Month: September 2013

Simple Revamps Homepage

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: Simple, Website Usability & Design

image Sometime in the past few days, Simple swapped out its homepage for one befitting its name. A Google-esque white-on-white beauty that lets visitors do only two things (above the fold):

  • Request an invite by entering your email
  • Watch a 2-min video showcasing its platform (with great use case of saving/spending on new dog)

The record-low eleven words of copy focus on the basics:

  • No monthly fees
  • No min balance

Below the fold, prospective customers can gather more info as the homepage unfolds with more features an and benefits (see third screenshot).

Interestingly, if you’ve been to the site previously (as determined with cookies), you get a more stylized page promoting goal-based savings rather than the no-fee mantra (see second screenshot).

Bottom line: From a UI perspective, Simple is the Apple of banking, and its worth looking at how they pull off a very hip look online. This approach may not be right for your target audience, but there are lessons here for everyone in how to simplify website messaging, especially for first-time visitors.

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After: Simple homepage (above the fold), first visit (17 Sep 2013)

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After: Homepage, after first visit (above the fold)

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Before: Full Simple homepage (4 Sep 2013)

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After: Full Simple homepage accessed via vertical scrolling

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Note: For more info on Simple and other Truly Virtual Banks, see our Oct 2011 Online Banking Report (subscription).

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FinovateFall 2013 Best of Show Winners

By Jim Bruene Posted on
Categories: Finovate, Yodlee

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In case you don’t follow our Finovate blog, I thought I should post the audience favorites from last week’s seventh annual Finovate in New York City. After an intense two days with 69 demos, the audience voted for their favorites. The top eight were named Best of Show (in alphabetical order):

InteractionsLogo.jpg

  Interactions voice-based virtual assistant technology

LearnVEstlogo.jpg


LearnVest iPad app and Workplace Solutions Center

mBankAccenturelogo.jpg

mBank & Accenture Bank 3.0 online platform

MitekLogo13.jpg Mitek Mobile Photo Account Opening solution

MoneyDesktopLogoNew.jpg  MoneyDesktop GuideMe solution

motiflogo.jpg Motif platform that lets you invest in ideas in one click

TipRanksLogo.jpg TipRanks cloud-based accountability engine for investors

YodleeLogo2012.jpg  Yodlee TANDEM system to help groups manage and discuss shared finances

—————————————

Full-length video of every demo will be posted on Finovate.com in a few weeks.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined the audience and participated in our largest New York show so far. And, of course, thanks to the 69 innovative companies who took on the FinovateFall stage in front of a crowd of 1,100 audience members.

——————————————————————

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 during each day. At the end of each day they chose their three favorites.    
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.”  
4. The eight companies appearing on the highest percentage of ballots were named Best of Show.  
5. Go here for a list of previous Best of Show winners.

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F5 Networks Buys Versafe to Boost Online Fraud Protection Capabilities

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: AcceptEmail, Versafe

Thumbnail image for VersafeLogo.jpg

Less than one week ago, Israel-based Versafe was in New York City, making their case for total fraud protection before a Finovate audience of more than 1,100, and hundreds more following online.

Who knew how closely F5 Networks must have been listening!

f5-networks.jpg

F5 Networks announced today that it was purchasing the Internet security specialist and one-and-done Finovate alum for an undisclosed amount. All 40 employees, including Versafe’s three founders, are expected to remain on board and the company will continue to operate out of its headquarters in Rishon Le Zion, Israel.
Versafe chose FinovateFall 2013 to present some of the latest enhancements to its TotALL Online Fraud Protection Suite. Their technology relies on advanced encryption and real-time behavioral analysis to provide a layer of protection between the end user and the application. This protection is effective regardless of whether the app is access online or via a mobile device.
Versafe was founded in 2009 by Eyal Gruner (CEO), Boaz Zilber (COO), and Idan Amir (VP Sales EMEA). View our Live Blog post of Versafe’s FinovateFall presentation here. The company’s demo video will be available later this month.

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Applause Learning’s Coindexter Club Now Available to Credit Unions Partnered with My CU Services

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Applause Learning

ApplauseLearningLogo.jpg

My CU Services, provider of technology and payment systems for Credit Unions, recognizes the value that financial literacy programs for kids can bring to a brand.

How do we know? Because the Pennsylvania-based service provider recently announced a partnership with Atlanta-based Applause Learning, creator of the Coindexter Club.

Through this partnership, the Coindexter Club program will be made available to the more than 750 Credit Unions that work with My CU Services.

CoindexterHomepage.jpg

The program is targeted toward kids ages 5 to 12 years old, and aims to teach them how to spend, save and manage money in a virtual world that feels much like a video game. Credit Unions that sponsor the Coindexter Club for their members can include their logo within the game on ATMs, send kids a customized birthday card, and offer them branded apparel products.

Applause Learning demonstrated the Coindexter Club at FinovateSpring 2012. Check out the demo video here.

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Finovate Alumni News– September 17, 2013

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Azimo, Doxo, edo Interactive, Expensify, On Deck Capital, planwise, Xero
  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgPandoDaily features Planwise’s “coming of age” story. 
  • OnDeck closes over $130 million in increased credit facility commitments, 150% 12-month growth surge drives doubling of debt capacity.
  • doxo’s new email Import and Organization capability simplifies record keeping for the your key accounts.
  • Expensify’s integration with Xero goes live.
  • Azimo picks cross-border payments platform Earthport to help expansion into developing markets.
  • Edo Interactive unveils self-serve portal for edo Marketplace that helps merchants set up card-linked offers on their own.
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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FinovateFall 2013 in the Press

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Akimbo Financial, Backbase, BizEquity, FinovateFall 2013, FlexScore, Float Money, FutureAdvisor, Instabank, Interactions, mBank, Mitek, MoneyDesktop, Narrative Science, Numbrs, Saved Plus, SECOM GMixon Pixeliris, SpearFysh, Think Finance, TipRanks, WordSentry, Yodlee, Zighra
PressIMG.jpg

Affluent Strategies
Finovate Fall 2013 Best of Show Winners
by JP Nicols
All Marketing (in Hebrew)
הסטארט-אפ הישראלי, TipRanks, זוכה זה בפעם השנייה בכנס Finovate
by Shirley Asa
American Banker
Business Lender Finds Trove of Insights in Client CRM Data
by Penny Crosman
MoneyDesktop Launches Long-Term Goal Setting Tool
by Sean Sposito
PFM Apps Dominate FinovateFall Day One
by Mary Wisniewski
Reporter’s Picks: Three Top Apps at FinovateFall
by Sean Sposito
The Cutting Edge of Online Banking, as Practiced by a Polish Bank
by Mary Wisniewski
The Top 10 Tweets of Finovate
What Engagement Banking Needs Is Less Engagement
by Jeanine Skowronski
Backbase Blog
Backbase Unveils New Commercial Banking Portal Solution at FinovateFall 2013
by Prue Duggan
Bank Innovation
‘Electronic Checks’ Give Paper Payments New Life
by Philip Ryan
European Innovators Throw Down the Gauntlet: Where’s the Innovation, Americans?
by Philip Ryan
Finovate 2013: Our take on the Best of Show winners
by Steven Ramirez
Finovate Fall ’13: Numbrs, Pixeliris, Word Sentry, and Mitek Come on Strong
by Philip Ryan
Finovate Fall ’13: Strong Demos from Float Money, BizEquity, Zighra & SpearFysh
by Philip Ryan
Finovate Fall ’13: Strong Demos from Instabank, SavedPlus & TipRanks
by Phillip Ryan
Finovate Fall ’13: Think Finance, MBank Lead the Pack
by Philip Ryan
Bank Marketing Strategy
Ten Tips To Doing Finovate Like A Pro
by Jim Marous
Bank Systems & Technology and Wall Street & Technology
5 Game-Changing Financial IT Startups
by Becca Lipman
5 Ways Mobile Banking Is Evolving: Finovate
by Jonathan Camhi
Finovate Fall 2013: A Few FinTech Providers for Capital Markets
by Zarna Patel
Finovate 2013: We’re All Infected With Malware
by Becca Lipman
Making Personal Finance Social Spotlighted At Finovate
by Jonathan Camhi
Barlow Research Associates
Innovations that Improve Business Banking Workflow
by Donna Arce
BostInno, Streetwise Media
Franklin-Based Interactions Reinvents the Virtual Assistant Application, Wins Finovate’s Best in Show
by Andrew Amato
Crain’s New York Business 
Financial-technology startups roil banking’s status quo
by Judith Messina
Hottest tech sector is all about money
by Judith Messina
Credit Union Times
Mitek Debuts Mobile Photo Account Opening
by Robert McGarvey
CreditUnions.com
5 Areas Of Innovation All Credit Unions Need To Monitor
by Scott Patterson
The Role Of Innovation In Today’s Credit Union
by David Mooney
CU Insight
Barclays Just Showed Up to the Party We’ve Been Hosting for a Year
by 
Ron Daly
Discerning Technologist
Just In Time For Finovate: Adding More Fun (And More Focus) To Fintech Applications
ExecutiveBoard.com
Scores of fun at Finovate and Money2020
by CEB Icono
Finextra
Yodlee launches financial relationships app
Finovate blog
FinovateFall 2013 Best of Show Winners
by Julie Schicktanz
Forbes
4 New Online Money Management Tools Worth A Try
by Richard Eisenberg
Forrester blog
Highlights and Thoughts From Finovate Fall 2013
by Peter Wannemacher 
GonzoBanker
Finovate Fall 2013 – The Big Apple
by Scott Hodgins
Hotwire PR blog
Mobile, data and security are hot at FinovateFall
by Lindsay Goldwert
Huffington Post Tech
NextGen Investment Advisory Firms–Go Tech Or Go Home!
by April Rudin
Investment News
Start ups pitch automated advice at tech confab
by Trevor Hunnicutt
Javelin Strategy & Research Blog
FinovateFall 2013. Drinking from the Proverbial Firehose.
by Nick Holland
The Jerusalem Post
Tel Aviv-based start-up TipRanks takes top prize at Finovate
by Niv Elis
Medium.com
Reflections On Five Hundred Minutes of Fintech
by Bradley Leimer
miiCard
Fintech Trends From The Innovators at FinovateFall
by Cassie Anderson
Mindful Insights blog
FinovateFall 2013 
The Modesto Bee
Modesto financial planners offer online tool for success
by Patty Guerra
My Bank Tracker
FlexScore Aims to Complement FICO Credit Scores
by Simon Zhen 
FutureAdvisor: Automated Investing With Tax Efficiency in Mind
by Simon Zhen 
Mitek to Simplify Account Opening on Mobile Devices
by Simon Zhen 
MoneyDesktop: Declutter and Visualize Your Financial Goals
by Simon Zhen 
SavedPlus Makes You Save Every Time You Spend
by Simon Zhen 
Yodlee’s New Mobile App Deals With Money Side of Relationships
by Simon Zhen 
The New Age Online
Finovate and the Rise of the African Entrepreneur
by Douglas White
PandoDaily
Taking data analysis to a new plateau: Narrative Science raises $11.5M
by cale Guthrie Weissman 
Payments Source
E-Check Service Offers an Alternative to Online ACH Payments
by Austin Kilgore
PC World
New services tackle small business finance challenges
by Yardena Arar
Plus World (in Russian)
Инновация ТКС Банка представлена на
PYMNTS.com
Payment Innovators Impress At FinovateFall 2013
by Dan Rosen
Silicon Hills
Akimbo and Toopher Pitching at Finovate in New York
by Laura Lorek
Snarketing 2.0
Finovate Fall 2013: Snarketing’s Best-In-Show Awards
by Ron Shevlin
What To Look For At Finovate Fall 2013
by Ron Shevlin
TechCrunch
Mobile-First Banking App Numbrs Bags Further $3.8M For U.S. Launch
by Steve O’Hear
Upstart Business Journal
Bitcoin’s missing link sneaks into main event at Finovate
by Michael del Castillo
Financial gladiator battle ends with 8 startups standing tall
by Michael del Castillo
The Wall Street Journal

How to Get Investment Advice for Less Online

by Andrea Coombes

‘Stupid’ Banks Look for Innovation
by Michael Hickins
William Mills Agency blog and Beyond the Arc blog
Day 1: Live Blog, FinovateFall 2013 by William Mills III & Steven Ramirez
by Steven Ramirez and William Mills III
Day 2: Live Blog, FinovateFall 2013 by William Mills III & Steven Ramirez
by Steven Ramirez and William Mills III
Finovate 2013: Our take on the Best of Show winners
by Steven Ramirez
We’ll continue to add coverage throughout the next few weeks. If you have FinovateSpring press coverage you would like to add, please email the link to julie@finovate.com.

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P2Binvestor Raises $1.2 Million in Series A Round

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: P2BInvestor

Thumbnail image for P2BiLogo.jpg

The combination of peer-to-peer lending and business receivables financing championed by P2Binvestor continues to pay dividends for the Colorado-based startup.

P2Binvestor announced on Monday that it had successfully raised $1.2 million in equity and warrants in Series A round of funding. Participating were entrepreneur John Spiers, Rockies Venture Club investors, as well as others. The financing will help the crowdfunding receivables company grow its software platform, and expand its sales and marketing operations to accommodate new business.

P2Binvestorhomepage.jpg

P2Binvestor helps connect the needs of small businesses seeking capital with entrepreneurs and investors seeking market-based returns. Collateralized by business receivables, the funding made available to small businesses via the P2Binvestor platform often provides working capital that is both quicker and more efficient than what has been offered traditionally by the banks.
Said P2Binvestor CEO and co-founder, Bruce Morgan, “Bank credit remains tight … 67 percent of small businesses were unable to secure bank loans in the first quarter of last year.” 
P2B investor was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado. The company appeared on the Finovate stage as part of the Spring 2013 show in San Francisco. See a demo of the company’s presentation here.

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Wipit Brings in Series A Financing from Core Innovation Capital

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Funding, Wipit

wipitLogo.jpg

Mobile wallet provider Wipit announced last week that it received an undisclosed amount in Series A funding.

Wipit’s major offering is a mobile wallet service, which, in a combined effort with Boost Mobile, was launched 

WipitBoostMobile.jpg

specifically to serve the underbanked community. Any user with a mobile phone has access to the mobile wallet– even if they don’t have a bank account. 

Since Core Innovation Capital focuses on supporting innovations that serve the underbanked community, Wipit is a good candidate for the funding.

The California-based company plans to use this Series A round to expand consumer adoption.

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

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Finovate Alumni News– September 16, 2013

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: BankersLab, Doxo, Finect, MasterCard, P2BInvestor, Q2ebanking, Toopher, Wipit
  • FinovateLOGO.jpgP2BInvestor raises $1.2 million in Series A round.
  • Toopher wins spot among finalists for IBM SmartCamp North America Regional competition.
  • MasterCard partners with Entrepreneurial Finance Lab (EFL) to promote small businesses in developing nations.
  • Finect provides winning entry for Web Marketing Association’s WebAward 2013.
  • Eli Lilly FCU selects Q2 for implementation of Unified User Experience.
  • Boost Mobile Wallet powered by Wipit now offers Quick Check RDC service.
  • BankersLab adds 4 senior financial services executives to its training team.
  • Rubatino Refuse Removal joins doxo, its paperless adoption jumps 10% in first 90 days.
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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Finovate Alumni News– September 13, 2013

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Dashlane, eDeposit, Emida, IDology, InComm, Interactions, LearnVest, mBank & Accenture, Mitek, MoneyDesktop, Motif Investing, Numbrs, TipRanks, TradeKing, Yodlee
  • FinovateLOGO.jpgTradeKing wins FINRA approval for acquisition of GAIN Securities.
  • Numbrs AG earns $3.8M in funding from parent Centralway.
  • Interactions, LearnVest, mBank & Accenture, Mitek, Money Desktop, Motif Investing, TipRanks, and Yodlee pick up Best of Show awards at FinovateFall 2013.
  • InComm, in partnership with CVS/pharmacy wins Best Third-Party Card Retailer Award.
  • Standard Distributing and Other Side Produce select eDeposit as their web and mobile payment solution.
  • Emida launches new smartphone POS app, available worldwide.
  • IDology launches ExpectID Global, an international expansion of its solution.
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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Numbrs AG Earns $3.8 Million in Funding from Parent Centralway

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Numbrs

NumbrsLogo.jpg

Under the banner “One app to rule them all” Numbrs AG announced this week that they had picked up an additional $3.8 million from parent company, Centralway.

The capital infusion takes the total funding for the mobile-first banking app spinoff to more than $11 million. The funding is earmarked to help suppoprt Numbrs’ launch in the United States, slated for early 2014.

Switzerland-based Numbrs aggregates all a user’s financial accounts into one app. The multi-banking app gives consumers access to all of their accounts from any location, allowing them to pay bills and conduct other financial transactions such as money transfers. 
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The app also includes a feature called the “Future Timeline” which provides an overview of likely future transactions based on past spending. This feature helps users better understand, anticipate, and manage their cash flow.
Founded in 2012, Numbrs has been available in Germany since August of this year. As reported in TechCrunch, the company is opening a New York office in preparation for its U.S. launch, and has reaffirmed plans to expand into the United Kingdom later this year, as well.
Numbrs demoed its technology at FinovateFall 2013 in New York. Our Live Blog post of their presentation is available here.

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FinovateFall 2013 Best of Show Winners

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: FinovateFall 2013, Interactions, LearnVest, mBank, mBank & Accenture, Mitek, MoneyDesktop, Motif Investing, TipRanks, Yodlee

FF2013-BestofShow-highres.jpg

We just wrapped up FinovateFall 2013 in New York. After a successful two days filled to the brim with 69 live demos, the audience voted for their favorites. Ultimately, the top eight companies were named Best of Show, and took home a trophy.

The winners (in alphabetical order):

InteractionsLogo.jpg

Interactions, for its voice-based virtual assistant technology

Interactions.jpg

LearnVEstlogo.jpg

LearnVest, for its iPad app and Workplace Solutions Center
LearnVest.jpg

mBankAccenturelogo.jpg

mBank & Accenture,  for their Bank 3.0 online platform
mBank.jpg

MitekLogo13.jpg

Mitek for its Mobile Photo Account Opening solution
MitekFFPic.jpg
MoneyDesktop, for its GuideMe solution
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MoneyDesktopLogoNew.jpg

motiflogo.jpg

Motif for its platform that lets you invest in ideas in one click
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TipRanks, cloud-based accountability engine for investors
TipRanksLogo.jpg
tipranks.jpg

YodleeLogo2012.jpg

Yodlee, for its debut of TANDEM that helps groups manage and discuss shared finances
yodleeFFimg.jpg

All of the 69 demo videos will be posted on Finovate.com in a few weeks.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined the audience and participated in our largest New York show so far. And, of course, thanks to the 69 innovative companies who took on the FinovateFall stage in front of a crowd of 1,100+ audience members.

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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 during each day. At the end of the last demo, they chose their three favorites.    
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.”  
4. The eight 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.

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