By Andrei Skvarsky. Paxful, a US-based peer-to-peer cryptocurrency exchange, has hailed the wide-scale use of bitcoin in Kenya, which is one of the world’s top countries in terms of amounts of bitcoin holdings. Continue Reading
London’s Connected Claims Europe forum expected to answer key questions re insurtech
The leitmotif of the Insurance AI and Analytics Europe conference in London on October 9-10, insurtech will be very much in the spotlight during Connected Claims Europe, a conference in London on October 29-30 that will mostly bring together C-level and other senior executives. Continue Reading
PDM provides Trilantic Europe with loan for buying out talent management firm
By Andrei Skvarsky. Debt investor Permira Debt Managers (PDM) has provided private equity firm Trilantic Europe with a loan for the acquisition of YM&U, a talent management company that was formerly called James Grant Group but was renamed during a rebranding simultaneous with the buyout. Continue Reading
Richard Bartlett goes as head of sales at PrimeXM financial technology provider
By Andrei Skvarsky. PrimeXM, a financial technology provider for businesses across the world, has parted company with head of sales Richard Bartlett. Continue Reading
Sberbank launches Russia’s first ETF
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank, the biggest Russian lender, has launched the first Russian exchange-traded fund with the ETF beginning to trade on Moscow Exchange on September 17, the bank and exchange have announced. Continue Reading
Russian startup among MIT-based accelerator’s selectees for course
By Andrei Skvarsky. Button Blockchain Technologies, a Russian-staffed but US-domiciled startup developing a cryptocurrency wallet for retail users and corporate blockchain solutions, was among firms selected by an accelerator based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a class that ran last month. Continue Reading
Sberbank joined by Silicon Valley accelerator to look for promising Russian startups
By Andrei Skvarsky. Silicon Valley-based accelerator 500 Startups has joined Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank in a programme to finance and promote Russian tech startups. Continue Reading
Renaissance Capital hires debt capital banker from Standard Chartered
By Andrei Skvarsky. Renaissance Capital, a Russian investment bank specialising in emerging and frontier markets, has hired Samuel Sule from Standard Chartered Bank for a London-based job as a director in the debt capital markets (DCM) division. Continue Reading
Permira provides loan to support Inflexion/Bollington Wilson union
By Andrei Skvarsky. London-based private debt company Permira Debt Managers (PDM) has acted as the sole senior secured lender to support partnership between two British companies, private equity firm Inflexion and insurance broker Bollington Wilson, which was bought out by Inflexion several months ago. Continue Reading
S. African blockchain startup wins MIT/Mastercard Foundation prize for financial inclusion
By Andrei Skvarsky. South African startup Wala, which runs a blockchain platform for instant micro-payments, has won a $100,000 prize for “innovation in financial inclusion” from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Mastercard Foundation. Continue Reading
Brochure released with full agenda of Connected Claims Europe forum
The organisers of the Connected Claims Europe conference in London on October 29-30 have released a brochure with the complete agenda and speaker line-up for the forum, which is going to deal with the re-engineering of claims, innovative technologies and other key issues. Continue Reading
Tolar sells blockchain licence to Bahrain govt
By Andrei Skvarsky. Tolar, a one-year-old blockchain and cryptocurrency developer group based in ex-Yugoslav states, has signed a deal licencing the Bahraini government to use an advanced technology based on its flagship blockchain project. Continue Reading
Sberbank to integrate investment arm with corporate business unit
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank, Russia’s biggest lender, has announced it will integrate its investment arm, Sberbank CIB, with its Corporate Business unit. Continue Reading
Insurance Nexus whitepaper: ‘intelligent’ automation can revolutionise insurance
Research firm Insurance Nexus has interviewed senior company experts about the role of “intelligent” automation in the insurance business as opposed to routine robotics. Continue Reading
Sberbank puts David Rafalovsky in charge of tech unit with Nikita Volkov as no. 2
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russia’s largest lender Sberbank has appointed two of its top executives, David Rafalovsky and Nikita Volkov, as, respectively, head and deputy head of its technology unit. Continue Reading
Sberbank hires head of lifestyle management firm for role at HNWI unit
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank has announced it has hired Julia Melts, chief executive of a lifestyle management company, as head of client coverage at Sberbank Private Banking, the unit of Russia’s biggest lender that provides services for high-net-worth individuals. Continue Reading
Tangier royal event guests include head of bank that has funded much of Morocco economy
By Andrei Skvarsky. The guests at a July 30 ceremony in Tangier celebrating Moroccan King Mohammed VI’s 19th anniversary of enthronement included the chief of the African Development Bank (AfDB), which has put more than $10bn into the Maghreb country’s economy over the past half-century. Continue Reading
Cryptos, blockchain high on agenda for Aug 16 FinTech Canada forum
Big companies such as Google, IBM, MasterCard and Amazon will be represented at FinTech Canada, a conference in Toronto on August 16 with an agenda largely taken up by cryptocurrency and blockchain issues. Continue Reading
Permira provides Bridgepoint with loan for buying out French retailer
By Andrei Skvarsky. Investment group Permira Debt Managers (PDM) has announced that one of its funds is acting as the sole lender to buyout firm Bridgepoint in the acquisition of Private Sport Shop, one of France’s largest sports equipment online retailers. Continue Reading
CORRECTION: Sept 11 Stockholm conference to discuss blockchain use in energy, real estate industries, media
(Correcting date to September 11 from November 11 in headline and lead). Experts, businesspeople and others specialising or interested in blockchain and cryptocurrencies are getting together at a planned conference in Stockholm on September 11 to discuss subjects including the use of blockchain in industries such as energy, real estate and newsmaking. Continue Reading
UPDATE 2: London to host two tech-focused European insurance forums in October
(Quoting changed codes for attendance fee discounts). Use of digital technology in insurance will be discussed in detail at two European conferences in London this October that are being organised by Insurance Nexus, a London-based intelligence company that is part of British-registered FC Business Intelligence. Continue Reading
Rhode Island hosting Opal conferences on cybersecurity, payment technologies
Newport, Rhode Island, is the site of two more financial conferences this week organised by Opal Group besides a family office event that has just ended – Cyber Security Summit 2018 and Financial Innovation and Payments Summit 2018, both being held on July 18-20. Friday’s agenda for the Cyber Security Summit includes panel sessions on… Continue Reading
Blockchain, cryptos to be among topics at Rhode Island family office forum
Blockchain and cryptocurrencies will be among a multitude of subjects to be raised at the Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum in Newport, Rhode Island, on July 16-18. Continue Reading
Sberbank subsidiary: Security firms technologically behind cybercriminals due to bureaucratic, legal constraints
By Andrei Skvarsky. Cybercriminals across the world are technologically “a step ahead” of cybersecurity firms as the latter are handicapped by bureaucratic formalities and legal requirements, according to the head of a cybersecurity subsidiary of Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank. Continue Reading
McKinsey: Russian banks making more use of blockchain, opening up to cryptos
By Andrei Skvarsky. Global consultancy McKinsey has said in a detailed report on the current state of the Russian economy that Russian banks are using blockchain on an increasing scale and has confirmed that cryptocurrencies are making their way into Russia. Continue Reading
Blockchain/crypto event to be hosted by crypto-friendly France
The blockchain/cryptocurrency theme, which has been discussed at numerous meetings across the world, is going to be raised again in a month’s time, this time round in an increasingly crypto-friendly country – at Blockchain and Bitcoin Conference France on July 18. Continue Reading
Sberbank vice-CEO Poletaev stepping down but staying as adviser
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank has announced an upcoming top-tier reshuffle to include the resignation of Maxim Poletaev, one of chief executive officer Herman Gref’s two senior deputies, who will, however, stay at the bank as a senior adviser. Continue Reading
Over 150 insurtechs to get together at London conference on June 19-20
More than 1,000 people are going to gather at the Insurtech Insights conference in London on June 19-20 to hear what over 240 speakers from a bunch of companies including more than 150 insurtechs have to say about how their firms use modern technologies in their business. Continue Reading
Permira refinances loan for French surveillance equipment maker Anaveo
By Andrei Skvarsky. Global investment firm Permira has refinanced a loan it provided for French electronic surveillance equipment manufacturer Anaveo a while ago. Continue Reading