Four Finovate alumni were featured in the latest publication from Online Banking Report (OBR).

Bolstr

• Debt-based / Crowdlending
• Headquartered in New York, New York
• Presented at FinovateFall 2012
• Demo Video

P2Binvestor

• Receivables-based / Crowdfactoring
• Headquartered in Louisville, Colorado
• Presented at FinovateSpring 2013
• Demo Video

The report is an in-depth look at the emerging trends in crowdfunding and features a look at 18 up-and-coming platforms. OBR Subscribers can access the report here. It can also be purchased for US$495 here.

• The Wall Street Journal takes a look at "bitcoin startups" including OpenCoin. Come meet them at FinovateSpring in San Francisco.

• Currensee announces launch of Trade Leaders managed fund.

• US Bankcard Services now providing AuthenticID service to its merchants.  See AuthenticID demo at FinovateSpring next week.

• Check Point introduces 600 Series security appliances for SMBs.

• Forbes lists SoMoLend as 1 of 10 top crowdfunding sites for fundraising.

• Investor Junkie reviews Jemstep. Come see what's new at Jemstep at FinovateSpring next week.

• Venture Village profiles Holvi.

• MoneyDesktop honored with Bronze award in the Telly Awards, which recognize the finest video, film, & web commercials. See them demo at FinovateSpring.

• Business Insider names BillGuard as 1 of the 20 hottest startups from Israel.

• Inc42 Magazine features TransferWise.

• INTJ Capital compares and contrasts Quantopian and QuantConnect. Join Quantopian in San Francisco for FinovateSpring.

• MicroStrategy launches mobile app Usher, e-wallet for digital I.Ds, keys. See them demo at FinovateSpring in May.

• Paybefore takes a look at the TSYS's acquisition of NetSpend and ponders "prepaid's end game."

• Jingit introduces cashback offers.

• Monitise Group Strategy Director Richard Johnson talks about trends in mobile money.

• BancVue chooses MicroStrategy platform for business analytics.

• CPA Practice Advisor takes a look at the new, updated iPad app from Kashoo.

• This is Money blog looks at Zopa's growth.

• Yodlee awarded 50th patent for financial gadgets.

• SoMoLend travels nationwide to teach small businesses & investors about crowdfunding.

• Austin Business Journal considers BancVue's inverted sales pitch.

• Newfination hosts SoMoLend CEO, Candace Klein, who explains how the platform's  crowdfunding capability.

• Intelligent HQ interviews The Currency Cloud's CEO, Michael Laven.

• Pando Daily profiles crowdfunding pioneers like SeedInvest and SoMoLend. Join SeedInvest in May for FinovateSpring.

• The Next Web interviews TipRanks's CEO and co-founder Uri Gruenbaun.

• Chevron teams up with WattzOn to launch The Capacity Project for sustainable growth.

• Refundo launches free iPhone app. Check out Refundo's live demo at FinovateSpring.

This quarter, both January and Feburary funding exceeded $50 million. Most of February's funding can be attributed to On Deck Capital's $42 million round.

Over three months, 15 companies raised more than $155 million, This is very similar to last year's first quarter funding* when we saw a total of 11 companies raise more than $150 million.

Here's the Q1 summary for 2013:

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*While the funding over last year has increased, so has the number of Finovate alums. We're tracking more than 100 additional companies this year compared to last year.

Note: Funding that companies received before they demonstrated at Finovate was not counted. Questions? Comments? Email us at julie@finovate.com or david@finovate.com.

• Investors Business Daily interviews Barry Silbert, SecondMarket CEO, who says the stock market is broken.

• Xero opening new LA office for Southern California team.

• Bank Innovation reports: Fiserv Tops 1 Million Mobile Deposit Capture Users, 7 Million Mobile Users.

• Radio New Zealand reports: Xero to launch fully into U.S. market in July.

• Candace Klein, SoMoLend CEO, discusses the hardship that the SEC's delay of the JOBS Act has caused.

• Dwolla updates Magneto extension.

• Yodlee receives 2013 Honorable Mention in Industry Partner category for the Barlow Research Associates' Monarch Innovation Awards.

• Virtual Piggy integrates with Oracle ATG Web Commerce, expands reach of network to more than 390,000 brands.

• Mitek's Mobile Deposit solution receives top award for Overall Most Innovative from Barlow Research Associates.

• Management Today interviews Zopa CEO, Giles Andrews.

• TechCrunch looks at Realty Mogul and its recent win at the Founder Showcase pitch competition. See them in action at FinovateSpring in May.

• GreenDot and UniRush launch reloadable prepaid Visa card. Join GreenDot for FinovateSpring in San Francisco.

• Allied Payment Network bill payment technology integrates with CSPI's Aurora online banking platform.

• Zooz announces partnership with ChronoPay. Join Zooz in San Francisco for FinovateSpring in May.

• Identity Theft 911 CEO to lead discussion on social media and insurer risk at upcoming NAMIC seminar.

• Roadtrip Nation interviews Dan Reed of Bazaarvoice.

• Money Street Smart reviews TradeKing.

• Hard Assets Alliance features an interview with Gold Bullion International CEO Steven Feldman.

• Newfination interviews Taavet Hinrikus of TransferWise.

• Engine talks about rewarding risk-takers with GoodApril founder Benny Joseph.

• TransferWise featured in HuffPost Students United Kingdom.

• EZBOB investor John Garfield profiled in The Telegraph.

• Money.co.uk compares money transfers through Azimo.

• Fiserv partners with Romania-based Eutron Invest to provide Cash and Logistics solution portfolio to the Romanian market.

• Forbes looks at the "best of the best" debt crowdfunders including Lending Club, Prosper, Zopa, SoMoLend, Rebirth Financial.

• SecureKey announced availability of its cloud-based briidge.net identity and authentication platform.

• ID Analytics introduces fraud detection solutions for online retailers.

• The Globe and Mail lists Expensify as 1 of 5 apps that take the bumps out of business travel.

• Petter Made, co-founder and COO of SumUp, talks about the advantages of Dublin as a base for business.

• Credit Union Times reports: Fiserv launches SpotPay.

• Finextra reports G&D and PayPal team on pre-paid mobile top-ups in Brazil.

• Practical eCommerce takes a look at Klarna Invoice for OSC programs.

• CSI's globalVCard wins top entrepreneurial prize at 2013 Innovation Project.

• Newfination interviews CurrencyFair's Brett Meyers.

• Prosper announces new API for lenders.

• American Banker reports: Union Bank signs up for Fiserv's Bill Pay.

• Bolstr featured on MSNBC's Your Business.

• Backbase gives a glimpse of the Digital Marketing Module it showed at FinovateEurope.

• Triple Pundit looks at how the SEC is holding SoMoLend and other debt/equity crowdfunding platforms hostage.

• USA Today considers Lending Club's success.

• CIO lists Expensify as 1 of 3 apps to help at tax time.

• BellaDati releases updates to its platform.

• Credit Karma launches app for Android.

• Med Gadget interviews Diversinet CEO, Dr. Hon Pak.

• Finextra reports Geezeo signs 1st United Services Credit Union.

• CashStar announces availability of tablet gifting.

• Android, iOS updates now provide card-to-card payments with Pageonce.

• Dough Roller blog names PocketSmith one of the best calendar-based personal finance apps.

• Continuity Control to partner with cbanc Network to provide regulatory briefing via RegAdvisor.

• Koolspan and DeviceFidelity team up to build TrustSleeve, bringing microSD-based voice encryption to the iPhone.

• Locaid and Life360 join forces to help parents stay in touch with their kids.

• The Financial Brand highlights 50 of the most spectacular website designs in banking: Simple (formerly BankSimple), Standard Chartered, Mint, & Moven. See Netbanker's take on the list here.

Debt-based crowdfunding platform SoMoLend announced today that it has completed its Seed round of funding, totaling over $2 million.

A recent $400,000 investment from Virginia-based QED Investors finished off the Seed round. Prior investments contributing to the total amount include:

• Online Broker Review takes a look at the TradeKing iPhone app.

• Ayondo's investing and trading app TradeHub available on the iPhone.

• Entrepreneur interviews Candance Klein, CEO of SoMoLend.

• Brr Media interviews Kiboo founder and CEO Lisa Halpern.

• TechCrunch chats with Simple CEO and co-founder Josh Reich to find out why Simple is better than your bank.

• Lend Academy reports: Lending Club Issues $120 Million in New Loans in February.

• American Banker reports: Bank of Zachary Selects Andera's Account Opening System.

• Check Point positioned as leader for 16th consecutive year in 2013 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Network Firewall.

• The WSJ reports: SecondMarket to Launch Student-Loan Securities Platform.

• Blippy for iPad available at the iTunes App store.

• Comarch announced as a sponsor of Loyalty Expo 2013 in Orlando, Florida.

• Prepaid Resources announces partnership with IDology.

• Rescuecom highlights TransferWise as low cost, currency conversion option.

• Acculynk's Payzur brings person-to-person payments to consumers on PULSE debit/ATM network.

• Compass Plus helps Russian-based FI SwitchMaster reach processing benchmark.

• ekmPowershop announces partnership with EZBOB.

• American Banker reports: Planwise to Participate in Yodlee's Incubator Program.

• BillHighway hires new CFO.

• Arroweye Solutions reports 40% growth due to 175% uptick in open loop card production, added 27 new clients in 2012.

• Fuze Network now guarantees no late fees.

• Bill.com to provide Frantopia with accounting services.

• Prosper unveils new protection for lenders.

• The Next Web reports: Tradeshift adds support for accounting services Sage and Kashflow, helping businesses get paid.

• Forbes considers how SoMoLend provides capital to small businesses.

• VentureBeat reports SecondMarket is partnering with CircleUp to allow investors to invest in up-and-coming consumer product businesses.

• Thomaston Savings Bank selects Q2ebanking's full suite of ebanking solutions.

• HiddenLevers launches portfolio stress testing app to help advisors generate leads.

• Fiserv awarded Best-in-Class rating in 2012 Anti-Money Laundering Technology Review.

• Gifting app Wrapp selects Braintree to power payments.

• Social Commerce Today features Azimo.

• FIS launches new P2P platform.

• Pageonce adds person-to-person payment functionality to mobile app.

• ACI Worldwide launches ACI Money Transfer System 5.0.

• Suncorp Bank chooses FIS to manage ATM and POS transactions

• 500Friends to integrate LoyaltyPlus platform with Bazaarvoice.

• Xendpay featured in Forbes India.

• Financial Edge Community CU partners with SaveUp.

• Mitek issued new patent for "Methods for Mobile Image Capture and Processing of Documents".

• The Financial Brand checks out the "Simple" way of banking.

• The New York Times looks at SoMoLend's take on crowdfunding, seeking out institutions to serve as lenders.

• New York Times looks at Enloop's hassle free business plan writing service.

• The Economist features Lending Club.

• The Telegraph highlights TransferWise as a cost-saving option for overseas money transfers.

• Luxembourg's Nordea Bank picks Temenos to standardize IT infrastructure.

• GMC Software Technology helps Gala Bingo move to "third generation" bingo tickets.

• Compare Broker reviews the new mobile app from TradeKing.

• MyBankTracker reviews how BillGuard protects from unwanted charges.

• San Francisco Business Times reports: Giftly lets givers put 'heart' into gift cards.

• Capital Access Network relocates Headquarters to NYC, adds Scott Blum as CMO.

• Fiserv partners with TOPS Software to improve payment processing for property managers.

• The Washington Post looks at SoMoLend's community-focused lending.

• Forbes names Lending Club one of the top five fintech companies of 2012.

• Chicago donut chain "Glazed and Infused" now using ShopKeep POS software.

• Wired.co.uk names Holvi startup of the week.

• Credit Sesame unveils free credit monitoring service.

• Mitek to power US Bank's mobile photo bill pay; launching early 2013.

• Fiserv reaches milestone, delivers 2 billionth e-bill.

• The Financial Brand looks at Knab's online bank that runs on Figlo's platform.

• The city of Cincinnati partners with SoMoLend to support small businesses.

• Forbes ranks Keynote Systems "one of the best 100 companies in America."

• American Banker looks at how UMB is implementing Dynamics' ePlate card technology.

• peerTransfer rolls out international payment solution to the K-12 (kindergarten through twelfth grade) education market.

• InComm Canada launches No-Fee Vanilla Prepaid Product Line.

• The CUNA Technology Council presents MoneyDesktop with Best of Show Award at the 17th Annual CUNA Technology Council Conference.

• Cachet Financial Solutions powers Simple's Remote Deposit Capture.

• STL Beacon reports SoMoLend blazes new funding path in St. Louis through loans.

• Expensify launches new feature: Commercial Card Reconciliation.

• Desert News reports Virtual Piggy helps parents control children's online spending.

• Prosper launches new data enhancements.

• VentureBeat reports Equifax buying CSC's credit-services biz for $1B in cash.

• Banno partners with ProfitStars to offer remote deposit, integrated bill pay.

• Bill.com Featured in USA Today.

• Billcom adds open APIs to banking platform.

• Blackhawk Network Announces New Financial Service Products in Canada.

• Startup Central looks at Heckyl, Clari5 and BankBazaar at FinovateAsia.

• VentureBeat considers SecondMarket's partnership with Angellist.

• M.O. interviews Constancio Larguia, CEO & founder of Weemba.

• SiliconBeat looks at Personal Capital's 401(k) product.

• Kabbage Becomes Exclusive Funding Provider for Bonanza Sellers.

• Entrepreneur features SigFig.

• American Banker reports: Bill.com Ties Cash-Flow Tools to Banks' Small Business Software.

• Finextra reports UBank gathers transaction data for spending comparison site.

• Xero to dual list on ASX and NZX.

• ShopKeep POS announces entry into the quick serve market with full kitchen printing capabilities.

• Mashable lists SimpleTuition, ReadyForZero, and Tuition.io as tools to help minimize student loan debt.

• Capital Access Network moves Headquarters to NYC.

• Crowdfund Insider reports SoMoLend Announces New York Expansion.

• TIBCO Software named to Software Magazine's 500 Largest Software Companies in the World.

• SoMoLend and GATE Global Impact make a deal that will facilitate investing in business expansion and job growth.

• LearnVest launches iPhone app.

• Goodwill to provide HelloWallet subscription to employees as well as community members with disabilities and unemployed.

• Metaforic announces partnership with Appthority to reduce mobile app risks and enhance security.

• Microsoft's new Windows 8-style UI now supported by the KonyOne Platform.

• MSM Media awards eToro Best Social Media Trading Product for its OpenBook platform.

• Ping Identity recognized as 1 of 5 high-growth businesses at Denver Startup Week.

• National Gift Card Corp partners with InComm to offer gaming & music eGift cards for businesses.

This quarter's funding of over $120 million closely matches quarter 2 of last year, when Finovate alumni raised approximately $124 million.

Meanwhile, compared to last quarter's $150 million, Finovate alums pulled in around $30 million less this quarter.

Here's the quarter 2 summary for 2012:

April -- $2.5 million raised by 1 company

• miiCard: $2.5 million -- blog post

May -- $55.5 million raised by 5 companies

• Kony: $15 million -- blog post
• Pindrop Security: $1 million -- blog post
• SecureKey: $30 million -- blog post
• SoMoLend: $1.17 million -- blog post
• Yodlee: $8.3 million -- blog post

June -- Over $62 million raised by 8 companies

• Affinity Solutions: $14.5 million -- blog post
• Arroweye Solutions: $3 million -- blog post
• Cartera Commerce: $12.2 million -- blog post
• Credit Sesame: $12 million -- blog post
• DoughMain: (undisclosed) -- blog post
• Lending Club: $15 million -- blog post 
• Nutmeg: $5.3 million -- blog post
• Planwise: $200,000 -- blog post

Note: Funding that companies received before they demonstrated at Finovate was not counted. If you know of any funding that is not on this list and should be, please send the name of the company along with a link to the funding information to julie@netbanker.com and we will add it.

SoMoLend, a platform that connects small business borrowers with investors, today announced a partnership with CircleUp, an equity-based lending platform.

The purpose of the partnership is to help small businesses find a source of capital that is tailored to meet their needs. Because SoMoLend supports micro-loans, while CircleUp facilitates equity investments, businesses will be able to choose from a wider variety of funding options.

The companies will also benefit from sharing information, best practices, and joint education efforts.

To learn more about SoMoLend, watch its FinovateSpring 2012 demo.

After finishing up a Best of Show win at FinovateSpring last week, SoMoLend announced yesterday that it has raised a round of $1.17 million in seed funding.

The round was lead by CincyTech and also included:

Here's a look at press coverage from FinovateSpring 2012 in San Francisco last week. For comprehensive coverage, be sure to check out Erin McCune's live blog on PaymentsViews, which covers all 63 presenting companies:

2 Minute Finance
2MF @ Finovate Spring 2012 Conference
by Bobby Lee
Link

Our fifth annual FinovateSpring in San Francisco concluded a few hours ago. After seeing 63 demos over two packed days, the audience voted for their three favorites each day. The top seven overall were named Best of Show (see notes).

The winners (in alphabetic order):

• BehavioSec for its new security layer based on user typing/swiping patterns
• BillGuard for its card charge dispute platform, BillGuard FI
• Dwolla for its FISync service to enable banks to originate real-time payments
• iQuantifi for its new financial planning & advice tools
• MoneyDesktop for its PFM platform and integrated "deals"
• Personal Capital for its iPhone app and interbank funds transfer
• SoMoLend for its P2P lending platform

We'll have videos of all 63 demos posted at Finovate.com as fast as possible (probably 2 weeks out).

Thanks to everyone who presented, attended, tweeted, swapped biz cards, schmoozed and helped push fintech forward. You are the greatest! 

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Notes on methodology: 
1. Only audience members NOT associated with demoing companies were eligible to vote. Finovate employees did not vote.    
2. Attendees were encouraged to note their favorites as the day went on and choose three favorites from just the demos of that day. Ballots were turned in at the end of the last demo session each day.  
3. The exact written instructions given to attendees: "Please rate (the companies) on the basis of demo quality and potential impact of the innovation demoed. Note: Ballots with more than three companies circled will not be counted."  
4. The seven companies appearing on the highest percentage of submitted ballots were named Best of Show. 
5. Go here for a list of previous Best of Show winners.

"SoMoLend is debuting its peer-to-peer lending experience by which business borrowers can raise capital by securing loans from friends and family, customers, and community supporters. 

Simultaneously, lenders can invest in the industries they care about most in their own neighborhood, fueling local economy and doing well by doing good all while earning a return."