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  • The Fintech Brief | SMB Finance Just Got Smarter—Meet the Financial Co-Pilot Era

The Fintech Brief | SMB Finance Just Got Smarter—Meet the Financial Co-Pilot Era

Plus, JP Morgan and TokenFi show how asset tokenisation is finally going institutional.

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Editor’s Pick 📌

In a new piece for Finextra, Liberis CEO Rob Straathof maps out where small business finance is heading—and why the shift from embedded finance to financial co-pilots may be the biggest leap yet.

Here’s the takeaway:

The platforms that serve small businesses daily—think eBay, Uber Eats, Worldpay—are becoming not just tools, but trusted financial operating systems. And with AI in the mix, they’re evolving fast.

  • 📊 SMBs are getting personalised, pre-approved funding without paperwork

  • 🤖 AI is now reading transaction data and social sentiment to shape smarter offers

  • 📈 The next frontier? Financial “co-pilots” that help small businesses manage cash flow, payroll, and growth—all in one place

The platforms building these tools will drive the next era of loyalty, retention, and revenue. Liberis is quietly powering many of them.

Industry Trends & Innovation 💡

FAMILY FINANCE EXPANSION

IBSIntelligence

Acorns’ purchase of EarlyBird brings an app that lets families and friends contribute to children’s investments while preserving digital memories, expanding tools for building family financial legacies. This follows doubling of subscribers to Acorns Gold (£12 per month) and enhances its position as a full-service financial wellness platform for families. Existing EarlyBird customers will migrate to the expanded Acorns platform, keeping access to tailored investment tools for long-term goals.

INSURANCE INNOVATION

Embedded insurance integrates protection directly into purchasing processes, driven by data analytics and AI for personalised, timely offers. This approach expands access and affordability, particularly in India’s tier II and III markets, while streamlining distribution and drastically reducing costs for both providers and consumers.

BANKING INNOVATION

Australian banks face pressure to adopt next-gen banking, which is not just about new technology from neo-banks or FinTechs but building on proven systems to meet digital demands and regulatory standards. For decision-makers, key factors include architectural flexibility, partner reliability, operational resilience, and cost effectiveness. Choices made now directly shape customer experience, compliance, and future growth.

DIGITAL PAYMENTS TRANSFORMATION

Simply Wall St

Major banks and financial disruptors are broadening digital payment services, adding features like financial wellness and lifestyle benefits. Firms such as PayPal, Nubank, and even Big Tech are competing fiercely, pushing incumbents to adapt quickly in a tough market for margins. For anyone watching financial technology, tracking these new offerings and shifts can pinpoint emerging winners and uncover practical choices for managing your own digital finances.

TOKENISED FINANCE

TokenFi’s compliance-focused, no-code platform now enables businesses to quickly tokenise real-world assets like real estate on-chain, while JP Morgan’s public blockchain settlement of tokenised U.S. Treasuries signals genuine DeFi adoption by traditional finance. For investors, this means improved asset liquidity, reduced settlement times, and broader market access. Institutions appear increasingly confident as regulatory pressures ease and frameworks mature.

Bobsguide is a ClickZ Media publication in the Finance division