RICHMOND, Va., April 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Markel Group Inc. (NYSE: MKL) will hold its annual “Omaha Brunch,” an event at which the company’s leaders take questions from investors, on Sunday, May 4 at 10:00 a.m. Central Time at the Omaha Marriott Downtown at the Capitol District.

This year the event will begin with a presentation on the company and recent changes within the core insurance business.

Markel Group will provide a live video and audio webcast of the presentation, which can be accessed live with the associated slide presentation through the Investor Relations page on Markel Group’s website: https://ir.mklgroup.com. An archived replay of the entire two-hour session will be available on the company’s website after the event.

About Markel Group
Markel Group Inc. (NYSE: MKL) is a diverse family of companies that includes everything from insurance to bakery equipment, building supplies, houseplants, and more. The leadership teams of these businesses operate with a high degree of independence, while at the same time living the values that we call the Markel Style. Our specialty insurance business sits at the core of our company. Through decades of sound underwriting, the insurance team has provided the capital base from which we built a system of businesses and investments that collectively increase Markel Group’s durability and adaptability. It’s a system that provides diverse income streams, access to a wide range of investment opportunities, and the ability to efficiently move capital to the best ideas across the company. Most importantly though, this system enables each of our businesses to advance our shared goal of helping our customers, associates, and shareholders win over the long term. Visit mklgroup.com to learn more. 

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Discover the top fintech stories for April 15, 2025, including Méliuz’s Bitcoin strategy, Marshmallow’s new funding round, API innovation trends, Payfinia’s executive expansion, and a Revolut alumni launching a new venture. Get detailed insights, expert commentary, and opinion-driven analysis in today’s edition of Fintech Pulse: Your Daily Industry Brief.

Introduction: A Day of Bold Moves and Bigger Bets

Welcome to your April 15, 2025 edition of Fintech Pulse: Your Daily Industry Brief — your go-to source for industry-shaking developments, bold strategic pivots, and the quietly disruptive undercurrents shaping the future of financial services.

Today’s news round-up dives deep into a Brazilian fintech doubling down on Bitcoin, a UK-based insurtech startup raising fresh funds amid tough market conditions, and the accelerating trend of API-centric fintech architecture. We also look at Payfinia’s heavy-hitting executive hires and a stealthy talent migration from Revolut that hints at another fintech powerhouse in the making.

From Latin America’s crypto experimentations to Europe’s competitive insurtech landscape, and from digital banking’s tech arms race to the new elite shaping fintech’s next wave — today’s headlines are as much about evolution as they are about revolution.

Méliuz Goes All-In on Bitcoin: A Calculated Risk or Crypto Recklessness?

Source: Reuters

Brazil-based fintech Méliuz is making headlines with its newly proposed strategy to expand its Bitcoin reserves. This isn’t a fluke or a passing phase — this is a calculated move that plants Méliuz squarely in the camp of crypto-aligned fintechs seeking to build value beyond fiat.

Méliuz’s board has greenlit a proposal to integrate Bitcoin deeper into its treasury, turning what was once a fringe experiment into a core part of its financial strategy. The plan will go before shareholders on April 30, where it’s likely to pass unless something drastic shifts investor sentiment.

“Holding Bitcoin is no longer about speculation,” argues Méliuz CEO Israel Salmen. “It’s a hedge against systemic volatility and an enabler of decentralized value.”
— Source: Reuters

Let’s be clear: this isn’t just about Bitcoin. This is about trust, transparency, and long-term value preservation in an inflationary, volatile global economy. Méliuz’s move mirrors strategies seen in larger companies like MicroStrategy and even Tesla during their crypto flirtations. However, Méliuz’s size and geography make this bolder — and riskier.

Brazil’s economic climate, marked by inflationary pressures and a tech-savvy population, makes it a fertile ground for crypto experimentation. But with crypto regulation in Latin America still a mixed bag, Méliuz is walking a high wire. One misstep, and the fallout could be swift. On the flip side, if crypto prices soar again, Méliuz could see returns that dwarf traditional asset classes.

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Commentary:
This strategy signals a maturing fintech ecosystem in Brazil, where companies aren’t just playing catch-up but are instead crafting frontier strategies. While the jury’s out on whether Bitcoin is truly a “digital gold” or just volatile vaporware, Méliuz is betting on the former — and we’ll be watching closely to see if that bet pays off or backfires.

Marshmallow Raises £15 Million: The Resilient Rise of Insurtech

Source: Sifted

In a financial climate that’s tested even the hardiest of startups, UK-based insurtech Marshmallow has pulled off something rare — it’s raised £15 million to support its expansion strategy.

Founded by identical twins Alexander and Oliver Kent-Braham, Marshmallow has made a name for itself by offering car insurance to underserved communities, particularly immigrants, using data and AI to assess risk more fairly.

Now, with fresh capital on hand, the startup plans to continue its international expansion and broaden its product portfolio. This comes at a time when many fintechs are trimming fat, scaling back operations, and focusing on survival rather than growth.

“We’re building a different kind of insurance company — one that doesn’t penalize people for who they are,” said co-founder Alexander Kent-Braham.
— Source: Sifted

What makes this raise notable? It’s a Series B extension — not a new round — and Marshmallow is doing it without massive layoffs, without pivoting to profitability narratives, and without the usual desperation that has gripped post-2022 fintech fundraising.

Commentary:
Marshmallow’s win here underscores the power of mission-driven fintechs. Insurtech has been plagued with overpromising and underdelivering, but Marshmallow has stayed focused on user-centric outcomes and scalable technology. In a space bloated with VC cash and churn, Marshmallow is emerging as one of the few that could actually deliver sustainable returns.

The API Revolution: Fintechs Shift to Modular, Scalable Tech Stacks

Source: Yahoo Finance

APIs are not new. But in fintech, they are becoming the backbone of modern finance — not just for innovation, but for survival.

According to new reports, fintech companies are doubling down on API strategies to create scalable digital platforms, drive partnerships, and enable faster product rollouts. The trend is not just limited to startups; even mid-sized and larger institutions are embracing API-first infrastructure.

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“Today’s fintechs are building Lego-block platforms — where everything is composable, adaptable, and modular,” said financial analyst Priya Menon.
— Source: Yahoo Finance

This modularity allows financial platforms to integrate with third-party services, launch new products faster, and create more seamless user experiences. Think of it as plug-and-play finance — the future of banking and payments.

Examples include:

• Neobanks using third-party APIs for KYC/AML onboarding.

• Lenders plugging into open banking APIs for credit assessments.

• Wealthtech platforms integrating with robo-advisory engines on demand.

Commentary:
We are witnessing the Amazon Web Services moment for fintech. Just as AWS turned server infrastructure into a utility, APIs are doing the same for financial services. The winners of the next decade won’t be the ones with the most capital but the ones with the most composable, collaborative architecture.

Payfinia’s Power Play: Assembling a Dream Team of Fintech Heavyweights

Source: BusinessWire

In another move signaling growth ambitions, Payfinia, a rising player in the digital payments space, has announced a series of executive-level hires from across the fintech and traditional financial services industries.

New appointees include leaders from Stripe, Visa, and PayPal — a who’s who of payment royalty. This strategic hiring blitz is meant to turbocharge Payfinia’s expansion into North America and Asia-Pacific, with a focus on enterprise-grade payment infrastructure and B2B solutions.

“We’re not just building a company — we’re building an institution,” said Payfinia CEO Natalie Wexler.
— Source: BusinessWire

The new executives will be tasked with expanding partnerships, improving core payment technologies, and unlocking cross-border transaction capabilities. With global B2B payments projected to top $200 trillion by 2028, Payfinia is playing for keeps.

Commentary:
Talent is strategy. In the high-stakes world of fintech, executive leadership often makes or breaks a growth trajectory. Payfinia’s aggressive poaching of top-tier talent from incumbents shows it’s not content to nibble around the edges — it wants to be a category-defining company.

A Revolut Graduate Is Building a New Fintech Army

Source: eFinancialCareers

Nik Storonsky, Revolut’s enigmatic CEO, has a track record of cultivating aggressive, data-driven fintech leaders. Now, one of his star alumni is making moves, reportedly poaching key Revolut staffers to form a new stealth fintech.

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While details are sparse, sources close to the matter suggest the new venture will focus on financial automation for SMEs, a long-underserved segment in digital banking. Ex-Revolut staff are being wooed with equity-heavy compensation packages and promises of building a “more humane” fintech.

“We learned how to scale ruthlessly at Revolut — now we want to build something with soul,” said a source familiar with the new venture.
— Source: eFinancialCareers

This kind of exodus isn’t new. PayPal begat the PayPal Mafia. Klarna has its alumni. Now, Revolut’s elite are planting the seeds of what could be the next breakout fintech startup.

Commentary:
Watch this space. These early movements have the fingerprints of something big. Revolut’s culture is intense and often controversial, but it produces builders. If this new venture can blend Revolut’s speed with a more balanced ethos, it could be one of 2025’s biggest stories.

Conclusion: From Crypto Treasuries to API Architectures — Fintech’s Future Is Now

Today’s fintech headlines make one thing abundantly clear: the industry is evolving faster than ever, driven by bold decisions, daring leaders, and next-gen tech stacks.

Méliuz’s Bitcoin move reflects a new wave of treasury management. Marshmallow’s funding round speaks to the endurance of purpose-driven fintechs. API modularity is shaping how fintechs build, not just what they build. Payfinia is making a power play through human capital, and Revolut’s alumni are hinting at the birth of another unicorn.

This isn’t just the daily news — it’s a snapshot of a sector in motion, flexing its muscles and preparing for its next metamorphosis.

Stay tuned. The future of finance is being written in real time — and you’re reading the first draft.

The post Fintech Pulse: Your Daily Industry Brief – April 15, 2025 – Featuring Meliuz, Marshmallow, Payfinia, Revolut appeared first on News, Events, Advertising Options.

LONDON, April 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — FNZ has extended the deadline for three “catch-up” equity offers to 14 May 2025, in what appears to be an effort to manage growing discontent among employee shareholders.

Impacted shareholders, however, say the extension fails to address the fundamental issues: significant dilution, lack of transparency, conflicts of interest on the Board, uncommercial terms, and financial barriers that effectively exclude them from participating.

The three offers relate to equity raises in May 2024, August 2024, and most recently 12 April 2025. Together, these capital raisings have diluted employee shareholders by over US$4.5 billion – including US$1.5 billion from the most recent raise of US$500 million.

Despite the magnitude of these transactions, affected shareholders were not notified of the dilutive impact until early 2025 – months after the first two raises had already occurred. Notices regarding the 2024 raises were only issued in February this year, giving shareholders just 30 days to respond. FNZ has since extended this deadline three times, culminating in the new May cut-off.

But former employees say the real issues run deeper.

“It’s not about having more time,” said one shareholder, who asked to remain anonymous.

“The documents are complex, and I’m being asked to contribute money to retain equity that I was originally granted for years of work. That’s never been the model before.”

Another added: “The only reason I’d even consider investing is to avoid being diluted further. But the amount is way beyond what I or any of my colleagues would be able to afford. They know that, so they are just giving themselves a 200% return at the expense of my equity.”

Adding to the unease of the bullying tactics used to muzzle this shareholder class, a social media account on X (formerly Twitter) that had been sharing updates of media coverage about the situation was recently suspended. A new version of the account has since been launched at x.com/nzclassaction.

FNZ was founded in New Zealand in 2003, and remains domiciled there. The board’s actions may violate The New Zealand Companies Act 1993, and the shareholders have said that they will reserve the right to take the dispute to the New Zealand High Court if an agreement cannot be reached.

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