Andreessen Horowitz announced that they have just raised $7.2B for the following venture strategies: American Dynamism ($600M), Apps ($1B), Games ($600M), Infrastructure ($1.25B), and Growth ($3.75B). When Ben Horrowitz and Marc Andreessen started the firm in 2009, the conventional wisdom in Venture Capital was that in any given year, only 15 companies would ever generate $100M in revenue and those 15 companies would drive almost all of VC returns. At that time, the conventional wisdom was right. Venture Capital firms configured themselves to address a market of 15 important companies. This me ..read more

Over the past decade, the fintech landscape has undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving from a niche trend to a dominant force in the global financial sector. According to data from Statista, the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region boasted over 10,000 fintech companies in 2024, trailing behind only the Americas with 13,100 ventures. Number of fintechs worldwide from 2018 to 2024, by region, Source: Statista, Jan 2024 This massive ecosystem is rising on the back of soaring fintech adoption and usage. Online banking penetration rates exceeded 90% in four European nations in 2 ..read more

The fintech sector in Switzerland has experienced significant growth in recent years, maintaining its appeal as a hub for financial innovation. With over 400 active participants in Switzerland’s fintech ecosystem, the landscape is dynamic and diverse, boasting both emerging startups and established enterprises offering digital payment services, automated financial advice, digital asset trading, and more. Swiss law firm Lenz and Staehelin released on March 21 2024 an extensive guide on the regulatory landscape for fintech activities, highlighting the main laws and requirements companies providi ..read more

Der Schweizer Banken-Challenger neon setzt das Wachstum ungebremst fort und zählt gemäss eigenen Angaben nun 200’000 Konto-Nutzer:innen. Gleichzeitig lanciert neon das erste rein App-basierte Schweizer Gemeinschaftskonto. Kontinuierliches Wachstum auf Augenhöhe mit Grossbanken Julius Kirscheneder «Wir freuen uns, dass das Wachstum der letzten Jahre weiter geht», sagt Julius Kirscheneder, Gründer und CMO des Zürcher Fintech-Unternehmens neon. «Wir konnten im letzten Jahr wieder deutlich mehr als 50’000 neue Konten eröffnen. Ein Wachstum, mit dem auch einzelne Grossbanken in der Schweiz für ..read more

Switzerland’s payment app continues to promote digital shopping innovations and is integrating loyalty cards such as Coop Supercard and Migros Cumulus directly into the payment process. TWINT has grown to become one of the preferred payment methods and one of the most popular brands in Switzerland thanks to its digital simplification of everyday life. By allowing its users to save loyalty cards directly in the app, TWINT is now making the payment process at in-store cash registers even easier. Users can now save a variety of loyalty cards from popular Swiss merchants in every version of the TW ..read more

Lakestar announced the recent closing of their latest funds, Lakestar Early IV and Lakestar Growth II, for around $600 million to inject new capital into the next generation of European startups, bringing Lakestar’s assets under management to €2bn. Lakestar invests in disruptive businesses enabled by technology and founded by exceptional entrepreneurs in Europe and beyond, through dedicated early-stage and growth funds. Both new funds will focus their investments across geographies, with a focus on Europe in sectors such as AI, digitalisation, deep tech, healthcare, and fintech. The funds are ..read more

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) has introduced new and sophisticated tools for threat actors to scam and defraud individuals. One particular concern is the emergence of deepfake technology, which allows for the creation of fake videos, images and audio to impersonate people. This technology has become increasingly popular over the past couple of years, fueled by growing accessibility. New research by Kaspersky reveals how readily available deepfake tools have become on darknet marketplaces, with prices for creating fake videos starting as low as US$300 per mi ..read more

Paris based Pigment announced a $145 million series D funding round, led by ICONIQ Growth. Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners, as well as several other existing investors including IVP, Meritech, Greenoaks and Felix Capital have also participated in the round. Pigment was started with one problem in mind: to simplify and inform how business teams plan and make decisions in an increasingly complex environment. Complexity kills efficiency, and it’s everywhere in modern business: constantly shifting macro-conditions that add uncertainty to decision making, disjointed tech solu ..read more

N26 announced the launch of Joint Accounts in 21 new markets. Joint Accounts allow N26 customers to manage both their personal finances as well as finances shared with a partner – all in the N26 app, and at no extra cost. This reduces complexity and makes it easier than ever to budget, track expenses, and achieve financial goals together. The new feature will now be available to customers in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzer ..read more

The >>venture>> startup competition is a cornerstone event for supporting emerging startups in Switzerland, emphasising the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship. Introduced to the competition in 2019, the Finance & Insurance category reflects >>venture>>’s commitment to broadening its impact and supporting new ideas in various sectors. Positioned as the premier platform in Switzerland for showcasing and developing groundbreaking business ideas and plans, >>venture>> plays a crucial role in empowering young entrepreneurs to transform their vision ..read more