Malaysian financial services group Maybank has partnered with Microsoft to upgrade its cloud and AI capabilities, signing a partnership agreement with the US tech giant valued at approximately RM 1 billion (around $236.6 million) over five years. The bank says it will implement Microsoft Azure as one of its main cloud platforms for “some of…
Ripple has agreed to acquire Canadian payment infrastructure fintech Rail for $200 million, as part of an effort to “drive the next phase of innovation and adoption of stablecoins and blockchain in global payments”, according to president Monica Long. The deal is expected to close in Q4 2025, subject to regulatory approval and other customary…
Transak, a global web3 infrastructure services start-up providing fiat-to-crypto payment rails, has raised $16 million in a new strategic funding round. The raise follows a $20 million Series A headed by Hong Kong-based venture capital fund CE Innovation Capital (CEIC) in 2023. CEIC returned to support this latest round, which was led by Tether and…
Qi Card, Iraq’s leading digital payments provider, and Turkish Airlines, one of the world’s largest airlines, has signed a landmark partnership in Istanbul to launch a new co-branded Mastercard debit card for Iraqis. The partnership will benefit 11 million Qi cardholders in Iraq by integrating their everyday spend to Turkish Airlines’ Miles&Smiles rewards program. The…
Fawry for Banking Technology and Electronic Payment has partnered with FORSA, a subsidiary of Drive Finance, to provide Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services via its point-of-sale (POS) machines, according to a press release. The collaboration aligns with Egypt’s Vision 2030 to create an integrated and sustainable digital economy, reflecting Fawry’s strategy to boost digital…
he Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) has announced the onboarding of Thndr, founded in Egypt, as its first remote retail trading member. The move allows Thndr’s more than four million users to buy and sell UAE-listed stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) without needing a physical presence in the country. Thndr, launched in 2020, is regulated by…
Dubai fintech Alaan has secured $48 million to support its expansion plans in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The Series A funding round drew investments from Peak XV Partners, formerly Sequoia Capital India & SEA, and other international and regional investors. Alaan enables businesses to manage their finances. Its services include issuing corporate cards,…
Fintech Galaxy, a regional central bank-regulated Open Finance platform, announces the onboarding of over 10 Egyptian fintechs. The open APIs provided by Fintech Galaxy’s FINX platform will foster a host of innovative use cases for the onboarded fintech companies. The integration will enable FinTechs to offer services such as flexible buy-now-pay-later schemes, personalized, AI-driven financial…
Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), Qatar’s leading digital bank, has signed a business partnership with PayLater, a Qatari fintech company specialising in Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) solutions. This partnership introduces, for the first time, a Shariah-compliant BNPL solution by a Qatari fintech, enabling customers to make purchases through flexible instalment plans, promoting financial inclusion and…
The Qatar Central Bank (QCB) has granted Express Sandbox entry approval to Paywise LLC (Dibsy), which offers Open Banking-powered payment initiation services. This move aligns with Qatar’s Third Financial Sector Strategy and its broader FinTech strategy, underscoring the QCB’s commitment to developing and regulating the nation’s burgeoning FinTech ecosystem. The approval highlights the QCB’s dedication…
