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We’ve had quite the year here at Flinks in 2023! It’s been a year filled with ups and downs, but we’re proud of how far we’ve come as a company. There were some great new product launches, amazing onsite event experiences, outstanding partnerships coming together and more. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of this last year. 

Product Launches

Flinks Upload

Our clients have been asking us to help them address the concerns of their customers regarding data sharing while also giving them more options to bridge gaps they were facing with data collection. 

With Flinks Upload, you now can collect all of your customers’ bank data without the need for credential sharing. Since our initial release, we’ve expanded its capabilities to include void cheques. It even includes built-in fraud detection signals! 

Flinks Pay

One of our proudest releases to date, Flinks Pay is bringing instant payments to more businesses in the Canadian market. What makes this release so exciting is its ability to be embedded directly into products and services, allowing for a seamless experience. We’ve been tinkering with this idea for a while now, and are really excited to make this game-changing solution available to our clients.

Currently, we’ve got a waitlist as we kick off the beta. Come 2024, the full rollout will be happening. Stay tuned!

Product Updates 2023

In addition to these two major releases, we’ve been busy upgrading and improving our existing suite of products. Some of the highlights include:

• Launching new OAuth connectivities, making Flinks the financial data provider with the largest OAuth network in North America
• Improving the Flinks Connect user experience and adding new Attributes to our existing packages
• In addition to the full Flinks Upload launch, clients now having the ability to get enriched data from the PDF Uploads

And more! If any of these pique your interest, reach out to members of our team to get started!

Government’s Announcement Reaffirms Flinks’ Vision

Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland announced as part of the the 2023 Fall Economic Statement the federal government’s intention to introduce legislation establishing an Open Banking framework that would regulate third-party access to consumers’ financial data. A victory for Open Banking in Canada!

Learn more about the Proposed Framework here. 

Partnerships

Argyle

Flinks and Argyle announced their strategic partnership this year. This collaboration aims to provide a seamless and secure way for businesses to access and utilize employment data. By integrating Flinks’ financial data connectivity with Argyle’s employment data system, the partnership will enable businesses to gain a comprehensive understanding of a consumer’s financial and employment status. This will help businesses make informed decisions, enhance user experience, and drive growth.

Read about the partnership here.

Everlink

Flinks’ partnership with Everlink will allow credit unions and other financial institutions to easily integrate and launch Outbound, an Open Banking solution, by leveraging Everlink’s Digital Solutions. This collaboration offers secure financial data-sharing, significantly cutting development costs and accelerating market entry with an API-driven platform. This innovative, adaptable architecture ensures compliance with evolving regulations while also anticipating future functionalities such as payments, account creation and write access.

You can find more details about the partnership here.

Xero

Flinks and Xero, a global leader in online accounting software, have officially joined forces! Through this partnership, Xero’s small business customers will now have access to the largest network of direct bank API connections across Canada and the United States, as well as secure and direct access to their banking data. This is Open Banking in action, as customers across North America will now be able to sync their bank feeds directly, increasing productivity and accuracy by reducing time and effort spent on manual reconciliations.

Full details on the partnership can be found here.

Dwolla

Flinks and Dwolla partnered up this year as part of a continued commitment to the advancement of open finance in North America. Having joined Dwolla’s Secure Exchange program, this program facilitates the secure transmission of financial information, providing protection against potential security threats and ensuring the integrity of the financial data being shared. Open finance in action!

You can find the full announcement here.

Finding Success Together

Propel + Flinks

There’s nothing better than two Canadian companies growing and mutually supporting one another as they successfully break through a competitive financial marketplace. That’s what you’ll see with the partnership between Propel Holdings and Flinks. Propel’s transformational fintech platform has seen it become one of Canada’s top growing companies in 2023, with Flinks supporting them every step of the way. As Propel has grown through its three operating brands, Fora Credit, CreditFresh and MoneyKey, they’ve continued to trust Flinks because of our dependable cross-border bank integrations and robust Canadian connections and network. You can read all about this fantastic partnership here.

Estateably + Flinks

Administering an estate or trust can be a difficult and lengthy process. They can vary from straightforward to intricate, often involving the collection, evaluation, and management of numerous financial accounts and assets. Having personally experienced the challenges of the estate management system themselves, the founders of Estateably wanted to provide a comprehensive digital solution that included financial data aggregation and real-time reporting within their platform. See why they chose Flinks and how this partnership has helped Estateably digitize and and streamline estate and trust management.

Treefort + Flinks

Treefort Technologies is at the forefront of fraud prevention, utilizing state-of-the-art technology in their multilayered platform. As the first in Canada to offer identity verification, fraud risk, and anti-money laundering assessments in a single platform, they sought a dependable and established partner that could seamlessly integrate into their platform and bolster their banking verification process. Find out why Flinks was an ideal match for Treefort and see how together we’re working to stop fraudsters.

CarEvo + Flinks

Based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, the founders of CarEvo knew firsthand the complexities that potential buyers faced when trying to qualify for and purchase a car. The obstacles for Atlantic Canadians were particularly steep, often finding their buying options and loan eligibility limited. CarEvo realized it was time to introduce a modern and digital solution to car shopping for Canadians, which is why they looked to Flinks as their experienced fintech partner. Discover more about how this partnership has been instrumental in CarEvo’s journey to becoming the number one car dealership in Atlantic Canada.

Events

One of our favorite parts of 2023 has been the events we’ve attended, and we’re not just saying that because we love spreading the word about everything Flinks. As coffee enthusiasts, we loved sponsoring delicious barista bars at Open Banking Expo and Lend360. We also like to share the fun, which is what we did when we introduced everyone to Flinko at LendIt.

As leaders in Open Banking and major proponents of financial innovation, we’ve proudly sponsored and spoken at some of the most influential gatherings in the fintech space, shining a spotlight on the importance of collaboration and innovation in the financial industry.

2024 is going to see more of this, looking forward to seeing you out there!

Flinks Engage Webinars

With the launch of Flinks Upload this summer, the Flinks Engage  spotlight was on the Flinks and Ocrolus partnership, with a session focusing on the best ways technology can bridge the gaps in financial data connectivity. The discussion included current issues businesses have accessing user-permissioned data, before looking at how businesses can best use technology to enhance customer experiences and boost revenue generation.  

You can watch the entire session here. 

Following the Open Banking Expo in 2023,  Flinks Engage featured Stephane Bousquet, Leader for Open Banking and Digital ID at National Bank of Canada, Cathy Ly, Vice-President, Customer Experience and Digital Banking Operations at EQ Bank, Adam Gibson, Head of Product at Flinks and Simon Wahl, VP of Marketing at Flinks. This session brought these Open Banking specialists together to share their expertise and insights on the state of Open Banking in Canada.  

Check out the full panel discussion here. 

We’ve got even more in store for you next year.

See you in 2024!