Author: David Penn

Finovate Alumni News

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Asseco, Cachet Financial Solutions, Cloud Lending, Finhorizon, Insuritas, InvestGlass, investify, Markit, MX, myInvenio, Personal Capital, Ripple, Sandstone, Taulia, Xpenditure, Zopa

On Finovate.com

  • “Taulia Announces Record New Bookings; New CMO Holzapfel”
  • “MX Recruits Don MacDonald, Former Intel and Fiserv CMO”

Around the web

  • Cachet Financial Solutions deploys its Select Mobile Deposit solution for Kentucky-based Whitaker Bank Corporation.
  • UBS hires Markit to manage its Investment Bank’s investible indices.
  • The Hindu quotes Cloud Lending Solutions’ CEO and co-founder Snehal Fulzele on digital transformation.
  • Personal Capital launches Financial Fitness program for employers to help employees reach their wealth goals.
  • Zopa wins Personal Loan Provider of the Year at the Consumer Moneyfacts Awards 2016.
  • Bank Innovation features video of Ripple CEO Chris Larsen discussing the internet of value at Davos.
  • CB&S Bank selects Insuritas to power its insurance-agency solution for customers.

This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

 

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SuiteBox Wins Mobile Category of KPMG Fintech Innovation Challenge

SuiteBox Wins Mobile Category of KPMG Fintech Innovation Challenge
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: SuiteBox

SuiteBox_homepage_Jan2016b

Less than a month away from its Finovate debut, SuiteBox earned top honors in the mobile category of the KPMG Fintech Innovation Challenge.

The New Zealand-based company’s technology enables users to hold, manage, and record meetings online as well as share, analyze, and sign documents with any web connection via a virtual office environment.

SuiteBox_video

(Click image to play video)

“This success is a ringing endorsement of the opportunity for truly mobile virtual meetings between professionals and their clients across many industries,” SuiteBox CEO Richard Mannell said. “SuiteBox is excited to be at the forefront of delivering mobile office solutions globally.”

Organized by fellow Finovate alum Matchi, the KPMG Fintech Innovation Challenge is designed to encourage collaboration between fintech startups and FIs. Through the Challenge, six companies are selected by a panel of judges, and matched up with financial organizations to develop their technologies. On 10/11 February, the six companies will participate in the KPMG FinTech Innovation Summit in London along with a number of FIs including:

  • AIB (Ireland)
  • Bank Hapoalim (Israel)
  • Caixa Bank (Spain)
  • Liberty Group (South Africa)
  • Nationwide (United Kingdom)
  • Rabobank (Netherlands)
  • Standard Bank (South Africa)
  • Westpac (Australia)

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Newmarket, Auckland, SuiteBox has more than 200 companies currently using its technology. This includes financial planners like Midwinter Financial Services, which announced in November that it would integrate SuiteBox, and independent financial advisory firm Canopy Private, “a major adopter of virtual advice solutions.”

Currently expanding in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and United Kingdom, SuiteBox will demonstrate its technology at FinovateEurope 2016 in London in February.

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Finovate Alumni News

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: ACI Worldwide, Arroweye Solutions, Big Data Scoring, CREALOGIX, Envestnet, Expensify, FreeAgent, Jack Henry, Mint, Nexmo, QuickBooks, Shoeboxed, Xero, Yodlee

On Finovate.com

  • “SuiteBox Wins Mobile Category of KPMG Fintech Innovation Challenge” (See SuiteBox at FinovateEurope 2016 in London next month.)

Around the web

  • Financial reporter profiles Big Data Scoring, founded in Scandanavia and headquartered in the United Kingdom.
  • Envestnet | Yodlee to bring account aggregation and PFM tools to Australian Superannuation Fund, QSuper.
  • Creative Boom lists Xero, FreeAgent, Expensify, QuickBooks, Mint, and Shoeboxed in its roundup of must-have apps for freelancers.
  • ACI Worldwide launches UP Retail Payments, combining technologies to produce an end-to-end enterprise payments solution.
  • Bank Innovation features Dave Foss, new CEO for Jack Henry & Associates.
  • CREALOGIX forges digital banking partnership with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). Join CREALOGIX in London for FinovateEurope next month.
  • PaymentEye interviews Arroweye Solutions CEO Render Dahiya on how EMV migration will impact issuers.

This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

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Linxo Raises €2 Million from Crédit Agricole

Linxo Raises €2 Million from Crédit Agricole
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Funding, Fundings, linxo

Linxo_homepage_Jan2016

French PFM innovator Linxo (a FinovateEurope 2011 alum) has raised €2 million in funding from new investor Crédit Agricole, and existing investor Crédit Mutuel Arkéa. Having raised €500,000 in 2013, the company’s total capital now stands at more than $2.6 million.

The investment will help strenghten Linxo’s position in France, as well as fund the company’s expansion into other European markets. Linxo also plans to add talent to both its technical and communications teams.

Linxo_stage_FEU2011

From left: Co-founders Hugues Pisapia, managing director, and CEO Bruno Van Haetsdaele demonstrated the Linxo platform at FinovateEurope 2011.

Bruno Van Haetsdaele and Hugues Pisapia, Linxo co-founders, said the investment was a show of confidence in their platform. “These investors confirm our development while leaving us the independence and autonomy to continue to grow rapidly,” said Van Haetsdaele. The pair says the trust of leading banking players showed a strong signal of confidence in the security of Linxo’s solution and the sustainability of their business model.

Linxo specializes in personal finance management and savings-optimization solutions for consumers. It’s the first account-aggregation service supported by French FIs. More than simply aggregating accounts, Linxo has opened up its platform to application developers looking to build features such as partner dashboards, rewards and offers programs, and more.

Linxo demonstrated its platform at FinovateEurope 2011 in London. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Aix-en-Provence, France, Linxo employs seven and says its platform has been used by more than 850,000 businesses and individuals.

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Finovate Alumni News

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: BehavioSec, Betterment, Currency Cloud, IP Commerce, linxo, MasterCard, On Deck Capital, Tradeshift, TransferWise, Vouch

On Finovate.com

  • “IP Commerce Closes Series A Round”
  • “Linxo Raises €2 Million from Crédit Agricole”

Around the web

  • MasterCard and TransferWise talk about the “future of money and credit” with TechCruch at Davos 2016.
  • Let’s Talk Payments features Betterment in a roundup of fintech startups focused on reducing fees for retirement savers.
  • OnDeck enters referral agreement with Opus Bank to power SMB lending.
  • BehavioSec to power behavioral biometrics for TeleSign.

This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

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FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: Capital Preferences

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: Capital Preferences
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Capital Preferences, FinovateEurope 2016, FinovateEurope 2016 Sneak Peek

CapitalPreferences_homepage_Jan2016

FEULogowithDate    A look at the companies demoing live to 1,500 fintech professionals. Register today.

 

Capital Preferences takes the pain out of client profiling. We use game theory to create each client’s Economic Fingerprint—letting you customize advice and prove suitability.

Features

  • We lower risk and raise customization potential
  • We provide statistical confidence that you are providing suitable advice
  • We sell to the right clients based upon their preferences

Why it’s great
Firms that know their clients best will win. Your client’s Economic Fingerprint is the key to serve them better, grow revenue, stay compliant, and lower the regulatory risk profile of your business.

Presenter

CapitalPreferences_BernardDelReyBernard Del Rey, CEO

Del Rey is an experienced chief marketing officer, a leader at JP Morgan Asset Management and Morgan Stanley Investment Management, who then founded Capital Position, a global strategy and marketing firm.
LinkedIn

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FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: additiv

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: additiv
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: additiv, FinovateEurope 2016, FinovateEurope 2016 Sneak Peek

additiv_homepage_Jan2016

FEULogowithDate    A look at the companies demoing live to 1,500 fintech professionals. Register today.

 

additiv will present Descartes, based on the platform additiv Digital Finance Suite (DFS).

Features

  • Additiv DFS: digitization realized fast and efficiently
  • Full self-service hybrid, or personal adviser-focused solutions including robo-adviser technology
  • For the banking and insurance markets

Why it’s great
Descartes is a high-end, multi-algorithmic robo-adviser for demanding, self-directed investors offering a holistic advisory and portfolio-management approach.

Presenters

additiv_MichaelStemmieMichael Stemmle, Owner and CEO

Stemmle has long-term consulting experience with a focus on the development and implementation of business, sales, and distribution strategies for the finance and insurance industries.
LinkedIn

 

additiv_AdrianoLucatelliAdriano B. Lucatelli, Entrepreneur, Founder of Descartes AG

Lucatelli is a Swiss entrepreneur, investor, and member of the board of directors of various companies (one of them additiv). He has lectured at the University of Zurich on international finance since 2012.
LinkedIn

 

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FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: AdviceRobo

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: AdviceRobo
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: AdviceGames, FinovateEurope 2016, FinovateEurope 2016 Sneak Peek

AdviceRobo_homepage_Jan2016

FEULogowithDate     A look at the companies demoing live to 1,500 fintech professionals. Register today.

 

CreditRobo from AdviceRobo provides behavior-based predictive and preventive solutions, instant credit scoring, and a gamified user interface by applying the latest technologies such as machine learning.

Features

  • Reduces risk in your customer base
  • Gives actionable insights for highly effective campaigns
  • Offers personalized services, such as a personal online dashboard
  • Improves your ROI

Why it’s great
AdviceRobo helps you to predict and prevent, on an individual level, the credit risk in your base.

Presenters

diederik van thielDiederick van Thiel, CEO

Founder and CEO Thiel previously founded and sold eyeOpen, the world’s first online mortgage robo-advisor. He is enrolled in a Ph.D. program on behavioral finance and big-data-driven customer experiences.
LinkedIn

Diederick van Tiel en Rosali Waleson-SteenkamerRosali Steenkamer, CCO

Founder and CCO Steenbakmer previously founded and sold eyeOpen, the world’s first online mortgage robo-advisor. She has in-depth expertise and experience in the field of marketing, communication, and sales.
LinkedIn

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FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: eWise

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: eWise
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: eWise, FinovateEurope 2016, FinovateEurope 2016 Sneak Peek

eWise_homepage_Jan2016

FEULogowithDate A look at the companies demoing live to 1,500 fintech professionals. Register today.

 

eWise is a leading international provider of private and secure personal finance management (PFM) and account-aggregation solutions. eWise will present its new data privacy feature.

Features

Responsibility and security in Personal Money Management since 2000.

  • Money Manager
  • Personal Data Vault
  • Data Privacy Settings

Why it’s great
Having our financial data in one place and sharing it in return for better services will revolutionize the relationship we have with our money.

Presenters

eWise_AlexGrinbergAlex Grinberg, Head of Business Development and Founder

Grinberg started his career in law and technology, as senior legal counsel at IBM and Oracle. He founded eWise in 2000 and is now driving business development.
LinkedIn

 

eWise_DeanYoungDean Young, Head of Product Management

Young is based in Singapore and has more than 20 years’ experience in the financial services industry.
LinkedIn

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FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: Valuto

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: Valuto
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: FinovateEurope 2016, FinovateEurope 2016 Sneak Peek, Valuto

Valuto_homepage_Jan2016

FEULogowithDateA look at the companies demoing live to 1,500 fintech professionals. Register today.

 

Valuto offers a corporate level, multi-currency account for SMEs, a centralized location to facilitate everything from foreign exchange to sending and receiving cross-border payments.

Features

  • Domestic payouts and collections via our network of European bank accounts.
  • Free and instant payments between Valuto users.
  • Integrates seamlessly with other technology via Valuto open API

Why it’s great
Via the Valuto API, users will be able to connect their Valuto payment account to third-party systems in a safe and secure way.

Presenters

Valuto_LukaszOlekLukasz Olek, Chief Product Officer and Founder

Olek balances his time between getting key deliverables out the door in the short term, while simultaneously inspiring people around him to find ways to improve the core product.
LinkedIn

 

Valuto_MichalCzekalskiMichal Czekalski, CEO and Founder

Czekalski at age 25 started his first company, Internetowykantor.pl, leveraging the internet to help individuals and companies exchange currencies at a fraction of the cost of the incumbents.
LinkedIn

 

Valuto_MatthewHarrisMatthew Harris, International Business Developments and Partnerships

Not content with just offering Valuto to users in Poland and the Czech Republic, Harris has taken the role of expanding the brand’s reach across Europe and beyond.
LinkedIn

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FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: TaxFree4U

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: TaxFree4U
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: B4U Tax Free Limited, FinovateEurope 2016, FinovateEurope 2016 Sneak Peek

TaxFree4U_homepage_Jan2016

FEULogowithDateA look at the companies demoing live to 1,500 fintech professionals. Register today.

TaxFree4U is an innovative service that utilizes IT solutions to provide customers with the simplest and most efficient way in the market to get the VAT refunds on purchases made in the EU.

Features

  • 48-hour refund
  • Purchases available within any store in EU
  • Website and mobile apps make process almost fully-automated

Why it’s great
The main strategic course is to be present in every EU country and be fully integrated with existing customs and revenue systems in order to provide our clients with a unified VAT-refund solution.

Presenter

B4UTaxFree_AndrilLebedynetsAndrii Lebedynets, Co-Founder

Lebedynets has over a decade of experience in IT, with more than five years of successful work on startups specializing in marketing, advertising, and SEO. He has been with the project since its inception.
LinkedIn

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LendUp Raises $150 Million in Series B, Expanded Credit Facility

LendUp Raises $150 Million in Series B, Expanded Credit Facility
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Funding, Fundings, LendUp

LendUp_homepage_Jan2016

San Francisco-based alternative lender LendUp has raised $150 million in a combined Series B funding round and expanded credit facility.

The Series B, which involved participation from “almost all” of LendUp’s existing investors, was led by Susa Ventures and Data Collective. Victory Park Capital participated in the investment, as well as providing LendUp with a second credit facility. According to LendUp CEO Sasha Orloff, the expanded credit facility will help the company provide new “national products” and reach more customers.

LendUp_stage_FS2014

From left: LendUp Co-founder Sasha Orloff and CTO Jacob Rosenberg demonstrated their platform at FinovateSpring 2014.

Founded in 2011 and launched the following year, LendUp specializes in providing credit products to the millions of U.S. consumers who aren’t able to borrow from traditional banks. These products include the LendUp Ladder, an alternative to payday loans that helps borrowers rebuild their credit, and a new credit card business, the L Card, launched last year.

Named one of “30 Hot Fintech Startups to Watch” by Fox Business in June 2015, and earning a spot on AlwaysOn’s On Finance Top 100 in April 2015, LendUp demonstrated its platform at FinovateSpring 2014. The company has more than 130 employees and anticipates doubling staff by the end of the year.

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