News

Investments
Germany’s Robin Capital Raises $13.6 Million for B2B SaaS Investments
December 20, 2024

Germany-based venture capital fund Robin Capital closed its Robin Fund One at 13 million euros (about $13.6 million). “Robin Fund One is closed,” Robin Haak, Robin Capital founder and managing partner, said in a Friday (Dec. 20) post on LinkedIn. “Robin Capital is here to...

Retail
British Retail Sales Dampened by Consumers Waiting for Bargains
December 20, 2024

While retail sales in Great Britain rose in November, analysts said the results were dampened by consumers waiting for bargains. Retail sales rose by 0.2% in November, marking the first increase since August, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a Friday (Dec. 20) press release....

Artificial Intelligence
This Week in AI: Security Flaw Exposes AI Giants While Robot Workers Get Upgrade
December 20, 2024

This week in AI, security researchers stole artificial intelligence models with near-perfect accuracy by capturing electromagnetic signals, as MIT unveiled a robot system that can handle odd-shaped warehouse packages with 80% success. Meanwhile, three nations launched AI regulations, and Google released its more autonomous Gemini...

Cross-border Payments
How ISO Standards Could Reshape Cross-Border Payments
December 20, 2024

Since the inception of global trade, the world’s financial systems have largely talked past and around each other. The reason? Diverse payment systems and communication protocols across countries and financial institutions have led to fragmentation and a lack of standardization across the world’s economies and...

B2B Payments
The Payments Problem Small Businesses Don’t Know They Have
December 20, 2024

The circle of trust and the issues around risk management explored in PYMNTS’ recent “What’s Next in Payments” articles are often heavy on future technology. They may bring to mind a consumer logging into a bank app, sending a P2P payment or transacting with a...

Fintech Investments
Tough Week for FinTech IPO Index as Rally Fades to 6.1% Loss
December 20, 2024

It was a tough week for the FinTech IPO index, with last week’s rally fading in the face of some year-end trades and news events. Every company, except OppFi, was down, leading the index to drop a shade over 6% for the week. Among the...

eCommerce
New Data: eCommerce Merchants See Big Gains by Embracing Digital Wallets and BNPL
December 20, 2024

Credit and debit cards still dominate the eCommerce arena, yet alternative payment methods such as digital wallets and buy now, pay later (BNPL) plans have gained popularity as online payment options. Key reasons why include the ease and convenience they provide. As a result, most...

Investments
Justt Raises $30 Million for AI-Powered Chargeback Management Platform
December 19, 2024

Chargeback management firm Justt raised $30 million to bolster its artificial intelligence-powered platform. The Series C round brings Justt’s total funding to $100 million and will allow it to expand into high-growth regions as it aims to reach profitability by 2027, according to a Thursday...

CFPB
CFPB On Alert for ‘New Sketchy Fee Tactics’ From Companies
December 19, 2024

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is monitoring the consumer financial marketplace to spot companies’ attempts to charge junk fees in new ways after the regulator cracked down on older methods. “As companies are stopped from charging many of these fees, people are facing new risks...