KMD Partners, which makes high-interest rate loans through its CreditNinja brand, has agreed to acquire the $11.7 million-asset Liberty Bank. The purchase is likely to draw scrutiny, but the companies argue that it will help borrowers with lower credit scores qualify for less expensive loans.

More than 97% of venture backing goes go white-owned startups. Firms like Mendoza Ventures, Chingona Ventures and MaC Venture Capital are stepping in to support underserved entrepreneurs.

There’s a new unicorn in Latin America: Clip, a payments fintech in Mexico targeting small and midsize companies.

Derek White, former financial services head for Google Cloud, wants to take Galileo — the SoFi unit that provides tech services to challenger banks — international and into new niches outside banking.

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.