There’s more funding for Berlin’s fintech scene as iZettle and SumUp challenger payleven scoops up USD10m in Series D funding for its mobile payments business. The backing comes from new investor, Paris-based Seventure Partners, plus return investors Munich’s Holtzbrinck Ventures, ru-Net in Riga, B Cinque, New Enterprise Associates and MePay.
Momentum continues to build in the blockchain space with news that Blockstream just secured $55m in fresh funding to help accelerate the deployment and exploration of blockchain and bitcoin technology across different industries.
CVC Capital Partners' investment fund, CVC Growth Fund, will provide an $80 million growth equity investment to Kount, a provider of online and mobile fraud detection and prevention solutions.
It has been a good year for Blockchain technology companies, they have seen more investment and more interest from financial institutions, and according to investment bank Magister Advisors, that positive run is set to continue as it predicts investment in the technology to exceed $1 billion by 2017.
BBVA, Spain's second-largest bank, has invested £45m in Atom Bank, UK's first digital-only financial institution, to become the Durham-based lender's biggest shareholder.
Blockchain technology has in recent times been attracting a significant amount of interest from large financial institutions and venture capitalist firms, as Blockchain payments company Align Commerce secures a $12.5m Series A funding round.
Square is seeking an IPO price of $3.9 billion, down from last year's $6 billion valuation, showing the market is becoming more cynical about unicorn tech startups.
The Amazon rival raised $500m in a round led by Fidelity Investments, meaning the company will now be valued at $1.5 billion.
The bitcoin payments startup Abra has revealed that American Express's venture branch, American Express Ventures, was one of the investors that recently participated in its $12m Series A funding round.
The US-based startup, which is currently planning to globally ship its Smart Terminal, has raised $28m in Series B funding led by Oak HC/FT.
