juventus, valuing the Turin-based club at €1.1 billion. The bid, announced on Saturday (13 December), came as a shock to the market and sparked speculation that a higher offer could follow. Juventus, Italy’s most successful football club with 36 Serie A titles, has struggled since its ninth consecutive championship in 2020, currently sitting fifth in the league table. Shares in the club have fallen 57% over the past five years, according to LSEG data. Ownership of Juventus has historically bolstered the Agnelli family, founders of carmaker Fiat, in Italy, raising their profile and influence. Tether, led by Italian Paolo Ardoino and a long-time Juventus supporter, has built a stake exceeding 10% in the club. The El Salvador-based crypto issuer said it was prepared to invest up to €1 billion to support Juventus’ sporting and commercial ambitions. However, the family’s holding company, Exor, emphasised it has no plans to sell any of its shares. The proposed deal arrives at a complex moment for the Agnellis. They are in talks to sell GEDI, the publisher of La Repubblica and La Stampa, a move that has prompted strikes and job concerns.   Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by alexgolovinphotography via Freepik The post Agnellis Reject Tether’s Surprise €1.1B Juventus Bid appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

In Switzerland, traditional banks continue to dominate digitalization in retail banking. In 2025, UBS retained its top spot, recognized in a new research by French management consulting firm Colombus Consulting for its strong digital presence, social media engagement, and high-performing digital platforms. At the same time, Swiss neobanks including Neon and Yuh are rapidly advancing their digital offerings, emphasizing personalization and flexibility, the study shows. The 2025 Digital Index, released in December 2025, evaluates the digitalization of customer experience in Swiss retail banking using around 20 quantitative indicators and more than 30 qualitative indicators across 28 major players. The index measures digital presence and performance across websites, mobile applications, social networks, digital marketing, and the EcoIndex, which assesses the environmental impact of a digital service. The research shows that traditional universal banks continued to outperform digital challengers in 2025, leading in digital presence, engagement, social media, and app usage in Switzerland. In particular, UBS maintained its top position thanks to a strong focus on social media. The bank excelled in paid search and sponsored posts on social media, and boasts a strong presence on LinkedIn and Instagram. Although UBB’s web and mobile app scores were more mixed, they remained at or above the panel average. UBS’s digital strategy focuses on building a strong, human-centered brand presence on social media through carefully planned, platform-specific content that educates and engages audiences on relevant financial topics. Messaging, visuals, and tone are tailored to deliver real value, and remain top of mind. UBS has also strengthened its social media presence through high-profile collaborations, especially with Dior via the “UBS House of Craft” initiative. This campaign generated more than 92,000 interactions through content showcasing couture craftsmanship and creativity, enabling the bank to reach new audiences and consolidate its premium positioning on Instagram. Top ranking remains unchanged In 2025, the top 5 retail banking players of Colombus Consulting’s Digital Index remained largely unchanged. Three of these players are traditional incumbents, reflecting their continued adaptation to evolving customer preferences. Among these, Raiffeisen ranked second, advancing one place over the prior year. This rise was driven by a strong performance in the web category, and high online engagement. The bank also performed well in the mobile app category, with good search engine optimization (SEO) and effective investments display advertising. However, social media performances were more modest, despite notable initiatives aimed at younger audiences like the YoungMemberPlus campaign on paid and organic digital campaigns across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Google to highlight the benefits of opening a youth account. PostFinance, ranking fourth, excelled in digital marketing, particularly through banners, and demonstrated strong mobile app SEO. However, the bank fell two positions compared to the previous year due to weaker performance in responsible digital practices, LinkedIn and Instagram engagement, and app SEO. PostFinance is a subsidiary company of the state-owned Swiss Post, claiming more than 3.8 million accounts. Swissquote and Revolut rank highest among digital banks Ranking third in the 2025 Digital Index ranking is Swissquote. The Swiss banking group moved up one place, thanks to its excellent customer experience ratings on web platforms and its strong commitment to responsible digital technology. Its large communities on Facebook, X, YouTube and TikTok, as well as the high frequency of updates to its mobile apps, set it apart from the rest of the panel. On the other hand, the bank scored lower in digital marketing and generated fewer interactions on LinkedIn and Instagram despite its large subscriber base. Swissquote provides financial services in the areas of trading, investment services and banking services. It operates primarily online, claiming more than 708,000 private and institutional accounts. Ranking fifth in the 2025 Digital Index ranking is Revolut. The digital bank excelled in the mobile dimension, but showcased more limited results in other areas. Revolut is a leading digital banking headquartered in the UK, providing bank accounts, debit cards, credit cards, currency exchange, stock trading, cryptocurrency exchange and peer-to-peer (P2P) payments. It’s the most valuable fintech company in the world, worth US$75 billion, and serves 65 million customers across about 48 countries and territories. The 2025 Digital Index, Source: Digitalisation & Customer Experience in Swiss Retail Banking, Colombus Consulting, Dec 2025 A focus on personalization While digital banks and new challengers still lag behind large universal banks, 2025 marked a turning point as Swiss neobanks accelerated their development by prioritizing personalization and flexibility. In 2025, Neon revamped its offer with four plans to better target each profile. Two new packages, namely Neon Plus and Neon Global, were added to complete its existing Neon Free and Neon Metal plans. Neon Plus builds on the Neon Free offering, which includes no base fee, a Swiss account with eBill and QR payments, a debit Mastercard, and access to share and exchange-traded fund (ETF) trading. The Plus plan adds zero foreign exchange (FX) markup on card purchases and cash withdrawals outside Switzerland, two free cash withdrawals per month at Swiss ATMs, phone-based customer support, and extended warranties on electronic devices purchased with the Neon card. The plan is priced at CHF 2 per month or CHF 20 per year. Neon Global includes all the features of Neon Plus, while offering additional insurance coverage for travel, cyber risks, and shopping. It also provides lower fees for international cash withdrawals and money transfers. Neon Global costs CHF 8 per month, or CHF 80 annually. Finally, Neon Metal, the premium tier, incorporates all the benefits of Neon Global and adds a 13 gram stainless steel card, free ATM withdrawals worldwide, and phone insurance against damage and theft. In mid-2025, Neon strengthened its customer service capabilities with the launch Neon Help, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot deployed to handle customer questions across the platform’s support channels and improve service efficiency. At the same time, digital banking platform Yuh continued to grow in strength with its free multi-currency account, no-fee card, as well as TWINT and eBill capabilities. This year, Swissquote acquired full ownership of Yuh and is now working on tightening integration between its traditional trading platform and the newer Yuh app, which targets retail customers with simplified financial services. This underscores the bank’s strategy to bridge advanced trading capabilities with an intuitive, mobile-first banking experience, and its drive to position Yuh as a key growth engine for reaching a younger and more digitally oriented customer base. Launched in 2021 as a joint venture between PostFinance and Swissquote, Yuh is a digital banking platform provides banking, payments, saving, and investing services. The company turned profitable in 2024, and is now serving more than 340,000 accounts. Digital marketing spending trends In 2025, Swiss retail banks spent an estimated CHF 51.5 million on digital marketing, marking a 12% year-over-year (YoY) decline, with paid search spending declining nearly 6 points YoY, the Colombus Consulting research shows. Social media spending remained stable, increasing 0.6 points YoY, and accounted for 40% of digital marketing budgets. TikTok, in particular, has emerged as a key platform for reaching younger audiences. Raiffeisen, for example, focuses heavily on TikTok. While the bank’s TikTok account boasts over 14,000 followers with some videos exceeding hundreds of thousands of views, its accounts on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube are not very active or even inactive. Raiffeisen also partners with high-profile influencers on the platform to reach younger audiences. For example, for its YoungMemberPlus campaign in French-speaking Switzerland, Raiffeisen teamed up with Leo Monferini, also known as Eugene with the handle @leshautscommeleo, who has 4.6 million followers on TikTok. Banks across Europe are increasingly embracing TikTok as part of their marketing strategy. Dutch bank ING uses TikTok as part of its digital marketing strategy to acquire new customers, measure results and improve engagement with younger audiences. Its “Bienestar Digital” campaign, launched in the summer 2024, adopted a full-funnel strategy on TikTok to target users at every stage of the customer journey. The campaign achieved a 11% increase in ad recall, which means that it was memorable, and a 15% rise in new accounts. In the UK, Starling Bank uses TikTok to run financial literacy campaigns, leveraging fun short videos to explain budgeting and savings, and help make banking relatable to Gen Z audiences.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by farknot via Freepik The post Traditional Banks Maintain Lead in Retail Banking Digitalization in Switzerland; Neobanks Double Down on Personalization appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Klarna has announced the launch of its Agentic Product Protocol. The open standard is designed to make online products discoverable and interpretable by AI agents. The protocol provides AI systems with access to a live, structured feed. This feed covers more than 100 million products and 400 million prices across 12 markets. By standardising product data, the protocol enables AI agents to identify, compare and recommend products. It uses up-to-date information on pricing and availability across different merchants, markets and platforms. David Sykes “Before agents can buy, they need to know what exists,” said David Sykes, Chief Commercial Officer at Klarna. He added that the Agentic Product Protocol establishes “a common language for how AI systems, merchants, and platforms exchange product data”. The protocol serves as a foundational layer for agent-driven commerce. Through Klarna’s hosted Agentic Product Protocol API, merchants can connect their product catalogues once. AI agents and platforms that support the standard can access these catalogues without the need for reformatting or creating new listings. The API supports a range of existing feed formats. These include Google Merchant, Shopify, Amazon, Facebook Catalog, as well as CSV and JSON files. AI assistants can surface products shared through the protocol in agent-led interactions. This enables users to discover and compare them without advertising, paywalls or intermediaries. The Agentic Product Protocol specification and API access are available from today to developers, AI platforms and merchants.   Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by digitizesc via Freepik The post Klarna Launches Open Protocol for AI Product Discovery appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

N26 has announced that its Supervisory Board has appointed Mike Dargan as the next Chief Executive Officer of N26 Bank SE and N26 SE, effective from April 2026. Dargan will succeed Co-founder Maximilian Tayenthal and Marcus W. Mosen. Dargan is an experienced international banking executive with more than 25 years in leadership roles across financial services, technology and transformation. During his tenure as Group Chief Operations and Technology Officer at UBS, he led global digitisation initiatives aimed at improving client experience. Prior to joining UBS in 2016, Dargan served as Chief Information Officer for Corporate and Institutional Banking at Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore, and as Managing Director and Head of Corporate Strategy at Merrill Lynch across Asia and Europe. He began his career at Oliver Wyman, where he concluded as Head of Corporate and Institutional Banking for Asia Pacific. Commenting on his appointment, Dargan said: Mike Dargan “I am honoured to begin this next chapter in my professional life. Financial services are the lifeblood of any society, and I am committed to ensuring trust and strong customer outcomes for a digital-only bank. N26 has established a solid foundation, and I look forward to working with the team to develop the next stage of its strategy.”     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Lanfira via Freepik The post Mike Dargan Named Incoming CEO of N26 appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Singapore-based insurtech firm bolttech has partnered with telecoms company Orange Poland to launch a digital insurance comparison platform. The service is the first of its kind to be offered by a telecom operator in Poland. Built using bolttech’s insurance technology, the platform supports embedded insurance and allows customers to compare and purchase motor and home insurance policies online through a single service. Customers can also choose to receive support from a phone-based agent. The platform is designed to offer a simple, fast and transparent way for customers to compare coverage and complete purchases online. The partners plan to expand the platform by adding more insurance products and related services over time. Stephan Tan Stephan Tan, Chief Executive Officer, EMEA, bolttech, said, “We are proud to deepen our collaboration with Orange Polska with the launch of Insure with Orange. By combining Orange’s digital reach and strong customer relationships with bolttech’s expertise in building and managing insurtech platforms, we can offer customers a fast, intuitive way to compare high-quality insurance offers and buy protection that truly fits their needs.”     This article first appeared on Fintech News Singapore. Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by mangpor2004 via Freepik   The post bolttech Powers Insurance Comparison Platform for Orange Poland appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

A new study by global technology strategists Juniper Research predicts that the number of installed Digital ID apps will rise from 2.8 billion in 2025 to 6.2 billion by 2030, representing a rapid growth rate of 121%. The research highlights that government efforts worldwide to digitise identity credentials are driving a surge in digital identity adoption, supported by the growing use of decentralised approaches in state-run schemes. Governments are increasingly prioritising digital identity system roll-outs to reduce fraud and improve efficiency, though implementation varies significantly across markets. Louis Atkin “Governments are investing resources into centralised digital identity systems, but adoption will stall unless users have real control. Decentralised models that let citizens decide exactly what data they share are essential to building trust and driving uptake,” explained Louis Atkin, Research Analyst at Juniper Research. Self-sovereign identity systems, a subset of decentralised identity systems, work particularly well in regions with limited physical identity infrastructure and where citizens distrust government systems. To reduce public concern, governments should prioritise data minimisation within identity schemes and avoid mandating system use. “Enabling citizens to manage their own identity use via self-sovereign identity systems is increasingly important to fostering adoption and long-term trust, especially where digital identity is controversial. As such, digital identity vendors should ensure their platforms can support different types of identity scheme designs to best reflect country-level conditions,” Atkin concluded.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by masaideeabdulkoday70 via Freepik The post Digital ID Apps Set to More Than Double by 2030 appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

The US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has conditionally approved five national trust bank charter applications, including First National Digital Currency Bank, Ripple National Trust Bank, BitGo Bank & Trust, National Association, Fidelity Digital Assets, National Association, and Paxos Trust Company, National Association. Once these institutions meet the OCC’s conditions, they will join roughly 60 other national trust banks currently supervised by the OCC. The OCC applied the same rigorous review standards used for all charter applications, evaluating each on its individual merits and in line with statutory and regulatory requirements. Jonathan V. Gould “New entrants into the federal banking sector are good for consumers, the banking industry and the economy,” said Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan V. Gould. “They provide access to new products, services and sources of credit to consumers, and ensure a dynamic, competitive and diverse banking system. The OCC will continue to provide a path for both traditional and innovative approaches to financial services to ensure the federal banking system keeps pace with the evolution of finance and supports a modern economy.” The approvals include de novo national trust bank charters for First National Digital Currency Bank and Ripple National Trust Bank, as well as conversions from state trust companies to national charters for BitGo Bank & Trust, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Paxos Trust Company. The federal banking system consists of more than 1,000 national banks, federal savings associations, and federal branches of foreign banks in the US. Institutions range from community banks under US$30 billion in assets to the largest internationally active banks. They provide retail and wholesale banking, trust, credit card, and other specialized services. Together, federal banking institutions conduct about 67% of US banking activity, hold over US$17 trillion in assets, and manage more than US$85 trillion under their control.   Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by user850788 via Freepik The post Ripple, BitGo, Paxos, Fidelity, and First Digital Get Trust Bank Charters appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

BridgeWise, a global provider of AI for investment analysis, has developed FixedWise, a solution aimed at transforming how European and international investors analyse corporate bonds. FixedWise addresses the specific characteristics of Europe’s growing debt market. It provides detailed, AI-driven insights at the individual bond level for investors ranging from retail to institutional. By mid-2024, the outstanding value of fixed-income debt securities in Europe reached €26.3 trillion. The public and banking sectors accounted for around 75% of this total. Demand for yield, diversification, and transparency has made local corporate bonds increasingly important in investor portfolios. However, detailed analysis at the level of individual bonds has remained limited, leaving investors with fragmented or incomplete information. FixedWise provides banks, asset managers, brokers, and digital investment platforms with standardised fixed-income intelligence. It covers a broad range of bonds from global issuers. The solution allows investors to screen and compare issuances using key metrics such as duration, risk, yield, maturity, and ratings. This enables consistent evaluation across different sectors and structures. For institutional investors, these granular insights offer enhanced opportunities for portfolio assessment and client advisory. The solution is powered by BridgeWise’s proprietary AI and micro language models, which analyse extensive financial and market data to produce standardised evaluations of issuers and individual bonds. FixedWise assesses the ability of debt-issuing companies to meet obligations and examines each issuance, whether in Europe or abroad, translating complex information into clear, text-based insights. Gaby Diamant, CEO of BridgeWise, said: Gaby Diamant “Making complicated financial data easy to understand and actionable has always been our priority. FixedWise takes that same approach into the fixed income space, helping to demystify a market that’s traditionally been difficult for many investors to navigate and helping institutions expand and deepen their coverage of corporate bonds.” Designed with compliance in mind, FixedWise delivers consistent, comparable, and accessible analysis, supporting both retail and institutional users in understanding risk, structure, and performance potential.     Featured image credit: Bridgewise The post BridgeWise Launches FixedWise for AI-Driven Bond Analysis appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Zodia Custody, a crypto asset custody provider serving institutional clients, has been granted a Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) license by Luxembourg’s Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF). The authorisation allows Zodia Custody Europe to provide regulated digital asset custody services with passporting rights across EU member states. Sophie Bowler, Chief Risk and Compliance Officer at Zodia Custody, said: Sophie Bowler “Regulatory authorisation from the CSSF is a milestone for Zodia Custody Europe and demonstrates our commitment to providing licensed and authorised digital asset custody services for institutional clients.” The company also announced the appointment of Daniel Soriano as an Authorised Manager in Luxembourg, alongside Nagata. Soriano brings experience from European technology institutions. At group level, Zodia Custody holds registrations and authorisations with several regulators, including the UK Financial Conduct Authority, the Central Bank of Ireland, the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority, and the Hong Kong Companies Registry.   Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by wahyu_t via Freepik The post Zodia Custody Secures MiCA License in Luxembourg appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Though smaller than leading European markets like France or Germany, Italy’s startup investment landscape has grown steadily over the past few years. In 2024, Italian startups attracted roughly US$1.4 billion, and investment is expected to exceed US$1 billion again in 2025, data from Dealroom show, underscoring the country’s increasingly vibrant innovation ecosystem. Deal sizes have also increased as funding continues to shift toward later-stage rounds, reflecting the sector’s ongoing growth and maturation. VC investment into Italian startups, Source: Dealroom, Oct 2025 Fintech remains one of Italy’s strongest startup verticals. During the first seven months of 2025, Italian startups raised a total of US$396 million in startup capital, or rounds below US$15 million. Of this, 31.3% or US$124 million went to fintech ventures operating across financial management, lending, banking and payments, underscoring the dominant position of fintech in the country’s startup ecosystem. Top segments in VC funding in Italy in 2025- AI and climate tech, Source: Dealroom, Oct 2025 Within this expanding ecosystem, several investors are standing out for their active role in supporting fintech innovation. These investors are recognized for being one of the most influential Italian investors in the sector, noted for their strong portfolios and sustained engagement. They are all featured in a new research by CB Insights, which profiles the country’s top venture firms. The study ranks them based on their portfolio strengthen, ability to predict future winners, and their CB Insights Mosaic Score, a metric which assesses a company’s health, growth, and success potential. The top 25 venture investors in Italy, Source: CB Insights, Nov 2025 Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) is the national promotional and development bank of Italy. Founded in 1850 in Turin, CDP originally financed public works but has since evolved into the country’s primary institution supporting long-term economic development and innovation. Today, CDP plays a key role by supporting Italian companies, public-sector projects, and high-growth industries, including fintech, blockchain, robotics and deeptech. Its venture arm, CDP Venture Capital SGR – Fondo Nazionale Innovazione (National Innovation Fund) operates through direct and indirect investment funds, to support startups in all the stages of their lifecycle, with the aim of making the VC system a cornerstone of Italy’s economic development and innovation. It manages over EUR 1 billion in resources. CDP’s Fin+Tech accelerator, part of its national accelerator network, supports fintech and insurtech startups, providing seed investments of up to EUR 300,000 (US$351,000), mentorship, and access to a network of partners. According to Dealroom, CDP Venture Capital has backed 30 fintech startups. Notable fintech ventures in its portfolio include BKN301 Group, a London-based banking-as-a-service (BaaS) company; Viceversa, a revenue-based financing startup with offices in Milan and Dublin; and Digital Brokerage Europe, the operator of a digital brokerage lending platform in Italy called Leally. Vento Ventures Wholly funded by investment holding company Exor, Vento Ventures is one of the most active non-governmental early-stage fund in Italy. The firm backs young and promising startups, investing typically EUR 150,000 in initial investment with follow-on potential up to EUR 1 million. It’s sector- and geography-agnostic, but requires at least one Italian founder within each team it backs. In addition to equity funding, Vento Ventures also runs a number of initiatives to strengthen the Italian tech ecosystem. These include Venture Building, an intensive five-month program designed to train aspiring founders, and Italian Tech Week, one of Europe’s most prominent innovation events. Vento Ventures has backed more than 10 fintech companies. These include Qomodo, a buy now, pay later (BNPL) company from Italy; Tundr, a startup developing digital corporate welfare; and Perpethua, a digital platform that connects small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with potential investors, and supports mergers and acquisitions (M&A) processes. LVenture Group LVenture Group is a publicly listed VC holding company that invests in early-stage digital startups with globally scalable business models. Together with its accelerator Luiss EnLabs, born from a joint venture with Luiss University and thanks to a wide range of strategic partners such as Meta, Leonardo and CDP Venture Capital, LVenture Group is today a key point of reference on the Italian innovation scene. LVenture Group provides seed investment of up to EUR 250,000 (US$293,000), alongside structured acceleration, mentorship, workspace, and access to a large investor network. It has accelerated more than 130 startups, with over EUR 174 million invested in its portfolio, and 13 exits. In the fintech space, LVenture Group has invested in 13 ventures, according to Dealroom. Notable portfolio companies include 99Bros, an insurance brokerage platform combining AI and consultancy to help users compare and buy insurance; Insoore, a platform for insurance claims management; and Together Price, a digital platform helping users share the cost of subscription services. United Ventures United Ventures is an independent VC firm that supports tech innovators from seed to growth stage, providing capital, mentorship, business development support, and access to its extensive network of corporate and industry partners. The firm focuses on enabling technologies that reshape traditional industries and prioritizes founders capable of building products that modernize underserved markets. In the fintech industry, United Ventures has invested in 14 fintech startups, according to Dealroom. Currently, it has at least five fintech companies in its portfolio, including Moneyfarm, a digital wealth manager; Credimi, a Italy-based factoring platform; and Trustfull, a Milan-based AI-powered fraud prevention technology company. Primo Capital Primo Capital is one of Italy’s leading independent platforms for alternative investments, focusing on cutting-edge technology in sectors that are crucial for economic development. Active in the VC and private equity segments, the firms now has over EUR 500 million (US$586 million) committed over multiple funds specializing in the digital, healthcare, climate tech and space economy sectors. Its digital-focused investment fund, Primo Digital, focuses on high-potential tech startups in the digital sector, targeting fintech, business-to-business (B2B) software, retail and marketplaces, and cybersecurity. It closed at over EUR 62 million (US$73 million) in 2024, and is subscribed by the European Investment Fund, CDP Venture Capital, Banca Sella Holding, Tinexta and other high-standing family offices. Primo Capital has backed five fintech startups, according to Dealroom. These include ChAI, a commodity pricing forecasting platform; Cryptobooks, a company developing accounting software solutions for digital assets; Eoliann, a startup helping financial institutions forecast climate risks; and Yolo, an on-demand insurance provider. Gellify Gellify is an Italian innovation platform that combines investment, technology development, strategy, and open innovation services. The platform connects B2B digital startups with established companies, supporting open innovation and digital transformation. It also operates as an investor, venture builder, and advisor to tech ventures, working across strategy, product development, technology integration, and business growth for digital businesses. Gellify operates a wide innovation ecosystem, supported by a network of more than 30,000 innovators, and has validated 700 startups, invested in 60, and achieved six exits. In 2018, the firm acquired FinTechStage, a fintech-focused network, and has engaged in fintech ecosystem activities. According to Dealroom, Gellify has backed eight fintech startups, including Datrix, a group of tech companies bringing artificial intelligence (AI) to vertical markets; Young Platform, a cryptocurrency trading platform in Italy; and Voices of Wealth, the Milan, Italy-based provider of We Wealth, a wealth management marketplace.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by pranavkr via Freepik The post Top Fintech Investors from Italy in 2025 appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

In 2025, the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in Portugal consolidated across all industries, including fintech. The year was marked by soaring AI adoption and the rise of “AI-first” companies which leverage the technology to build smarter, faster, and more adaptive financial solutions, according to a new report by industry trade group Portugal Fintech. The 2025 edition of the Portugal Fintech Report, released in October and produced in collaboration with KPMG, Visa, and local law firm Morais Leitao, draws on an open survey of members of Portugal Fintech and an analysis of the sector. It highlights the depth and breadth of AI adoption within the Portuguese fintech landscape. Among the members reviewed and surveyed, 90% reported having already implemented AI in their internal operations, reflecting a maturing market in which AI is no longer a competitive differentiator, but a fundamental enabler of efficiency and performance. In addition, 74% stated that they have integrated AI directly into their products or services, underscoring its role as a driver of innovation and growth. Within this landscape, finance management and regtech are leading the charge, with adoption rates of 91.7% and 90.9%, respectively. These companies are leveraging AI as a core driver for expansion, and are represented by ventures like nBanks, and Zango. nBanks is a Portuguese fintech offering financial management software that aggregates financial and corporate information from companies for data-driven financial insights, customized reporting, analysis, and forecasting. Zango builds specialized, expert-backed AI for compliance teams in financial services. The startup, which just emerged from stealth in July 2025 after raising US$4.8 million, has already onboarded prominent players, including Novobanco, the fourth-largest bank in Portugal, and is now gaining traction with leading neobanks in the European Union (EU) and the UK, such as Monzo and Juni. By contrast, more traditional verticals like payments and money transfers, and lending and credit are recording the lowest adoption rates, at 35.7% and 50%, respectively. This gap is likely due to stricter regulatory environments and the influence of established players, the report says. AI in product adoption per vertical, Source: Portugal Fintech Report 2025, Portugal Fintech, KPMG, Visa, and Morais Leitao, Oct 2025 Improved efficiency and productivity Across the sector, fintech companies in Portugal that have incorporated AI into their product or service most commonly reported the creation of new products (45.3%) as the leading impact. This underscores the role of AI as a catalyst for innovation within fintech. Portuguese fintech companies using AI also reported increased profitability (24.5%), and increased sales (20.9%), reflecting the potential of AI to drive both efficiency and revenue growth. These benefits are also evident in internal operations. Nearly half of respondents (48%) cited increased profitability as the main outcome of integrating AI into internal processes. Additionally, 23.5% reported reduced structural costs, and 14.3% indicated a reduction of the size of the team, reflecting notable gains in efficiency and productivity. Impact of AI in product and internal operations, Source: Portugal Fintech Report 2025, Portugal Fintech, KPMG, Visa, and Morais Leitao, Oct 2025 The rise of agentic commerce The report also highlights major fintech trends for 2025 and 2026, including the rise of agentic commerce. Agentic commerce refers to the use of autonomous AI agents that can act on behalf of customers or businesses. These AI agents are designed to find, compare, and potentially make purchases for customers based on their needs and preferences, aiming to enhance customer experience, convenience, and efficiency. Until now, AI agents have largely been limited to browsing and suggest things, but they have not been able to actually pay for items. This is mainly because there were not connected to secure and trusted payment systems. To fill this gap, Visa has created Visa Intelligent Commerce, offering a suite of tools and protections to support agentic commerce and enable AI-driven purchases through Visa’s payment network. These tools include tokenized “AI-ready” payment credentials, APIs for authentication, transaction controls, and lifecycle management, personalization and consent-driven data sharing, as well as fraud preventions and security features. The rise to legitimacy of stablecoins Besides AI and agentic commerce, the report highlights the increasing relevance of stablecoins. According to Diogo Monica, co-founder of crypto company Anchorage Digital and General Partner at Haun Ventures, these digital currencies are steadily evolving from niche crypto tools into a legitimate, programmable, and borderless form of money designed for global scale. Monica identifies three corporate use cases of stablecoins that are already thriving: pay-ins, pay-outs, and treasury management. Historically, international payments could take several days and required multiple banks and intermediaries, which made them slow and expense. With stablecoins, these payments can now happen almost instantly and with much lower fees. On the consumer side, the biggest product-market fit for stablecoins lies in protecting consumers’ savings and preserving value. This is especially true in countries like Argentina and Turkey where inflation averaged 117.8% and 58.51% in 2024, respectively. Fintech in Portugal The report also gives an overview of the fintech ecosystem in Portugal, outlining key players, market dynamics, and funding trends among Portugal Fintech’s members. According to the report, more than 90 fintech companies are now part of the trade group, with insurtech being the most represented vertical (17%), followed by lending and credit (12.2%), and payments and money transfers (12.2%). Most of Portugal Fintech members are homegrown (73.9%), with the UK being the second-most represented jurisdiction (8.7%), followed by France (2.6%) and Spain (2.6%). Collectively, these companies have secured nearly EUR 1.2 billion (US$1.4 billion) in funding to date, reflecting investor confidence. In 2025, 22.6% of them have raised capital, indicating continued momentum in the sector. Portugal Fintech Ecosystem Map 2025, Source: Portugal Fintech Report 2025, Portugal Fintech, KPMG, Visa, and Morais Leitao, Oct 2025   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by farknot via Freepik The post Portugal Fintech Report 2025: Growing Adoption of AI in Fintech appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

BBVA and OpenAI have formed a strategic alliance to explore the use of AI in financial services. The agreement, announced by BBVA Chair Carlos Torres Vila and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, follows nearly two years of joint work and reflects a formal collaboration between the two organisations. Teams from both companies will work together on shared objectives and joint investments, with OpenAI supporting BBVA’s AI strategy to transform customer experience and optimise internal operations. Carlos Torres Vila “Our alliance with OpenAI accelerates the native integration of artificial intelligence across the bank to create a smarter, more proactive, and completely personalised banking experience, anticipating the needs of every client,” said Carlos Torres Vila during the signing at OpenAI’s San Francisco headquarters. Under the agreement, OpenAI will have a role in co-creating solutions to advance BBVA’s AI-driven transformation. The bank will have preferential access to OpenAI’s advanced models, engineering, research, and development teams. Key initiatives include developing an intelligent conversational assistant to support customers in daily banking and setting a benchmark for engagement and service. The companies will also work on tools to help relationship managers provide personalised services. The collaboration extends to operational improvements, such as streamlining risk analysis and optimising software development and routine tasks. One project under consideration is a digital “alter ego” for employees, which would learn work patterns, track projects, and perform tasks under supervision. Sam Altman “With the expansion of our work together, BBVA will embed our AI at the core of its products and operations to enhance the overall banking experience for their customers,” said Sam Altman.     Featured image credit: BBVA The post BBVA and OpenAI Establish AI Collaboration in Banking appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Mollie, a Dutch financial services provider, has agreed to acquire UK-based bank payment company GoCardless. The combined entity will serve more than 350,000 businesses across Europe, offering card payments, local methods, and bank payments through a single platform. The deal is expected to close by mid-2026. The acquisition aims to address challenges faced by businesses with recurring revenue models or those expanding internationally. Fragmented payment infrastructure can increase costs and operational complexity. By integrating GoCardless’s bank payment network, Mollie intends to provide a single, scalable partner for businesses of all sizes, from SMEs to large enterprises. Koen Köppen, CEO of Mollie, said: Koen Köppen “A card-only approach has its limits, leading to high costs due to failed payments and customer churn. GoCardless built the definitive solution to optimize this process with its global bank payment network. By bringing them into Mollie, we take a huge step towards fulfilling our vision and creating one complete platform for sustainable growth.” Hiroki Takeuchi, co-founder and CEO of GoCardless, added: Hiroki Takeuchi “By combining our expertise in card, bank and hyperlocal payments into one provider, we can better serve our customers, accelerate growth and raise the bar for the industry.” The combined platform will support recurring revenue management by reducing payment failures, lowering transaction costs, and improving cash flow. SaaS platforms and vertical software vendors using Mollie Connect will be able to integrate GoCardless’s bank payment capabilities directly into their products. Local onboarding, integrations with regional software, and support for payment methods such as iDEAL in the Netherlands, Satispay in Italy, and Twint in Switzerland will remain in place. Mollie will phase the integration of GoCardless products, prioritising service continuity and localised support for all customers.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by 21vectors via Freepik The post Mollie to Acquire GoCardless, Expanding European Payment Services appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Zilch, a consumer payments platform, has obtained a payments services license from UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), allowing it to operate without reliance on third-party providers and develop payments methods in-house. The license comes as Zilch prepares to launch new products, including Zilch Pay in H1 2026, which will offer a one-click checkout experience, and Intelligent Commerce, an AI-powered platform that converts live engagement data into real-time insights. The FCA authorisation also provides the company with direct access to product roadmap discussions, early testing opportunities, and potential commercial partnerships. Philip Belamant “This is a major step change for Zilch, bringing us firmly into the payments tent and giving us a true seat at the table to shape the ecosystem,” said Philip Belamant, Co-Founder and CEO. “It opens the door to new opportunities, setting us up to move even faster, more efficiently and cost-effectively. In just five years, we’ve amassed over 5.3 million users and thousands of retail partners. Now with our license, we are better positioned to develop this further and take advantage of new innovations as they mature.” FCA licenses have become increasingly difficult to obtain, with Zilch subjected to scrutiny comparable to that of a new bank. In addition, Zilch has gained Principal Membership of Visa, reinforcing their ongoing collaboration. Recent months have seen Zilch raise over US$175 million in debt and equity, including an expansion of securitisation led by Deutsche Bank, and become the Official Way to Pay for Arsenal Football Club.     Featured image credit: Zilch The post Zilch Secures FCA License and Visa Principal Membership appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Klarna has made its payment options available via Apple Pay in France and Italy. Eligible shoppers can now select Klarna at checkout online, in-app on iPhone and iPad, or in-store using their iPhone. This follows prior launches in Denmark, Spain, Sweden, the US, UK and Canada, where Klarna’s flexible payments have seen widespread adoption. With this expansion, consumers in eight major markets can now use Klarna through Apple Pay, offering more choice in how they pay. Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Co-founder and CEO of Klarna, said: Sebastian Siemiatkowski “We’ve seen incredible excitement from consumers using Klarna on Apple Pay across the US, UK, and Canada, and more recently across the Nordics and Southern Europe. By delivering this capability to even more users and expanding to France and Italy, millions more people can choose the payment schedule that works best for them, all within the Apple Pay experience they already know and love.” Eligible customers can split purchases into three monthly instalments or pay up to 30 days later, without interest. For higher-value items, payments can be spread over a longer period, with competitive interest rates starting from 0%. Klarna applies its underwriting process before approval to ensure responsible lending. Payments made via Klarna on Apple Pay remain secure and private, with Apple not retaining any transaction information linked to the user.     Featured image credit: Klarna The post Klarna Expands Apple Pay Integration to France and Italy appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Mifundo, a pan-European credit-data platform headquartered in Estonia, and Taktile, a German-based agentic decision platform, have announced an integration designed to support banks in verifying cross-border credit histories and automating decision-making. The collaboration aims to help European lenders deliver faster, more consistent, and compliant credit assessments for customers with financial records spanning multiple countries. An estimated 45 million people in Europe live, work, or earn across borders, yet their credit histories are often confined within national systems. This can create challenges for banks, as evaluating foreign or thin-file applicants frequently requires manual review, extended checks, or cautious risk policies. The revised Consumer Credit Directive (CCD2) further emphasises the need for consistent, data-driven affordability assessments across EU member states. The integration combines Mifundo’s verified credit data, covering over 70% of Europe’s population, with Taktile’s decision platform. Banks can access reliable foreign credit histories through Mifundo and embed agentic AI into their lending strategies via Taktile. This allows institutions to automate underwriting, refine decision rules, and adjust risk policies in real time, while maintaining oversight. Kaido Saar “European banks need both trusted cross-border credit data and flexible decisioning infrastructure,” said Kaido Saar, CEO of Mifundo. “By combining Mifundo’s passportable financial identity with Taktile’s Agentic Decision Platform, lenders can reduce foreign-customer risk, comply with CCD2 expectations and unlock new revenue from Europe’s €719 billion cross-border lending market.” Maik Taro Wehmeyer “Risk and credit teams want greater control, speed, and transparency in their underwriting processes,” added Maik Taro Wehmeyer, Co-Founder and CEO of Taktile. “Through our integration with Mifundo, institutions can automate decisions for applicants whose credit data spans multiple countries, optimise policies continuously, and scale lending while maintaining rigorous risk oversight.”   Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by Trend2023 via Freepik The post Mifundo and Taktile Partner for Cross-Border Credit Assessments appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Google DeepMind and the UK government have announced an expanded partnership to accelerate the application of AI across science, education, public services and national security. The collaboration aims to harness AI innovation to benefit society while supporting the UK’s long-term scientific and technological ambitions. The partnership will provide UK scientists with priority access to advanced AI models, including AlphaEvolve, AlphaGenome, AI co-scientist and WeatherNext. These tools support research across multiple disciplines, including coding, genomics, and weather forecasting. They build on previous breakthroughs such as AlphaFold, which has already been used by nearly 190,000 researchers in the UK. In 2026, DeepMind will open its first automated science laboratory in the UK, focused on materials science. The lab will integrate advanced robotics with AI to accelerate the discovery of novel materials that could transform energy, computing and medical technologies. The collaboration also seeks to enhance education through AI. In a Northern Ireland pilot, Gemini helped teachers save an average of ten hours per week while supporting improved student outcomes. Research will continue to explore how AI can complement the national curriculum and support educators. The UK government will also use AI to modernise public services and strengthen national security. Tools such as Extract are already streamlining council planning processes, and initiatives with the UK AI Security Institute aim to improve cyber resilience and understand societal impacts of AI. Through this partnership, Google DeepMind and the UK government hope to advance AI applications for societal benefit, scientific discovery and national security, while establishing a model for responsible innovation worldwide.   Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by fabrikasimf via Freepik The post Google DeepMind and UK Government Expand AI Partnership appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

On 3 December, the Supervision Committee of Latvijas Banka issued a license to BlockBen for the provision of crypto-asset services. BlockBen is the first crypto-asset service provider to be licensed in Latvia under the requirements of the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). MiCA, which came into force in late 2024, establishes a unified legal framework for the crypto-asset sector across the EU, including mandatory authorisation for crypto-asset service providers. With its new license, BlockBen will be able to offer all permitted crypto-asset services in other EU member states in accordance with MiCA procedures. BlockBen operates a private closed blockchain that enables users to exchange crypto-assets for money or other crypto-assets, store crypto-assets, and conduct transfers. The company also provides a utility-token issuance service for businesses and allows these crypto-assets to be placed on its platform for customer purchase. Santa Purgaile, Deputy Governor of Latvijas Banka, said: Santa Purgaile “Latvijas Banka is open to the entry of new companies into Latvia’s financial sector. For companies seeking to obtain a licence in Latvia for the provision of crypto-asset services throughout the EU, Latvijas Banka provides professional consultations and promptly offers support during the pre-licensing and licensing stages, acknowledging that adapting business operations to the requirements of a new regulation can be quite challenging.” Latvijas Banka encourages prospective applicants to make use of its free pre-licensing consultations, where experts outline the relevant legal framework, required documentation and initial compliance considerations. This year, experts have held 50 consultations with companies preparing to offer crypto-asset services under MiCA. Five companies have submitted license applications, and 12 others are engaged in pre-licensing discussions.   Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by kundoy via Freepik The post Latvia Issues First MiCA License to BlockBen appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.