Klarna Bank AB is raising fresh funds led by SoftBank Group that value the Swedish fintech startup at $45.6 billion, just months after two separate investment rounds sent the company’s valuation soaring.

Companies like Cloudbeds, Uplift and Guesty offer technology that streamlines payment processing for suddenly busier hotels and offers new financing options for people eager to hit the road.

The company's payment processing platform supports the likes of Uber and Square in their ambitions to create all-in-one offerings that bundle financial and other services.

A new public-private network is pursuing a more comprehensive approach than other states to cultivate a strong financial technology industry by uniting banks, insurance companies, startups, government agencies, investors, universities and students.

The card brand has added a dedicated lane to its startup program to address the venture funding gap for race and gender. Overall, less than 3% of VC funding goes to startups with Black or Latinx founders.

Dave, a banking startup that’s been backed by investors including Mark Cuban and Capital One Financial, agreed to go public in a deal with a blank-check firm that values the company at $4 billion.

A crop of budgeting apps and challenger banks, including Qapital, Honeyfi and Zeta, are enhancing joint accounts by adding communication tools and other features to help couples manage their finances.

On customer satisfaction and trust, traditional banks scored higher than upstarts in a new study of consumers who took out personal loans.

Billers have long had the edge in handling users' bill payments. Fiserv says it can change that through faster transactions, but it faces fresh competition from fintechs.

Banks need to innovate to compete with upstart fintechs, but fragmented and inflexible core systems are slowing digital transformation. Here’s how banks — with help from their regulators — can thrive amid the disruption.

The Curql Fund, an investor in upstart technology companies, is trying to help credit unions build relationships with cutting-edge firms.

China is allowing Jack Ma’s Ant Group Co. to start operations at its consumer finance company, the first sign of progress after a regulatory crackdown torpedoed the fintech giant’s record listing.

EU regulation permits digital connections between banks and fintechs, creating ways for pension providers and brokerages to streamline payment acceptance and cut costs by replacing manual processes with automated ones.

When people stopped using Wag's core business during the pandemic, the company added multiple technologies to allow it to sell pet food, offer digital training and provide other services. Those same upgrades will stay in place as former clients come back.

Ahead of its U.S. launch, the London-based payments card aggregator has raised $14 million from 12,000 individual investors that it hopes to convert to customers.

The financial technology firm Stash is exploring options for a market listing, such as merging with a special purpose acquisition company or a traditional initial public offering, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Nearly a quarter of Black business owners seeking Paycheck Protection Program loans last year applied to fintechs — not far behind the percentage that turned to community banks, according to a New York Fed study. Deepening those new relationships could be a major source of growth for online lenders.

The Australian bank's stakes in technology firms Little Birdie and Amber add price shopping for point of sale credit and bill pay.

The card network's Fintech Partner Connect, which was previously available only in Europe, provides a curated list of companies that Visa clients, including banks, can consult for help opening accounts or aggregating customer data.

The former Fed vice chairman is the fourth new appointee to Klarna’s board since December. The Swedish buy now/pay later company has been enjoying rapid growth in the United States.