AI meets asset management — from advisor productivity to Bitcoin insurance
This week’s highlights trace how AI and automation are reshaping the financial core — from advisor productivity and digital-asset risk ratings to Bitcoin-denominated life insurance. Focal, Agio Ratings, and Meanwhile each push the boundaries of how data, compliance, and savings interact in a tech-driven financial world.
In our Q&A, Lukas Müller, CEO of Layest, explains how investment management and fund administration are catching up with this shift. With 90% of operational processes in European investment firms expected to be automated by 2028, Layest aims to become the platform powering that transition.
Together, these stories reveal a financial system evolving from manual oversight to intelligent orchestration — and the founders building the tools to make it happen.
A Q&A with Layest’s Lukas Müller on automating fund management
Navigating the intricate world of investment management requires both precision and vision. In this Q&A, we speak with Lukas Müller, CEO and serial tech founder behind Layest, a Vienna-based platform redefining fund administration. With over a decade in fintech, Lukas and his co-founders are tackling the complexities of regulatory compliance, fragmented data, and manual workflows—offering a cloud-based, all-in-one solution that brings efficiency and clarity to financial institutions. From AI-powered tools to ambitious expansion plans across Europe, Layest exemplifies how technology is reshaping the landscape of investment management.
1. Tell us a bit about yourself / your co-founder(s)
I’m Lukas, CEO of Layest and I’m a serial tech founder with +10 years of experience in the fintech sector (previously at Rendity and LIQIMO, among others). My co-founders and I have been working together for many years and we bring a unique combination of deep financial expertise and advanced technical knowhow, ensuring that we understand both the complexities of investment management and the importance of cutting edge technology in driving efficiency and growth.
Read more from the interview here: http://www.fintechforum.de/qa-with-lukas-muller-of-layest/
Deal highlights this week include Focal, Agio Ratings and Meanwhile.
Interesting to see Focal and its investors doubling down on this space, while others keep wondering if ChatGPT or a note-taking app like Granola can do most of what a domain- and workflow-specific tool can.
Focal Raises $5M to Redefine Advisor Productivity With AI-Powered Meetings, Performance Coaching and Workflow Automation. Focal captures data from conversations and advisor tools to power workflow automations and client insights. With features including AI note-taking, pre-meeting prep, CRM syncing, performance coaching, onboarding and KYC workflow support, Focal intuitively transforms conversations into action, empowering advisors to reclaim up to 50 hours per month and serve up to 30% more clients.
Good to see more players addressing crypto ratings for institutional players. Also interesting is their partnership with ReIm which specializes in insuring emerging risks like crypto, AI etc.
Agio Ratings raises $6m for digital asset risk management tools. Unlike the traditional ratings agencies, Agio Ratings uses quantitative methodologies that can capture a firm’s default risk as market conditions shift. Their data-based approach also makes it possible to identify risk signals that the market underweighs or neglects….For example, Agio Ratings‘ models identified FTX’s high probability of default four months before the exchange’s bankruptcy, and correctly assessed that Bybit had sufficient resilience to survive its $1.5 billion security breach…In early 2025, Agio Ratings partnered with Relm Insurance to power their crypto exchange default product and are now in discussions with the largest banks in the US and Europe to support their entry into crypto trading, lending, and stablecoin orchestration.
We were intrigued when Meanwhile launched, and are now impressed to see the demand and the funding backing them.
Meanwhile, the First Regulated Bitcoin Life Insurer, Raises $82M to Meet Strong Demand for Inflation-Proof Savings and Retirement Products. Meanwhile’s innovative products combine the security and predictable benefits of traditional life insurance and annuities with Bitcoin – a scarce, inflation-resistant asset built to preserve long-term value. Meanwhile’s approach provides policyholders worldwide with a powerful tool for long-term financial planning, inflation hedging, and secure wealth transfer.
Read on for more on the founders and investors in the news last week. If you are building or backing “what’s next in finance” and want to spread the word with our network of 20K+, reach out to Samarth Shekhar or Frank Schwab.
FUNDING ROUNDS
Vilja raises 40 SEK million for continued strong growth and international expansion
The Swedish fintech company Vilja secures 40 SEK million in new capital to accelerate its international expansion outside the Nordics and secure long-term growth. At the same time, the company is establishing its own AI development center in Kuala Lumpur.
The capital injection consists partly of a new share issue being carried out in September and partly of a SEK 8.5 million loan from DBT Capital. The investment will strengthen Vilja’s efforts in international markets and contribute to further development of the company’s cloud-based core banking platform, with a focus on deposits. Today, Vilja is the market leader in the Nordics in this segment, with 20 banks and financial institutions on the Vilja Platform.
Focal Raises $5M to Redefine Advisor Productivity With AI-Powered Meetings, Performance Coaching and Workflow Automation
Funding will fuel product expansion, accelerate enterprise adoption and embed artificial intelligence (AI) that automates workflows directly inside advisors’ existing tech stack
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Focal, the AI-powered productivity platform purpose-built for financial advisors, announced today that it has raised a $5 million seed round from top venture capital and wealth industry leaders. The raise was co-led by Distributed Ventures, along with Wischoff Ventures and other industry insiders.
The capital will accelerate development of Focal’s advisor-focused meeting automation, performance coaching and back-office workflow platform. It will also expand enterprise adoption through automations that securely self-manage workflows across any advisor tool or back-office system, with or without an API.
Agio Ratings raises $6m for digital asset risk management tools
Agio Ratings, the premier source of risk insights in digital assets, has closed a $6 million funding round led by AlbionVC, bringing the total raised to over $11M.
The round, which also saw participation from Portage Ventures and MS&AD, will enable Agio Ratings to expand its research and engineering teams, broadening the scope of its risk ratings and supporting major banks as they enter the digital asset market.
Founded in 2022, Agio Ratings addresses a critical gap in the cryptocurrency market by quantifying the risk of exchanges, custodians and lenders. This enables trading firms, insurance companies and banks to make informed decisions and optimise their risk-adjusted returns. The company was created in response to the lack of quality data needed to power standard risk assessment models in the digital asset market.
Wealth app Chip scores £6m investment from Channel 4 VC arm
Chip has secured its first institutional investment, with the venture capital unit of UK TV station Channel 4 pumping £6 million into the digital wealth app at a £208 million valuation.
Established in 2017, Chip now claims more than 400,000 active customers for its app that helps users save and invest, with £6 billion assets under management.
Until now, the firm has relied on crowdfunding campaigns to raise tens of millions of pounds. The deal with Channel 4 Ventures (C4V) not only brings in funds but also puts “our brand in front of millions of people across the nation,” via TV exposure, says Chip.
https://www.finextra.com/newsarticle/46704/wealth-app-chip-scores-6m-investment-from-channel-4-vc-arm
Akua, a Propel portfolio company, Raises, $8.5 Million in Seed Funding, Bringing Total to $13 Million to Accelerate Its Expansion Across Latin America
Colombia-based fintech Akua has successfully closed an $8.5 million seed round, bringing its total funding to $13 million in less than a year. With this new capital injection, the company plans to expand its operations to Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, and Central America.
The round was co-led by Flourish Ventures and Cathay Latam, two global funds with extensive experience in the fintech ecosystem. It also included participation from Atlântico, Honey Island 4UM (Brazil), Krealo —the corporate venture arm of Credicorp (Peru)— and Simma Capital (Colombia). Additional investors included Propel Venture Partners, a Silicon Valley-based fund that led Akua’s pre-seed round together with H2O Capital Innovation, as well as Rally Cap VC, Plug and Play Tech Center, IC Ventures, and a group of experienced fintech angel investors.
Compliance platform AiPrise secures $12.5m from Headline
AiPrise has raised $12.5m in Series A funding to help businesses streamline Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Business (KYB) processes.
The round was led by Headline, with additional backing from Y Combinator, SixThirty Ventures, Correlation Ventures, and several strategic angel investors. The company, which emerged from Y Combinator’s Summer 2022 batch, has since expanded to over 150 global customers and built a 40-person team. Its client base includes major enterprises such as Bridge (a Stripe company) and D.Local.
AiPrise helps companies manage compliance and onboarding operations across more than 150 countries. Its platform integrates three key components: data from over 80 local registries worldwide, an advanced decisioning and case management system, and AI agents that automate verification and fraud detection.
https://fintech.global/2025/10/08/compliance-platform-aiprise-secures-12-5m-from-headline
Coinflow Closes $25M Series A Led by Pantera Capital To Power Billions in Global Payment Volume
The Chicago-based stablecoin payments company has achieved 23x revenue growth since its last fundraise in 2024 and is now operational in 170+ countries
- $25M Series A funding round led by Pantera Capital, with participation from CMT Digital, Coinbase Ventures, The Fintech Fund, Jump Capital, Reciprocal Ventures, and founders & operators from more than a dozen other companies.
- Since its seed round in 2024, Coinflow has achieved 23x revenue growth, expanded payment coverage to 170+ countries, and reached a multi-billion-dollar annual transaction volume run rate.
- Coinflow is pioneering the payments innovation of this decade, combining stablecoins, AI-driven fraud prevention, and blockchain proof-of-delivery into a single platform—positioned to capture a large share of the $194T+ (and growing) cross-border payments market.
Routefusion Secures $26.5 Million Series A to Expand its Global Payments Network
AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Routefusion, a financial infrastructure provider enabling platforms and financial institutions to embed seamless cross-border payments and multi-currency account capabilities, today announced the close of a $26.5 million Series A funding round. The round was led by PeakSpan Capital, with participation from Silverton Partners, bringing the company’s total funding to $40.7 million.
Routefusion is building the next layer of financial infrastructure: a global network designed to make cross-border payments as reliable, transparent, and accessible as domestic ones. The platform consolidates fragmented payment rails, currency conversion capabilities, and compliance requirements into a single API, giving customers the ability to integrate this complex stack directly into their offerings.
Feedzai hits $2bn valuation
AI-based financial crime detection platform Feedzai has hit a $2 billion valuation off the back of a $75 million funding round.
New investors Lince Capital, Iberis Capital, and Explorer Investments joined existing backers Oxy Capital and Buenavista Equity Partners in the round.
Feedzai’s AI-powered end-to-end financial crime prevention platform for fraud, risk, and anti-money laundering teams protects more than 70 billion in annualised payment volume across card transactions and bill payments.
Recently the Portugal-based fintech was picked by the European Central Bank to provide fraud detection and prevention for its digital euro.
https://www.finextra.com/newsarticle/46710/feedzai-hits-2bn-valuation
Meanwhile, the First Regulated Bitcoin Life Insurer, Raises $82M to Meet Strong Demand for Inflation-Proof Savings and Retirement Products
Funding round co-led by tier one global investors, Bain Capital Crypto and Haun Ventures with Pantera Capital and additional participation from Apollo, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, and Stillmark.
- Funding will accelerate global access to BTC-denominated life insurance, annuities, savings and insurance bonds through institutional partners, protecting policyholders worldwide from inflation and currency risk.
- Meanwhile is regulated by the Bermuda Monetary Authority, a premier global financial regulator, and offers savings and protection products in BTC, the world’s leading store of value.
- Driven by surging demand from individuals and institutions seeking the protection of Bitcoin-denominated savings and corporate treasury products Meanwhile’s Bitcoin AUM growth is over 200%.
AI Startup DualEntry Raises $90 Million To Shake Up ERP Market
DualEntry wants to modernize financial software for mid-sized companies, promising faster migrations and less reliance on traditional consultants.
What’s going on here?
AI startup DualEntry just raised $90 million in Series A funding, bumping its valuation to $415 million as it takes aim at transforming the $500 billion ERP software space.
What does this mean?
DualEntry, founded in New York only a year ago, isn’t standing in line behind the legacy ERP crowd – it’s trying to rewrite the rules. The company’s AI-first platform automates key financial tasks for mid-sized businesses that have outgrown QuickBooks but don’t want the complexity or cost of heavyweight systems like Oracle NetSuite or Sage.
https://finimize.com/content/ai-startup-dualentry-raises-90-million-to-shake-up-erp-market
ICE Announces Strategic Investment in Polymarket
ICE to Become Distributor of Polymarket Data to Institutional Investors Globally
ATLANTA & NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE), a leading global provider of technology and data, today announced a strategic investment in Polymarket, the prediction market and information platform tracking event probabilities across markets, politics, sport and culture.
Under the terms of the agreement, ICE will invest up to $2 billion in Polymarket, reflecting a valuation of approximately $8 billion pre-investment.
Alongside its investment, ICE will become a global distributor of Polymarket’s event-driven data, providing customers with sentiment indicators on topics of market relevance. Additionally, ICE and Polymarket have also agreed to partner on future tokenization initiatives.
https://ir.theice.com/press/news-details/2025/ICE-Announces-Strategic-Investment-in-Polymarket
Citi Ventures Invests in BVNK to Power the Next Generation of Financial Infrastructure
Investment highlights innovation in financial services infrastructure
LONDON & NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Citi Ventures has announced a strategic investment in BVNK, the global stablecoin infrastructure platform. The move follows recent backing from Visa, Haun Ventures, Tiger Global and other top-tier investors highlighting the shift toward digital asset-based infrastructure.
“Stablecoins are seeing increased interest in use for settlement of on-chain and crypto asset transactions,” said Arvind Purushotham, Head of Citi Ventures. “We were impressed by BVNK’s enterprise-grade infrastructure, and their proven track record.”
BVNK’s platform processes over $20 billion annually for global enterprises and payment service providers. The company serves as the stablecoin infrastructure provider for industry leaders including Worldpay, Flywire and dLocal, providing a full-stack solution for businesses at every stage of their stablecoin journey.
FUNDS
Lisk Launches $15M Venture Fund to Back Founders Powering Web3’s Fastest Growing Markets
The Lisk EMpower Fund targets post-incubation Web3 startups in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, bridging the capital gap and unlocking outsized returns in regions where Web3 adoption is already mainstream.
ZUG, Switzerland, Oct. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Lisk, the growth platform designed for Web3 founders in high-growth markets, today announced the launch of the Lisk EMpower Fund, a $15 million venture initiative aimed at backing Web3 startups solving real-world problems in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. In addition to the launch of the Lisk EMpower fund, Lisk is excited to announce four early recipients: Lov.cash, a South African digital supply chain platform, Afrikabal, an African Agritech platform, IDRX, an Indonesian stablecoin, and SigraFi, who finances small gold producers and issues gold-backed onchain loan notes.
Former insurance exec raises $33 million fund for New York-based Crystal Venture Partners as AI transforms the industry
“I love the business of risk,” Jonathan Crystal tells me. He didn’t really have a choice. After a brief career as a consultant, he joined his family’s insurance brokerage firm, Crystal & Company, rising through the ranks to become CFO in 2014 before helping broker a sale to Alliant in 2018.
But despite spending his career in insurance, Crystal was always frustrated with how slow it moved, joking that the only thing his grandfather would be surprised by now about the industry would be email. So he decided to try out a different kind of risk, setting out to start a venture firm just as AI began to upend the staid sector.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/former-insurance-exec-raises-33-100922581
New VC fund May Ventures launches with over €30 million in capital and an AI-focused mission
A new VC fund out of Münster has launched this morning, May Ventures has already raised over €30 million for its AI-focused mission to invest in early-stage startups from the DACH region.
The fund is backed by investors such as NRW.BANK, banks from the Sparkassen and Volksbanken group, as well as Helaba. The target volume is €50 million.
“We see ourselves as partners for Founders who are bold enough to take new paths – just like we did ourselves,” says Managing Partner Maximilian Derpa. “Our goal is to support startups at an early stage and accompany their growth with capital, know-how, and a strong network.”
Foresight Ventures Launches $50M Fund to Turn Stablecoins into Global Payment Backbone
Crypto venture capital firm Foresight Ventures has launched a $50million Stablecoin Infrastructure Fund, the first vehicle of its kind dedicated to backing the entire stablecoin value chain. The fund aims to accelerate the integration of stablecoins into the traditional financial framework, targeting their evolution into the primary settlement layer of global finance.
The fund will invest across the ecosystem, including projects in stablecoin issuance, on/off-ramps, payment-focused blockchains, and applications intersecting with real-world assets (RWA) and on-chain foreign exchange (FX).
Speaking to The Fintech Times, Alice Li, investment partner at Foresight Ventures, explained that the launch is timed to a convergence of market demand and increasing regulatory clarity. “Stablecoin usage has grown into the trillions in annual settlement volume,” Li said, adding that regulations like the GENIUS Act in the US and MiCA in the EU have helped build confidence among stakeholders.
Danish VC 55 North launches one of the world’s largest quantum funds – targeting €300 million
Danish VC 55 North has launched one of the world’s largest funds dedicated exclusively to investing in quantum startups. Why are they currently experiencing such momentum? GP Owen Lozman explains.
Quantum computing stocks were a bold bet until recently, but in recent weeks, some stocks have surged sharply. IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), for example, saw massive gains thanks to collaborations with major cloud providers and impressive revenue growth of almost 70%. Or D-Wave Quantum (NYSE: QBTS): With a gross margin of over 80%, D-Wave surprised the market with a revenue jump to $15 million.
With new €114 million fund, British VC firm Notion Capital expands focus on AI-driven software and FinTech
London’s Notion Capital, a leading venture investor in business software and FinTech, has today announced the close of its new €114 million growth fund, Notion Capital Opportunities III SCSp.
Investors in the new fund comprised sovereign wealth funds, fund of funds, pension funds, insurers, family offices and high net worth individuals from across Europe, MENA and the United States. Notion expects to be back in the market with its sixth venture fund in 2026.
Stephen Chandler, Managing Partner at Notion Capital, said: “I am delighted to announce this, our latest, growth fund. Our team has built a strong brand and reputation, and LP demand for the fund in a challenging fundraising environment is testament to this.
As we wrap up this week’s highlights, one thing is clear: the pace of innovation in fintech shows no sign of slowing. From AI-powered advisor tools and blockchain-based capital platforms to Bitcoin-backed life insurance, founders are redefining what’s possible in finance — and investors are taking notice. Whether it’s uncovering hidden risks, streamlining operations, or building the next generation of wealth management solutions, these stories remind us that the intersection of technology and finance continues to be a space of extraordinary opportunity. Stay curious, stay connected, and keep an eye on the companies that are shaping the future of money.