Fintech Forward 2026 Concludes in Bahrain with over 60 Strategic Agreements Signed, Drawing 2900 Participants

Fintech Forward 2026 Concludes in Bahrain with over 60 Strategic Agreements Signed, Drawing 2900 Participants

• Fourth edition builds on last year’s momentum, advancing partnerships across financial services and technology.
• Bringing together 40+ speakers, international delegations, and the inaugural Tech Talent Hub, the event demonstrates the scale of industry participation behind Fintech Forward 2026.

MANAMA, Bahrain, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Fintech Forward 2026 (FF26), the Gulf region’s flagship financial forum, wrapped up today at Exhibition World Bahrain with more than 60 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), strategic agreements, and key announcements unveiled, securing over 2900 local and international participants. Marking the fourth edition, the forum welcomed its largest number of sponsors and exhibitors to date, underscoring the strength of industry engagement and a shared ambition to shape the next chapter of financial services.

The 65% increase in announcements and signings at FF26 highlights the Forum’s growing role as a catalyst for tangible economic outcomes. Several of this year’s announcements and MoUs build on connections forged at FF25, demonstrating how Bahrain’s agile financial ecosystem converts dialogue and access to decisionmakers into sustained momentum. This is the Team Bahrain approach in action, harnessing public-private partnership to drive innovation, strengthen the ecosystem and unlock new pathways for growth.

Among the developments announced at FF26 was a Google Cloud Universal Ledger pilot showcased by BBK. The project is being delivered in collaboration with ARRAY Innovation, a portfolio company of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund. It explores the use of advanced digital ledger technology within BBK’s core banking operations, with potential applications in tokenized payments and programmable settlement.

Beyon and barq Group’s (Technologies Union) also announced an agreement which brought together Beyon Money’s operations with barq’s fintech platform, with Beyon set to retain economic interest in barq, subject to final documentation and regulatory approvals.

FF26 also saw BENEFIT announce the National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) as the first participating bank and anchor banking partner in the Trade Finance Registry pilot. Developed in collaboration with Singapore-based trade finance fraud prevention specialist MonetaGo and Bahrain FinTech Bay (BFB), the pilot aims to reduce risk across trade finance. Bahrain FinTech Bay also launched its fourth Fintech Ecosystem Report (2024–2026), charting Bahrain’s progression to regulated execution and highlighting opportunities in AI, tokenisation, and cross-border payments. FF26 also marked the announcement of the third edition of the NBB Innovation Programme in partnership with BFB, continuing its presence at Fintech Forward for a second consecutive year. 

Further announcements included Beyon Connect’s plans to launch an AML Referral Programme, with AMAN Compliance Solutions joining as its first referral partner, helping organisations access specialised financial crime prevention and compliance expertise, alongside an MoU between Beyon Connect and BENEFIT to explore joint fintech opportunities locally and internationally, combining their complementary capabilities across digital identity, payments, credit and information services, as well as data analytics. BENEFIT and Huawei also signed an MoU to explore cooperation in digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies, reflecting the growing intersection between financial services and emerging technology.

Additionally, Kuwait Finance House – Bahrain announced an MoU with stc Bahrain to expand their existing partnership, exploring new areas of collaboration across digital solutions and integrated use cases, while further advancing digital capabilities in cash management, reconciliation, and trade finance.

The exhibition also debuted the Tech Talent Hub, featuring Citi, J.P. Morgan and KPMG and highlighting the role of Bahraini talent in supporting global clients and operations from the Kingdom, alongside the skills and career pathways shaping the future of financial services and technology. Bahrain’s highly skilled, future-proofed and diverse talent base continues to be a defining strength of the Kingdom’s economy, underpinned by strong workforce participation.

Bahrain has built a well-established financial services ecosystem over decades, supported by progressive regulation, advanced digital infrastructure, and a commitment to innovation. Financial and insurance activities remain the largest contributor to the Kingdom’s economy, accounting for 17.6% of real GDP in 2025, with the sector continuing to play a central role in driving economic growth and attracting investment. The sector is supported by a forward-looking regulatory environment led by the Central Bank of Bahrain, alongside a skilled workforce, and strong digital infrastructure.

Hosted by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB) and programmed by Forbes Middle East, FF26 was supported by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), and Bahrain FinTech Bay (BFB) and was held under the theme “Finance in the Age of Intelligent Infrastructure.”

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Equilend and Cboe Clear Europe Agree to Connect CCP Clearing Infrastructure for Securities Lending

Agreement enables Equilend clients to access Cboe Clear Europe’s clearing service for securities lending through existing infrastructure.

NEW YORK, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Equilend today announced an agreement with Cboe Clear Europe to connect Equilend’s trading and post-trade infrastructure to Cboe Clear Europe’s securities lending service, enabling clients to access central clearing without building or maintaining direct CCP connectivity. The integration will span Equilend’s NGT trading platform and its post-trade suite, covering the full lifecycle of a cleared securities lending trade.

Equilend clients will be able to submit trades for clearing at the point of execution via NGT, or through a post-trade workflow, across European and U.S. equities, fixed income, and ETFs for more than 20 global CSDs. Trades can be submitted independently, at trade agreement or via Post trade, through their preferred channel, and Cboe Clear Europe’s matching engine reconciles both legs.

The solution allows a client to choose Equilend as a provider without consideration for counterparty. The connectivity can also fit into the platforms clients already use, including Equilend’s Spire and 1Source, leveraging existing operational processes and platforms and providing clients direct access without costly technology implementations.

Cboe Clear Europe introduced a first-of-its-kind central clearing service for securities financing transactions in 2025, initially covering European equities and ETFs and delivering significant capital, operational and risk management benefits. Following strong adoption across the securities lending ecosystem, the service has since expanded to include European and U.S. fixed income products this year, and this week announced the launch of U.S. equities, with additional asset classes planned as part of future rollouts. CCP-cleared transactions may also carry more favorable capital treatment, a growing consideration for participants on both sides of a securities lending trade.

“The securities lending market has been moving toward clearing for some time, and the practical question for most participants has been how to get there without rebuilding their operational stack,” said Rich Grossi, CEO of Equilend. “This agreement with Cboe Clear Europe gives our clients a straightforward answer, clearing access through infrastructure they already have, with the flexibility to manage it at the point of trade or post-execution.”

“We’ve seen strong adoption from firms across the securities lending ecosystem for Cboe Clear Europe’s central clearing offering,” said Jan Treuren, Head of Product at Cboe Clear Europe. “Building on that momentum, we’re keen to drive further adoption through this agreement with Equilend, which will help to bring access to central clearing directly into the workflow where the market already operates.”

About Equilend

Equilend is a global financial technology firm offering Trading, Workflow Automation, Data & Insights, and Digital Solutions for the securities finance industry. With offices in North America, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific, Equilend operates across various jurisdictions worldwide, adhering to the highest regulatory standards.

The company is committed to excellence and innovation, with more than $55 trillion in notional transactions on its platform. Equilend is Great Place to Work Certified™ in the U.S., UK, Ireland, and India.

For more information, please visit www.equilend.com

Equilend Media Contact

media@equilend.com

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Hexaware Becomes an Anthropic Preferred Partner, Bringing Claude to the Core of Its AI-native Platforms

Multi-year partnership combines Anthropic’s Claude with Hexaware’s Zerovity™ and AgentVerse™ platforms to deliver outcome-based AI services for enterprises

MUMBAI, India and LONDON and ISELIN, N.J., Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hexaware Technologies (NSE: HEXT), a global provider of IT services and solutions, today announced a multi-year strategic partnership with Anthropic. Under the partnership, Hexaware becomes a Preferred Partner in Anthropic’s Claude Partner Network.

The partnership brings Claude to the core of two Hexaware platforms: Zerovity™, its AI-native engineering platform, and AgentVerse™, its agent build and governance platform with more than 600 pre-built agents. Hexaware will use Claude to deliver outcome-based services across IT operations and software engineering, as enterprise clients increasingly buy results rather than effort.

Hexaware has more than 1,100 Claude-certified professionals. Hexaware and Anthropic will work together on go-to-market, joint solution development, and customer deployments, and Hexaware will expand Claude training across its delivery teams.

Clients can engage in two ways:

• Start with a business outcome: Hexaware’s Zero Friction Enterprise™ offerings target technical debt, security vulnerabilities, backlogs, support tickets, process bottlenecks, and license costs.
• Start with the development tools: Clients can connect their development tools directly to the Zerovity™ harness, which applies token optimization and in-built software delivery agents.

The agreement builds on Hexaware’s existing relationship with Anthropic, including its authorization to resell Claude through Amazon Bedrock.

“Enterprises no longer want to buy AI effort; they want outcomes,” said Siddharth Dhar, President & Global Head –AI, Hexaware. “With Anthropic, we are putting Claude at the heart of Zerovity™ and AgentVerse™, so our clients reach production results faster, at a cost they can plan around.”

“Our teams have already certified more than 1,100 people on Claude,” said Vinod Chandran, Chief Operating Officer, Hexaware. “As a Preferred Partner, we can take that capability to clients together with Anthropic, from the first proof of value to production at scale.”

“Enterprises around the world are moving from experimenting with AI to running it in their core operations, and they need partners who can take Claude into production reliably and at scale,” said Chris Ciauri, Managing Director – International, Anthropic. “Hexaware brings deep engineering talent and AI-native platforms that turn Claude’s capabilities into measurable outcomes for clients across IT operations and software engineering. We look forward to building with them.”

About Hexaware

Hexaware is a global technology and business process services company. Every day, Hexawarians wake up with a singular purpose: to create smiles through great people and technology. With offices across the world, we empower enterprises worldwide to realize digital transformation at scale and speed by partnering with them to build, transform, run, and optimize their technology and business processes. Learn more about Hexaware at https://hexaware.com. 

About Anthropic

Anthropic is an AI safety and research company building reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. Anthropic’s Claude family of AI models is widely recognized for its strength in complex reasoning, long-context understanding, agentic workflows, and software development. Its safety-first approach to AI development has made Anthropic a partner of choice for enterprises operating in risk-sensitive, mission-critical, and regulated environments. For more information, visit anthropic.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements in this press release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking, which involve numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases globally, our ability to attract and retain highly-skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Hexaware has made strategic investments, withdrawal of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, and unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry.

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Asurion Completes Acquisition of Domestic & General to Expand Technology Care Across the Connected Home

Combination expands Asurion’s global reach and capabilities across technology and appliance care

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Asurion, a global leader in technology care, support, and protection, today announced it has completed its acquisition of Domestic & General (D&G), a leading provider of appliance protection across the UK, Europe and beyond. 

By combining Asurion’s technology care capabilities with D&G’s appliance expertise, strong partner relationships and international reach, the acquisition advances Asurion’s strategy to help customers manage and get more from the growing number of connected devices and appliances in their homes. The combination also expands Asurion’s presence internationally and in the U.S. appliance market, strengthening its position in the fast-growing, $150+ billion connected home devices market. 

“Technology is becoming more essential to everyday life and more connected and complex,” said Guru Gowrappan, Chief Executive Officer of Asurion. “Our job at Asurion is simple: make technology work. Bringing Asurion and Domestic & General together expands our ability to do that across more of the technology and appliances people rely on every day, while extending our reach to millions more customers around the world.” 

Domestic & General is a trusted leader in appliance care and protection, with more than a century of experience and partnerships with more than 100 leading brands, including Whirlpool, Sky, Hoover-Candy, and John Lewis.

“Domestic & General has built its business on trusted care, strong partner relationships and deep expertise in appliance care and protection,” said Matthew Crummack, Chief Executive Officer of Domestic & General. “Those strengths, combined with Asurion’s technology care capabilities and our shared commitment to customer and partner excellence, make this a compelling fit. We’re excited about what we can build together in this next chapter of growth.” 

There are no immediate changes to how Asurion or D&G serve their customers or partners as a result of the acquisition. Domestic & General will continue to operate under its existing brand within Asurion.

“We’re excited to welcome the D&G team to Asurion,” Gowrappan continued. “As homes become more connected, customers shouldn’t have to navigate a different solution for every device or appliance they own. Together, Asurion and D&G have an opportunity to make that complexity simpler, helping customers protect, manage and get more value from their technology throughout its life.” 

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. 

Advisors

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC acted as lead financial advisor to Asurion. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC also acted as a financial advisor to Asurion. Hogan Lovells Cadwalader served as Asurion’s legal counsel. Rothschild & Co acted as financial advisor to CVC and Latham & Watkins served as CVC’s legal counsel. 

About Asurion

Asurion is the leading global tech care company providing protection, repair, replacement, and 24/7 support for all the technology in consumers’ lives. With thousands of experts ready to help whenever and wherever, Asurion proudly cares for millions of customers with thousands of different devices. Asurion provides world-class customer experiences that keep tech running, with seamless, intelligent care for nearly every connected device in the home, from phones to major appliances and everything in between. Asurion is ready to help however you need it — online, over the phone, in your neighborhood, or even at your doorstep. We are a partner to the largest enterprise brands, serving over 100 clients. For more information, visit asurion.com. 

About Domestic & General

Domestic & General are the trusted appliance care experts, dedicated to protecting, repairing, and replacing millions of household appliances worldwide. With over 100 years of experience, they partner with leading manufacturers and retailers to provide exceptional customer service and reliable repair solutions. 

Operating in 12 markets, across the UK, Europe, and the US, they protect over 22 million appliances and serve over 7 million subscription customers. Their team of over 4,000 employees are committed to ensuring your home runs smoothly. 

Domestic & General’s product range is simple and transparent, designed to protect customers from the cost and inconvenience of appliance breakdowns. Whether it’s washing machines, heating systems, TVs, or consumer electronics, they repair over 2.6 million appliances each year. Committed to a sustainable future, they help make repair the first choice for people, businesses, and the planet. 

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Helfie Signs MOU with Homa Bay Kenya Ministry of Health for TB and Hypertension Screening Pilot

Population-scale pilot will target 100,000 of Homa Bay’s most vulnerable people across five sub-counties.

MELBOURNE, Australia, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Helfie AI (“Helfie”), an AI-powered preventive network transforming global healthcare, today announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Kenya’s Homa Bay County Ministry of Health to pilot a population-scale health screening and monitoring program.

The pilot will target 100,000 of the county’s most vulnerable people across five sub-counties of Homa Bay, supporting early screening and monitoring for tuberculosis (TB) and hypertension. The program will run entirely on the user’s mobile device and reflects almost nine months of on-the-ground planning and collaboration between Helfie, Homa Bay’s Ministry of Health and the county’s population health team.

Rania Awad, Chief Strategy Officer, Helfie AI, said: “This MOU marks the start of a preventive health pilot with the County Government of Homa Bay, focused on the early detection of tuberculosis and hypertension using Helfie. It is a concrete step towards a future where screening reaches every household, and where the intelligence to detect disease early resides in people’s own hands rather than behind a clinic an hour’s drive away.”

Hon. Grace Mercy Osewe, Homa Bay County, said: “Innovation sits at the core of what we do and how we are continuously thinking about delivering impactful health programs at scale. Helfie will help us determine how we can reach patients where they are and help connect them to the next steps in care promptly and efficiently.”

George Tomeski, CEO, Helfie AI, said: “When we say all eight billion humans, we mean the fisherman who never reaches a clinic and the household a health worker visits once a month, not just the people already well served. Homa Bay is where that commitment becomes real. Bringing early detection and proactive prevention to this community takes us a meaningful step closer to a world where optimised wellbeing is available to everyone, everywhere.”

ABOUT HELFIE AI

Helfie is a global health platform for early detection, proactive prevention and optimised wellbeing for all humans. Science-backed and AI-powered, it delivers 30+ easy, instant and affordable health checks via smartphone, working with governments and businesses to make preventive health accessible to everyone.

More details: www.helfie.ai

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SOPHiA GENETICS and Myriad Genetics Announce New Collaboration to Advance Prostate Genomic Instability Score Technology

BOSTON, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SOPHiA GENETICS (NASDAQ: SOPH) and Myriad Genetics, Inc., (NASDAQ: MYGN) today announce a collaboration to advance new prostate cancer-specific genomic instability score (PrGIS) technology to support precision oncology approaches with AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/NYSE: AZN). PrGIS is a novel biomarker signature designed to assess chromosomal instability associated with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) in prostate cancer patients. The collaboration aims to advance PrGIS in clinical trials and expand access to precision oncology medicines through potential companion diagnostic solutions.

Myriad developed PrGIS to support HRD as an actionable biomarker in prostate cancer, where HRD is emerging as an important prognostic and predictive biomarker. The proprietary MyChoice® CDx test which is currently available as a companion diagnostic in ovarian cancer, will produce the PrGIS score and is being advanced for prostate cancer as a new indication.

“This collaboration showcases Myriad’s biopharma capabilities to support development of precision oncology treatments,” said Lou Welebob, Senior Vice President, Companion Diagnostics, Myriad Genetics. “PrGIS is designed to provide biopharma partners with a platform that may support patient stratification in clinical trials and help accelerate companion diagnostic development for precision oncology therapies.”

As part of the collaboration, SOPHiA GENETICS is developing its solid tumor application for Extended Homologous Recombination Solution into a decentralized companion diagnostic solution. The solution will incorporate Myriad’s PrGIS technology and aim to expand patient access to PrGIS in global markets. SOPHiA GENETICS’ technology-agnostic, cloud-based platform offers local laboratory testing across a global network of more than 1,000 connected institutions in over 75 countries.

“Precision medicine has a geographic problem because breakthrough therapies developed in major markets often remain inaccessible to patients in the rest of the world,” said Jess Lambe, VP & Managing Director of BioPharma Business Development, SOPHiA GENETICS. “By pairing Myriad’s world-class biomarker innovation with SOPHiA GENETICS’ global network, we are working toward a solution for this. Together, we’re building a new model for companion diagnostic deployment that could help innovative therapies reach the right patients locally, expanding access to care where it matters the most.”

Upcoming ESMO data to highlight PrGIS as a novel biomarker in prostate cancer

Myriad also plans to present PrGIS research, co-authored with AstraZeneca, at the upcoming European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2026. The research is expected to further characterize the biomarker and support its validation. Full data will be available following the ESMO embargo period.

About SOPHiA GENETICS

SOPHiA GENETICS (Nasdaq: SOPH) is an AI-native healthcare technology company on a mission to transform patient care by expanding access to data-driven medicine globally. It is the creator of SOPHiA DDM^TM, an AI platform that analyzes complex genomic and multimodal data to generate real-time, real-world insights for a broad global network of hospital, laboratory, and biopharma institutions. For more information, visit SOPHiAGENETICS.COM and connect with us on LinkedIn.

About Myriad Genetics 

Myriad Genetics is a leading molecular diagnostic and precision medicine company committed to advancing health and well-being for all. Myriad Genetics develops and commercializes molecular tests that help patients and providers uncover genetic insights. Our tests assess the risk of developing disease or disease progression and guide treatment decisions across medical specialties where molecular insights can significantly improve patient care, support earlier detection, enable more precise treatment and contribute to lowering healthcare costs. For more information, visit www.myriad.com.

SOPHiA GENETICS Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including statements regarding the Company’s plans to deploy PrGIS technology, the development of decentralized companion diagnostic solutions, the Company’s global commercialization capabilities, and the expected benefits and reach of this collaboration. These “forward-looking statements” are management’s expectations of future events as of the date hereof and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, conditions, and events to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on March 3, 2026, as well as any updates to those risk factors filed from time to time in the Company’s Reports on Form 6-K or other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. SOPHiA GENETICS is not under any obligation, and expressly disclaims any obligation, to update or alter any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. 

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