OSLO, Norway, Sept. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Opera [NASDAQ: OPRA] is joining the Emerging Payments Association EU, a membership association of major companies working within the payments industry, marking a further step by Opera to grow its operations within the European fintech space.

The Emerging Payments Association delivers projects to drive change, helps connect the European payments ecosystem, encourages innovation along with sustainable business growth, and organizes events.

In January 2020, Opera announced its acquisition of the Estonian banking-as-a-service startup, Pocosys. In July 2020, the Oslo-headquartered company announced its next step: an investment in and an agreement to acquire Fjord Bank. In August 2020, the company informed investors about a further step it is taking by testing the initiative on the first markets in Europe.

“We have some real competitive advantages with 50+ million users in Europe. This gives us a huge potential to kick-start innovative financial services. We have started testing our digital wallet in our first EU markets,” said Opera’s Co-CEO Song Lin.

By joining the EPA EU as a founding member, Opera is showing its dedication and commitment to co-shaping the European fintech space together with other top fintech companies.             

“The EPA-EU is incredibly pleased to welcome Opera, a player that has repeatedly proven its capacity for innovation. This membership proves an interest in joining a European network whose philosophy is 'collaborate to innovate.' This demonstrates that the payment industry of tomorrow will be built by technology companies that arise from different backgrounds,” said Thibault de Barsy, Vice-Chairman and General Manager at the Emerging Payments Association EU.

“Opera is a company deeply rooted in Europe. With the added strength of our Pocosys acquisition and the recent Fjord Bank announcement, we are very excited about the potential and opportunity that we see in Europe. European fintech will be one of the main areas of focus for our team. We really look forward to scaling this new business,” added Krystian Kolondra, EVP Browsers & EEA Fintech.

Opera is a leading global internet brand with an engaged and growing base of over 360 million monthly active users out of whom more than 50 million live in Europe. With more than 20 years of leading innovation in the browser space, the company announced in January 2020 its plans to launch new solutions that reimagine the way people use financial services in their everyday lives.

About Opera

Opera is a global web innovator. Opera’s browsers, news products and fintech solutions are the trusted choice of more than 360 million people worldwide. Opera is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange (OPRA).

For business-related inquiries, contact: Sebastien Piolat, Director of Business Development - Fintech at Opera spiolat@opera.com For press inquiries, contact: Julia Szyndzielorz, Senior Public Relations Manager at Opera, julias@opera.com