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CIBC, Itaú Unibanco, National Australia Bank and NatWest Group announce winners of Global Open Finance Challenge
– Today CIBC, Itaú Unibanco, National Australia Bank and NatWest Group announced the winners of the Global Open Finance Challenge, which invited teams of innovators from around the world to prototype and present ground-breaking ideas to help customers and the public at large access banking services in new and exciting ways. The Challenge was hosted by the four banks in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS).
In total, 91 teams from 19 countries competed in the Challenge, with four teams ultimately selected as winners by the four banks’ CEOs and three industry leaders.
Each of the winning teams will now have the opportunity to explore working with one or more of the banks to turn their innovative idea into a proof of concept.
The winning teams
The overall winner of the Global Open Finance Challenge is:
- ValAi, Australia
- ValAi developed Greenhouse, an automated sustainability rating tool and marketplace that provides customers tailored insights for their home, and fills the knowledge gap for homeowners and financial institutions on the impact of a sustainability rating on the value of the asset.
The winners of each Challenge theme are:
- 9th Gear Technologies, USA– ‘Most innovative customer experience for businesses and corporates’
- 9th Gear Technologies developed a blockchain-powered business-to-business foreign exchange (FX) platform that allows for real-time FX settlement using tokens which represent pre-funded currency values, expediting the current process for clients.
- NoFrontiers, Brazil – ‘Most innovative and convenient channel for accessing banking services’
- NoFrontiers developed FinPass, a newcomer/immigrant onboarding and credit solution, connected to a global network of banks, making it easier for newcomers/immigrants to access credit and establish themselves in new countries.
- Banyan, USA – ‘Most innovative solution in support of climate and sustainability’
- Banyan developed a loan and risk management platform which digitizes the loan lifecycle for renewable energy projects, to enable financial institutions to fund an increased number of green infrastructure projects.
“Founded in late 2019, ValAi is a female founder-led startup with backgrounds in sustainability, property valuation and tech. Our novel product, Greenhouse, puts people at the heart of the global transition to net zero and challenges the finance sector to influence and guide the next phase of our community’s transformational change,” said Allys Todd, Founder, ValAi. “Our company vision is creating a zero-carbon, nature-positive global economy, in which finance fuels the energy transition, a healthy planet and green jobs.”
The four winners were amongst the top teams selected to present their ideas to a judging panel featuring the CEOs of the four banks, plus executives from private equity, venture capital, and technology organizations:
- Victor Dodig, President and CEO, CIBC
- Milton Maluhy Filho, CEO, Itaú Unibanco
- Ross McEwan, Group CEO, National Australia Bank
- Alison Rose, CEO, NatWest Group
- Werner Vogels, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Amazon.com, Inc.
- Rob Heyvaert, Managing Partner, Motive Partners
- Rick Yang, General Partner and Head of Consumer, New Enterprise Associates
“We’re thrilled that so many innovators from around the world took part in the Global Open Finance Challenge, presenting new ideas and solutions to advance and reshape our financial ecosystem,” said Victor G. Dodig, CIBC President and Chief Executive Officer. “Global collaboration offers immense opportunity to generate and harness ideas that can create more value for clients, which benefits all stakeholders as we shape the future of banking.”
“AWS has been a champion of startups from day one and we continue to work hard to support a global community of builders who can transform ideas. It was an exciting journey working with the teams in the Global Open Finance Challenge as they built and tested technology solutions to better serve banking customers in the rapidly evolving digital economy,” said Werner Vogels, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Amazon.com, Inc. “Times of change offer opportunities to experiment and innovate, and the impressive fintechs that took part in the Challenge embraced the resources and expert advice it provided to hone their ideas and jumpstart new technology solutions.”
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This Week in Finance News: 11 Stories You Need to See
With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help finance journalists and consumers stay on top of the week’s most newsworthy and popular releases, here’s a recap of some major stories from the week that shouldn’t be missed.
The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.
- Prosperity or catastrophe: #Insurance2040 study reveals four possible futures for the industry
By 2040, technological innovation driven by customer centricity could pave the way to greater climate resilience and more personalized offerings by the insurance industry. Alternatively, insurance could become a luxury afforded only to the wealthiest few. - Cardinal Health announces two strategic additions to its portfolio
Cardinal Health will acquire a majority stake in GI Alliance (GIA), the country’s leading gastroenterology (GI) management services organization (MSO), from a combination of GIA physician owners and funds managed by affiliates of Apollo. Cardinal Health will also acquire the Advanced Diabetes Supply Group (ADSG), one of the country’s leading diabetic medical supplies providers, for approximately $1.1 billion in cash. - BlackRock Launches New BUIDL Share Classes Across Multiple Blockchains to Expand Access and Potential of BUIDL Ecosystem
This initiative represents the next step in the evolution of the tokenization market, by enabling BUIDL to be used within leading blockchain-based financial products and infrastructure across ecosystems. - Primo Brands Corporation Announces Successful Completion of Merger of Primo Water and BlueTriton Brands
“I believe Primo Brands is positioned to be a leader in the healthy hydration beverage category, thanks to the strength of its iconic, sustainably-sourced brands, its robust operations and extensive North American network, and its responsible operation of numerous springs across the country,” said Dean Metropoulos, Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Primo Brands. - Jackson Hewitt Tax Services Expands Workforce, Offering Job Opportunities Nationwide for Upcoming Tax Filing Season
The week-long event will launch the combined hiring of 18,000 employees to prepare for the upcoming tax filing season. The Jackson Hewitt hiring events are open to the public and include on-site interviews. Qualified candidates could receive a job offer immediately. - PNC Bank to Double Planned Branch Openings to More Than 200 Across Six States This announcement brings the bank’s total investment to approximately $1.5 billion to open more than 200 new branch locations in 12 cities across the U.S. over the next five years, while completing the renovations of 1,400 existing branches during the same time period.
- Alchemy Pay Expands Virtual Card Functionality with Google Pay Support The new card BINs added will significantly enhance the capabilities of crypto cards, expanding their support for a broader range of payment scenarios and improving transaction success rates. This advancement is particularly impactful when paired with Google Pay, one of the most popular and widely used digital payment platforms, trusted by millions for its convenience and security.
- Finaya Unveils Nationwide Homeownership Platform
From providing rich and current information about home values and property conditions, to finding helpful repair and remodeling providers, to shopping for and securing the right insurance, the platform simplifies the homeownership process, making it more accessible, convenient and efficient. - GenAI predicted to inspire revenue growth in 76% of businesses, but only 4% qualify as “leaders” in AI and analytics
Kearney’s report confirms that businesses are not only aware of how big data, AI, and analytics will impact revenue generation and enhance business strategies, but they are investing to stay ahead of the curve, too. - GameAbove Sports Acquires Meaningful Ownership Stake in Brisbane Bullets with NBA Legend George Gervin as Part of Ownership Team
This move marks a significant milestone for GameAbove Sports, a CapStone Holdings Inc. company, as it expands its influence on international basketball ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympics. - Most US shoppers are encountering generative AI while shopping without realizing it
A survey of 700 online shoppers in the US shows 71% are unaware of having used generative AI while shopping online even though most had recently shopped at retailers currently using it. 41% of customers say they would feel comfortable using a generative AI tool from a brand they trust.
For more news like this, check out all of the latest finance-related releases from PR Newswire.
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