Octane's $6.75M Boost, Hawk's $56M Expansion, and Finloop's Hong Kong Recognition - Finance AI Weekly #10
April 14, 2025 -
Finance AI Weekly
Hi there,
Welcome to this week's edition of Finance AI Weekly.
In recent developments, Octane, an AI cybersecurity startup, has successfully raised $6.75 million in Seed funding to bolster blockchain security through machine learning. This funding round was led by Archetype and Winklevoss Capital. Meanwhile, PZU has partnered with SAS to create an AI governance framework aimed at improving customer protection and regulatory compliance in the insurance sector.
Additionally, Hawk, a German regtech firm, has secured $56 million in a Series C funding round to expand its AI-driven anti-money laundering and fraud prevention technology into the US market. In another significant move, Finloop Finance Technology Holding Limited has been recognized as a strategic enterprise by the Government of Hong Kong's OASES, marking a pivotal step in Fosun's fintech strategy.
Welcome to this week's edition of Finance AI Weekly.
In recent developments, Octane, an AI cybersecurity startup, has successfully raised $6.75 million in Seed funding to bolster blockchain security through machine learning. This funding round was led by Archetype and Winklevoss Capital. Meanwhile, PZU has partnered with SAS to create an AI governance framework aimed at improving customer protection and regulatory compliance in the insurance sector.
Additionally, Hawk, a German regtech firm, has secured $56 million in a Series C funding round to expand its AI-driven anti-money laundering and fraud prevention technology into the US market. In another significant move, Finloop Finance Technology Holding Limited has been recognized as a strategic enterprise by the Government of Hong Kong's OASES, marking a pivotal step in Fosun's fintech strategy.
Octane Raises $6.75M for AI Cybersecurity in Cryptocurrency
Octane has secured $6.75 million in Seed funding to develop AI-powered solutions aimed at improving blockchain security by identifying and fixing vulnerabilities in smart contracts. Read more
PZU and SAS Collaborate on AI Governance Framework
PZU has partnered with SAS to develop an AI governance framework aimed at enhancing customer protection, regulatory compliance, and ethical AI use in the insurance sector. Read more
Hawk Secures $56M for AI Fraud Prevention
The German regtech company Hawk has raised $56 million in Series C funding to expand its AI-driven anti-money laundering and fraud prevention solutions into the US market. Read more
Finloop Recognized as Strategic Enterprise by Hong Kong
On April 9, 2025, Finloop Finance Technology Holding Limited was acknowledged as a strategic enterprise by the Government of Hong Kong, marking a key development in Fosun Wealth Holdings' fintech strategy. Read more
Metro Bank and Ask Silver Launch Scam Detection Tool
Metro Bank has partnered with AI startup Ask Silver to introduce a scam detection tool to combat fraud in the UK. Customers can upload suspicious communications for analysis and receive feedback via WhatsApp. Read more
UWM Partners with Google Cloud for AI-Driven Loan Processing
United Wholesale Mortgage has partnered with Google Cloud to integrate AI and cloud technology into its lending operations, aiming to double loan output and enhance productivity. Read more
Nettle Secures £1.45M to Tackle Risk Engineer Shortage
London-based AI startup Nettle has raised £1.45M in Pre-Seed funding to address the shortage of risk engineers in the insurance industry by automating risk assessments. Read more
Ease Capital and CRED iQ Launch AI Solution for Multifamily Underwriting
Ease Capital has partnered with CRED iQ to introduce an AI-driven solution aimed at enhancing the accuracy and speed of multifamily underwriting through advanced analytics and extensive datasets. Read more
Canapi Ventures Forms AI Council for Financial Services
Investment firm Canapi Ventures has launched a Generative AI Council to connect AI startups with financial institutions, aiming to promote responsible AI adoption. Read more
Lloyds Banking Group Partners with Google Cloud for AI Enhancement
Lloyds Banking Group has announced its transition to Google Cloud to boost its AI capabilities, including the development of a new machine learning platform with Vertex AI. Read more
Boosted.ai and Liontrust Collaborate on AI Investment Research
Boosted.ai has teamed up with Liontrust to incorporate advanced AI into portfolio management and research, aiming to enhance efficiency and insights in asset management. Read more
Bank for International Settlements Launches AI Toolkit for Financial Supervision
The Bank for International Settlements has introduced Project AISE, an AI-driven toolkit designed to enhance the efficiency of financial supervisors in managing regulatory tasks. Read more
Banca d'Italia Launches AI Project in Financial Sector
Banca d'Italia has initiated a project to explore AI use in Italian financial markets, supported by the European Commission and OECD. The project aims to assess AI opportunities and risks, with a report expected by spring 2026. Read more
Axyon AI Raises €4.3M for AI Financial Forecasting
Italian startup Axyon AI has secured €4.3M in funding led by CDP Venture Capital to advance its AI solutions for financial market forecasting and expand its market reach. Read more
Hong Kong Investment Corporation Partners with WeLab for AI Advancement
The Hong Kong Investment Corporation has partnered with fintech company WeLab to enhance AI use in the financial technology sector. WeLab also aims to secure a digital banking license in Thailand. Read more
SK Telecom Introduces AI Phishing Detection Service
SK Telecom has launched an AI-based service to combat voice phishing, already in use at Industrial Bank of Korea, preventing significant financial losses. Read more
CellPoint Digital and Checkout.com Partner for Travel Payment Optimization
On April 10, 2025, CellPoint Digital and Checkout.com announced a strategic partnership to enhance payment performance for travel merchants. The collaboration will integrate AI-driven payment optimization and global acquiring capabilities. Read more
Bank of England Warns of AI Risks to Financial Stability
The Bank of England has expressed concerns about the potential risks to financial stability as firms increasingly adopt advanced AI technologies in trading and investment activities. Read more
Wire Network Appoints Jaime Rogozinski as CSO
Jaime Rogozinski, founder of WallStreetBets, joins Wire Network as Chief Strategy Officer to lead initiatives connecting traditional finance with modern technology. Read more
TIFIN AG Partners with SteelPeak Wealth
On April 10, 2025, TIFIN AG announced a strategic partnership with SteelPeak Wealth to enhance wealth management solutions using AI-powered tools. Read more
Ominimo Receives Investment from Zurich Insurance Group
Polish AI insurtech startup Ominimo has secured its first external funding of €10 million from Zurich Insurance Group, valuing the company at $220 million. The company plans to expand its car insurance services into new markets. Read more
Aquila Clouds Appoints New CTO
Aquila Clouds has appointed Angelo Pruscino, known for creating Oracle RAC, as their new Chief Technology Officer. His role will focus on advancing AI workloads in cloud financial management. Read more
RedCompass Labs Launches AnalystAccelerator v2.5 for Payments Modernization
RedCompass Labs has introduced AnalystAccelerator v2.5, an AI model aimed at improving the efficiency of payments modernization projects by reducing analysis time and project costs. Read more
Intuit Partners with Google Cloud to Improve TurboTax
Intuit Inc. has partnered with Google Cloud to enhance TurboTax by using Google's Doc AI and Gemini models. This aims to improve autofill accuracy for tax forms, benefiting millions of users. Read more
Nomentia Launches AI Cash Flow Forecasting Tool
Nomentia has introduced an upgraded AI cash flow forecasting tool aimed at improving accuracy and efficiency in financial insights for businesses. Read more
Bank of America to Invest $4 Billion in AI by 2025
Bank of America plans to allocate $4 billion towards AI and technology initiatives in 2025, aiming to enhance productivity and client service. Read more
Bigdata.com Launches AI Platform for Investment Monitoring
Bigdata.com has launched an AI platform for financial professionals, featuring autonomous agents for continuous investment monitoring and pre-market insights. Read more
Lakshmi Finance Center Launches TradeGenius AI 4.0
On April 10, 2025, Lakshmi Finance Center announced the launch of TradeGenius AI 4.0, featuring advanced learning capabilities and improved infrastructure. Read more
Accenture Invests in GoUpscale for Wealth Management
Accenture has announced an investment in GoUpscale, aiming to enhance digital content and client engagement for wealth management firms in Asia through AI-driven solutions. Read more
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