Venture capital

The fintech revolution has been more successful at working with banks than at trying to replace them, points out Gene Ludwig, former Comptroller of the Currency, chair of the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity, and co-founder of Canapi Ventures. Those with "must have" products will fare far better in 2024 than those with "nice to have" tools, he says.

Charlie, a neobank marketed to people 62+, and Carefull, which partners with financial institutions, recently raised their Series A's. A third, called EverSafe, is embarking on its first fundraise.

A remnant of the failed bank, now owned by First Citizens, is trying to reclaim its once-prominent role in venture-debt lending to startups. But competition from HSBC and JPMorgan Chase as well as fintechs has multiplied in recent months.

The firm's investors include Visa and PayPal, as well as the Teacher Retirement System of Texas

While federal efforts to provide funding for minority small businesses wither, a lawsuit seeks to shut down an effective source of private capital.

The firms are increasingly seeking to integrate generative artificial intelligence into their products, and banks are potentially interested customers. But such efforts are costly, the risks are high and "they want to make sure that they get it right," experts say.

Aite-Novarica, RBR rebrand as 'Datos Insights'; Singapore fines DBS, Citi for breaches in Wirecard scandal; the top-ranked employers for working fathers on Wall Street and more in this week's banking news roundup.

Fintech VC funding flooded into consumer-focused companies in 2021. Now, the tides are changing direction.

The North Carolina bank's venture capital arm has recently taken stakes in two early-stage companies, including one aimed at helping independent pharmacists, after cashing out on two others last year.

Leaders said the value of learning about emerging technologies outweighs a tighter economic environment.

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank ratcheted up the financial pressure on startup companies that was already building. How can new entrants adapt?

Some tech startup clients had to scramble to retrieve money as the bank was closing. Many wonder which financial institution will fill the void. 

Panic withdrawals brought down a bank within two days, and many point to some venture capitalists, who urged companies to pull money out of the bank.

The Philadelphia bank's new CEO says a planned infusion would let it update its branch footprint, technology and other resources as part of a turnaround.

Mike Cagney, the former chief executive of the lending giant SoFi, is searching for investors for his latest startup, Figure Technologies. The company, which builds financial products on a blockchain, is also seeking to spin off some product lines as it navigates a dramatic industry downturn.

It's been less than three months since FTX collapsed in what U.S. prosecutors called one of the biggest financial frauds in American history — and a former top executive is eager to get it all behind him and move on to his next big thing.

Crypto startups are facing a harrowing time attracting private financiers after the collapse of the digital-asset exchange FTX. Venture capital investment in the industry plunged to its lowest level in almost two years during the fourth quarter of 2022, according to data from the research firm PitchBook.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group is in talks to invest about $200 million in Akulaku, an Indonesian online lender backed by Jack Ma's Ant Group, according to people familiar with the matter.

The challenger bank for Black and Latino individuals introduced Elevate, a membership-only tier that includes access to private clubhouses and networking aimed at people of color.

Btech Consortium, a partnership between several small banks, a venture capital firm and an asset manager, will identify emerging technologies that meet their members' near-term needs.