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PRESS RELEASES
Episode Six to open Tokyo office, hires industry veteran Oko Okamoto as Japan general manager
Posted on by Cody Miles

TOKYO – July 19, 2017 – Next generation payments software technology provider, Episode Six (www.EpisodeSix.com), today announced it is opening an office in Tokyo to meet the growing demand for fintech solutions in Japan and the Asian region. Additionally, the Company announced that payments and finance industry veteran, Oko Okamoto, has joined the Company to oversee Episode Six’s new Tokyo office as General Manager of Episode Six Japan. Read More

SBI Investment Co., Ltd. announces Investment into Episode Six through its FinTech Fund
Posted on by Cody Miles

SBI Investment Co., Ltd. (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Katsuya Kawashima; hereinafter “SBI Investment”), is a subsidiary of SBI Holdings, Inc. (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Yoshitaka Kitao), which conducts investments and management of venture capital funds. SBI Investment hereby announces that it has invested in Episode Six Limited (hereinafter “Episode Six”) through the FinTech Fund. Read More

IN THE NEWS
Fintech Deals And Dollars Sweep Through Africa
Posted on by Wayne Baylor

Nothing can stop the growth of African fintech—or so it appears. Investment in African startups quadrupled from 2017 to 2018, to tally $725 million across more than 50 deals. Fintech companies accounted for 93 of those deals, including half of the top 10 deals, and 40% of the total funding generated last year. Read the full story on Global Finance.

In faster payments, technology sprints ahead of demand
Posted on by Wayne Baylor

The reasons for banks to not embrace faster payments schemes are quickly dwindling. But many are still watching from the sidelines. Various government initiatives in regions such as Australia, Hong Kong and the U.K. have acted as catalysts for creating faster payments rails. Similarly, policies like the EU’s PSD2 incorporate open banking and provide third-party developers equal footing in developing financial technology. Read the full story on PaymentsSource.

Generation Z’s taste for digital payments makes open banking vital
Posted on by Wayne Baylor

Generation Z, whose older members are already entering the workforce, is using digital technology more than any other age group — including millennials. Gen Z’s preferred digital technologies include P2P and B2C digital payments, as opposed to more traditional payment methods. And further, one-third of the Gen Z consumers polled in the survey have never even used a paper check. This group sends and receives money digitally, uses digital apps to manage their budgets and financial accounts, and rarely steps foot inside a brick-and-mortar branch. Read the full story on PaymentsSource.

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INSIGHTS
Innovation in commercial banking: what’s the status?
Posted on by Wayne Baylor

Over the past decade, the banking industry has made great strides when it comes to providing customers with better digital experiences – thanks in part to the rise of innovations like cloud computing and APIs. Increased competition from startup fintechs has also motivated banks to offer a broader range of digital products and services. Read More

The Future of Real-Time Payments
Posted on by Cody Miles

Real-time payments (RTPs) have long been a dream for consumers and the financial industry alike, but so far have yet to become ubiquitous. In the U.S., the legacy systems used to run banks – and the rails on which payments are moved – simply weren’t built to handle RTPs. Read More

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