Latest news with #ShacharBialick
Bloomberg
12-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Lloyds in Talks to Buy Fintech Firm Curve for £120M, Sky Says
Lloyds Banking Group Plc is in advanced talks to buy digital wallet provider Curve for as much as £120 million ($162 million), Sky reported on Saturday. A deal could be announced by the end of September, Sky said. Curve, positioned as a rival to Apple Pay, was launched in 2016 by Shachar Bialick and gives users a bank card and app that consolidates all their accounts in one place.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lloyds Banking Group in talks to buy digital wallet provider Curve
Britain's biggest high street bank is in talks to buy Curve, the digital wallet provider, amid growing regulatory pressure on Apple to open its payment services to rivals. Sky News has learnt that Lloyds Banking Group is in advanced discussions to acquire Curve for a price believed to be up to £120m. City sources said this weekend that if the negotiations were successfully concluded, a deal could be announced by the end of September. Curve was founded by Shachar Bialick, a former Israeli special forces soldier, in 2016. Three years later, he told an interviewer: "In 10 years time we are going to be IPOed [listed on the public equity markets]... and hopefully worth around $50bn to $60bn." One insider said this weekend that Curve was being advised by KBW, part of the investment bank Stifel, on the discussions with Lloyds. If a mooted price range of £100m-£120m turns out to be accurate, that would represent a lower valuation than the £133m Curve raised in its Series C funding round, which concluded in 2023. That round included backing from Britannia, IDC Ventures, Cercano Management - the venture arm of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's estate - and Outward VC. It was also reported to have raised more than £40m last year, while reducing employee numbers and suspending its US expansion. In total, the company has raised more than £200m in equity since it was founded. Curve has been positioned as a rival to Apple Pay in recent years, having initially launched as an app enabling consumers to combine their debit and credit cards in a single wallet. One source close to the prospective deal said that Lloyds had identified Curve as a strategically attractive bid target as it pushes deeper into payments infrastructure under chief executive Charlie Nunn. Lloyds is also said to believe that Curve would be a financially rational asset to own because of the fees Apple charges consumers to use its Apple Pay service. In March, the Financial Conduct Authority and Payment Systems Regulator began working with the Competition and Markets Authority to examine the implications of the growth of digital wallets owned by Apple and Google. Lloyds owns stakes in a number of fintechs, including the banking-as-a-service platform ThoughtMachine, but has set expanding its tech capabilities as a key strategic objective. The group employs more than 70,000 people and operates more than 750 branches across Britain. Curve is chaired by Lord Fink, the former Man Group chief executive who has become a prolific investor in British technology start-ups. When he was appointed to the role in January, he said: "Working alongside Curve as an investor, I have had a ringside seat to the company's unassailable and well-earned rise. "Beginning as a card which combines all your cards into one, to the all-encompassing digital wallet it has evolved into, Curve offers a transformative financial management experience to its users. "I am proud to have been part of the journey so far, and welcome the chance to support the company through its next, very significant period of growth." IDC Ventures, one of the investors in Curve's Series C funding round, said at the time of its last major fundraising: "Thanks to their unique technology…they have the capability to intercept the transaction and supercharge the customer experience, with its Double Dip Rewards, [and] eliminating nasty hidden fees. "And they do it seamlessly, without any need for the customer to change the cards they pay with." News of the talks between Lloyds and Curve comes days before Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, is expected to outline plans to bolster Britain's fintech sector by endorsing a concierge service to match start-ups with investors. Lord Fink declined to comment when contacted by Sky News on Saturday morning, while Curve did not respond to an enquiry sent by email. Lloyds also declined to comment, while Stifel KBW could not be reached for comment.
Sky News
12-07-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Lloyds Banking Group in talks to buy digital wallet provider Curve
Britain's biggest high street bank is in talks to buy Curve, the digital wallet provider, amid growing regulatory pressure on Apple to open its payment services to rivals. Sky News has learnt that Lloyds Banking Group is in advanced discussions to acquire Curve for a price believed to be up to £120m. City sources said this weekend that if the negotiations were successfully concluded, a deal could be announced by the end of September. Curve was founded by Shachar Bialick, a former Israeli special forces soldier, in 2016. Three years later, he told an interviewer: "In 10 years time we are going to be IPOed [listed on the public equity markets]... and hopefully worth around $50bn to $60bn." One insider said this weekend that Curve was being advised by KBW, part of the investment bank Stifel, on the discussions with Lloyds. If a mooted price range of £100m-£120m turns out to be accurate, that would represent a lower valuation than the £133m Curve raised in its Series C funding round, which concluded in 2023. That round included backing from Britannia, IDC Ventures, Cercano Management - the venture arm of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's estate - and Outward VC. It was also reported to have raised more than £40m last year, while reducing employee numbers and suspending its US expansion. In total, the company has raised more than £200m in equity since it was founded. Curve has been positioned as a rival to Apple Pay in recent years, having initially launched as an app enabling consumers to combine their debit and credit cards in a single wallet. One source close to the prospective deal said that Lloyds had identified Curve as a strategically attractive bid target as it pushes deeper into payments infrastructure under chief executive Charlie Nunn. Lloyds is also said to believe that Curve would be a financially rational asset to own because of the fees Apple charges consumers to use its Apple Pay service. In March, the Financial Conduct Authority and Payment Systems Regulator began working with the Competition and Markets Authority to examine the implications of the growth of digital wallets owned by Apple and Google. Lloyds owns stakes in a number of fintechs, including the banking-as-a-service platform ThoughtMachine, but has set expanding its tech capabilities as a key strategic objective. The group employs more than 70,000 people and operates more than 750 branches across Britain. Curve is chaired by Lord Fink, the former Man Group chief executive who has become a prolific investor in British technology start-ups. When he was appointed to the role in January, he said: "Working alongside Curve as an investor, I have had a ringside seat to the company's unassailable and well-earned rise. "Beginning as a card which combines all your cards into one, to the all-encompassing digital wallet it has evolved into, Curve offers a transformative financial management experience to its users. "I am proud to have been part of the journey so far, and welcome the chance to support the company through its next, very significant period of growth." IDC Ventures, one of the investors in Curve's Series C funding round, said at the time of its last major fundraising: "Thanks to their unique technology…they have the capability to intercept the transaction and supercharge the customer experience, with its Double Dip Rewards, [and] eliminating nasty hidden fees. "And they do it seamlessly, without any need for the customer to change the cards they pay with." News of the talks between Lloyds and Curve comes days before Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, is expected to outline plans to bolster Britain's fintech sector by endorsing a concierge service to match start-ups with investors. Lord Fink declined to comment when contacted by Sky News on Saturday morning, while Curve did not respond to an enquiry sent by email.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Curve Pay expands tie-up with Thales for digital wallets on iOS
UK-based digital wallet provider Curve has expanded its collaboration with payment solutions provider Thales. The partnership enables Curve customers to utilise NFC payment functionality directly within the Curve App, facilitating contactless payments in-store on both iOS and Android devices. The service is supported by Thales' D1 platform, a cloud-based system that allows for real-time operation and integration with existing payment infrastructures. Curve CEO and founder Shachar Bialick said: 'Our collaboration with Thales marks a significant step in providing users with a seamless, secure, and innovative payment solution. 'By building robust guardrails into Curve Pay, powered by Thales' industry-leading platform, we're not just safeguarding transactions, we're empowering our customers to take full control of their financial lives.' The D1 platform's technology enable customers to digitise a payment card through a mobile wallet, providing instant payment services without the need for additional hardware. This feature is now available to Curve's user base in Europe, which exceeds six million. Thales digital payment services director François Chaffard said: 'Our collaboration with Curve Pay is a clear example of how innovative fintechs and trusted technology partners can shape that future together. 'By integrating our D1 platform, we're enabling a new level of freedom and flexibility for mobile NFC payments - without compromising on security or compliance.' In May, Curve announced the launch of Curve Pay for iOS users, utilising the iPhone's NFC interface, which was opened following the European Commission's ruling on competition. "Curve Pay expands tie-up with Thales for digital wallets on iOS " was originally created and published by Electronic Payments International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
FF News
03-07-2025
- Business
- FF News
Curve Pay and Thales Join Forces to Securely Transform Digital Wallets on iPhone
Curve Pay and Thales have announced a partnership to enhance digital wallet security on iPhones. This Curve Pay Thales partnership focuses on embedded secure elements to improve customer protection. This partnership comes on the back of Curve launching Curve Pay on iOS, marking a watershed moment in mobile payments. This partnership is a significant step to reshaping everyday spending, allowing Curve customers to benefit from NFC payment directly in the Curve App for contactless payments in store for all end-users on iOS and Android. Curve Pay is underpinned by Thales' D1 platform on iOS and Android in Europe which allows customers to digitize a payment card through a mobile wallet. The cloud-based D1 platform operates in real time, enabling seamless integration with existing systems to deliver secure, flexible, and instant payment services. With over six million customers in Europe, and existing partnerships with major brands such as Samsung and PayPal, Curve has long led the charge against the traditional players avoiding fees and offering consumers real choice. This collaboration with Thales confirms a longstanding technological partnership which successfully provided for Huawei Pay powered by Curve. 'At Curve, we're committed to redefining the digital wallet experience. Our collaboration with Thales marks a significant step in providing users with a seamless, secure, and innovative payment solution,' said Shachar Bialick, Founder and CEO of Curve. 'By building robust guardrails into Curve Pay, powered by Thales' industry-leading platform, we're not just safeguarding transactions, we're empowering our customers to take full control of their financial lives.' 'At Thales, we believe that secure, open, and user-centric digital payment experiences are the future. Our collaboration with Curve Pay is a clear example of how innovative fintechs and trusted technology partners can shape that future together,' said François Chaffard, Director of Digital Payment Services at Thales. 'By integrating our D1 platform, we're enabling a new level of freedom and flexibility for mobile NFC payments – without compromising on security or compliance. This milestone reflects our shared commitment to giving users more control, while supporting a dynamic payment ecosystem.' This Curve Pay Thales partnership represents a step forward in trusted mobile payment innovation for Apple users. Companies In This Post Curve Thales
