FinTech IPO Index names were mostly in the red this past week, and the companies that did manage to post gains barely made it out of the low single-digit percentages. The majority of the headlines through the last several days were centered on partnerships tied to platforms, including buy now pay later, card issuing and banking initiatives. Insurance solutions firm Huize led the slide, down by nearly 16% through the past five sessions. Huize’s shares plummeted on the heels of its earnings report. The company’s investor materials revealed that gross written premiums facilitated across the company’s platform were the equivalent of $142.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, a decrease of 16.2% year over year. Renewal premiums accounted for 46.5% of total written premiums a decrease of 41.3% from the year ago period

Upside, a leading digital marketplace dedicated to empowering individuals and businesses financially, today announced a strategic partnership with Marqeta (NASDAQ: MQ), a global modern card issuing platform. This collaboration enables Marqeta’s customers to leverage Upside’s always-on cash-back offers within their consumer card programs, helping them drive more transactions, increase retention and engagement, and strengthen their top-of-wallet positioning.“At Marqeta, we’re always looking for ways to help our customers create stronger connections with their users,” said Todd Pollak, Chief Revenue Officer at Marqeta. “Integrating Upside’s personalized cash-back offers makes it easier for customers to deliver meaningful rewards and keep their cardholders engaged where they spend most—grocery stores, restaurants, and fuel stations.”Marqeta, which serves as the issuer processor for some of today’s most innovative companies, will now offer Upside to its consumer debit and prepaid card programs in the US. This partnership enables Marqeta’s customers to deliver more value to their cardholders through personalized cash-back offers and actionable insights, enabled by seamless data flow between Marqeta and Upside.“Upside bridges the gap between retailers and consumers, ensuring both get more value from every transaction, and our partnership with Marqeta extends that reach even further,” said Alex Kinnier, Upside co-founder and CEO. “Our platform powers the highest-value offers in everyday spend categories by ensuring every offer drives incremental profit for retailers.”For many consumers, the decision of which card to use is driven by the rewards they will receive. By embedding Upside’s cash-back offers, businesses can influence spend shift by giving users more reasons to think of them first at checkout