bunq Hits 14.5M Users & Launches Stock Trading for Digital Nomads
Hey FinTech Fanatic!
I’m currently in Barcelona, where I was invited by our sponsor, Checkout.com, for the Thrive event, supporting our newly announced FinTech Running Club.
We had a fantastic run yesterday morning, and I’m excited to log a few more miles today.
If you’re interested in organizing a run in your town or at an event, sign up here, and we’ll be in touch soon!
Now, onto today’s news update, coming from my hometown of Amsterdam:
Bunq, Europe’s second-largest neobank, has launched a new investment feature called “Stocks,” aimed specifically at digital nomads. With this new product, Bunq continues to grow its presence across Europe, now serving 14.5 million users 🤯
Bunq’s new Stocks platform offers a beginner-friendly way to invest, differing from traditional brokerages by focusing on simplicity and ease of use. Users can invest in fractional shares of leading US and EU companies, as well as multi-asset ETFs through a partnership with Ginmon.
Users can start trading with as little as €10. For the first three months, all trades are commission-free.
The growth of digital nomadism has reshaped how people work and invest. Bunq’s research shows that nearly half of European digital nomads are already investing, with another 41% planning to start within a year.
Initially, Stocks will be available in the Netherlands and France, with plans for a broader European rollout.
The infrastructure for fractional trading is powered by Upvest, ensuring secure and efficient transactions.
During the bunq Update 26 event in Amsterdam, the neobank also introduced other new features, including its AI-powered money assistant, Finn, which now provides personalized budgeting advice as well as recommendations for local bars and restaurants.
Additionally, bunq rolled out an eSIM feature for frequent travelers, offering internet access in over 160 countries and savings of up to 90% on roaming costs.
Cheers,
Stay Updated on the Go. Join my new Telegram channel for daily updates and real-time breaking news. Stay informed and connect with industry enthusiasts —subscribe now!
FINTECH NEWS
🇯🇵 SoftBank makes first salary payments via its digital platform PayPay. SoftBank Group and nine affiliated firms paid digital salaries to their employees on Wednesday, in the first such initiative in Japan. SoftBank Group aims to enable other companies to offer digital salaries to their employees.
🇺🇸 Robinhood to adorn The Miami Heat Jerseys in Latest NBA sponsorship deal. The Miami Heat announced a multi-year partnership with the commission-free trading giant yesterday, Sept. 24. The partnership will begin with the 2024–25 NBA season, featuring Robinhood's logo on all The Miami Heat jerseys.
🇲🇽 MercadoLibre's FinTech arm applies for banking license in Mexico. The application to the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) was sent earlier this month, Mercado Pago said in a statement. In May, Mercado Pago said it aimed to become the largest digital bank in the country with the license.
PAYMENTS NEWS
🇬🇧 Checkout.com unveils a suite of product launches and continued 40% annual revenue growth. The company offers a suite of modular payment solutions that help businesses reduce the complexity and cost of payment processing while increasing performance and revenues. Click here for full details
🇯🇵 NETSTARS partners with ACI Worldwide to power the world’s payment ecosystem. Both companies will collaborate to provide an all-in-one payment solution for service providers and merchant acquirers, ensuring a smooth and secure ecosystem for processing both domestic and cross-border payments.
🇳🇱 MKX Network partners with PayQuicker to inspire global financial freedom and inclusion. MKX sought an efficient solution to overcome their global commission payout challenges and partnered with PayQuicker to achieve this. The collaboration now enables MKX to provide faster and more seamless commission payouts worldwide.
🇲🇽 DEUNA and Hands In partner to revolutionize the online checkout experience. DEUNA, a payment orchestration platform from Latin America, is teaming up with Hands In to offer split payment solutions to their merchants. This partnership will enable DEUNA to integrate Hands In’s Multi Card Payments and Group Payments into their checkout services.
🇺🇸 Early Warning Services has gained some traction in the months since it has launched Paze — the bank wallet it hopes will someday take hold as widely as Zelle and serve as an alternative to mobile wallets from Apple and Google. But payment experts say attracting merchants will be key, and that will take time.
🇨🇦 Nuvei adds split payments to its platforms offering. “Nuvei for Platforms is designed to accelerate growth and drive revenue for various business models, including marketplaces, commerce platforms, the gig economy, payment facilitators, and independent software vendors (ISVs),” the Canadian FinTech said in a news release.
🇺🇸 Cross River and Forward team on embedded payments for SaaS firms. The collaboration is designed to use embedded payments to address payment challenges the companies say are stunting the growth of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers.
🇺🇸 Flutterwave’s Send App & MainStreet Bank extend payments in 49 US States. Send App by Flutterwave facilitates faster, easier, and more affordable money transfers from Africans in the diaspora to their families and friends back home. Read on
🇮🇩 GoPay introduces AI Voice Assistant ‘Dira’ powered by Google Cloud. Dira understands and responds to commands in Bahasa Indonesia, leveraging Google Cloud’s generative AI technologies, including Vertex AI, speech-to-text AI, and the Gemini 1.5 Flash large language model.
🇳🇬 Mastercard and KaiOS partner to simplify acceptance for millions of SMEs in emerging markets. Beginning in Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria, Mastercard and KaiOS will deliver affordable payment acceptance devices and stimulate the growth of a more inclusive, connected global economy.
DIGITAL BANKING NEWS
🇦🇷 Ualá launches a secured credit card designed for individuals without credit history or those looking to rebuild it. It requires a security deposit from the customer, which yields up to 5% interest in their Ualá account. Read more
🇳🇱 bunq, the second largest neobank in Europe, launches Stocks, a new investment product tailored for digital nomads. This comes as bunq actively gains trust in Europe, reaching 𝟭𝟰.𝟱 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 users 🤯Unlike traditional brokerages, bunq Stocks simplifies investment for beginners.
The neobank has also introduced an eSIM for frequent travelers. The announcement was also made on its 'bunq update 26' event: Activated from the bunq app, the eSIM will give digital nomads uninterrupted internet access in 160+ countries, helping them save up to 90 percent on roaming costs.
🇬🇧 FinTech Mambu partners with Interbridge Mortgages. Together, the firms aim to deliver competitive “customer-centric mortgage products through a seamless, technology-driven approach.” Find out more
🇺🇸 Galileo targets underbanked consumers with a new credit offering. Secured Credit with Dynamic Funding is designed to simplify the secured credit process, making it easier for consumers to manage debit and credit accounts, while also reducing lenders’ risk by backing credit with secured deposits.
BLOCKCHAIN/CRYPTO NEWS
🇩🇪 Kraken partners German Football Club to increase crypto adoption in sports. Kraken and RB Leipzig will leverage each other’s expertise in their respective fields to inspire the next generation of football enthusiasts to explore the benefits of digital finance.
🇺🇸 PayPal enables business accounts to buy, hold and sell cryptocurrency directly from their PayPal business accounts. At launch, this functionality for Business Accounts will not be available in New York State. This move is part of PayPal's broader strategy to enhance cryptocurrency utility for millions of merchants across the U.S.
DONEDEAL FUNDING NEWS
🇫🇷 French RegTech company Dotfile lands €6M funding round to accelerate compliance automation using AI. The company plans to focus on research and development to further enhance its AI-driven platform while also expanding its international footprint.
🇬🇧 APRON raises $30M Series B for SMB payments tech. The investment will enable Apron to grow its engineering and product teams as it prepares for key milestones on its 2025 roadmap. A new product will also be launched, targeting larger suppliers to streamline invoice collection from SMB customers and accelerate payment processes.
MOVERS & SHAKERS
🇺🇸 Thread Bancorp, Inc. appoints banking veteran Michael Farrell as Chief Financial Officer further solidifying Thread’s commitment to enhancing its financial operations and accounting services. Farrell will play a key role in supporting the Bank’s next stage of strategic growth.
🇬🇧 Finastra hires industry heavyweight to head lending business. The company announced the appointment of Andrew Bateman in the role of EVP, Lending. He will be responsible for the leadership and growth of Finastra’s Lending Business Unit. More here
Want your message in front of 100.000+ FinTech fanatics, founders, investors, and operators?
Comments ()