{"id":54874,"date":"2025-01-22T11:26:36","date_gmt":"2025-01-22T11:26:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/codeandpepper.com\/?p=54874"},"modified":"2025-01-22T11:26:38","modified_gmt":"2025-01-22T11:26:38","slug":"fintech-wire-episode-69","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/codeandpepper.com\/fintech-wire-episode-69\/","title":{"rendered":"FinTech Wire: Episode #69 \u2013 Non-Mainstream News, January 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We have a New Year, and we’re sure it will be big for FinTech, HealthTech, and InsurTech companies worldwide. Welcome to FinTech Wire #69, a monthly summary of niche developments within the VC, Finance, Health, and Insurance Technologies. The year is starting-off big.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Moody\u2019s to Acquire Geospatial AI Property Intelligence Leader CAPE Analytics<\/h2>\n
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Major players are taking over the AI Property Intelligence Market. <\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Moody’s Corporation<\/a><\/strong>, announces acquisition of the InsurTech Cape Analytics, <\/a><\/strong>strengthening its position in insurance risk modeling with AI-powered geospatial intelligence.<\/p>\n

Once niche, property intelligence providers thrived by offering specialized data such as building attributes, roof conditions, and environmental risks to insurers, enabling better underwriting decisions.<\/p>\n

All started to change in the past couple of years. Thoma Bravo acquired Nearmap, who later purchased CAPE Analytics’ competitors; Betterview and Tensorflight. Previous moves by larger players included Guidewire acquiring HazardHub (2021), Verisk acquring numerous companies specializing in areas like property information.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n \n<\/svg>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n

Robin Capital, owned by Robin Haak, Wraps \u20ac15M Fund<\/h2>\n
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The bulk of it (\u20ac13M) is for his main investments, plus he’s got a \u20ac2M side pocket for follow-on rounds.<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Robin Capital<\/a><\/strong>, owned by Robin Haak just wrapped up raising their first fund in Germany – a \u20ac15M pot. The bulk of it (\u20ac13M) is for his main investments, plus he’s got a \u20ac2M side pocket for follow-on rounds.<\/p>\n

He’s zeroing in on B2B software companies in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (DACH), particularly those selling to mid-sized and large businesses. They need to be super early – think pre-seed and seed stage startups.<\/p>\n

This is Haak’s solo venture, building on his 15 years of founding companies and investing. He kicked off Robin Capital in late 2022. Pretty impressive for a first-time fund.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n \n<\/svg>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n

French Little John Lands \u20ac1.1M to Build AI-powered InsurTech<\/h2>\n
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Paris-based startup wants to make life easier for insurance brokers. <\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Little John<\/a><\/strong> just raised \u20ac1.1M, barely weeks after launching. They’re building AI tools to make life easier for insurance brokers.<\/p>\n

The money comes from an interesting mix – Febe Ventures, Vessoa PE, and digital insurer Leocare, plus some notable angels including Varsity’s Didier Valet and British investor Mark Ransford.<\/p>\n

Their first product hits the market in Spring 2025. The idea is simple – to help local brokers handle paperwork faster. Their AI reads client emails and docs, then automatically creates those tedious insurance presentations brokers waste hours on.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n \n<\/svg>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n

Berlin AI Startup Apheris Just Landed \u20ac20.1M in Series A<\/h2>\n
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Berlin AI startup Apheris raises \u20ac20.1M Series A to build secure data networks for life sciences companies.<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Apheris<\/a><\/strong> has been quietly solving a huge headache in pharma since 2019 – how to use AI on sensitive data without exposing it. They’ve built tech that lets companies train AI models while keeping their data locked down.<\/p>\n

Big names like Roche and J&J are already using it. Now they’ve landed \u20ac20.1M to scale up, with OTB Ventures and eCAPITAL backing them.<\/p>\n

Their CEO Robin R\u00f6hm puts it simply: they’re fixing AI’s biggest problem in life sciences – getting enough data to make it useful, while keeping everything secure.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n \n<\/svg>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n

The FinTech Times: UK Neobanks Overtake Traditional Banks in App Downloads for First Time<\/h2>\n
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UK neobanks just hit a major milestone – their apps are now getting downloaded more than traditional bank apps. <\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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The FinTech Times<\/a><\/strong> reports that for the first time ever, UK neobanks have overtaken traditional banks in app downloads, communicating a clear shift in how consumers prefer to manage their finances, according to a study by global software firm SplitMetrics.<\/p>\n

The data shows that UK neobanks now have an estimated 71.78 million Android users, edging out legacy banks, which stand at 71.58 million. The trend is reinforced by strong growth this year, with neobanks adding 18.6 million new users, significantly outpacing the 7.5 million gained by traditional banks.<\/p>\n

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Refute Secures \u20ac2.7 in Funding to Combat the Spread of Fake Commercial News<\/h2>\n
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London Startup aims to fight disinformation campaigns targeting commercial organisations.<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Refute<\/a><\/strong> just raised \u20ac2.7M to fight disinformation targeting businesses. The London-based startup, founded in 2024 by Tom Garnett and Vlad Galu, is tackling a growing problem: fake news campaigns fueled by geopolitical tension and generative AI.<\/p>\n

The funding comes from Playfair, Episode 1, and big names like Notion Capital and Amadeus Capital Partners. Notable angels include Charlie Songhurst, Carlos Espinal, and Alastair Paterson.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n \n<\/svg>\n<\/article>\n\n\n”\n>\n

Pixevia, a Tech Startup Based in Vilnius, Raises \u20ac340K Bridge Round<\/h2>\n
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Founded in 2011, the company has made a name for itself with innovative autonomous retail technology<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Pixevia<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is an AI-powered platform revolutionizing retail by eliminating the need for cash registers. It enhances the shopping experience for customers while helping store managers optimize operations, all through data gathered from existing security cameras.<\/p>\n

The \u20ac340K funding comes on the heels of a \u20ac1.5M raise in May 2024, which supported Pixevia\u2019s push into Europe and the US with autonomous store rollouts. Now, the company has its sights set on new markets, including Taiwan, Belgium, Italy, and Poland.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n \n<\/svg>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n

Miami’s Leap Financial Scores $3.5M to Help Immigrants Send Cash Home<\/h2>\n
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Think of it as a payment tech sandwich – they’ve built tools that any business can slice into their own services.<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Leap Financial<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0 just landed $3.5 million in seed funding. Fuel Venture Capital and Ascendo Venture Capital led the round, betting big on Leap’s vision to shake up cross-border payments.<\/p>\n

Since 2018, the company have been on a mission to make money movement smoother, especially for immigrants sending cash to their families. They’ve even\u00a0got an AI buddy named Lola helping newcomers to the US figure out the financial maze. Pretty smart move, considering how overwhelming money matters can be in a new country. In Miami’s growing tech scene, this deal’s making some noise. For a city positioning itself as a bridge between US and Latin American markets, Leap’s focus on cross-border payments hits all the right notes.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n \n<\/svg>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n

EKORE Makes History with \u20ac1.3M Digital Twin Funding<\/h2>\n
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Digital Twins are virtual copies of real-world systems that let you test and tweak without seeing or touching the actual thing.<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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EKORE<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>has landed \u20ac1.3 million in seed funding, marking 2024\u2019s biggest digital twin investment in the country. But what\u2019s really turning heads isn\u2019t just the money \u2013 it\u2019s what they\u2019re doing with buildings.
\nThink of EKORE as giving buildings a digital brain transplant.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re creating virtual copies of real estate that do way more than just sit there looking pretty. These digital twins are working overtime, crunching numbers and spotting patterns that human managers might miss.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s where it gets interesting: EKORE\u2019s platform is bringing together 3D building models (BIM) and real-time data in the cloud. It\u2019s like having a building\u2019s entire nervous system at your fingertips. The AI algorithms take all this data and turn it into something useful \u2013 cutting energy bills, catching problems before they happen, and shrinking carbon footprints.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n \n<\/svg>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n

Don’t Miss the Next Update<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Follow us on LinkedIn<\/strong><\/a>, X<\/strong><\/a>, and Facebook<\/strong><\/a> for fresh perspectives and emerging trends from the FinTech world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Contact us to connect with the top 1.6% of FinTech engineering talents.<\/b><\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n \n

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\n Maxi Wandel <\/div>\n
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