Big News: Link My Books Joins the Visma Family!
Link My Books has officially joined the Visma family, marking the start of a new and exciting chapter for our company and, most importantly, for you!
WE ARE BEYOND
EXCITED TO SHARE A MAJOR MILESTONE IN THE LINK MY BOOKS JOURNEY: WE HAVE OFFICIALLY JOINED THE VISMA FAMILY! VISMA, A GLOBAL LEADER IN CLOUD SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS, HAS ACQUIRED LINK MY BOOKS, MARKING THE START OF A NEW AND EXCITING CHAPTER FOR OUR COMPANY AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOR YOU— OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS.
What Does This Mean for You?
First and foremost: it’s business as usual.
Our mission remains the same—to make ecommerce accounting simple, accurate, and stress-free. With Visma’s backing, we’re in an even stronger position to deliver on that promise. Here’s what you can expect:
• No Disruption: Your Link My Books experience will remain seamless. Our platform and service will stay exactly as they are today.
• Bigger and Better Features: With Visma’s expertise and resources, we’ll be able to develop exciting new features and enhancements, making ecommerce accounting even more efficient and
Deel Announces New Anchor Investors and Financial Milestone
EXCITING NEWS: TODAY WE ANNOUNCED THAT NEW ANCHOR INVESTORS, INCLUDING GENERAL CATALYST AND A SOVEREIGN INVESTOR, HAVE PURCHASED CLOSE TO $300 MILLION IN DEEL SECONDARIES FROM EARLY INVESTORS. THESE INVESTMENTS SIGNAL OUR MOMENTUM AND THE LONG-TERM VISION AND CONVICTION INVESTORS HAVE IN DEEL.
Today we also announced that we’ve achieved a run
rate of $800 million as of December 2024, growing 70% year-over-year.
The business has been profitable for more than two years.
Since our graduation from Y Combinator in 2019, Deel has evolved from a two-product hiring solution to a comprehensive suite of products that radically simplifies global workforce management.
FInd out more
powerful for your business.
• The Same Dedicated Team: Our leadership and support team aren’t going anywhere. We’re as committed as ever to delivering exceptional service and support to help you succeed.
Why Visma?
Visma shares our vision of simplifying financial processes for businesses of all sizes. Their extensive experience in B2B cloud software and their reputation for fostering innovation make them the perfect partner for Link My Books. This partnership allows us to leverage their
resources while maintaining the autonomy and customer-first approach that you’ve come to expect from us.
Looking Ahead
This is just the beginning. With Visma’s support, we’ll continue to:
• Develop tools that save you time and eliminate accounting headaches.
• Build on our seamless integrations with platforms like Amazon, eBay, Shopify, Etsy, Walmart, TikTok Shop, Square, and WooCommerce.
Find out more
iplicit secures £25 million investment from One Peak
iplicit Secures £25 Million Investment from One Peak to Scale its Next- Generation Accounting Software Platform.
iPLICIT, THE LEADING CLOUD ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE PLATFORM PURPOSE-BUILT FOR THE UK MID-MARKET, HAS ANNOUNCED A £25 MILLION INVESTMENT FROM LEADING TECHNOLOGY GROWTH INVESTOR ONE PEAK.
This new investment marks iplicit’s first external institutional funding round and will be used to significantly accelerate iplicit’s product development and fuel its exponential growth. Born in the cloud, iplicit delivers a state-of-the-
art cloud accounting platform specifically tailored for businesses that have outgrown basic entry-level systems or who have grown frustrated with legacy on-premises vendors. By delivering the advanced functionality and performance of upmarket systems at a fraction of the cost and complexity, combined with a seamless setup and migration process, iplicit ensures that businesses can future proof their financial operations as they grow.
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Xero wins IDC 2024 SaaS CSAT Award for Finance
WE’RE THRILLED TO SHARE SOME EXCITING NEWS! XERO HAS JUST BEEN AWARDED THE IDC 2024 SAAS CSAT AWARD FOR FINANCE. XERO PLACED IN THE HIGHEST SCORING GROUP FOR VENDORS SERVING THE FINANCIAL APPLICATION MARKET.
International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. The CSAT Awards are IDC’s annual customer satisfaction awards, which recognise leading software-as-a-ser-
XU BIWEEKLY - No. 98
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vice (SaaS) vendors in each application market who receive the highest customer satisfaction scores based on IDC’s SaaS Path Survey. IDC surveyed 2900 organizations across all geographic regions and company sizes, where customers are asked to rate their vendor on more than 30 different customer satisfaction metrics.
How Xero helps you shine
We believe this award is a testament to our commitment to helping our small business customers and our accounting and bookkeeping partners succeed.
Find out more
The Business Show Miami 2025
AFTER THE RESOUNDING SUCCESS OF THE BUSINESS SHOW MIAMI AND THE BUSINESS SHOW LOS ANGELES 2024, WE ARE THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE THE RETURN OF THE BUSINESS SHOW US TO MIAMI! MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR MAY 7TH AND 8TH, 2025, AS WE BRING THE REGION’S LARGEST BUSINESS EVENT TO THE MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER.
Following a remarkable launch in Miami last year, where over 9,000 attendees gathered to connect, learn, and grow, we are excited to bring back this dynamic event to the heart of Miami. The Business Show Miami will
Automated workflows and centralized document management help firms save time, eliminate manual tasks, and create consistent firm-wide processes.
SMARTVAULT, A LEADING PROVIDER OF A CLOUD-BASED DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (DMS) AND CLIENT PORTAL FOR ACCOUNTING PROFESSIONALS, HAS EXPANDED ITS TEN-YEAR STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH INTUIT BY INTEGRATING WITH PROCONNECT™ TAX, THE INDUSTRY-LEADING CLOUD-BASED TAX SOFTWARE. THIS JOINTLY DEVELOPED INTEGRATION ENABLES SEAMLESS, HIGH-VALUE DOCUMENT WORKFLOWS BETWEEN PROCONNECT AND SMARTVAULT, OFFERING SIGNIFICANT EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS OVER STANDARD PRINT-TO-PDF OR MAPPED DRIVE SOLUTIONS.
The integrated experience automatically creates clients in SmartVault and enables printing and auto-routing of tax returns from ProConnect to the correct client folder in SmartVault. These features save time, reduce manual errors, and eliminate inefficiencies caused by document silos and disjointed workflows. By centralizing document management processes, the integration enhances data security and compliance, providing a streamlined and secure solution for tax professionals.
provide a premier platform for entrepreneurs, startups, and seasoned professionals to access the tools, resources, and inspiration needed to launch, scale, and succeed.
What to Expect at The Business Show Miami 2025:
1. World-Class Keynote Speakers
The 2025 edition of The Business Show Miami will feature a powerful lineup of keynote speakers and industry leaders.
Learn from top experts as they share insights on entrepreneurship, innovation, digital transformation, leadership, and more.
2. Interactive Masterclasses
Our packed agenda will include masterclasses designed to provide actionable strategies and tactics. Attendees will have the opportunity to dive deep into critical business topics, from scaling your startup to navigating financial strategies, ensuring they walk away with knowledge they can apply immediately.
3. Exhibition Hall Full of Innovative Solutions
The exhibition floor will showcase cutting-edge tools and services from over 200 exhibitors. Whether you’re looking for the latest in business tech, marketing strategies, or operational solutions,
the show will present an incredible range of products to help businesses work smarter, not harder.
4. Networking and Collaboration Opportunities
The Business Show Miami is about more than just learning—it’s about making meaningful connections.
Our dedicated networking areas and Speed Networking sessions will allow entrepreneurs to meet potential partners, mentors, and collaborators. With countless opportunities to connect, attendees can forge relationships that will drive future success.
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“SmartVault has established itself as the first integrated document management system for Intuit Lacerte, ProSeries, and now ProConnect, which reflects Intuit's confidence in our ability to deliver a high value, integrated DMS and portal platform across Intuit’s ecosystem of tax prep apps,” said Dania Buchanan, President of SmartVault.
“Firms today can’t be locked into antiquated allin-one platforms if they want to improve efficiencies and grow profits. We fully support Intuit’s vision of enabling a best-of-breed app ecosystem and we are thrilled to be the first to offer ProConnect customers a robust, modern online DMS platform to manage their end-to-end document and tax prep workflows securely.”
Key benefits of the SmartVault-ProConnect integration include:
• Reduce duplicate data entry and manual errors: Through the integration with ProConnect, SmartVault automatically creates client profiles, security permissions, and folder structures for each client
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$250M ARR & Profitability: Lessons from Scaling Employment Hero
TODAY WE ANNOUNCED AN INCREDIBLE MILESTONE IN EMPLOYMENT HERO’S HISTORY. WE HAVE OFFICIALLY SURPASSED $250M IN ANNUAL RECURRING REVENUE AND— WE’RE PROUD TO SAY—WE ARE NOW PROFITABLE!
A huge thank you to our customers, our Heroes and our partners—this milestone is yours as much as it is ours.
It got me reflecting on the journey so far and how scaling a company globally has taught me invaluable lessons:
Solve Real Problems at Scale
True product-market fit is the key to lasting growth. We recognised early on that employment is difficult, complex, and time-consuming—
especially for small and medium-sized businesses. This is a massive global problem, and we knew we could do a lot of good by solving it. Employment Hero was built to simplify employment, removing barriers and inefficiencies so businesses can focus on what truly matters: growth and success.
Think Global from Day One
If your solution works in one market, it can work worldwide. Employment Hero started in Australia but was built with global scalability in mind, enabling rapid international expansion.
Our Series A deck laid out our plan to expand from Australia into New Zealand, the UK, Singapore, Malaysia, and Canada. We are proud to say that with the acquisition
of Humi in Canada, we have achieved this vision, reinforcing our belief in thinking global from the outset.
Your People Are Everything
Build a team that believes in the mission. Hiring the right people and fostering a strong culture of innovation and accountability is critical to long-term success.
Passing through each major growth milestone requires building a team with the skills and experience needed to overcome new challenges and complexities. We are always recruiting and building the best possible team for the future, ensuring that we are equipped to navigate the evolving needs of our business and customers.
Buddy Monthly Product Roundup: What's New for Payroll Bureaus?
Happy New Year! We're kicking off January with exciting updates from Buddy, designed to make payroll management faster, and more accurate for bureaus like yours.
FROM ENHANCED DATA MIGRATION TO TIME-SAVING AUTOMATION FEATURES, THESE UPDATES ARE BUILT TO TACKLE REAL-WORLD PAYROLL CHALLENGES AND GIVE YOU MORE TIME TO FOCUS ON GROWING YOUR BUSINESS.
Key Product Updates
Here's a breakdown of what's new, why it matters, and how it can benefit your team.
Employee Upload/Data Migration
Bringing on new clients or managing existing ones often involves complex data migrations that can be tedious and time-consuming.
Buddy's enhanced Employee Upload/Data Migration tool aims to eliminate the hassle by automating and streamlining the process.
This feature upgrades
Buddy's existing migration tool by introducing advanced logic that handles even the most intricate data
formats, reducing the need for manual adjustments.
With the Employee Upload feature, you can:
• Onboard new clients seamlessly by importing their data in just a few steps.
• Handle diverse file formats with built-in compatibility checks, saving you the effort of reformatting spreadsheets.
• Automatically identify mismatched fields, ensuring accurate data uploads.
Payroll Parallel Runs
Setting up parallel payroll runs can often feel like a chore, with hours spent double-checking data and testing systems for accuracy. Buddy's update significantly reduces this process, helping you save time while ensuring reliability. Parallel runs let you test payroll calculations for a new client or system without affecting live data, comparing results for discrepancies.
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Projectworks Product Update: January 2025
We’re launching a new monthly product update to keep you up-to-date with the latest in Projectworks. Plus - did you miss our purchase order feature? Here’s everything you need to know.
THE HOLIDAYS ARE OVER, AND THE WORKING YEAR IS IN FULL SWING! 2025 WILL BE A YEAR OF CONTINUED GROWTH FOR PROJECTWORKS. WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING YOU:
• advanced reporting;
• budget, resourcing, and time entry enhancements (including changes to how the platform looks and feels);
• and a new Employment Hero leave integration;
Among many other updates and improvements.
Stay up-to-date with the latest in Projectworks
Because we’ll be releasing so often, we want to keep you in the loop. Sign up to our new monthly product update from Charlotte, our Product Marketing Manager, to take advantage of the latest features in Projectworks as they drop. You’ll also receive sneak peeks of upcoming features, and have the opportunity to provide
feedback on planned releases.
Looking back on 2024: Purchase orders
We’ve got a packed release schedule for 2025but before we get into the year, we wanted to highlight a feature that may have slipped by unnoticed in 2024.
Purchase Orders moved out of beta in July 2024, and they fulfil a key function for businesses who work with external suppliers.Purchase orders 101: What are they?
A purchase order (PO) is a document sent to a supplier to purchase goods and/ or services. They document what you intend to purchase and record your transaction, meaning you have complete visibility over your finances. Your purchase order records also let you track how supplier costs change over time.
Benefits of purchase orders in Projectworks
Find out more
Rave: General Update - 2nd February 2025
WE SNUCK IN ANOTHER PILE OF FANTASTIC UPDATES TO THE END OF JANUARY SO WE HAD TO DO ANOTHER BLOG TO LET YOU KNOW ALL ABOUT THEM.
As usual we also include a link to these updates in our monthly newsletter, making it easy for you to stay informed and access the latest features and enhancements. Lets get into the updates below:
Weekly Schedule Change Notification option
We have now added the
ability to choose a new type of Notification email option for schedule. We still have our daily briefing email which goes out 7am every day to notify assignees of the changes made before hand. However we now also have a new Once a week Notification option that goes out 7am every Friday morning rounding up all the changes made for the specific assignees. You can choose this option at a branch level as a default for All projects or at a specific project level.
User Reassigned bulk email changes
While the project sched-
ule's ‘Replace Assignee’ action allows you to reallocate all of a project's tasks assigned to one task assignee to another -
the Bulk Replace Assignee allows those with branch owner access to swap out an assignee from all projects they are assigned tasks to, and complete a number of handy actions at the same time
We have now released an update to this feature sending out a bulk email notification to the users affected letting them know the projects and tasks they have been removed from and the projects and tasks they have
been added to in one single email.
Add the option to include timesheet dates to Timesheet Billing/ Invoicing
When converting a timesheet entry into Bill/Invoice there is now an option to include the date of the entry on Individual itmes.
The new check box sits underneath the option to include timesheet notes. When selected the Timesheet date will be added to the description on the Bill/Invoice
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IRIS Software Group modernises
HR
solutions
with Cascade redesign,
new Staffology mobile app, and expanded HR Marketplace
IRIS SOFTWARE GROUP (IRIS), A LEADING GLOBAL PROVIDER OF ACCOUNTING, EDUCATION MANAGEMENT, HR AND PAYROLL SOLUTIONS, TODAY ANNOUNCED SLEEK AND INTUITIVE ENHANCEMENTS TO ITS IRIS CASCADE PLATFORM, A NEW STAFFOLOGY MOBILE APP NOW AVAILABLE ON IOS AND ANDROID, AND THREE HR MARKETPLACE PARTNER UPDATES – DESIGNED TO EMPOWER HR PROFESSIONALS TO IMPROVE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND STREAMLINE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES.
Steph Coward, Managing Director of Human Capital Management at IRIS Software Group commented, “Today’s product updates
reinforce IRIS’ commitment to delivering capable and accessible HR solutions that enable organisations to attract, engage, and retain top talent. The new Cascade interface and reporting features, and new Staffology mobile app reflect our focus on modernising the user experience while providing tools that meet the evolving needs of HR professionals and employees alike.”
IRIS Cascade: A Modernised User Experience
Serving more than 1,300 organisations and 950,000 employees, the IRIS Cascade platform was re-designed in response to customer feedback.
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EmploymentHero Product update
January
2025
Follow our January 2025 product update as we share all of the latest and greatest features we’ve released over the last month.
ABIG HELLO FROM THE EMPLOYMENT HERO TEAM AND WELCOME TO THE FIRST PRODUCT UPDATE FOR 2025. WE HOPE YOU HAD A RESTFUL BREAK AND ARE GETTING READY FOR YOUR BIGGEST AND BEST YEAR YET!
2024 was a big year for the Employment Hero team, and 2025 is going to be even bigger. With that being said, let’s get straight to it –there’s lots to cover.
New report type provides oversight of workforce costs
For SMEs, every dollar counts. That’s why we’ve made it easier to view the
total costs of your workforce per month with a new report type. This new report type includes the costs of actual (currently occupied roles) and planned (vacant roles to be filled), based on the effective pay rate of each position. To access yours, navigate to the Reports tab and select ‘Workforce Planning Cost’.
Keep employee performance ratings up to date
Admins now have the ability to update employee performance ratings within the 9-Box talent grid, as well as managers on behalf of their direct reports. Find out more
Fathom: Integration with Sage 50 and an extra column option in reporting
Introducing the New Fathom + Sage 50 Integration
We’re thrilled to announce our new integration with Sage 50 Accounts (UK & Ireland)! Whether you’re a small business owner, an accountant, or a financial advisor, this integration is designed to make your financial reporting and analysis easier and more insightful.
January Product Update: New Features to Save Time & Boost Efficiency!
WE’VE BEEN BUSY BUILDING NEW FEATURES AND ENHANCEMENTS TO MAKE WORKFLOWMAX BY BLUEROCK EVEN BETTER FOR YOUR BUSINESS. FROM SMARTER SCHEDULING AND CUSTOM NOTIFICATIONS TO A GAME-CHANGING SUITEFILES INTEGRATION, THESE UPDATES ARE DESIGNED TO HELP YOU WORK SMARTER, GET PAID FASTER, AND STAY ON TOP OF EVERY JOB. LET’S DIVE IN
New ‘Dashboard Widget’ - Stay on top of key milestones
No more missed dead-
lines! Our new Milestone Widget displays upcoming and overdue job milestones front and center on your dashboard, so your team always knows what’s next. More widgets - like a calendar view- are on their way, giving you even more visibility into your work.
Smarter ‘Invoicing & Permissions’ - Thanks to your feedback!
More control over invoices – Users who create invoices can now cancel them when needed.
Bulk delete draft invoices – Back by popular demand! Quickly clean up and man-
Everything in One Window: Major Updates to our Karbon Extension
The Karbon Extension for Suitefiles: Leveling Up Your Workflow
CWhat does this mean for me?
If you use Sage 50 Accounts (UK version) V29 and V30 onwards, this integration lets you import your Sage 50 financials straight into Fathom in just a few clicks, saving valuable time and reducing the risk of manual errors.
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ALLING ALL ACCOUNTANTS AND KARBON POWER USERS! WE’VE BEEN BUSY FINE-TUNING THE SUITEFILES KARBON EXTENSION, AND WE’RE THRILLED TO SHARE THE UPDATES THAT ARE SET TO MAKE YOUR WORKDAY SMOOTHER, FASTER, AND (DARE WE SAY) MORE ENJOYABLE.
If you’ve ever dreamed of managing all your files and projects without bouncing between platforms, your wish has been granted.
With these updates, the SuiteFiles Karbon extension is now smarter, more intuitive, and fully geared toward making your workflow seamless.
What’s New?
1. Manage Everything in One Window
No more toggling, switching, or losing track of where you left that file. You can now:
Effortlessly create, upload, and organize files directly within Karbon.
Link work items to SuiteFiles folders, ensuring your documents are always exactly where you need them. This streamlined setup means less time clicking around and more time focusing on what really matters—delivering value to your clients.
Find out more
age invoices without the hassle.
These updates help keep your invoicing efficient, accurate, and frustration-free.
Attach ‘Documents to Purchase Orders’
Keep everything in one place! You can now save supporting documents (like supplier invoices) directly to purchase orders, making it easier to track and reference essential files.
New ‘Standard Reports’ for deeper job and time insights
We’ve added three new
standard reports to give you more clarity on your jobs and costs:
• Job Cost Report – Easily compare actual costs vs. budgeted costs.
• Hours Analysis Report –See exactly how productive your team’s time is.
• Lost Earnings Report –Track the recovery of your billable time.
These reports help you make informed decisions, improve efficiency, and maximise profitability.
New ‘Custom Notifications’ - Never miss a critical update again
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UPCOMING EVENTS DIGITAL EVENTS
PayPal Ventures Invests in Formance
FORMANCE, THE OPEN SOURCE FINANCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDER, TODAY
ANNOUNCED THE SUCCESSFUL CLOSE OF A $21 MILLION SERIES A FUNDING ROUND CO-LED BY PAYPAL VENTURES AND PORTAGE, WITH PARTICIPATION FROM Y COMBINATOR, HOXTON VENTURES, AND AXC. THIS MILESTONE COMES ON THE HEELS OF A 10X INCREASE IN FORMANCE’S REVENUE OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS.
Founded in 2021 by Clément Salaün, former payments lead at Selency, and Anne-Sybille Pradelles,
ex-COO of cybersecurity startup Alsid, Formance is transforming how developers build financial flows and products.
Its core offering is a programmable Ledger — a transactional database that provides detailed visibility into every transaction, and streamline reconciliation, with any type of financial partner.
Historically, building financial infrastructure has been a monumental challenge, requiring extensive engineering, accounting, and compliance expertise. Find out more
PayPal Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results
PAYPAL HOLDINGS, INC. (NASDAQ: PYPL) TODAY ANNOUNCED ITS FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2024 RESULTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024. THE EARNINGS RELEASE AND RELATED MATERIALS DISCUSSING THESE RESULTS CAN BE FOUND ON PAYPAL'S INVESTOR RELATIONS WEBSITE AT HTTPS://INVESTOR.PYPL.COM/FINANCIALS/QUARTERLY-RESULTS/DEFAULT.ASPX.
PayPal Holdings, Inc. will host a conference call to discuss these results at 5:00 a.m. Pacific time (8:00 a.m. Eastern time) today.
A live webcast of the conference call will be available at https://investor.pypl.com. In addition, an archive of the webcast will be accessible for 90 days through the same link.
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Wise Platform Appoints Lauren Langbridge and Manuel Sandhofer to Accelerate Expansion across EMEA, North America and Brazil
WISE PLATFORM, WISE’S GLOBAL PAYMENTS
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR BANKS, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND LARGER ENTERPRISES, TODAY ANNOUNCED THE APPOINTMENT OF LAUREN LANGBRIDGE AS COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR FOR NORTH AMERICA, AND MANUEL SANDHOFER AS ITS NEW GENERAL MANAGER FOR EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND BRAZIL.
Bringing over 15 years of experience, respectively, in financial technology and payments, Langbridge and Sandhofer will oversee and scale Wise Platform’s strategic partnerships, growth, and commercial strategy across the regions, as demand for its solutions rapidly grows.
Prior to joining Wise Platform, Sandhofer built out
Swoop secures strategic investment from Sandbox Industries
SWOOP, THE AWARD-WINNING GLOBAL BUSINESS FUNDING AND SAVINGS PLATFORM, IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE A SIGNIFICANT STRATEGIC INVESTMENT FROM SANDBOX INDUSTRIES, A LEADING VENTURE CAPITAL AND CONSULTING FIRM WITH DEEP EXPERTISE IN THE INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES SECTORS. THIS INVESTMENT WILL POWER SWOOP’S AMBITIOUS EXPANSION INTO THE US MARKET AND STRENGTHEN ITS MISSION TO EMPOWER SMES WORLDWIDE WITH ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL FUNDING AND SAVINGS.
Chris Zock, Managing Partner and Co-CEO of Sandbox Industries, commented:
“We look at hundreds of companies globally in search of compelling investment opportunities. We believe Swoop has “cracked the code” for small businesses in need of funding. Through its direct connections with verified data sources, Swoop short-circuits the otherwise inefficient and frustrating process of securing the right lending partner. We are excited to be joining Swoop in its next phase of growth and
to help with the company’s expansion into the US market.”
This investment comes on the back of Swoop’s impressive revenue growth and expanded partnerships with global leaders such as JustWorks, Flippa, and Sage. Swoop expects to leverage this investment and its relationship with Sandbox Industries to accelerate its scaling efforts, particularly in the US, while leveraging strategic access to the insurance market, a critical component of delivering comprehensive funding solutions for SMEs.
The US SME market represents a significant opportunity, with small businesses accounting for 99.9% of all US firms and employing nearly half of the private sector workforce. Despite their critical role, the IFC estimates SMEs face a financing gap of $1.2 trillion, presenting a substantial opportunity for Swoop to bridge this gap and provide essential funding solutions as it expands into the US.
Current investors have joined Sandbox Industries in this new round.
Find out more
Paymentology and Sticitt Join Forces, Cultivating Optimism in Future Generations through Healthy Financial Habits
GoCardless and Financial Cloud partner to simplify payments with Direct Debit and open banking
FINANCIAL CLOUD, A LEADING PROVIDER OF ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS, HAS PARTNERED WITH GLOBAL BANK PAYMENT COMPANY GOCARDLESS TO IMPROVE PAYMENTS FOR FINANCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE UK.
This collaboration will see GoCardless’ Direct Debit payments and Instant Bank Pay (IBP), its open banking payment feature for oneoff payments, embedded directly into the Financial Cloud CRM platform.
The combined offering brings a variety of benefits to financial service providers. An all-in-one interface will allow businesses to manage payments and customer data in one place, providing actionable insights into customer behaviors and payment trends. The integration also enables merchants to scale -- collections and payment reconciliation remain manageable, even as volumes grow in line with their customer base.
Find out more
Sharesight product updates – February 2025
OUR FOCUS OVER THE PAST MONTH HAS ALL BEEN REPORTS-RELATED, WITH THE ROLL OUT OF OUR NEW DRAWDOWN RISK REPORT TO ALL USERS ON THE INVESTOR, EXPERT AND BUSINESS PLANS, THE RELEASE OF A REVAMPED CONTRIBUTION ANALYSIS REPORT AND FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS TO THE HISTORICAL COST REPORT.
New functionality / enhancements
• Introduced the drawdown risk report to all customers on the investor, expert and business plans
• Migrated our contribution analysis report onto new architecture. This upgrade removes all timeouts, introduces a percentage toggle to the table and chart
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the European Commercial function at Nium and held senior roles at Payoneer and UniCredit. Langbridge joined from Currencycloud where she played a key role in transforming the company from a UK-centric startup into a global cross-border payments company.
Most recently, Wise Platform has been selected by leading financial services firm, Morgan Stanley to offer fast, secure and cost-effective foreign exchange services to corporate clients, delivering one of the fastest and operationally robust payment capabilities in the banking industry.
Last year, Wise Platform also expanded to Latin America by launching its multi-currency accounts and debit cards solution with Nubank in Brazil.
Find out more
PAYMENTOLOGY, THE LEADING GLOBAL ISSUER PROCESSOR, TODAY ANNOUNCES ITS STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH SOUTH AFRICAN FINTECH STARTUP, STICITT.
Sticitt is on a mission to help raise a generation of South African children with healthy financial habits from Schools with a strong financial foundation. This collaboration aims to revolutionise how schools handle finances and how children establish healthy money habits from a young age. At the forefront of transforming the South African School payments landscape, Sticitt is enabling schools to increase revenue generated from parents and the wider community while automating payment reconciliations and reporting. The platform simplifies the process of making school-related payments for parents, learners, and visitors, thereby increasing possible
School revenue and reducing Schools’ finance administration burdens. Schools benefit from more efficient financial operations, allowing them to focus on their core mission: providing vibrant learning environments.
In addition to streamlining school payments, Sticitt offers parents a practical tool to teach their children six healthy money habits through basic everyday actions (Earn through doing, Spend wisely, Plan and Budget carefully, Save for tomorrow, Invest for the future, Share for collective success). By facilitating the disbursement of funds to children, Sticitt empowers kids to take control over their financial affairs under parental supervision, fostering the development of crucial financial habits needed for lifelong success.
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Moneyhub appoints Alastair McGill as CEO, signaling a bold new era of growth and innovation
MONEYHUB IS A LEADING FINAN-
CIAL TECHNOLOGY COMPANY KNOWN FOR ITS EXPERTISE IN SEVERAL AREAS: OPEN BANKING, DATA ANALYTICS, FINANCIAL DECISION-MAKING, AND ACCOUNT-TO-ACCOUNT PAYMENTS. TODAY, THE COMPANY ANNOUNCED THE APPOINTMENT OF ALASTAIR MCGILL AS ITS NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. HIS APPOINTMENT IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
Alastair brings with him a wealth of experience in driving growth within technology businesses and a deep passion for fostering posi-
tive workplace culture and people empowerment.
With over 30 years in the technology sector, Alastair has consistently demonstrated his ability to spearhead growth and navigate the complexities of a rapidly evolving digital landscape. He joins Moneyhub from Broadridge, where as General Manager he was responsible for strategy, execution and leadership across a multi-disciplinary team serving hundreds of financial services firms and corporate treasury operations. Prior to Broadridge, Alastair was Global MD at Cashfac, leading their Go To Market functions as the company
expanded into Europe and Australia. Earlier in his career he served on the management board of SmartStream Technologies as Chief Marketing Officer, EVP Business Development and Alliances and EVP Asia Pacific.
"We are excited to welcome Alastair to Moneyhub," said Anne De Kerckhove, Chair of the Board.
"His exemplary track record and passion for growing businesses, building long term client partnerships and fostering innovation makes him the perfect leader for Moneyhub's next chapter."
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Tink, Adyen, and Recharge partner to introduce Pay by Bank in Germany
TINK, A VISA SOLUTION, AND ADYEN HAVE ANNOUNCED A PARTNERSHIP WITH RECHARGE, A LEADING GLOBAL PREPAID PAYMENTS PLATFORM, TO PROVIDE THEIR CUSTOMERS IN GERMANY THE OPTION TO PAY BY BANK WHEN CHECKING OUT.
Pay by Bank is the commonly used term for the open banking-powered payment method that allows consumers to quickly transfer money directly from one bank account to another.
Initially, Recharge will of-
Lightyear launches ISAs
LIGHTYEAR EXISTS TO HELP YOU FIND FINANCIAL FREEDOM THAT LITTLE BIT FASTER. EVERY INVESTMENT WE MAKE AND PRODUCT WE LAUNCH IS IN SERVICE OF THAT GOAL.
One of the big wins recently has been our FCA authorisation, and we promised that the first thing we’d do is build better ISAs for you. Ones without custody fees that sneak up on you, without withdrawal penalties for when life throws you a curve ball, and ones that are actually easy to use.
Well, the team has been very hard at work doing just that. In true Lightyear fashion, we’ve done a bunch of user interviews, extensive research surveys and a lot
of rigorous testing, incorporating all the feedback to land on something we’re really proud of.
a 4.75% Cash ISA that tracks the Bank of England rate for you
a Stocks & Shares ISA that’s 10x cheaper than the market average
You can read on to find out a little more about the products and all the finer details below! And remember, with the new rules introduced last year you can open multiple ISAs. So if you’ve still got some of your yearly allowance left (£20,000 per year, across all ISAs), we’re very pleased to be able to say it can be put to good use on Lightyear now!
Stocks & Shares ISA
Back in 2021, we first and foremost launched an investment platform, so the Stocks & Shares (S&S) ISA is most definitely our bread and butter. We knew you wanted all the same tools - earnings calls on the go, intuitive charting, company fundamentals and morewith the same low pricing and delightful experience you’re used to from us.
It’s sometimes hard to quantify the huge differences in pricing as every investor’s time horizon and portfolio make up differs. Still, it was incredibly important to highlight just how much these fees affect you over time, so we did some research with the independent macroeco-
nomic research firm, Capital Economics. They found the Lightyear S&S ISA is 10x cheaper than the market average over 10 years.
For the longer-term investors, looking at account fees, plus transaction and currency fees, a typical S&S ISA holder will pay over £11,000 each on average over 25 years. Lightyear’s S&S ISA will be 16x times cheaper, charging just £670 over this 25-year time frame for the same activity.
• No account fees, no subscription fees, no custody fees and no withdrawal fees
• No minimum amount to open
• ETFS free of execution fees
fer Pay by Bank on Guthaben.de, one of their flagship websites for the German market.
Customers of Guthaben. de can now select to Pay by Bank for an easy, secure payment method when buying vouchers.
Günther Vogelpoel, CEO at Recharge, said: “We pride ourselves on ensuring consumers are in the driving seat when it comes to how they choose to pay for brands and services.
Bringing Pay by Bank to our platform with Tink and
Adyen, starting with our German customers on Guthaben.de, supports those who value security, speed, and convenience in their payment experience.”
The Pay by Bank payment method is facilitated by the partnership between Tink, a market leader in open banking payments, and Adyen, a financial technology platform for leading companies that provides end-to-end payments capabilities, data-driven insights, and financial products in a single global solution.
Introducing Lightyear's Stocks & Shares and Cash ISA, both with 'no suprisas'