American Express and Square announced on Nov. 16 a plan to launch a new credit card explicitly built for Square sellers on the AmEx network.
According to UK research firm Autonomous NEXT there are now 68 crypto hedge funds which is a significant jump since the start of the year; while calling themselves hedge funds many of these new entities are not structured like a typical hedge fund and they don't have institutional backing; as the interest in cryptocurrencies grows, the market will continue seeing new entrants trying to capitalize on the rising value. Source.
Marketplace lending loan servicer First Associates has announced the opening of a new operations center; the operations center is located in Baja California, Mexico with capacity for 1,000 seats; in comments regarding the announcement, First Associates CEO David Johnson said: "We couldn’t be more excited about our new Baja facility. We are able to deliver the same outstanding quality and service as our San Diego operations center, offer an economically advantageous option to our clients and provide significant opportunities in a developing business community that is an important part of the greater San Diego/Tijuana metro area." Source
In their recent annual results Funding Circle announced they will be opening up in Canada later this year; today the...
Alex Tapscott has raised $20 million for NextBlock Global, an investment firm investing in projects selling cryptographic tokens; he now has plans to list the company on the Toronto Stock Exchange; Tapscott is also the co-author of "Blockchain Revolution," which he wrote with his father, Don Tapscott, last year; with the IPO listing of NextBlock Global he hopes to further accelerate adoption of ICOs and blockchain. Source
Canadian robo advisor WealthBar now manages over CAD$100 million (USD$75.93 million) in assets under management; the firm was launched in 2014; it currently offers online onboarding, investment management, financial planning and an individual advisor; its services have also expanded to private investment portfolios and registered retirement savings plans. Source
The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA) has published a report providing insight on the country's crowdfunding market; identifies a need for regulation that will help support the industry's growth while also setting standards for the market overall; predicts transaction value of $190 million for 2016; says the industry has grown 48% from 2013 to 2015. Source
Marketplace lender, PeerStreet, has raised $15 million in a funding round led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz; PeerStreet offers secured real estate loans through its lending platform; the minimum investment is $1,000; investors on the platform include high net worth individuals, family offices and institutions; Andreessen Horowitz's Rampell noted the competitive advantages of PeerStreet compared to competitors included their fast growth and distribution model; he stated, "Most companies that are lending to consumers spend all the money in customer acquisition and it is very hard to get a profit." Source
Partnership will add 700,000 small businesses from the Vendasta network to the LoyaltyCapital® Network; the Vendasta network includes representation from 1800 media properties and 8000 sales professionals; Vendasta businesses will now have the opportunity to obtain better access to credit financing through the LoyaltyCapital customized multi-lender platform focused on providing credit for businesses with high customer loyalty in their communities. Source
Moven has agreed to extend its exclusivity rights with TD Bank in Canada for another five years and broaden the agreement to the US; the exclusivity rights in the US are likely to result in a US launch of the partnership's money management tool, the MySpend app, which allows users to track spending and receive notifications; expansion of the white label app from Brett King's Moven is expected to add significant value for the fintech firm. Source