Latest news and analysis on how technology is reshaping finance — from digital payments and neobanks to blockchain, lending, and financial innovation.
When the Job Ends, Should the Taxman Still Come Knocking? A viral LinkedIn post about layoffs at Visa’s Bengaluru office has reopened a question India has avoided for years: why severance pay — money meant to keep a family afloat — is taxed like a bonus, while laid-off workers get almost nothing in return. The … Read more
Singapore: Southeast Asia’s payments ecosystem continues to attract strong investor confidence, with the region’s 12 most-funded active payment startups collectively raising more than $2.7 billion in equity funding, according to a new report by market intelligence platform Tracxn. The report highlights the rapid evolution of Southeast Asia’s fintech landscape, where payment companies are building solutions … Read more
India’s real GDP is estimated to grow 7.4% in FY 2025-26, one of the fastest rates of any large economy — the IMF has its own forecast at 7.3%. Gross Goods and Services Tax collections in the same year came in at roughly ₹22 lakh crore, up 8.3% on the previous year. April 2026 set … Read more
Cairo: Egypt-based e-commerce logistics startup Fincart has raised $2.8 million in an oversubscribed seed funding round to accelerate its expansion across Africa and the Middle East. The investment will support the company’s technology development, commercial growth, and strategic partnerships as demand for integrated e-commerce infrastructure continues to rise across the region. The funding round was … Read more
BharatPe’s co-founder wants employers to put their name — not their money — behind employee credit. Here’s how Fund My Staff actually works, and why it’s a very Ashneer way to re-enter fintech. Ashneer Grover doesn’t do quiet launches, and Fund My Staff is no exception. The former BharatPe managing director announced his newest fintech … Read more
Ahmedabad-based investment firm Steptrade Capital has announced the successful first close of its Category II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF), Chanakya Opportunities Fund II (COF II), securing investor commitments exceeding ₹100 crore within just three months of its launch. The fund, introduced in February 2026 with a target corpus of ₹500 crore, is designed to invest … Read more
Kuala Lumpur: Southeast Asian insurtech company PolicyStreet has raised an additional US$5 million in its Series C funding round from BlueOrchard, a leading global impact investment manager and member of the Schroders Group. The latest investment increases the company’s total Series C funding to US$26 million, strengthening its plans to expand digital insurance access across … Read more
San Francisco/Singapore: Global cross-border payments company Nium has acquired Cypher, a crypto-native non-custodial wallet and card issuing platform, in a strategic move to expand its capabilities across digital assets and stablecoin-powered payments. Cypher, backed by Y Combinator and Coinbase Ventures, brings expertise in blockchain infrastructure, crypto-native financial products, and digital wallet technology, helping Nium strengthen … Read more
AI-driven fintech platform jUMPP has received approval from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) as a Third Party Application Provider (TPAP), enabling the company to offer Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services directly through its platform. The approval marks a significant milestone for the startup as it expands beyond investment products and moves closer to … Read more
London-based investment firm Actis has sold shares worth approximately ₹151.6 crore in Indian fintech company Pine Labs through a market transaction, continuing the trend of stake sales by early investors following the expiration of the company’s post-IPO lock-in period. According to exchange data, Actis Pine Labs Investment Holdings offloaded 9.83 million shares at a price … Read more
US technology giant Meta is reportedly in discussions to invest in Indian fintech company CRED, a move that could significantly strengthen its position in India’s rapidly expanding digital payments and financial services ecosystem. According to reports, the discussions involve a potential transaction that could value Bengaluru-based CRED at approximately $4 billion (over ₹37,000 crore). While … Read more
Indian wealth management startup CREST has secured $3.1 million in pre-seed funding from a group of leading venture capital firms and angel investors, as it looks to strengthen its position in the rapidly growing family office and asset management market. The funding round was led by BEENEXT, Sparrow, Shastra VC, DeVC, Warmup Ventures, Atrium Ventures, … Read more
Egypt-based fintech startup Blnk has secured a total of US$37.1 million in fresh funding, comprising US$12.5 million in Series A equity financing and US$24.6 million in debt funding, as the company looks to scale its point-of-sale lending platform and expand financial access for underserved consumers. The funding round highlights growing investor confidence in Egypt’s digital … Read more
Bengaluru, India: Wealth management platform Scripbox has announced the acquisition of New Delhi-based wealth advisory firm Bluechip Capital, marking another strategic step in its expansion within India’s growing wealth management sector. While the financial details of the transaction were not disclosed, the acquisition is expected to enhance Scripbox’s customer reach and strengthen its assets under … Read more
Thailand’s KASIKORNBANK (KBank) and global fintech powerhouse Ant International have entered into a strategic partnership to revolutionize the cross-border payment landscape. By blending KBank’s deep banking infrastructure with Ant International’s advanced artificial intelligence (AI) financial technology, the collaboration aims to deliver faster, highly scalable, and structurally optimized payment services for merchants and businesses globally. At … Read more
YOKOHAMA, JAPAN — Global financial technology firm Payment Options K.K. has officially signed a strategic partnership agreement with Yokohama Football Club (Yokohama FC). Under this newly inked alliance, the digital payments provider steps forward as an official partner of the club for the Meiji Yasuda J.League 100 Year Vision League and the upcoming 2026/27 season. … Read more
Flexprice has announced a $1.5 million seed funding round led by Shastra VC, with participation from Anupam Mittal and TDV Partners, which also increased its earlier investment in the company. The New Delhi-headquartered startup is building open-source usage-based billing infrastructure designed specifically for AI-native and API-first enterprises. The company said the fresh capital will support: … Read more
GrowthLabs has acquired Startup Gate in a strategic move aimed at creating a unified digital ecosystem for entrepreneurs, startups, investors, and innovation stakeholders across the Middle East and Africa. The acquisition is expected to strengthen GrowthLabs’ position in the regional startup ecosystem while accelerating its expansion plans across the Gulf and African markets in 2026. … Read more
Bengaluru-based Owners ID has raised $260,000 in a pre-seed funding round led by Crucifer Investments. The startup plans to use the fresh capital to strengthen product development, enhance AI-powered recovery systems, scale manufacturing capabilities, improve its mobile platform, and expand into international markets. Building a Digital Identity Layer for Physical Belongings Founded in November 2025 … Read more
India’s fintech ecosystem is rapidly evolving beyond consumer-facing investment apps toward infrastructure platforms that power the next generation of digital financial services. As embedded finance and digital investing continue to gain momentum, Finspring.ai is positioning itself as a key infrastructure player in this growing market. The company has announced the successful closure of its seed … Read more
