Latest SME News: Finextra Research

OakNorth appoints Lord Adair Turner as chairman

House of Lords member Lord Turner of Ecchinswell - Jonathan Adair Turner - has experience across Standard Chartered Bank, Siemens UK, Merrill Lynch Europe, and McKinsey.

27 December 2023

News/markets

EC makes supercomputers widely accessible to foster AI development

The European Commission has opened access to EU supercomputers to bolster AI development and push AI initiatives.

17 November 2023

News/sustainable

BDC leads Canadian SMEs towards a greener future

In a conversation with Pierre-Olivier Brodeur, lead sustainability and decarbonisation projects incubator at the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), Brodeur discussed how new positions are being formed to account for sustainable practices and focus on climate solutions in the finance industry.

28 July 2023

News/sustainable

Make carbon accounting as pervasive as financial accounting - Greenly

Speaking to Alexis Normand, the founder of carbon accounting platform Greenly, Finextra learned how carbon accounting has become a necessity in the banking sector today.

21 July 2023

News/payments

UK's cashless transition under the microscope as Payments Choice Alliance pushes back

The UK is gearing up to follow the footsteps of Norway and Sweden as an increasingly cashless society given the sparse usage of cash post-pandemic. London in particular has become a hub for online payments, with a significant number of retailers no longer accepting cash. The transition was intensified by the need to socially distance during the pandemic, as the usage of e-wallets and digital transactions has accelerated.

12 May 2023

News/startups

Austrade and SFA launch fintech collaboration initiative

The Singapore Fintech Association (SFA) and Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) have launched a joint programme to foster fintech innovation in both APAC countries.

28 April 2023

News/retail

Judo Bank: Redefining the challenger bank

Judo Bank, an Australian-based challenger founded in 2016 is dedicated to providing support and capital to SMEs by turning traditional banking on its head.

27 January 2023

News/startups

Leading banks contribute to fintech onboarding with Enterprise Ready Questions

TechPassport has launched its Enterprise Ready Questions (ERQs) with contributions from fifteen tier 1 banks, including HSBC, Morgan Stanley, and Zopa Bank.

20 January 2023

News/crime

Santander UK fined £107.7m for repeated AML failures

The FCA has fined Santander UK Plc £107,793,300 after it found gaps in its anti-money laundering controls, affecting its business banking customers.

09 December 2022

News/predictions

UK SMEs to prioritise international expansion in 2023 - Airwallex

A recent survey by Airwallex reveals that UK small and medium entreprises (SMEs) are highly motivated to expand abroad over the next 12 months, with a majority focused on markets in Europe and North America.

15 November 2022

News/payments

Mollie steps into financial services with Mollie Capital

European payments fintech, Mollie, has launched Mollie Capital to facilitate SME access to finance and funding.

27 September 2022

News/regulation

UK government launches fraud and money laundering crackdown

The UK government has announced plans to rolled out reforms to protect the economy from fraud and money laundering.

23 September 2022

News/sustainable

NatWest pledges support to SMEs amid UK energy crisis

NatWest and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) have teamed up to analyse and provide support to UK businesses struggling with the cost of living crisis.

23 September 2022

News/retail

TSB connects consumers to fintechs with Marketplace app

TSB Bank recently launched TSB Marketplace on their mobile app. The service will connect customers to fintechs to aid them in making informed financial decisions. Finextra spoke to head of open banking and partnerships at TSB, Aruna Bhalla, about the service and what opportunities it opens up for consumers.

02 September 2022

News/retail

Barclaycard joins BT’s partnership network to support small businesses

Barclaycard Payments has announced its partnership with BT to support microbusinesses in the UK.

12 August 2022

News/people

Bibby Financial Services selects NatWest’s Marion King as non-executive director

SME funder Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has appointed former director of payments at NatWest Marion King as board member and non-executive director.

01 August 2022

News/retail

Qonto sets sights on acquisition of Penta

Qonto, online payment solution targeted at freelancers and SMEs, has announced its intention to acquire German fintech, Penta. The deal is expected to close within the next few weeks.

22 July 2022

News/sustainable

AIB and Foresight Group sustainable equity fund sets €75 million target

Ireland’s largest financial services provider, AIB, has appointed SME and sustainable infrastructure investment manager, Foresight Group, to manage a new SME equity fund, targeting €75 million. The fund will support businesses looking to accelerate Ireland’s low-carbon transition.

09 May 2022

News/startups

Outfund raises £15 million to expand in crowded revenue-based finance market

Revenue-based finance provider Outfund has closed a £115M Series A round of equity capital and debt, joining the growing ranks of firms vying for company business across Europe.

27 April 2022

News/wholesale

Qonto closes Crowdcube campaign after raising €5 million in 6.5 hours

Qonto, the French scaleup offering a business account to European SMEs, has raised €5 million in just 6.5 hours on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube.

21 April 2022