You read Bank Innovation so you already know what an API is, right? The initialism stands for “application programming interface” and provides the means for one piece of software to interface with another.

Through APIs, applications and widgets can be built on top of databases without compromising the integrity of that data.

New APIs light up across the web every day, and five of the most recently updated caught our eye as being of particular significance to the financial services community.

• Slidepay is an API that facilitates credit card payments online. It also has a dongle for card-present transactions. It looks to be trying to occupy the space held by Stripe and Square — good luck to you. Slidepay received seed funding in June 2012 and the API was last updated August 2.
• Tiramizoo is an online shopping and product delivery service based in Germany. Within defined areas, products can be delivered within 90 minutes. Sound unsafe? We’re talking about the country that invented the autobahn. The API was updated August 6.
• App55 is a UK-based online and mobile payments company focusing on international sites and apps. It also handles invoicing, subscriptions, and payments by installments. The company was founded in 2010 and its API was updated on August 1.
• Crunch, also based in the UK, is an online accounting firm specializing in small businesses and micro businesses. Working on a monthly subscription model, the service provides a dedicated accountant and a mobile app. Crunch was founded way back in 2007. The API first appeared in early 2012 and was updated July 31.
• ThinkNum is a financial analysis tool. Its data library with over 7 million data-series and an analysis library with over a thousand functions are both publicly available, online and via its API, which went live July 31. The company was founded this year. This is truly a data-driven company, as one look at their website will tell you.