Julie Muhn

Flathead Valley

Research Analyst and Blogger at Finovate Blog

Research Analyst for Finovate conference series. Family | Adventure | Mountains | Rivers | Fintech

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Articles

Insuretech Company bolttech Raises $147 Million at a $2.1 Billion Valuation

1 day ago | finovate.com | Julie Muhn

Back to Blog bolttech raised $147 million in a Series C round, bringing its total funding to over $690 million and boosting its valuation to $2.1 billion. Sumitomo joined as a strategic investor and partner, forming a joint venture with bolttech to expand embedded insurance across Asia. bolttech's platform powers embedded insurance for industries like telecom, e-commerce, and banking, making insurance a seamless part of the digital buying experience.
PayPal to Ship Physical Credit Card

2 days ago | finovate.com | Julie Muhn

Back to Blog PayPal launched a physical credit card, expanding PayPal Credit's reach from online use to in-store purchases, with no annual fee and flexible repayment options for travel purchases. At launch, the card is offering buy now, pay later flexibility that will allow customers to spread travel costs over six months and access additional BNPL loans at checkout.
Feedzai Launches Fraud Intelligence Solution Feedzai IQ

4 days ago | finovate.com | Julie Muhn

Back to Blog Feedzai has launched Feedzai IQ, a fraud intelligence solution that uses anonymized, distributed data to deliver real-time risk assessments without compromising customer privacy. Key features include TrustScore and TrustSignals, which provide network-wide fraud risk scores and indicators to improve accuracy and payment acceptance.
KeyBank Taps Personetics to Give Customers Insights into Spending

5 days ago | finovate.com | Julie Muhn

Back to Blog KeyBank has partnered with Personetics to integrate AI-driven financial wellness tools that offer real-time, personalized advice based on customers' spending. The bank will use Personetics' Engage platform to deliver insights that help users make smarter financial decisions. The move will help boost engagement and foster long-term customer loyalty. KeyBank announced this morning that it has partnered with Personetics to bring financial wellness to its customers.
Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News

5 days ago | finovate.com | Julie Muhn

Back to BlogThe calendar turned over to June yesterday, which means that there's just one month left until the summer news slowdown. Here's your jumpstart on June's fintech news. We'll continue adding news to this post throughout the week, so stay tuned!MortgagetechVontive receives $150 million revolving securitization from Citi. Challenger bankingMonzo revenue above 1 billion pounds ($1.35 billion) for the first time.
Block to Launch Bitcoin Payments on Square

1 week ago | finovate.com | Julie Muhn

Back to Blog Block is launching Bitcoin for Businesses, a new feature that enables Square merchants to accept bitcoin payments via the Lightning Network, starting in late 2025. The feature builds on Block's existing Bitcoin Conversions tool, which allows merchants to automatically convert a portion of sales into bitcoin and offer seamless QR code payments. This move reinforces Block's commitment to bitcoin adoption and helps integrate crypto into everyday commerce.
Rewatch the Top Demos from FinovateSpring 2025

1 week ago | finovate.com | Julie Muhn

Back to BlogEarlier this month, 42 companies took the stage at FinovateSpring in San Diego, showcasing their latest and greatest fintech solutions. Now, it's your turn to experience the action. The demo videos from the event are live! So, whether you joined us in person or missed the event, you can now watch every presentation on demand, for free.
Griffin Launches MCP Server for Agentic AI Banking

1 week ago | finovate.com | Julie Muhn

Back to Blog Griffin has opened access to its MCP (Model Context Protocol) server, enabling developers to build AI-powered agentic applications that can simulate tasks like account opening, payments, and financial analysis. The MCP server is currently available in a sandbox environment, allowing users to prototype autonomous finance workflows. Griffin acknowledges that the launch is still in its early stages, but says that it shows what's possible when it comes to agentic AI.
Acrisure to Acquire Heartland Payroll Solutions for $1.1 Billion

1 week ago | finovate.com | Julie Muhn

Back to Blog Acrisure is acquiring Heartland Payroll from Global Payments for $1.1 billion, expanding its payroll and Human Capital Management (HCM) capabilities. The deal positions Acrisure as a full-stack fintech platform that will bundle services like insurance, compliance, billing, and payroll to drive retention and deepen client relationships. The deal is expected to close in the second half of this year.
Circle Officially Launches its IPO

1 week ago | finovate.com | Julie Muhn

Back to Blog Circle has officially launched its IPO, aiming to raise $624 million at a $6 billion valuation under the ticker CRCL on the NYSE. The company may use the proceeds to expand globally, strengthen compliance, and develop new tokenized financial products as it competes with Tether and other stablecoin issuers. The IPO announcement comes four years after Circle's failed SPAC attempt in 2021.