This week’s edition of Finovate Global showcases some of the fintech founders and CEOs we’ve had the good fortune to interview this year. From embedded finance to the emerging data economy to the connection between open banking and serving the world’s un- and underbanked, fintech innovators in developing economies continue to deliver for both their local communities as well as for consumers around the world.
Finovate Global Egypt: Cartona CEO and Co-founder Mahmoud Talaat
Cartona embraces the vision of a cashless society, investing in embedded finance and payments. We offer pay after four days or pay in four equal installments every 7-10 days. We have made sure our product is easy to use and seamlessly integrated into the ‘check-out’ section for ordering, with collection being all digital or through our supplier network.
Providing retailers with this technology-integrated financial solution not only boosts financial inclusion but also enables them to grow their business and provide customers with essential products at affordable prices. To supplement our core ordering business, embedded finance is what we believe is a key challenge and we see a clear need for it by retailers in the industry.
Finovate Global Finland: Building a Strong Data Economy with ReceiptHero’s Chris Moore
We are surrounded by data in our daily lives, most of it is unstructured and in hard to reach places. Receipts printed on paper are just that: unstructured and, as a customer, it’s hard to apply that purchase data to good use. Part of my opening remarks at FinovateEurope was that we are showered by amazing digital payment innovations and sadly the post purchase experience has mainly been left to stay in the analog world.
Purchase data is core to building a strong data economy, as this data has so far been siloed and in a format that is hard to receive in real-time. It’s not really been leveraged or valued as it should be. ReceiptHero is breaking down those silos and enabling a world where a consumer can have this data instantly in their banking app or in an approved service where the data is used to better the customer experience.
Finovate Global UAE: Abdulla Almoayed of Tarabut Gateway on Open Banking in the MENA Region
MENA’s young and tech-savvy population is still underbanked, and a driving factor behind Open Banking’s growth are companies and regulators who are keen to facilitate this huge opportunity in a responsible manner.
Moreover, banks in the region understand the benefits that Open Banking brings to their institutions. Open Banking enables them to stay relevant and to compete in today’s banking sector by providing enhanced digital offerings and customer-centricity.
Tarabut Gateway acts as the matchmaker between service providers and customers, creating a competitive fintech ecosystem where users receive the best, personalized products, and services.
Here is our look at fintech innovation around the world.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Ghana-based fintech Bezo Money raised $750,000 in new funding.
TechCabal featured an interview with Ibrahima Kourouma, co-founder of Paylia and payments platform for African merchants and consumers.
The first graduates the new fintech-focused journalism training program sponsored by pan-African banking organization Ecobank Group and AMA Academy were announced this week.
Central and Eastern Europe
Middle East and Northern Africa
Egyptian fintech PayMint teamed up with Egypt’s Commodities Exchange
Israel-based fintech Nilus that helps companies better monitor their payment data raised $8.6 million in seed funding.
Central and Southern Asia
India’s Cashfree Payments launched its Buy Now, Pay Later offering.
Akhtar Fuiou Technologies (AFT), a fintech headquartered in Pakistan, secured approval from the country’s central bank to begin pilot operations for an Electronic Money Institution license.
J.P. Morgan made a strategic investment in India-based payment solutions provider, In-Solutions Global (ISG).
