Some of the most ground-breaking initiatives in banking and finance were rewarded and celebrated last night (21 November) at the 2019 Financial Innovation Awards, hosted by The London Institute of Banking & Finance.
The Financial Innovation Awards are a highlight of the financial industry calendar, celebrating companies that deliver new and innovative products and services which improve customer services and financial inclusion.
Sensibill won the award for ‘Best mobile banking innovation’ with Receipts by Sensibill, their AI-driven mobile receipt management technology which provides a holistic overview of financials and improved budgeting and forecasting. Divido won ‘Best payment innovation - Transactions’ with their white-label lending platform. Judges also highly commended Western Union and their partnership with Amazon to make e-commerce cross-border payments available to more people around the world.
Fintech developments were a big theme of the night, with the ‘Best FinTech partnership’ going to Signicat and Rabobank with their Rabo eBusiness project, which is the world’s first bank-led Digital Identity Service Provider. Mojo Mortgages won the award for ‘Best financial start-up’; and Natwest took home the ‘Best Open Banking initiative’ award for their Payit; Pay Online & Send Money app.
Infrastructure Development Company Limited won the ‘Best sustainable finance initiative’ award for their IDCOL Solar Irrigation Pump Project, which ensures efficient water management during the dry season in Bangladesh. Barclays won ‘Best multi-channel experience’ for creating a customer-centric, market-leading multi-channel experience.
Other winners on the night were: Tandem Bank, Vision Independent Financial Planning, Santander UK, BPI, Israel Discount Bank, CTCB Financial Holding, Darktrace, Honest., Financial Services Compensation Scheme, CTCB Bank and PRIMIS Mortgage Network, and Absa Bank Group Limited.
Other highly commended companies included: Cascade Cash Management, TSB Bank, Santander UK, ZiraatBank, The Mifos Initiative, Credit Suisse, Moody's Analytics, HSBC UK, and Token.
Alex Fraser, CEO at The London Institute of Banking & Finance, said:
“As technology advances, the finance sector is often in the frontline of change. Organisations like the ones being recognised and celebrated in the Financial Innovation Awards, are vital in driving forward and progressing the future of the sector.
These highly prestigious awards give companies the opportunity to demonstrate their ground-breaking and innovative approaches, which will go on to shape the future of the financial services industry and the value it provides. Huge congratulations to all the winners!”
About the Financial Innovation Awards
The Financial Innovation Awards, held on Thursday 21 November at Hilton London Bankside, recognise some of the most innovative companies in the banking and finance sector.
This year 64 companies were shortlisted for awards in 22 categories covering: products & services; customer experience and delivery channels; responsibility and inclusion; and the future of financial services. 59% of the companies shortlisted were from the UK, while 41% were international including from the UAE, Canada, Bangladesh and Brazil.
The FIA were established by The London Institute of Banking & Finance in 1998.
Full List of winners:
- Best new savings or investment product
a. Tandem Bank - Autosavings
- Best new mortgage or loan product
a. CTBC Bank - Geographic Data-driven Mortgage Program
- Best payment innovation – Transactions
a. Divido - Divido’s white-label lending platform continues to disrupt the payments
status quo
- Best payment innovation – Payment platforms
a. Israel Discount Bank - The PayBox App - Making Mobile Payments Viral
- Best retail banking services innovation
a. Israel Discount Bank - Enhanced Voice-Based Payment & Banking Services
- Excellence in supporting business or enterprise
a. CTBC Financial Holding - Business Payment Service on Blockchain
- Best Open Banking initiative
a. NatWest - Payit; Pay Online & Send Money
- Best mobile banking innovation
a. Sensibill - Receipts by Sensibill
- Best multi-channel experience
a. Barclays - Creating a customer-centric, market-leading multi-channel experience
- Most effective overall customer experience initiative – Retail
a. Honest. - Halifax Flagship
- Most effective overall customer experience initiative – Business & corporate
a. Santander UK - Cloud-Based Digital Credit-Risk and Fulfilment for SME, Commercial and Corporate
- Most effective overall customer experience initiative - Customer experience/Service team of the year
a. Vision Independent Financial Planning - Success through Service
- Best workplace transformation or employee engagement initiative
a. Financial Services Compensation Scheme - Our Journey to Engagement
- Best sustainable finance initiative
a. Infrastructure Development Company Limited - IDCOL Solar Irrigation Pump Project
- Change team of the year
a. BPI - Full Agile – Driving Business Transformation
- Best technology initiative - United Kingdom
a. PRIMIS Mortgage Network - Toolbox
- Best technology initiative - Europe
a. BPI - BPI GO Now – shaping the future
- Best technology initiative - Rest of the world
a. Absa Bank Group Limited - Unique Data initiative launch in African continent for retail and business bank
- Most promising financial start-up
a. Mojo Mortgages - Mojo Mortgages
- Best technology partnerships
a. Darktrace - Cyber AI
- Best FinTech partnership
a. Signicat and Rabobank - Rabo eBusiness – the world’s first bank-led Digital Identity Service Provider