The Ultimate Guide to Fintech
A curated Kiwi edition of TechDay news, analysis, interviews, reviews, job moves, and related resources for Fintech.
What to know about Fintech
Fintech, short for financial technology, represents a dynamic sector where innovation meets finance to revolutionize how individuals and businesses manage money. This tag aggregates stories that cover the broad spectrum of fintech developments ranging from payment solutions and banking technology to AI-driven financial services and cybersecurity.
Readers exploring this tag will find insights on groundbreaking startups expanding across regions, significant funding rounds propelling growth, the rise of embedded finance, and the ongoing challenges of regulatory compliance and cybersecurity in financial services. The stories also spotlight the evolving influence of women leaders and inclusivity efforts within the fintech landscape.
Whether it's about the latest in digital payments, collaboration between traditional banks and fintech firms, advances in AI for financial operations, or regional fintech ecosystems gaining momentum, this collection offers valuable knowledge for anyone interested in the current and future impact of technology on finance.
Kiwi Fintech News
Regional stories with direct local relevance
Xero wins Canstar small business award for eighth year
Customer backing for Xero's software stayed strong as it secured Canstar's 2026 small business accounting award in New Zealand for an eighth year.
Revolut appoints first New Zealand chief executive
The move signals a deeper push in New Zealand, where Revolut plans to invest NZD $120 million and add 90 jobs by 2027.
Feijoa users add NZD $4.5m to KiwiSaver through round-ups
Round-up saving has pushed more than 7,000 users towards retirement balances, with self-employed New Zealanders making up about a third of Feijoa's base.
Hatch warns customers of DriveWealth data exposure
Customer contact details and portfolio data were exposed in a breach at Hatch's US broker partner, though no holdings or transactions were affected.
Westpac approved to issue digital IDs
Business customers will soon be able to share bank details with fewer fraud risks, after the bank became the first in New Zealand cleared to issue digital IDs.
Westpac first New Zealand bank to issue digital ID
Business customers can now verify bank account details faster and with less fraud risk as digital credentials debut through Govt.nz's app wallet.
Analyst Insights
Research and market analysis connected to Fintech
MongoDB launches Atlas Agent Engine for production AI
Plumery launches rescue plan for digital banking exits
CFOs urged to take disciplined approach to AI spend
Google named Gartner leader in enterprise AI assistants
Ripple Treasury expands GSmart AI for finance teams
Featured News
Celonis banking head: Banks want proof before scaling agents
Celonis argues frontier AI models are too generic for regulated banking, urging firms to weigh cost, risk and process gains before scaling deployments.
SAS Innovate: New era of scams requires novel solutions
Australians are losing billions as AI-driven fraud pushes banks, telcos and platforms to share scam data faster and stop payments earlier.
Archaic payment processes costing SMEs time and money
Australian SMEs are missing working capital gains as manual invoicing and EFTs leave payments slower and less secure.
Expert Columns
B2B E-commerce Is Going Digital. Are APAC Businesses Ready?
Westpac approved to issue digital IDs
An open letter to the next gen of accountants and bookkeepers
From wallets to accounts: The quiet convergence of crypto and everyday finance
The KYC blind spot hiding in your email validation stack
6 Industries that need address verification
The importance of data enrichment in financial services
ACT promises tax-free crypto gains after a year
Fragmented payment systems are costing your business
Why Customer Due Diligence (CDD) Starts With Clean Data
Interviews
Interviews and video coverage from the network
Recent Fintech News
Mobilise launches telecom software for non-telco brands
The launch gives travel and fintech brands a faster route into mobile services, with software that avoids building telecom systems from scratch.
APAC institutions eye mainstream digital asset use
APAC institutions are ahead of global peers in preparing for tokenised assets, with many expecting mainstream adoption within five years.
Comparables.ai raises USD $6 million in seed funding
The Helsinki-based firm plans to expand into multiple markets after the seed round, which backs its AI platform used by more than 50,000 professionals.
Wise adds eSIM data plans & QR payments for travellers
Travellers can now buy mobile data and scan local payment codes in Wise's app, as the firm expands its push into trip spending.
Hyperlayer joins Asia Pacific fintech lab as finalist
The Hong Kong firm will gain access to major banks and insurers as it seeks customers wary of costly core-system overhauls.
ANZ pilots live tokenised deposit payment with Swift
The live test could help multinationals move dollar liquidity between banks more quickly, while keeping existing treasury processes unchanged.
Ebury backs Novva's AI power build-out across markets
Cross-border payments and currency hedging will help Novva finance renewable power assets for AI projects across Asia-Pacific and Latin America.
Walapay raises USD $4.6 million seed funding round
The fresh capital will fund licensing, banking ties and hiring as the payments platform expands direct links across Latin America, Africa and Asia.
Financial services top mobile verification activity
Financial firms accounted for 41.6% of verified mobile activity in the first half of 2026, as numbers became central to banking and account recovery.
MongoDB launches Atlas Agent Engine for AI production
Enterprises struggling to move AI pilots into live systems now have a single layer for memory, governance and execution across models and clouds.
Moca Chain launches mainnet for digital identity & AI
It aims to cut repeated verification checks and let businesses trust AI agents without collecting the same personal documents from users each time.
HSBC launches HSBCnio for corporate clients in Asia
Corporate treasurers in Asia can now access cash, payments and lending data inside their own workflows as HSBC rolls out HSBCnio across multiple markets.
Asia Pacific leads the world in wealth AI adoption
Firms in the region are moving beyond pilots, with 84% expecting AI to redefine roles and operations across their businesses.
V2 AI wins AWS agentic AI competency in Asia Pacific
The accreditation could help regulated firms in Asia Pacific choose a partner for deploying agentic AI on AWS with stronger governance and security.
Stripe agrees to buy Parafin in embedded credit push
The acquisition broadens Stripe's financial services offering as demand for platform-based lending grows and small firms struggle to secure bank credit.
Mastercard launches SME report as firms prioritise stability
New research shows 68% of SMEs now value stability over rapid expansion, prompting Mastercard to add business tools and cyber support.
Mambu & Mastercard team up on cross-border payments
Banks could add faster, more transparent overseas transfers to digital apps without costly from-scratch integrations under the tie-up.
Terrabank partners TerraPay & Mozrt on global payments
Customers will gain faster, lower-cost cross-border transfers as Terrabank taps TerraPay's network of bank accounts and digital wallets.
Capitolis buys eSecLending in USD $200 million deal
The all-cash purchase broadens Capitolis's reach into securities lending, adding clients including pension funds, insurers and asset managers.
SAS wins 12 Chartis RiskTech100 awards in 2027 rankings
Banks and insurers are leaning on integrated risk tools as SAS extends its Top 10 run to 22 years and ranks third overall.
Job Moves
Revolut appoints first New Zealand chief executive
iGoDirect names Greg Duncan to lead New Zealand push
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Tax Traders appoints Chloe Kyrke-Smith as Head of Product
Payments NZ appoints Michael Ahie as Chair of Board
Airwallex names Sir Bill English chair of New Zealand board
moomoo boosts New Zealand push with hires, premium tier
Locate Technologies appoints Janine Grainger as Bitcoin drive begins
Di Papadopoulos appointed as CEO of Booster from 2025
Ecosystm expands Auckland team with two new appointments
