Codat is a London-based startup that provides an API business data platform to small and medium companies. On 2 March, Codat CEO Peter Lord announced that its previous investor, Index Ventures, will be joined by two new strategic partners: PayPal Ventures and American Express Ventures. Recently, the company has also oficially launched operations in the U.S., and therefore, the new partnerships will fuel its growth in this new region. It’s worth mentioning that Zettle, a PayPal company, is already using the technology provided by Codat to transfer transaction data into its platform. Seems like this successful cooperation is one of the reasons why the American giant decided to invest in the startup.

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As we informed in FinTech Wire #13, Bitpanda decided to make another step towards revolutionizing personal finances by releasing a debit card backed by Visa. Last week, the card finally became available to the public, and Bitpanda revealed that Contis, a UK-based startup, also contributed to the product, providing the so-called ‘zero-balance’ technology. This solution makes it possible to pay seamlessly with more than 50 digital assets available on the Bitpanda platform (such as precious metals and cryptocurrencies). The assets are not liquidated, but converted at point-of-sale, which simplifies the whole process.

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While most digital banks are booming or at least have access to almost never-ending streams of funding from investors, there are banking startups that are less fortunate. Even when they’re backed by giants–like Orange Bank. This loss-making mobile financial services startup is looking for another investor, in addition to Orange and Groupama Banque, to make up for the loss of €643 million in the last three years. According to the CEO Stéphane Richard, the French startup is looking for a partner with experience in banking, and the first candidates have already expressed interest.

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Paysed reached the milestone of 3 million users this January, and isn’t slowing down. The global FinTech has just announced a strategic partnership with Mastercard. The collaboration will take place in the UK and EEA, but it is said to have a global reach soon. The goal of the partnership is to support the Paysend Global Account, while enhancing Mastercard’s customer base, as the CEO and co-founder of Paysend, Ronald Millar, commented:

We will be working with Mastercard on collaborations programmes to bring the benefits of our multi-currency service to more people around the world, so they can spend freely and flexibly on their travels.

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A new player joins the game. Customers in the UAE have gained a new banking option: the extensive offering of YAP, the first independent challenger in the country. The company launched with a bang, offering multiple products targeting unmet financial needs: YAP Young to help kids and teenagers learn to manage their finances; YAP Household to better manage household expenses; and a virtual card with extra security measures. Despite of launching recently, YAP is already planning its international expansion to the rest of Middle East region, Africa, and Asia, with the goal of becoming a leader on these markets.

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