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  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgIntuit buys Demandforce for $424 million.
  • SafetyPay awarded its first patent.
  • Baxter CU to integrate member data into the MoneyDesktop PFM for a real-time look into finances. Come check out MoneyDesktop at FinovateSpring 2012 in San Francisco.
This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.
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We recently caught up with Bill Dwight, founder and CEO of FamZoo. Founded in 2006, FamZoo's Virtual Family Bank helps parents teach their kids good personal finance.

FamZoo won Best of Show at FinovateFall in New York last year (check out the demo video), was deemed one of the coolest startups in America, and has been featured on Biz Kid$ public television series.

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FinovateYou have 5 kids, how do you balance your family life with your startup life?

Dwight: Hmmm, I'd have to say that FamZoo start-up life and my family life are more "intertwined" than "balanced". I started FamZoo to fill a need my wife and I saw within our own family: the need for better tools to help parents teach their young kids about personal  finance. My family experiences drove the initial design of FamZoo, and FamZoo's first users were my kids. So, I guess you could say my family is in FamZoo, and FamZoo is in my family. At FamZoo, we all work remotely out of our homes. So even though I'm working most of my waking hours, I feel very plugged in with the daily family routine. I'm always home when the (remaining 3) kids get home from school. If I don't have a scheduled meeting, I can pop over to see my two middle sons play a high school lacrosse game and make up the time later. That said, the kids are very mindful and respectful of my work boundaries. They know it takes a ton of effort and focus to build a business. When he was 7, my youngest made a cute little sign that I hang on my office door when I'm doing a demo or conducting a meeting. The great thing about FamZoo is that it's all about family. When I'm spending time with my family, I'm doing FamZoo "research". When I'm building stuff for FamZoo, I get valuable - if not brutally honest - feedback from my family. So, when it comes to FamZoo, I'm always working, and I'm always spending time with (at least someone's) family. Balanced? I'm not sure. Intertwined? Definitely.

Finovate: FamZoo recently landed a spot next to Kickstarter and Foursquare in Doreen Bloch's book, The "Coolest Startups in America". Can you give us some insight into what makes FamZoo so cool?

Dwight: I'd say it's the three "P"s: Personality, Purpose, and Platform. As for personality,  our software communicates with a consistent, genuine, warm voice. We call it "the FamZoo voice", and the delightful cartoons by Pulitzer nominated cartoonist Henry Payne are a big part of it. To ensure that every detail - right down to the error message text - is consistent with our personality and mission, our software is lovingly hand-crafted right here at home. It's completely "in-sourced". FamZoo is a friend in your parenting journey, not some cold tool. It's conversational, understanding, and non-judgemental. 

The second "cool-factor" is FamZoo's purpose. I can't tell you how awesome it feels to spend my entire working day honing the craft I love while pursuing a purpose I firmly believe in. Helping parents teach their kids practical life skills is an undeniably good mission. It's enormously gratifying when we receive unsolicited notes from parents telling us how FamZoo has positively transformed their relationship with their kids. Those make the last 6 years of patient effort worth every hour. 

The third P in our coolness trifecta is "platform". I like to think of FamZoo as a "purpose platform" because that wonderful feeling of purpose we enjoy in building FamZoo transfers to every one of our parents and partners through our platform. Parents using FamZoo feel a strong sense of purpose and fulfillment by following through on their responsibility to mentor their kids effectively. Meanwhile, FamZoo partners get to share, amplify, and customize the FamZoo financial literacy purpose to fit their unique mission and brand. It's a wonderful cascading halo effect.

Finovate: What's the most surprising thing you've encountered since launching FamZoo?

Dwight: Winning Best of Show at FinovateFall 2011! Seriously. We really didn't realize how much our mission, our warm approach to software, my piggy T-Shirt, my orange shoes, and our cartoon stickers would resonate with the audience. It was a very pleasant surprise, and the show was a fabulous launchpad for our Partner Edition product.

Finovate: What sparked the idea for FamZoo?

Dwight: Collaborating with my wife to raise our 5 children sparked the idea behind FamZoo. We realized we had this awesome responsibility to imbue them with the fundamental life skills and values they were going to need to thrive in the real world. We knew it was a good idea to start early on these things, but when we looked around, there just weren't many simple, effective options out there to help parents teach young children basic life skills like personal finance. 

There were some great concepts, but most approaches took too much time and effort for the typical "crazy-busy" parent to consistently implement or weren't engaging enough for the kids. That's when I started tinkering with a software-based solution on the weekends, and initial prototypes started taking shape way back in 2002. So FamZoo, which is short for "Our Family is a Zoo", is all about thoughtfully leveraging online and mobile technology to help superbusy parents prepare their kids for the "wild" - aka, the real world. We want to lower the bar for parents to be effective money mentors to their kids.

Finovate: What's the smartest move you've made since launching FamZoo?

Dwight: Our smartest move so far was developing our Partner Edition product so we could have much more efficient distribution to families through our partners. The next smartest move was launching it last year at FinovateFall 2011. That turned out to be the perfect audience, and winning the Best of Show accolade was a real credibility boost. Our subsequent successes proved that FamZoo is not a hobby or a sideline. Building a sustainable, growing business is crucial to fueling the mission and truly making a difference in youth financial education on a broad scale.

Finovate: What is your favorite feature of FamZoo?

Dwight: I have to pick just one? You mean aside from our "angry mom" cartoon who pops up to quiz you if you're really, really sure you want to delete something that might have serious repercussions? I know my 10 year old's favorite feature is simply the ability to check his balance on his own. It's a wonderful feeling of responsibility and independence for a kid. 

As a sentimental dad, my personal favorite is the historical chart where I can drill down and see the cute things my daughter bought when she was a little girl, not to mention the mischief she got into as a teen. It's like an interactive walk down memory lane. As a fellow parent, my favorite is the flexible setup capability. That's because I've come to appreciate how every family is different. Heck, every child is different. It's so important to respect those differences and allow our families to match their setup to their specific values and financial situation.

Finovate: You won Best of Show at FinovateFall last year as a first-time presenter. What advice would you give a startup preparing for their first Finovate demo?

Dwight: First, I'd say practice, practice, practice - with a timer! It's cringe-inducing to get "gonged" and have your microphone cut mid-sentence for going over your limit. Don't be that kind of memorable. Second, let your personality show. Tell a story. Have some fun with it. If you're genuinely having fun up there, the audience will too, and they'll be way more receptive to your message. Third, keep it simple. Hammer home just one or two key messages; otherwise, you'll be lost in the din of 60+ back-to-back demos. Fourth, have lots of back-up plans. Stuff happens, and you need to be prepared to roll with it - even if it gets down to doing a clever monologue with hand-shadows for a demo.

Finovate: Can you give us a sneak peek of what's next for FamZoo?

Dwight: It's always a little frustrating to choose what we do next because we (and FamZoo 
families) have so many cool ideas for continually enhancing FamZoo. We're also convinced 
that it's a lot of the "little things" - the details - that make a big difference. So, we're continually polishing what we already have. That said, here's a peek at just a few of the "big" themes on our roadmap:

  • Integrate with a spectrum of payment methods: this will allow parents, at their discretion, to gradually transfer purchasing power (with appropriate controls, of course) to their kids as they mature and prove they can handle the responsibility.
  • Model more financial concepts and instruments. FamZoo is all about taking real world adult financial concepts and turning them into a hands-on learning experiences that make sense for kids. This usually involves simplification, amplification, and acceleration. There are numerous concepts - many in the area of investing - that we plan to model more directly over time.
  • Extend our embedded targeted marketing platform. Our Partner Edition product allows partners to schedule and deliver targeted messages to segments of their families within the FamZoo experience. We'll be continuing to expand the targeting options we offer -  reaching beyond demographic and into more behavioral opportunities.
Finovate: What do FamZoo's user numbers look like?

Dwight: Our numbers look "really good" (winking smiley here) -  especially now that we're starting to roll out deployments with some large partners with big audiences. Our growth has truly been a hockey stick over the past three quarters, but I have to admit, it's still a stick for a pretty short player. Think Martin St. Louis of the NHL at 5'8" 177lbs. Don't underestimate us though. Like Martin, we're small, but we do great things, and you'll love having us on your team.
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To learn more about FamZoo, watch its FinovateFall 2011 demo. Stay tuned for another CEO interview next month.
  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgFamZoo lists the cost of the 6 partnership options for financial institutions.
  • Dough Roller lists Betterment as 1 of 5 ways to automate your finances.
  • Social Lending Network reports Lending Club and Prosper collectively issue over $50 mil in loans.
  • Q2ebanking names David Peterson EVP, customer experience and innovation.
This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

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We recently looked back at Finovate's Best of Show Awards archives and wanted to share the list of the 41 award-winning companies.

Here's the Best of Show history that stretches back to 2007, the inception of Finovate:


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Held October 2, 2007


Mint: Online PFM for individuals

Mortgagebot's Mortgage Marvel: Mortgage marketplace

Prosper: P2P lending network


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Held April 29, 2008


First ROI (now BancVue): Develops products and services for community financial institutions

Jwaala: Provides software solutions to help financial institutions compete

Zecco: Online stock and options trading

Zopa: P2P lending network


Finovate2008.jpg

Held October 14, 2008

CheckFree: Online banking platform 

Credit Karma: Provides a free and easy way for consumers to understand, monitor and monetize their credit profile

Mint: Online PFM for individuals

Neosaej's MoneyAisle: Platform where banks compete in live auctions for an individual consumer's business 


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Held April 28, 2009


BillShrink (now Truaxis): Provides a free cost-savings tool that saves consumers money on everyday bills

Prosper: P2P lending platform

Silver Tail Systems: Predictive analytics to prevent fraud abuse

SimpliFi: A web service that allows anyone to create and update their own financial plan


Finovate2009.jpg

Held September 29, 2009


BancVue's Kasasa: national checking/ savings account brand for community financial institutions

Credit.com: Provides free interactive tools, education, and unbiased comparisons of quality financial products and services

Digital Insight from Intuit: Provides on-demand banking services to help financial institutions serve clients

Silver Tail Systems: Provides online fraud detection platform 

Yodlee: Provides personalized financial solutions to financial institutions


FinovateSpring2010.jpg


Held May 11, 2010

Bobber Interactive: Money management platform for youth

Expensify: Online and mobile expense report platform

oFlows (Purchased by Andera in 2011): Multichannel paperless solutions for account openings

Wikinvest: A platform for investors to share trading tips


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Held October 4-5, 2010


Betterment: Investment account for savings management 

BillShrink (now Truaxis): Loyalty rewards provider

Bundle: Provides socially informed money management for individuals

Dynamics: Produces and manufactures intelligent powered cards

oFlows (Purchased by Andera in 2011): Multichannel paperless solutions for account openings

PayNearMe: Cash transaction network for the underbanked

SecureKey: Token-based authentication technology


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Held February 1, 2011

eToro: Social investment network

Finantix: Provides sales and advice solutions for financial services 

Liqpay: Payments platform

Meniga: Online PFM for financial institutions


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Held May 10-11, 2011

BancVue: Develops products and services for community financial institutions

BankOns: Mobile app offering consumers real-time savings at local merchants

Dwolla: Online, mobile, and social peer-to-peer payment platform

oFlows (Purchased by Andera in 2011): Multichannel paperless solutions for account openings

Mitek Systems: Provides apps for smartphones that allow users to deposit checks and pay bills via their devices' cameras

PayNearMe: Cash transaction network for the underbanked

Wikinvest: A platform for investors to share trading tips


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Held September 20-21, 2011



BillGuard: People-powered antivirus for bills

Dynamics:  produces and manufactures intelligent powered cards

eToro: Social investment network

FamZoo: Online "virtual family Bank"

FeeFighters: Platform that simplifies the process of choosing a merchant account provider

LearnVest: Online PFM for women

Offermatic: Targeted online offers provider

oFlows (Purchased by Andera in 2011): Multichannel paperless solutions for account openings

Personal Capital: Online financial advisor helping people manage their investments


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Held February 2, 2011


Cardlytics: Transaction-based rewards

Dynamics: produces and manufactures intelligent powered cards

eToro: Social investment network

Nutmeg: Online investment manager that democratizes saving and investing
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  • MIT Technology Review covers Dwolla.
  • BlackRock teams with DCisions to improve contribution portfolio benchmarking & customer insight capabilities.
  • Dwolla, FamZoo, LendingClub, SecondMarket, & Segmint listed in the Coolest Startups in America book.
  • ProfitStars introduces BusinessManager for healthcare providers.
  • Authentify launches 2CHK out of band authentication technology.
This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You
can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.
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Here's a transcript from Finovate's live twitter stream during FinovateFall last Tuesday and Wednesday. 
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The entries appear in chronological order:

Day 1, Session 1

  • Here we go, Finovate number 10 starts in 10 minutes. Lots of cool tech coming! Follow the #finovate hashtag for next 2 days.
  • Weemba is launching a "reverse lending" system that puts borrowers in control. Only lenders they authorize can contact them. Link
  • Demyst.Data is launching a lender predictive analytics system to grow portfolios through better segmentation. Link
  • Google is showing its new Advisor  that is designed to improve the search experience for mortgages, credit cards, etc. Link
  • Google is showing how you can easily compare terms and conditions. It is inviting banks to talk to them to participate. 
  • Betterment is launching goal-based investing to its simple investing platform. Link
  • Betterment is showing how to create multiple goals with different asset allocations. This is a great, understandable investment UI.
  • Segmint is launching SegmintSocial, a platform for financial institutions to interact with customers on Facebook. Link
  • Segmint is demoing a bank dashboard and live chat-like user interface to engage customers in Facebook. 
  • Kabbage is debuting its SocialKlimbing system that uses social activity as part of the credit evaluation process. Link
  • Kabbage is demoing the social and sales analytics around an eBay merchant's store in order to assess the merchant's risk and increase credit.
  • RobotDough is launching an "antivirus for your portfolio" that monitors a brokerage account for accounting red flags. Link 
  • RobotDough has massive coverage: it is worldwide on 130 stock exchanges, has 45,000 companies worldwide, and has options coverage coming soon.
  • RebirthFinancial is showing a new way for lenders to analyze small businesses. JAS (pronounced jazz) is a neural network rating system. Link
  • Rebirth Financial is looking to popularize a small business predictive model-- there is a big need for that.
  • CreditSesame is launching its "badges of financial responsibility" to "certify credit worthiness" to the world. Link
Day 1, Session 2

  • TandemMoney is launching a system for users to "borrow" from themselves, then repay. This helps to minimize interest. Link
  • TandemMoney is demoing the "loan" process that uses a "plain talk promise" to disclose exactly what's going on. 
  • Equifax is demoing a freemium service that shows "Places" on its mobile app and has real-time access to your credit file. Link
  • Equifax is showing how you can use its mobile app to determine "neighborhood safety" based on credit scores. It also has a "credit report" lock toggle.
  • Transecq is showing its ENTERSECT out-of-band transaction authentication system using a mobile phone. Link
  • Transecq is using push-based notifications rather than an SMS message for the 2nd-factor authentication. 
  • Balance Financial is demoing a bill upload process using an iPhone camera. It also launches a FaceTime chat with the personal bookkeeper. Link
  • Balance Financial's app has receipt uploads that are managed with help of a personal bookkeeper at $40 per month.
  • Micronotes is showing its new KulaX cross-sell engine 1st Advantage Credit Union on stage demoing it Link
  • 1st Advantage FCU says it gets three times the number of leads using Micronotes compared to the traditional method of direct marketing.
  • PersonalCapital is launching its company today  at Finovate, calling itself an "investment management for the Internet age."  Link
  • Personal Capital is demoing an investment management UI which really pops, showing an "investment checkup" with fee projections. 
  • Personal Capital demonstrates its free service using an iPad app with FaceTime connection to your financial advisor. It ends its demo with an iPad giveaway. 
  • Kony is showing its new mobile commercial banking application that streamlines approvals and transactions. Link
  • MyCyberTwin is debuting an "emotionally responsive AI virtual agent" that is able to use emotion, smile, frown, etc. Link
  • MyCyberTwin is demoing a fully automated avatar deployed on Australia's NAB. It captures customer mood and responds to what they really want. 

Day 1, Session 3

  • CashStar is launching its Digital Gifting platform where the iPhone app turns card points into mobile gift cards. Link
  • Authentify is launching 2CHK for a secure, 2-way window into user accounts for review, approval, or cancelation of transactions. Link
  • Backbase debuts its Retail Bank of the Future, and suggests products that "other people like you use" (Similar to Amazon.com's recommendations). Link
  • Andera is showing its new FortiFI system that scans new account applications submitted to over 500 financial institutions. The system discovers fraud patterns. Link
  • Andera is demoing a fraud app made on BankSimple app. Side note: this is the first Finovate company with masked man driving the laptop! 
  • eToro is launching "Copy.Me," a store where you can find the top traders to follow and copy their trades. Link
  • The best jokes delivered at Finovate so far: eToro's Yoni Assia (high school copying) and Kabbage's Marc Gorlin (naked tweeting).
  • Yodlee is showing its new "Dynamic Consumer Experience" with a large "deals" section in the upper-right. Link
  • Yodlee is showing a goal-oriented profiling tool, Smart Credit, in its FinApp Store. Real-time PayPal payments can be used to pay bills.
  • BillGuard is demoing its new "Antivirus for Bills," a crowd-sourced database with information on bad charges to inform all users of the fraud. Link
  • BillGuard is demoing a Yodlee-powered daily scan on credit card transactions across all your cards. It flags potential issues and likely fraud.
  • BillGuard today is launching "BillGuard browser extension," so far it has found fraudulent charges on 20% of cards-- this adds up to $350,000 in savings. 
  • BillGuard is launching a collaborative industry working group to track fraudulent charges. 

Day 1, Session 4

  • modoPAYMENTS is showing its full-service mobile payments service using a live helmet cam at a local bar. Link
  • So glad that modoPAYMENTS the helmet cam demo worked! 
  • cbanc Network is showing a "social network-like" system for bankers to work with each other to tackle issues. Link
  • cBanc uses a virtual currency to incent bankers to upload answers and solutions to the network so that others can "buy" the solutions. 
  • cBank has 2,900 participating financial institutions and 3,000 solutions and answers in the system, including exam sharing. It even has a method to NOT share the information with competitors.
  • cBank Network is launching vendor opportunities today such as advertising, review responses, surveys, etc. 
  • SigFig is a "second set of eyes for your portfolio." It can set up a meeting with your adviser within the system.
  • SigFig is showing its system for avoiding trading fees, showing a real example where the user could save $150k per year. Link
  • Mootwin is showing its new mobile investment management and trading system with real-time updates. Link
  • Experian is demoing its new myID privacy and identity monitoring system. Link
  • Experian myID will help you opt out from tracking services. This helps get your name and mobile phone number removed from data aggregation services. 
  • Experian myID can be white-labeled for financial institutions. 
  • Plastyc is showing its new savings account attached to Upside prepaid account. It includes goals and achievements. Link
  • Plastyc is showing its systematic savings tools and cash-back rewards to incent savings (currently 6% rate). 
  • Dynamics is launching Chip & Choice, enabling advanced EMV applications without the need to update point of sale terminals. Link
  • Dynamics drops its card into a glass of water to show that it can go through the washer, nice.

Day 2, Session 1

  • FinovateFall 2011 day 2 starts off with T8 Webware.
  • T8 Webware is launching Grip, a mobile banking app with aggregation to monitor all accounts. It also includes receipt upload. Link
  • T8 Webware built its own aggregation engine. The app carries a fee of $0.99 for each month used.
  • Swipely is launching a "loyalty for main street," platform that is linked to customer credit and debit cards. Link
  • CREALOGIX is launching CLX.SentinelDisplay, a USB device with keypad, display, and a hardened browser for out-of-band authorizations. Link
  • CREALOGIX also includes complete data confidentiality: when the USB device is disconnected, nothing about the session remains on the PC. 
  • ACI Worldwide and MShift are unveiling their Mobile Enterprise Banker," a business banking app for tablets. Link
  • ACI and MShift are demoing on the iPad, showing how an urgent push notification from a bank overrides an "Angry Birds" session-- nice visual. 
  • FuzeNetwork is launching Swipe2Pay to make a cash payment or deposit to a bank by swiping a card at a retailer's point of sale. Link
  • Fuze Network is demoing actual point of sale transactions where "any card" works. The system is live at ACE now. 
  • FreeMonee is showing its new card-linked offers system to provide simple cash back rewards. Link
  • MitekSystems is debuting "Mobile Balance Transfer" for banks to acquire new credit card customers. Link
  • Mitek is demoing "point.shoot.transfer.save." Users take a photo of a credit card statement, the tool extracts the APR/balance, then uploads the information to the issuer for an offer.
  • Mitek is showing what happens in the back office when an image is received and how it is evaluated.
  • Truaxis (formerly BillShrink) is demoing its new platform that delivers personalized discounts via web, mobile, and email. Link
  • Truaxis says that the majority of its users want  "Netflix-like" recommendations for purchases. There is great potential for banks to showcase this information. 
  • LearnVest is creating the 1st online 'financial fitness center'. Its goal is to make financial planning more accessible to women. Link
  • LearnVest has put 250,000 users through its "financial boot camp" in past 3 months. It is showing a PFM with a "Gmail look and feel." 
  • LearnVest is demoing a "financial advice center" with costs $130/yr or $4.99 for 1-day. 

Day 2, Session 2

  • Cartera Commerce unveils its Local Offers solution, part of its card-linked offers service. Link
  • Cartera Commerce is demoing its merchant self-service interface. 
  • FamZoo is showing its system for teaching kids good money habits via co-branded FamZoo Virtual Family Bank. Link
  • FamZoo is demoing how kids and parents interact through its online interface, manage spending, incent savings/giving, and create rewards.
  • FamZoo is launching a "partnership edition" today, a private branded version for banks, credit unions, and advisors.
  • oFlows is launching a broad-based paperwork solution; allowing for the digitization of all types of paper-based transactions. Link
  • oFlows is demoing the upload of a voided check to handle account verification on-the-go.
  • InComm and CorFire are showing a new mobile platform for retailers to personalize the consumer payment experience. Link
  • InComm and CorFire are demoing an offer delivered in-store on a mobile device. It then uses a mobile barcode to pay at the point of sale. 
  • planwise is debuting its company at Finovate today. It is designed to help consumers understand their financial plans. Link
  • planwise offers "Secure Share" to provide the ability to share parts of your financial plans with others-- this is a much-needed online finance feature. 
  • Jingit is launching a transactional ad platform where consumers can earn cash for engaging with brands. Link
  • Jingit is demoing how it works with an online music store: "instant earn/instant spend." It is working with US Bank for cash-back rewards. 
  • LighterCapital showing its new Revenue Loan that offers "debt-like risk with equity-like returns." Link
  • Ligher Capital is showing its two-question loan application--that should raise eyes. It is also discussing real "Tomato Battle" funding. 
  • Lighter Capital is launching "social security" with partners. It combines "light-weight lending platform" with social media-based decisioning. 
  • MasterCard is showing its new Small Business Controller, part of the inControl suite to create unique payment products. Link
  • MasterCard is demoing virtual card creation by small businesses with real-time alerts to employees.
  • BankSimple is showing its user interface publicly for the first time today, focusing on speed and simplicity. Link
  • BankSimple features a "Safe-to-spend" balance that is "red flagged" in the upper left corner of the main page. It is also demoing a "Goggle-fast" natural-language search.
  • BankSimple is "helping users learn from their transactions". It is demoing fast bill-pay with real-time processing.
  • BankSimple is demoing a goal setup. Users can pause, lock, resume, or manually add to it. It is also showing a mobile interface that was "designed before online UI." 

Day 2, Session 3

  • PayNearMe is launching its new automobile-loan payment service using cash at local stores such a 7-Eleven. Link
  • PayNearMe is demoing with a Monopoly board and a toy cash register--a Finovate first.
  • PayNearMe demos making payments for rent and utilities with a mobile bar code scanned at a 7-Eleven.  
  • CarryQuote is showing its Intellicast system to quickly publish investment research to mobile and tablet apps. Link
  • CarryQuote is launching a "conference feature" to connect with customers before, during, and after investment events. It also has real-time updates. 
  • FeeFighters is launching the Samurai payment gateway, the "simplest way to accept payments online." Link
  • FeeFighters is demoing how to add its gateway to a webpage. It uses "intelligent routing" of payments to ensure the lowest cost. 
  • Wall Street Survivor is launching a new interface catering to investing beginners. It uses missions to educate the learning investors. Link
  • Wall Street Survivor is the "largest fantasy stock market online," with 350,000 registered users. 
  • Wall Street Survivor is demoing a stock trading "mission" with virtual cash and points to reward users. It also includes Facebook integration.
  • miiCard is showing "Assured Identities" to serve as "drivers license/passport checks" for the online world. Link
  • miiCard is designed to reduce high levels of "financial cart" abandonment, showing how it can be integrated into a banking site.
  • DoughMain is launching a family financial management platform and three age-relevant financial game sites. Link
  • DoughMain is showing a financial homepage for pre-teens with a service that includes a prepaid card.  It also has a gift card purchase cart.
  • DoughMain is looking to offer versions for banks.
  • Bundle is using actual spending data to help "cut through the noise" of user-review sites like Yelp. Link
  • Bundle is demoing its advanced "search results filtering" to hone in on restaurants that attract repeat customers.
Day 2, Session 4

  • Transparency Labs is working on the transparency genome to decode and explain financial "fine print." Link
  • Transparency Labs is demoing how it can break down the "fine print" and uncover fees and important conditions, showing it in a dashboard.
  • Transparency Labs also monitors existing agreements and sends alerts when the "fine print" changes.
  • ActivePath and Cardlytics are teaming up to deliver in-statement offers delivered directly to clients via email. Link
  • Cardlytics and ActivePath are showing "active mail" within Gmail. It includes an "offers" tab within the emailed bank E-Statement.
  • The Cool House of Financial Media is launching eyeOpen, a financial matching service that provides the best-fit in financial products. Link
  • The Cool House of Financial Media is demoing a consumer profiling session with eyeOpen, and recommends products based on what other people liked.
  • IND Group is launching IND Innovation, a new online and mobile platform that includes a "bank feed." Link
  • IND Group is demoing mobile P2P payment with a QR code. It supports "mobile first" banking. 
  • Offermatic is reinventing "daily deals" by making them relevant and easy to redeem through bank card linkage. Link
  • Offermatic is offering "guaranteed net new profitable customers." It is demoing a dashboard of metrics for merchants with zero cost to the merchant. 
  • Offermatic is launching Dynamic Offers, the first system that pegs the value of a discount to the value of the customer. It also track repeat purchases. 
  • ReadyForZero is showing a new system with loan repayment automation and data sharing. Link
  • ReadyForZero found that its users pay down debt twice as fast as non-users; its designed to reduce credit losses for banks/card issuers. 
  • Bobber Interactive is launching its GoalCard app on Facebook. Link
  • Bobber Interactive's social-game-based system is geared towards GenY; asks "who would you rather loan $50 to?" using Facebook tools.
  • Bobber Interactive "is helping Gen-Y win at money" ($200 billion market). 
  • That's it-- FinovateFall is a wrap...see you in the networking hall!
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This morning, FamZoo demonstrated a co-branded version of its product that helps parents instill children with good financial habits: 

"FamZoo Partner Edition allows credit unions, banks, financial advisors, and other financial organizations to offer a co-branded version of the FamZoo Virtual Family Bank to their client families. Using FamZoo Partner Edition, organizations can:

      • Develop an ongoing relationship with next generation clients early on 
      • Provide a natural on-ramp to real world financial products 
      • Deliver innovative, hands-on youth financial education that is more effective than existing content and games."
Product Launched: September 2011 

HQ Location: Palo Alto, CA 
Company Founded: August 2006 
Metrics: Private funding $900K, 2 employees, initial product launched January 2010, 1565 registered families, 8% trial-to-paid conversion rate, $425K of spending/giving transactions by kids tracked to date.
Website: famzoo.com

Presenting Bill Dwight (Founder & CEO)

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FInFallLogo.jpgMore than 60 leading fintech innovators, both startups and established companies, are gearing up to present at the biggest Finovate ever, Sep. 20/21 in NYC.

Each company provided a sneak peek of what they'll be demoing on stage next month. Below is the first installment of these teasers. We'll have more next week. 

Don't miss your chance to see the live demo from each company and meet the execs responsible. Get your FinovateFall ticket here

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Backbase is launching "Retail Bank of the Future," representing the e-banking engagement experience of tomorrow. It embodies the newest User Experience (UX) patterns based on input gathered from customer research, industry thought leaders and UX specialists.

Innovation type: Mobile UI, online UI


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Personal finance is a chore and not too high on any To-Do list. Life is busy and finance stresses people out. 

At Balance, we manage your personal financial chores for you. We combine professional service (your own bookkeeper!) with all of your financial accounts and bills in one place for a fully managed experience that is personalized for you.

At Finovate we will show how you can now connect your financial accounts to Balance and power our newest expense tracking, budgeting and custom reporting tools. Also, look for a demo of our photo bill pay app and some other surprises!

Innovation type: Banking, payments, PFM


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Saving for a house? And retirement? And that dream vacation? No problem with Betterment.com! We've created the simplest, fastest, and most efficient way for consumers to invest for their goals and the future.

Innovation type: Banking, investing, PFM


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Banks need to re-define the relationship they have with consumers if they want to succeed in today's market. StatementRewards has introduced an effective way for financial institutions to inexpensively reward their consumers for banking with them, which in turn increases loyalty and customer satisfaction. 

At Finovate, BillShrink announces a new innovation that harnesses the intelligence of aggregated transactional data and applies it to customers' social networking and purchase management activities. By utilizing advanced analytics to present the most personalized offers and other services to customers, StatementRewards gives financial institutions a unique, competitive edge.

Innovation type: Cards, PFM, rewards


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Want to see the definitive search engine for tackling today's banking issues? cbanc Network has created a revolutionary online collaborative platform for financial institutions to share best practices. This secure online community contains the largest repository of peer-authored, board-approved, exam-tested content anywhere. Here, banking professionals trade real, practical work -- including policies, procedures, agreements, vendor reviews and more from every department of a bank or credit union. 

This network
  1. Motivates people to share their best work 
  2. Uses points as currency to incentivize users 
  3. Helps FIs prepare for exams
  4. Protects users around legal and competitive concerns of sharing

Innovation type: Back office, online UI, security


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The technology of the CLX.SentinelDisplay, a Class 4 reader with a hardened browser, hardened middleware, an integrated smart card and a high-resolution display,  ensures extremely high, comprehensive security in e-banking applications. 

Along with the reader's extremely secure customer authentication and transaction signing mechanisms, the advanced concepts for application authentication and pro-active security updates is unique. The hardened browser (CLX.SecureBrowser) onboard the reader ensures full confidentiality of customer data - a security aspect that is often entirely ignored.

Innovation type: Identity, payments, security


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DeMystData's new web-based modeling platform helps lenders grow thin file portfolios without increasing their risk level. With minimal inputs, our tool leverages the vast amounts of data accumulated online, applies advanced statistical techniques, and configures a bespoke predictive API that captures additional customer information without adding underwriting complexity.  

The DeMystData platform has application in variety of commercial environments including credit issuance, risk assessment, segment identification, and offer customization.

Innovation type: Identity, lending, marketing


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Credit unions, banks, financial advisors, financial institutions: How are you delivering youth financial education to your client families? How are you connecting with your next generation client? How are you fulfilling Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) responsibilities for financial literacy programs that progress in complexity as students get older? 

You've tried online content and even interactive online games, but the results are disappointing. Neither can hold a child's attention for long or keep them coming back over the years. We have a better way. It's no game. It's real experience. It works. We can't wait to show you at FinovateFall 2011.

Innovation type: Online UI, PFM


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Fuze Network provides innovative ways for financial companies and their customers to work together. Learn how we help billers to build brand loyalty, aid in collection efforts, reduce fees, boost your customer service efforts and help to eliminate misdirected funds.

With Fuze at your back we can help to boost your store traffic, drive sales, increase revenues and simplify the hassle of payment processing all while creating a better customer service experience.

Fuze helps connect customers with the closest payment locations, online bill payments, simple cash payment solutions, and easy utility bill payment all while saving them fees and the hassle and stress of paying bills.

Innovation type: Back office, cards, payments


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Ready to have your financial mind blown away? Lighter Capital is combining light-hearted irreverence PLUS a light-weight and flexible funding structure PLUS a social-based investment decision analysis to make it easier, faster and more fun for small businesses to access capital than ever before! Get ready!

Innovation type: Investing, lending, small business


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KulaX is a cross-sell engine that enables financial institutions to leverage their online banking platform to generate more leads faster without interfering with core banking functions. 

Online banking customers are targeted with the "next best product" where they are invited, at logout, to engage in an automated one-on-one microinterview with their financial institution about their financial products needs and preferences. Upon interview completion, customers are presented with special offers for the FI's products and services that have been tailored based on interview responses; requested offers are emailed to customers.

Innovation type: Marketing, rewards


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Modo converts redemptions to payments, and makes payments mobile.  Our demo will show how easy it is to onboard consumers and merchants, as well as the simplicity of paying with modo.  

And of course, most importantly, why you should GET modo and PAY with modo, in the first place: MORE!

Innovation type: Mobile, payments, rewards


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When your brand is in the palm of your customer's hand: make the most of mobile technology. Mootwin helps your business enhance the mobile customer experience, re-enforce loyalty, and accelerate revenue growth.

Innovation type: Communications, marketing, mobile


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MShift and ACI Worldwide formed an alliance in 2010 to offer mobile delivery of ACI Enterprise Banker, the industry leading business banking solution.  

They are now partnering to create a ground-breaking mobile business banking native application for the tablet. The application is focused on robust and graphically rich presentations of financial data as well operational tasks like ACH, wire release and bill payment, all with access from anywhere at anytime.

Innovation type: Banking, mobile, payments


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MyCyberTwin will demo its Artificial Intelligence solutions, called virtual agents, and give a detailed explanation about how current leading financial institutions are using the technology today and will use the technology in the future.

It is a powerful demo to show an audience how a computer thinks and answers questions in real-time, helping customers get the answers they need while helping companies garner the intelligence of the customers visiting their websites. This demo will also showcase an emotionally responsive AI virtual agent able to capture emotion including smiling, frowning, and expressing gratitude.

Innovation type: Communications, marketing, sales


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The oFlows paperless loan and deposit originations system has expanded beyond financial institutions.  Because oFlows has seamlessly integrated credit, fraud and payment systems, now anyone can use oFlows for just about any transaction.

Think of the last time you were handed a clipboard with a paper form on it. Next time it might be a tablet computer running oFlows.

Innovation type: Banking, lending, mobile


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Consumers have plans, life plans, and want to understand how those plans affect their finances in the future, so they can make better decisions.

Planwise is launching tools that will help any consumer, from the teen buying a laptop, the 20-something buying a car, the couple buying their first home to the astute property investor, to better understand how their decisions today might look in the future financially.

The consumer can then connect with the lender or adviser of choice to quote, get advice or apply.

Innovation type: Lending, marketing, PFM


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Putting money aside for a rainy day is easier said than done. Many Americans do not have any money saved for emergencies. 

Plastyc aims to change this by introducing automated savings built into prepaid card accounts. Setting aside a few dollars every day, week or month will be just a single click away. Money accumulated in the savings purse of the card account will reward savers with cash at unprecedented rates.

Innovation type: Banking, cards, online UI


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ReadyForZero is an online program for the 77% of American families who are paying down debt. For individuals and families, ReadyForZero facilitates the management and reduction of debt. 

For financial institutions, the program is a low-touch and consumer-friendly alternative that reduces net credit loss and improves customer retention.

Innovation type: Online UI, payments, PFM


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Rebirth Financial, noted by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco as a company to "change the US finance system," is shaking up the small business lending game again! 

In February, Rebirth launched the nation's first peer-to-business lending platform. Shortly after, Rebirth uniquely integrated SBA and CRA lending into the P2B mix. 

Now, Rebirth is introducing the JAS Rating System! It's a system that will redefine the way we analyze small business and a must-see for financial institutions lending to small businesses and companies wondering whether they should extend credit to a new client. It's just another game changer from Rebirth Financial.

Innovation type: Back office, lending, small business


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T8 Webware is bringing native mobile services to the masses by giving consumers real-time access to their financial purchase capabilities. Grip, a financial decision-making tool supports consumers' daily needs, empowering them to understand their money flow simply and without clutter. 

Grip enables financial institutions to provide convenient information on the go; addressing consumers' mobile needs through a highly secured mobile and tablet app. With no reliance on core integration, financial institutions can offer Grip almost immediately and without any upfront fees. It can be deployed in three weeks and costs 99 cents each month for customers who use the app.

Innovation type: Communications, mobile, PFM


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The Transecq solution, powered by ENTERSECT ITA, has revolutionized two-factor authentications by utilizing the power of the end user's mobile device, fully encrypting the device and creating a multi-factor authentication tool. 

Strong 2-Factor authentication delivered ubiquitously across the globe puts the power of approval in the appropriate hands.Thus providing protection and security way beyond passwords and account challenges.

Transecq is the industry leading innovator and developer of mobile security solutions for the financial services market.  All the services leverage the security of Digital Fingerprint technology which uniquely ties a user and his/her mobile phone to an encryption key.

Innovation type: Communications, identity, security


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Weemba revolutionizes the way borrowers and lenders find each other and interact in a social-network-like online format. Borrowers create a profile and post a loan project under a nickname. 

Profiles may include everything from the Borrower's income and education level (individuals) to their number of employees and annual sales (businesses). Lenders search projects by credit score, amount needed, purpose and more. 

When a Lender finds an interesting project, the Lender then may ask the Borrower for access to their real identity. If the Borrower grants access to the Lender, all further contact and any negotiations take place outside Weemba.

Innovation type: Lending, marketing


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At FinovateFall 2011, Yodlee will demonstrate customization without effort. The company has developed a way for banks to automatically tailor a consumer's initial experience with personal financial management.

Or, as the company likes to say:

    Online banking can be such a chore
    Checking balances is often a bore
    With new customization
    You'll cause a sensation
    Yodlee FinApps offers MUCH more

    All new at Finovate
    Banking that will motivate
    Inspire and personalize
    You'll see how to stylize
    Your customers will tell you you're so GREAT

Watch Demos

Click above for video archives of all demos.

 

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