Backbase Earns Leader Status in Forrester's Digital Banking Wave
Hey FinTech Fanatic!
Flying back to Amsterdam today after a week full of great meetings in NYC, including some events at NY FinTech Week.
And speaking of FinTech hubs, NYC isn't the only one. Amsterdam is still going strong.
Just look at Backbase, which has been named a Leader in The Forrester Wave™ for Digital Banking Engagement Platforms (Q2 2026).
The research evaluated the Amsterdam-based AI-native Banking OS, currently implemented by more than 120 leading financial institutions across Retail, SMB, and Commercial, Private Banking, and Wealth Management.
In a rare dual honor, Backbase was also designated a "Customer Favorite," reflecting deep client trust and satisfaction across a field of 11 evaluated vendors.
The core thesis behind the product is straightforward: banks run on hundreds of fragmented systems, with the majority of frontline work happening in the gaps between them, precisely where AI agents tend to break down.
Backbase's answer is an OS that sits above existing infrastructure without replacing it, giving customers, employees, and AI agents a single shared context to work from.
Another clear example that Amsterdam's FinTech scene is on 🔥
See what else is happening in FinTech today. 👇See you tomorrow!
Cheers,
HOW FINTECH PERFORMED LAST WEEK
📈 Top 10 FinTech Companies/Banks Listed on Stock Exchanges by Weekly Performance 📉
Here are the big movers of the week:
FINTECH NEWS
🇺🇸 Shopify is pursuing U.S. money transmitter licenses, already approved in 18 states and Puerto Rico, as it explores prepaid services. The move could reduce reliance on partners like Stripe, lower fees, and expand merchant financial tools while still requiring bank partnerships.
🇺🇸 Opay is preparing a U.S. IPO with Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, and JPMorgan Chase, targeting a ~$4B valuation. Opay, backed by SoftBank, with 40M+ users, could list later this year as demand for mobile financial services accelerates across Africa.
PAYMENTS NEWS
🇳🇱 Mastercard and Rabobank completed the Netherlands’ first AI agent payment, where an assistant booked an experience via Priceless.com using Agent Pay. The system keeps card data hidden, relies on user consent and passkeys, and signals a shift toward secure, AI-driven commerce.
🇺🇸 Grey has registered as a payment service provider in Canada under the RPAA, expanding its cross-border capabilities. The YC-backed firm, already integrated with Interac, aims to streamline transfers across key trade corridors with multi-currency accounts and faster settlement times.
🇸🇬 Oobit has launched Agent Cards, a corporate card built for AI agents, enabling programmable spend controls, audit trails, and real-time oversight. Running on its global infrastructure and funded via stablecoins, the product replaces shared cards as companies scale autonomous software in production.
🇬🇧 PayDo has become a principal acquirer for Apple Pay and Google Pay, enabling direct wallet acceptance via PayDo Checkout. The move reduces reliance on third parties, improves processing speed, and helps merchants unify and simplify their payment infrastructure.
DIGITAL BANKING NEWS
🇬🇧 Allica Bank is testing an agentic AI system that processes SME loan requests from email to credit decision in an average of 12 minutes, with no human input. Live across key brokers, it auto-decided 50% of cases, aiming to speed up complex lending while broader AI adoption expands internally.
🇧🇷 Nubank has launched Vantagens Nu, a new in-app hub for cashback, coupons, and partner deals, including recurring offers with Shopee. The feature centralizes rewards, making benefits easier to access as Nubank expands everyday value for users.
🇺🇸 Slash Financial has launched Global Cards, enabling international businesses to spend in USD without a U.S. entity. Powered by Visa and Rain’s stablecoin infrastructure, the product extends Global USD accounts, simplifying cross-border spend and reducing FX and setup friction.
BLOCKCHAIN/CRYPTO NEWS
🇺🇸 Gemini has secured a U.S. derivatives clearing license, enabling it to enter regulated prediction markets and settle trades in-house. The move positions it to build a full-stack trading platform and compete with players like Kalshi and Polymarket. Continue reading
🇺🇸 Coinbase Asset Management has launched a tokenized credit strategy offering onchain share classes via Superstate. This fund targets institutional investors seeking yield across public and private credit, combining traditional assets with blockchain-based transparency and 24/7 liquidity.
🇰🇷 Bithumb has won a court ruling in South Korea lifting a six-month partial suspension imposed over alleged AML breaches. While uncertainty remains around a $24.6M fine, the decision offers relief as regulatory scrutiny intensifies across the country’s crypto sector.
PARTNERSHIPS
🇺🇸 Glass has joined Mastercard Start Path to advance infrastructure for public sector finance. The partnership gives Glass access to Mastercard’s global network, supporting its push to modernize how governments manage procurement, payments, and public funds.
🇦🇪 VaultsPay and Mastercard partner to expand digital payments in the UAE, enabling card issuance and broader access to secure payment infrastructure. This collaboration supports financial inclusion and accelerates adoption of cashless, card-based solutions across the region. Read more
🌍 MoonPay has partnered with Mastercard, Monavate, and Exodus to launch MoonAgents Card, enabling AI agents to spend stablecoins directly from onchain wallets. The collaboration combines issuing, network access, and wallet infrastructure for real-time programmable payments. The card is available today via MoonPay CLI in the UK and LATAM, with U.S. availability planned in the coming months. Identity verification is required before issuance.
🇰🇷 MoonPay Korea, in partnership with Woori Bank will support global distribution and settlement of won-backed stablecoins. The initiative connects local issuance with MoonPay’s global infrastructure, aiming to scale cross-border payments and expand KRW stablecoin use cases.
🇺🇸 Shift4 has partnered with the Chicago Cubs to power payments across Wrigley Field. Its end-to-end commerce technology will support concessions, retail, and entertainment purchases, modernizing operations and streamlining the fan experience.
🇲🇽 Belvo and Banco Plata partner to expand credit access in Mexico using Open Finance and employment data. The integration enables real-time income verification and automated repayments, improving approvals and reaching underserved users with limited credit history.
🇺🇸 Extend and WEX in collaboration to enable virtual card payment in Concur Invoice. This automates invoice payments end-to-end, improving control, security, and efficiency for corporate customers managing accounts payable workflows. Read on
DONEDEAL FUNDING NEWS
🇮🇳 Sahi has raised $33M in a Series B at a $200M valuation, backed by Accel and Elevation Capital. The India-based platform plans to expand into margin trading and mutual funds after rapid growth in trades, accounts, and product releases.
🇮🇳 Oolka has raised $14M in a Series A led by Accel, with participation from Lightspeed. The fresh capital will be used to strengthen Oolka’s AI engineering capabilities, expand its product beyond credit use cases, and deepen partnerships with banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs). The company is building AI-powered agents to help users manage their financial lives.
🇲🇽 Kleva raised $1.55M in a seed round led by Wollef Ventures, with participation from Nascent, Kuiper VC, and Lerer Hippeau. The Mexico-based startup builds AI agents for debt collection, helping lenders automate contact centers and improve recovery rates while reducing costs.
🌍 Fun has raised $72M in a Series A co-led by Multicoin Capital and SignalFire. The funding will support further engineering investment, Asia-Pacific expansion with a new Singapore office, and selective acquisitions. The company powers deposits, withdrawals, and settlement flows for platforms like Polymarket, Aave, and Lighter.
M&A
🇳🇱 Monzo completed acquisition of Habito, integrating end-to-end mortgage broking into its app. The deal strengthens Monzo’s homeownership offering, combining tracking tools with in-app mortgage services as it expands beyond core banking.
🇺🇸 Bakkt completed its acquisition of Distributed Technologies Research (DTR) to build a 24/7 digital settlement layer. Through this acquisition, combines institutional infrastructure with AI-driven payments and stablecoin technology, aiming to bridge traditional finance and digital assets.
🌍 Broadridge completes acquisition of CQG, unlocking globally connected, multi-asset trading solutions. The acquisition strengthens Broadridge’s trading and connectivity capabilities, combining execution, algorithmic trading, and analytics with its platform to deliver an integrated end-to-end solution across global futures and options markets.
🇺🇸 PointsKash has acquired Keating Software’s rewards platform to expand its payments and loyalty capabilities. The deal brings key technology in-house, enabling scalable, white-label rewards programs while opening new enterprise revenue streams and strengthening its financial ecosystem.
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
🇺🇸 PayPal has announced a strategic reorganization into three business units to streamline operations and accelerate growth. As part of the changes, Frank Keller was appointed President of Checkout, Alexis Sowa and Jeff Pomeroy took interim leadership roles, while Antonio Lucio and Anshu Bhardwaj joined as Chief Marketing and Chief AI Transformation Officers, respectively.
Want your message in front of 275.000+ FinTech fanatics, founders, investors, and operators?
Comments ()