Fairfax, Va.-based Freedom Bank of Virginia completed integration of Apiture’s digital banking platform for online and mobile banking, the software firm announced on Feb. 20.

Incorporation of the platform took about nine months, an Apiture spokesperson told Bank Automation News.

The $1 billion Freedom Bank will upgrade the following services through Apiture’s platform, according to the spokesperson:

• Consumer banking;
• Business banking;
• Personalized financial wellness and expense tracking;
• Digital account opening;
• Customer support through digital platform Glia;
• ACH payments; and
• Account linking.

Freedom Bank can also access Apiture’s data intelligence solution, allowing the bank to personalize the customer experience, the spokesperson said.

Apiture also works with:

• $8.2 billion First Security Bank;
• $5.9 billion Shore United Bank;
• $2 billion Ephrata Bank;
• $1 billion Newtek Bank; and
• $1 billion First Reliance Bank.

Simplicity CU uses Q2 for digital banking

Marshfield, Wis.-based Simplicity Credit Union is benefiting from digital banking service provider Q2’s banking platform, Q2 announced on Feb. 19.

The platform includes the Q2 Innovation Studio, which enables financial institutions, fintech partners and third-party developers to develop and integrate solutions into a financial institution’s digital banking channel, a Q2 spokesperson told BAN.

Simplicity CU also has access to the SavvyMoney financial management tool through the platform, according to the release.

The $483 million Simplicity CU integrated Q2’s platform in 2017 and has seen a significant increase in member engagement, Chief Experience Officer Sarah Arnoldy said in a statement, not disclosing specific metrics.

However, Simplicity in its 2017 annual report had $242 million in assets under management, nearly doubling its assets under management since the platform was integrated.

Q2’s announced agreement with Simplicity CU follows Q2’s tech deals with $1.7 trillion Wells Fargo and payment solutions provider Merchant’s Pact, both announced this month.

Axos Bank taps Ascendion’s gen AI platform

San Diego-based Axos Bank selected Ascendion’s Zenith digital banking platform, according to a Feb. 19 release from the gen AI-powered software provider.

The $23.7 billion Axos will use Zenith to streamline payments and bookkeeping functions for business clients and their customers, including:

• Cash management;
• Bill pay;
• Payroll;
• Relationship management; and
• Integrated banking.

Axos considered multiple technology partners before selecting Ascendion, Marc Kantor, senior vice president and head of commercial operations and technology at Axos Bank, told BAN, but offered no specifics.

Axos and Ascendion don’t have a specific completion date yet for the Zenith integration, but have made significant progress, Kantor said.

Axos and Ascendion see AI as the future of banking, Paul Roehrig, chief strategy and marketing officer at Ascendion, told BAN, adding that AI-driven engineering can speed up product development by 40%.

Axos says it is a completely digital bank aimed at delivering technology-focused financial services.

Jennifer Taylor, senior vice president and head of commercial digital at Axos Bank, will join Bank Automation Summit 2025 for the panel “Opportunities for banks in digital banking solutions for SMBs” on March 4 at 10:45 a.m. CT at the Hilton Downtown Nashville.

Ascendion didn’t name of other FI clients, but the software firm lists Google Cloud and UiPath among its tech partners.

Incent, Tyfone promote financial literacy

Digital banking solutions providers Incent and Tyfone are joining forces to promote financial literacy, according to a Feb. 19 release from Incent.

Under the partnership, Incent received an unspecified investment from Tyfone to expand the capabilities of its youth-focused digital banking platform, according to the release.

Marcell King, former chief commercial officer at Tyfone, joined Incent as general manager and is focused on scaling the business, he told BAN.

Incent’s platform includes these financial literacy features:

• Cash rewards for good grades and completing chores;
• Parental debit card and loan controls and spend monitoring;
• Monthly budgeting tools;
• Access to non-profits; and
• Digital trophies for reaching financial milestones.

The fintech works primarily with credit unions but wants to increase its presence in the banking market this year, King said.

Incent’s FI partners include $18 billion Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union, $3.6 billion First Community Bank and $2.2 billion Florida Credit Union.

Tyfone on Feb. 12 was tapped by $260 million Gold Coast Credit Union for its nFinia digital banking platform.

Pathward Financial enlists FairPlay for AI insights

Sioux Falls, S.D.-based financial services company Pathward Financial signed a three-year deal with “fairness-as-a-service” startup FairPlay for AI-powered credit decisioning insights.

The $7.6 billion Pathward Financial will use FairPlay’s AI-integrated data analytics software to identify and mitigate biases in lending decisions, according to a Feb. 18 release from Pathward.

FIs that use FairPlay’s software have increased loan approval rates by 10% and positive outcomes by 20%, FairPlay founder and Chief Executive Kareem Saleh recently told BAN in an episode of “The Buzz” podcast.

Listen to the podcast here.

FairPlay’s other FI clients were not disclosed, but Saleh said that it works with three of the largest banks.

Pathward’s other tech partners include payments processing platform Finix and embedded banking platform IngoPayments.

Bank of Brodhead, Linker Finance roll out mobile platform

Brodhead, Wis.-based Bank of Brodhead is partnering with digital banking solutions provider Linker Finance to launch Vault.Bank, a mobile banking platform.

The $349.2 million bank aims to use the platform to expand its customer base across Wisconsin while still accommodating local needs, President and Chief Executive Mike Olson said in a Feb. 20 release.

Managed by Bank of Brodhead, the Linker Finance API-powered Vault.Bank platform is integrated with core provider Fiserv and includes:

• Account opening;
• Digital payments;
• Fraud detection;
• Spend management;
• Message automation; and
• Analytics.

Founded in 2023, Linker Finance works primarily with community banks to modernize their banking infrastructure, according to its website. The names of its clients were not disclosed.

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