Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Daon Inks Deal with South Africa’s Capitec Bank.
  • Lighter Capital Launches Capital Client Perks Program.

Around the web

  • Ping Identity integrates its multi-factor authentication solution, PingID, with Microsoft Azure Active Directory.
  • MoneyTap, DLT-based payment app developed by SBI and Ripple goes live in Japan.
  • OutSystems appoints Tim MacCarrick as new Chief Financial Officer.
  • Baltic International Bank finishes upgrade of its private, corporate, and retail banking offerings courtesy of a partnership with Temenos.
  • Sberbank customers can now add “cash postcards” – automated images with sound – to their money transfers.
  • CNBC features Plaid: the startup you’ve never heard of.
  • Arxan begins a month-long initiative to raise awareness for improved application security and threat intelligence.
  • RightCapital launches white-labeled, native mobile app.

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.

Fiserv and DadeSystems Help Banks Bring Automated A/R to Business Clients

Fiserv and DadeSystems Help Banks Bring Automated A/R to Business Clients

Courtesy of a new partnership between financial services technology solution provider Fiserv and DadeSystems, more banks will be able to access automated account receivables (A/R) technology which they can offer to their commercial clients as either a SaaS or standalone solution.

“Businesses spend too much time manually posting payments to invoices – a process prone to error and costly in terms of time and resources,” VP of Product Management for Fiserv’s Payments Management Solutions division, John Dangoia said. “By offering DadePay AR Automation, we empower financial institutions to further enrich customer relationships by reducing the need for businesses to manually enter payments into their accounts receivable systems.”

Miami, Florida-based DadeSystems leverages machine learning, advanced optical character recognition technology, and its own patented, AI-based algorithms to automate the invoice-to-cash application process. The company’s DadePay AR Automation solution captures both paper and electronic incoming payments automatically, matches them to open invoices and updates the companies’ ERP systems. DadePay also features a mobile AR app and an ePayment portal. Combined, the suite provides faster payment processing with greater efficiency and cash collection, and lower fees.

“Many businesses are demanding new types of electronic payment and data analytics services,” President and CEO of DadeSystems, Bill Zayas, said, “yet their treasury and finance departments are slowed down by manual and outdated processes. Through this relationship with Fiserv, banks can help their business customers overcome these obstacles with technology from a provider they know and trust.”

In its most recent Finovate appearance, Fiserv demonstrated an integration of Samsung SDS biometric authentication and collaboration technology into its Commercial Center: Security solution. The authentication methodology leverages non-duplicative biometric data – fingerprint, voice, and facial scan – to make the user experience more seamless and secure. Real-time video chat, e-signatures, and annotated screen sharing are among the features available via Samsung’s digital collaboration features.

Headquartered in Brookfield, Wisconsin, Fiserv was founded in 1984, and had global revenues of $5.7 billion in 2017. Trading on the NASDAQ under the symbol “FISV,” the firm has a market capitalization of $33 billion.

Finovate Global: Fintech News from Around the World

As Finovate goes increasingly global, so does our coverage of financial technology. Finovate Global: Fintech News from Around the World is our weekly look at fintech innovation in developing economies in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Central and Eastern Europe.

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Banco Fassil is the first Bolivian company to migrate its ATM network to TranzAxis from Compass Plus.
  • Legal Tech News reviews the improved opportunity for investment in the Mexican fintech market.
  • Can blockchain technology fix Argentina’s financial crisis? VentureBeat considers the challenge.

Asia-Pacific

  • Siam Commercial Bank is the first bank on Ripple’s RippleNet to pioneer multi-hop, a feature that allows payment settlement on behalf of other financial institutions on the network.
  • Singapore and Hong Kong-based digital private banking clients of Credit Suisse now can communicate with their bank via Apple Business chat.
  • Singtel launches electronics payments alliance with a pair of Thailand-based partners.

Sub-Saharan Africa

  • South African fintech Centbee announces beta launch of its bitcoin cash wallet.
  • BitCoinke looks at funding for African fintech startups in 2018.
  • Fintech Association of Nigeria begins fintech learning series in partnership with the SEC.

Central and Eastern Europe

  • Sberbank to offer loans of up to RUB 300,000 without proof of income as part of new pilot program.
  • FICO to provide KYC and onboarding solutions for Belarus-based lender, Belgazprombank.
  • Alfa Group of Russia plans to launch online insurance company, Mango.

Middle East and Northern Africa

  • Cameroon’s biggest bank, Afriland First Bank, to deploy Temenos’ T24 core banking platform.
  • Qatar Islamic Bank to leverage solutions from Volante Technologies to help meet PSD2 and open banking standards.
  • ICS Financial Systems completes blockchain proof of concept for Arab Jordan Investment Bank (AJIB).
  • Tunisia’s Banque de l’Habitat (BH) selects Temenos’ T24 core banking system.

Central and South Asia

  • KPMG releases its latest report: Fintech in India: Powering a Digital Economy.
  • Paytm secures 33% market share of UPI payments in India.
  • Medici looks at the state of financial inclusion in India.

Top image designed by Freepik

Larky Lands Three: Mobile Engagement Platform Adds New CU Partners

Larky Lands Three: Mobile Engagement Platform Adds New CU Partners

Loyalty and engagement platform provider Larky is starting off the fall with a trio of new partnerships. The Ann Arbor, Michigan-based company announced this week that it has launched three new client programs, teaming up with Canada’s Encompass Credit Union, BayCoast Bank of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and Tulsa-based Oklahoma Central Credit Union.

“With our location-based platform, the audience of a financial institution can receive mobile notifications when they are near a specific location where there is a special offer or the FI wants to promote a specific product or service,” explained Larky CEO Gregg Hammerman. “This encourages local purchasing at the most convenient time for the user, while increasing cross-selling opportunities for the FI.”

Founded in 2012, Larky helps community-based financial institutions engage with their customers in the digital and mobile worlds that are increasingly the channels of choice in both financial services and ecommerce. The company’s engagement platform enables FIs to provide highly-contextual, digital rewards and offers to their members and customers, including community-building discounts to local merchants. The solution also helps firms boost non-interest income, with Larky clients reporting an increase of 4% to 8% in interchange revenue due to increased use of their credit and debit cards.

Larky demonstrated its Android app and white-label mobile and web solutions at FinovateFall 2014. In a busy year of making friends and forging partnerships, Larky teamed up with Fort Dodge Family CU in March, and CFE FCU of Florida in July, helping both credit unions generate more cross-selling opportunities and offer location-based rewards to members. Larky began the year expanding its relationship with core processing solutions provider Sharetec, extending its technology through the latter’s network of credit union customers.

Larky has raised $2.4 million in funding, and includes North Coast Technology Investors, Ann Arbor SPARK, the First Step Fund, and the Michigan Angel Fund among its investors.

Salt Edge Serves Up Open Banking Payment Infrastructure for Testing

Salt Edge Serves Up Open Banking Payment Infrastructure for Testing

Just weeks after announcing a collaboration with smart money app, Yolt, Salt Edge is back with news of another new partnership. Today, the company reported its Open Banking payment infrastructure is now available for testing by third party providers.

The complete payment process can be simulated by TPPs who log into the Salt Edge system, which facilitates one-time payments, scheduled and future-dated payments, and bulk payments. The Open Banking hub is equipped with all four of PSD2-required authorization types: redirect/OAuth, embedded, decoupled, and app2app. PISP (Payment Initiation Service Provider) licensed-TPPs that elect to go live with the technology can begin the integration immediately.

Lisa Terziman-Gutu (Business Development EMEA) and CEO Dmitrii Barbasura (not pictured) during their live demo at FinovateEurope 2018.

Salt Edge provides financial data aggregation APIs, open banking and PSD2 solutions, as well as white label retail banking, and data enrichment services. The company demonstrated its Priora PSD2 and Open Banking solution at FinovateEurope earlier this year. The technology enables small and medium-sized banks to become fully PSD2 and Open Banking compliant in months. It provides a number of key features such as its Connector API and SCA Authenticator, and Salt Edge handles cumbersome TPP management – including communication, verification, and onboarding – for the bank.

“Our primary goal at Finovate was to demonstrate a complete user journey in the PSD2 and Open Banking world,” Salt Edge CEO Dmitrii Barbasura said. Calling the technology “secure, customer friendly, and reliable,” he added: “We believe that our solution covers all the needs and concerns that banks have in the wake of PSD2’s deadline, and goes beyond them by delivering the possibility of added-value services.”

Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Salt Edge was founded in 2013. The ISO 27001 certified company is connected to more than 3,100 banks in 60+ countries. Salt Edge has processed more than one million transactions, and has raised $3 million in funding as of this spring.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Cracking the Fintech Code: Secrets to Success for Fintech Start-ups.
  • Salt Edge Serves Up Open Banking Payment Infrastructure for Testing.

Around the web

  • Earnix forges strategic alliance with automated machine learning innovator, DataRobot.
  • IdentityMind Global partners with digital currency risk assessment specialist, CipherTrace.
  • HackerOne now accepts Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash payments for bug bounties courtesy of new partnership with BitPay.
  • Fiserv taps Lee Cameron as new managing director for EMEA.
  • Siam Commercial Bank is the first bank on Ripple’s RippleNet to pioneer multi-hop, a feature that allows payment settlement on behalf of other financial institutions on the network.
  • Danske Bank leverages Featurespace’s ARIC fraud hub to reduce fraud.
  • Risk Ident wins Best eCommerce Technology Innovation at the London eCommerce Awards.
  • Banco Fassil is the first Bolivian company to migrate its ATM network to TranzAxis from Compass Plus.

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.

Gro Solutions Helps Vermont FCU Deliver Better Banking Experiences

Members of Vermont Federal Credit Union have something to look forward to when 2019 rolls around: the $500 million asset institution has signed a deal with Gro Solutions to enhance its digital offerings, including streamlined online deposit and loan account opening.

“Our goal is to create a world-class digital experience for our members with products and services that are fast, consistent, personalized, and user-friendly,” Vermont FCU Director of Business Intelligence, Nicholas D. Gallerani said. He referred to Gro Solutions’ platform as the embodiment of these principles, adding that the technology will provide the credit union with “the tools essential to create … great experiences in the digital realm for our members.”

Vermont FCU plans to introduce the new Gro Solutions-enabled services to its more than 38,000 members in the first quarter of 2019.

“More and more of today’s members are going digital for their banking needs,” Gro Solutions CEO David Eads added. “They want that experience to be quick and convenient, regardless of whether it’s in-branch, at home or on their phones.”

Atlanta, Georgia-based Gro Solutions demonstrated its Digital Sales platform at FinovateFall 2017. The company has been on a busy partnership-making pace this year, teaming up with Indiana’s Elements FCU ($1.5 billion in assets) in June, partnering with PeoplesBank ($1.7 billion in assets) in April, and working with Congressional FCU ($900+ million in assets) in March to streamline the credit union’s digital onboarding process.

Gro Solutions has raised $4.3 million in funding and includes TTV Capital, BIP Capital, BLH Venture Partners, and Croft & Bender among its investors.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Gro Solutions Helps Vermont FCU Deliver Better Banking Experiences.
  • Bringing Legacy Banks into the 21st Century.

Around the web

  • Forbes features SMRTSVR from Vaultz and Best of Show winner Golden in its look at PFM apps for people over 50.
  • Blockchain technology pioneer, Dr. Stuart Haber, joins Endor’s scientific advisory board.
  • Bpm’online adds enhancements to accelerate sales, marketing, operations, service, and citizen development in its latest update.
  • IDC Financial Insights includes CREALOGIX in its top 100 fintech ranking.
  • Dorsum launches its MyWealth wealth management app at Dubai banking conference.
  • Betterment introduces new Trust Account Opening feature for its Betterment for Advisors platform.
  • Onfido announces partnership with international remittance platform, Remitly.

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.

 

Avoka Enables 40+ App Digitization for First Tech FCU

Avoka Enables 40+ App Digitization for First Tech FCU

First Tech Federal Credit Union, a $12+ billion credit union based in San Jose, California, has leveraged technology from Avoka to deploy an omnichannel digital platform that digitizes account opening for more than 40 offerings. These include deposit accounts, home loans, credit cards, insurance and more. The result is an enhanced, more efficient experience for members and lower application abandon rates for the firm.

Mike Upton, chief digital officer at First Tech FCU, called the launch “transformational,” and the metrics readily support the claim. He noted that the new platform has enabled more than 2,300 applications from all channels to pass through the platform in the first week of operation. In the first few weeks after the launch, overall completion rates had rallied to 65%, well above industry averages which are closer to 20%. Additionally, using Avoka’s Insights analytics capability enabled First Tech to determine that the time required by its members to complete account opening applications had been reduced by nearly 50%.

“The results speak for themselves,” Avoka general manager for North America David Gaydon said. “As far as we can tell, no community bank or credit union in North America has as many product applications available online as First Tech Credit Union.”

Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Avoka demonstrated its Transact Insights offering at FinovateEurope 2017. This summer, the company released its Springboard Deposit Account Opening Solution, an off-the-shelf technology that combines digital KYC, fraud and risk evaluation, and funding to enhance customer acquisition and onboarding. In May, RACQ Bank of Australia announced that it would partner with Avoka, bringing digital account opening to the world’s first automobile club to launch a bank. Also this spring, the company teamed up with Alpine Bank – a Colorado-based FI with more than $3.5 billion in assets, using its Avoka Transact platform to enhance account opening, loan application, and business onboarding processes.

Avoka has raised $28 million in funding, and includes Regal Funds Management, Moelis Australia Asset Management, and individual investor Roger Allen among its investors. Philip Copeland is CEO.

Finovate Alumni News

Around the web

  • OutSystems announces release of version 11 of its low-code development technology to help IT leaders solve legacy system gridlock.
  • Fidelity and Finicity reach customer data sharing agreement.
  • Cameroon’s biggest bank, Afriland First Bank, to deploy Temenos’ T24 core banking platform.

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.

Finovate Global: Fintech News from Around the World

As Finovate goes increasingly global, so does our coverage of financial technology. Finovate Global: Fintech News from Around the World is our weekly look at fintech innovation in developing economies in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Central and Eastern Europe.

Central and South Asia

  • InstaREM reports facilitating no-fee money transfers of almost $2 million to the flood-stricken southern Indian state of Kerala.
  • Infosys announces plans to open tech hub in Arizona and hire 1,000 Americans by 2023.
  • Qbera of Bengaluru, India raises $3 million in funding from Essel Group.

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Uruguay’s Prisma Campaigns partners with Tyfone to bring new personalized, automated marketing solutions to banks and credit unions.
  • Brazil’s biggest independent brokerage, Grupo X, to offer a platform exchange for Bitcoin and Ethereum.
  • Forbes profiles Brazilian online payments startup, EBANX.

Asia-Pacific

  • Taiwan to begin testing of its first regulatory sandbox in December.
  • SBI Ripple Asia wins license to launch blockchain-based payments app in Japan.
  • Hong Kong goes live with Faster Payment System (FPS).
  • Indonesia’s Bank Central Asia goes live on iGTB’s digital transaction banking platform.
  • Coinbase teams up with Hong Kong-based crypto trading and risk management platform Caspian to promote institutional use of cryptocurrencies.

Sub-Saharan Africa

  • Ugandan Orient Bank to deploy Acumen from Profile Software to manage treasury operations.
  • Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM), a stock exchange based in the Ivory Coast, encourages West African fintech startups to join its innovation lab.
  • MTN Uganda teams up with MasterCard and United Bank for Africa (UBA) launch new mobile money service.

Central and Eastern Europe

  • Tinkoff Bank offers access to more than 10,000 global securities via its Tinkoff Investments Premium solution.
  • Braintri awarded the Polish Innovation Award 2018 for its creation of Jiffee, a bluetooth-based mobile payment and loyalty technology, and Biffee, a core banking system offloading engine.
  • ING Bank Romania to abandon physical cash desks this fall in favor of ATMs and its mobile banking app.
  • Slovenian fintech Eligma launches cryptocurrency payment app.

Middle East and Northern Africa

  • Commercial Bank of Dubai inks agreement with PwC to assist in its digital transformation.
  • Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) signs strategic Memorandum of Understanding with Abu Dhabi Smart Solutions and Services Authority (ADSSSA).
  • Central Bank of Kuwait pledges major investment in big data and AI.

Top image designed by Freepik

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • FinovateFall 2018 Best of Show Winners Announced.

Around the web

  • Prisma Campaigns partners with Tyfone to bring new personalized, automated marketing solutions to banks and credit unions.
  • CFCU Community Credit Union to deploy solutions from Fiserv to enhance its mobile, online, and in-branch customer experience.
  • CREALOGIX reports record sales in 2017-2018 fiscal year.
  • Bpm’online earns recognition from Gartner for its accomplishments in CRM Lead Management.
  • Indonesia’s Bank Central Asia goes live on iGTB’s digital transaction banking platform.
  • Tinkoff Bank offers access to more than 10,000 global securities via its Tinkoff Investments Premium 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.