Cicada, a US-regulated electronic trading platform connecting institutional capital to Latin American local-currency markets, has raised $13.5m in a Series A funding round. The round was led by Citi, with participation from Brazilian stock exchange B3 through its independent venture capital arm L4, alongside Kaszek, Dila, and Crestone. The financing also includes a parallel strategic equity programme designed to anchor...

The Financial Conduct Authority has unveiled plans to tighten information-sharing rules among lenders in a move designed to close gaps in consumers’ credit files and improve access to affordable borrowing. The regulator announced it is consulting on proposals that would require lenders to share borrowers’ credit data with all designated consumer credit reference agencies (CRAs) if they choose to report...

Astelia, a cybersecurity platform founded by former leaders of Israel’s National Red Team, has raised fresh capital as enterprises grapple with a surge in AI-driven cyber threats and mounting vulnerability backlogs. The company has secured $35m in combined seed and Series A funding. The round was led by Index Ventures and Team8, with participation from Holly Ventures. Astelia said it...

The pace of enterprise work is outstripping the capacity of traditional legal and compliance functions to keep up. As AI adoption accelerates across organisations, content is being created faster, decisions are being made earlier, and the conventional model of governance — in which legal and compliance teams review work after the fact — is struggling to remain viable. The...

Allica Bank, a UK-based digital bank focused on serving established small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), has secured fresh capital of $155m.  The company has raised $155m in a Series D funding round led by Ventura Capital, with participation from GLG, Sona AM and existing backers TCV and Blue Owl. The majority of the funding has been structured as common equity,...

After years of digital transformation initiatives, 2026 is shaping up to be less about technological experimentation and more about behavioural reality. Across insurance markets globally, customer expectations are evolving at pace, reshaped by mobile-first lifestyles, instant digital services and growing intolerance for friction. For insurers, MGAs and InsurTechs, the challenge is no longer simply adopting new tools. It is responding...

Zeidler Group has shed light on the European Commission's Market Integration Legislative proposal, published on 4 December 2025, which takes direct aim at the structural fragmentation that has long undermined the EU's single market for investment funds. The RegTech company recently delved into the EU's Market Integration Legislative proposal and what it means. As Zeidler Group explains, the proposal restructures the...

New data from SmartSearch has revealed that more than half of identity verification checks are still carried out manually, even as the Financial Ombudsman Service reports a sharp rise in online investment and employment scams. The Financial Ombudsman Service has warned of a surge in complaints linked to online scams, with 31,300 complaints recorded in 2025. Of those, 20,000 involved...

Germany is overhauling its state-subsidised retirement savings framework, and financial institutions have a firm deadline to prepare for. The federal government approved a pension reform law in late 2025, with parliamentary proceedings underway in 2026. If passed — which appears near-certain — the legislation will bring the Altersvorsorgedepot (AVD), or retirement provision depot, into force from 1 January 2027....

When a trade is executed on an exchange or trading venue, the work is far from over. Post-trade settlement is the series of processes that follow execution to ensure securities and funds are correctly exchanged between buyer and seller. It encompasses trade confirmation, clearing, and final settlement — all carried out through market infrastructure including securities clearing corporations, custodian banks,...