SixThirty Accelerator Deadline Extended to February 6

SixThirty_logo_new2.jpg

SixThirty Accelerator is extending the deadline for its spring 2015 incubator class to Friday, February 6th.

SixThirty has played a role in the development of two Finovate alums: miiCard, which was a part of the Fall 2013 cohort, and Gremln, a participant of the Spring 2014 class.

SixThirty_homepage_new2.jpg
Co-founded by Jim McKelvey, SixThirty invests up to $100,000 per selected company, for a total of $800,000 a year in late seed-stage, financial startups. Through the four-month program, SixThirty provides companies with expert mentorships and the opportunity to network and connect with the region’s FI ecosystem, which includes MasterCard, Wells Fargo, and Scottrade.
The spring 2015 cohort will be announced at the end of February.

FinovateEurope 2015: Come for the Demos, Stay for the Networking

Thumbnail image for FEUpromoshot.jpg

We got the word on Monday: FinovateEurope 2015 will be the largest Finovate conference in Europe to date.

This is a great way to start the year. And we’re hoping you’ll join us in London on February 10 and 11 to enjoy our first event of 2015. We’re headed toward a sold-out show, so get your tickets before they’re gone. 

Live demos are Finovate’s stock-in-trade. But the high-quality networking opportunities are not to be overlooked. And with 500 minutes of demos and an equal amount of time dedicated to high-quality networking, we think we’ve got the balance just right.
Here’s a look at the kind of folks you’ll be rubbing elbows with at FinovateEurope 2015 this year.
FEU2015TitleCloud.jpg
FinovateEurope tends to have a particularly international flavor. And this year’s conference is no exception. Below is a map that shows where each of our 70 presenters is headquartered (click to enlarge). 
Finovate_FEU2015_FinalRevised_Map.jpg
Find out more about this year’s presenting companies here, or check out our Sneak Peek Preview series below.

FinovateEurope 2015 is sponsored by The Bancorp, iBe, Financial Technology Partners, KPMG LLP, Life.SREDA.

Alumni News– February 4, 2015

  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgIntelligentHQ features TransferWise and CurrencyFair in its look at the “currency transfer revolution.”
  • ayondo hires Peg Reed as Senior Vice President of Business Development.
  • School of Bookkeeping reviews Kashoo Simple Cloud Accounting.
  • Fintech Monthly focuses on recent fintech fundraising including recent investment in TransferWise.
  • ProfitStars adds billpay, invoice management, and mobile banking functionality to its ICBA Preferred Service Provider program.
  • Temenos teams up with Polytech Ventures to launch the first Swiss fintech incubator.
  • Expensify adds 4,000 new customers in 2014, including  the BBB, ZenDesk, and Yahoo!  
  • Forbes features Currency Cloud’s cross border payment API.
  • Kony’s partners now offering apps on its business mobile app marketplace.
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.

Fidelity Investments Acquires eMoney Advisor for Reported $250 Million

Thumbnail image for eMoneyAdvisorLogo_FF2014.jpg

Congratulations to our latest “one and done alum,” eMoney Advisor. The wealth management technology company that made its Finovate debut last September has been acquired by Fidelity Investments.

The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed; however, Philly.com is reporting that Fidelity paid more than $250 million for the company.

eMoneyAdvisor_newhomepage.jpg
eMoney Advisor’s leadership will remain intact, including founder Edmond Walters who will continue as CEO. The company will also keep its offices in California and Pennsylvania where Walters promises to “hire a lot more Philadelphia people.”
Walters highlighted eMoney Advisor’s history with Fidelity’s advisor clients as one of the main synergies contributing to the deal, as well as Fidelity’s “multi-million-dollar commitment to technology.” Michael Wilens, president of Fidelity Enterprise Services, underscored the point, saying, “We apply design-thinking in our labs, incubate new companies and work with some of the brightest minds in the country—all for the benefit of our clients.”
eMoneyAdvisor_FF2014stage.jpg
Above (left to right): Chad Porche, User Interface Designer, and Kyle Wharton, Business Development, at FinovateFall 2014.
eMoney Advisor will be used to help Fidelity build out its data management, office, and collaborative tools for investors and advisors. Fidelity’s Institutional clients who work with registered investment advisors, broker-dealers, and banks will be the first to take advantage of the technology.
Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, eMoney Advisor’s platform helps financial professionals serve the investment and wealth management needs of their clients. eMoney has 25,000 registered investment reps and 46 out of the top 50 broker dealers using its technology, which tracks more than $1 trillion in client assets. EMX, the company’s “rebranded” platform, was previewed at FinovateFall 2014 and released in December.
If you missed it last fall, check out our Finovate Debuts feature on e-Money Advisor.

Alumni News—February 2, 2015

  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgThe Telegraph features SigFig and Motif Investing in its list of the 10 best apps for new investors.
  • PostConnect to deploy customer communications management technology from GMC Software Technology.
  • Heckyl Technologies chooses Gurpreet Sidana for President-Sales.
  • Tom’s Guide column on identity theft quotes Adam Levin of IDTheft911.
  • American Banker reports: Green Dot to start offering credit lines to its customers.
  • TechVibes: “Trulioo Launches $100,000 Developer Fund to Support Financial Inclusion Efforts”
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 Alums Populate the FinTech50

Looking for the most innovative startups in fintech? The FinTech50 is a great place to start.

FinTech50_homepage.jpg
It also turns out to be a great place to find Finovate alums. Of the 50 companies recognized by FinTechCity’s panels of judges as being “game-changers transforming the future of finance,” nearly half are alumni of Finovate conferences – including our upcoming event in London.
Here is the list of alums in alphabetical order:
According to Chris Skinner, who was one of the panelists, more than 700 companies competed for spots in the FinTech50. The selection panel included veterans of finance and technology from companies ranging from American Express and Google to Silicon Valley Bank and UBS. The FinTech50 winners were announced at an invitation-only event in London.
Speaking of London, Five Degrees, InvoiceSharing, Ixaris, mBank, and Trunomi will be in town next month, demonstrating their latest solutions at FinovateEurope 2015, February 10 and 11. More information on the event available here.

Alumni News– January 30, 2015

  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgWipro wins multi-year, IT outsourcing contract from Allied Irish Banks (AIB). Join Wipro in London for FinovateEurope 2015 next month.
  • The Financial Services Blog features more than 20 Finovate alums in its look at the 50 most innovative FinTech firms.
  • MasterCard PayPass partners with St. Petersburg Metro to bring contactless payments to Russian subway.
  • Blackhawk Network unveils Blackhawk Engagement Solutions to build customized incentive and rewards programs.
  • FinovateEurope 2015 Sneak Peek: Part 6 is now up.
  • American Banker highlights Cloud Lending’s role with banks.
  • PYMNTS interviews TSYS Merchant Solutions’ Tom Boyer about changes in the payments acquiring space.
  • Bolstr Raises $1.7 Million in Seed Funding.
  • The blog herald shares an infographic detailing online security methods: Nymiband, Myris, Eyeverify, BehavioSec, Entersekt.
  • Lifehacker features Betterment, Mint, Personal Capital as tools to manage your investments.
  • Bitcoinist features Bitbond. Check them out at FinovateEurope February 10 & 11.
  • BetaBoston: After a successful 2014, student services company SimpleTuition rebrands as Valore.
  • Mitek Q1 revenue up 21% YOY; reports 3,300 financial institutions now signed & 2,700 live.
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.

FinovateEurope 2015 Sneak Peek: Part 6

Thumbnail image for FE2015Banner.jpg

February is only a few days away, which means that the first Finovate conference of the year – FinovateEurope 2015 – is almost here. We are well on our way to surpassing last year’s record crowd of 1,000. So don’t delay, get your tickets to join us in London on February 10 and 11. 
We’ve just revealed the official list of presenters to help whet your appetite for what some of fintech’s most innovative companies will demonstrate live on stage.
FEUSneakPeek6shot.jpg
Today’s installment of our FinovateEurope 2015 Sneak Peek series features Bitbond, Revolut, Smart e-Money, TiViTz, TransferTo, and Wipro.
Previous installments of our Sneak Peek series are below:

Bitbond_FEU15_hires_logo.jpg

Bitbond is a global peer-to-peer bitcoin lending platform. Get access to affordable loans and profitable savings from all around the world.
Features
With Bitbond AutoInvest:
  • Build a loan portfolio automatically
  • Define regions and risk categories to invest in
  • Re-invest received loan repayments
Why it’s great
Bitbond AutoInvest creates a portfolio of profitable loans for you at 0% fees according to your preferences.
Presenters

RAlbrecht_Bitbond_FEU15.jpg

Radoslav Albrecht, Co-founder and CEO
Background in economics. Prior to founding Bitbond, Albrecht was Senior Consultant at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. Previously with Deutsche Bank London in structured equity.

Thumbnail image for RNasiadek_Bitbond_FEU15.jpg

Robert Nasiadek, Co-founder and CTO
Programmer since childhood. Before joining Bitbond, Nasiadek started the Ruby on Rails development company, El Passion. Board advisor at Gimmy.pl.

Revolut_FEU15_hires_logo.jpg

Revolut is a personal money cloud allowing you to avoid all hidden banking costs.
Features
You can exchange currencies at interbank rates, send them through social networks and spend with a multicurrency card acceptable anywhere.
Why it’s great
Revolut – Personal Money Cloud
Presenters

NStoronsky_Revolut_FEU15.jpg

Nikolay Storonsky, CEO
Storonsky has eight years experience in financial services (trading). Most recently he worked for Credit Suisse and Lehman Brothers.

VYatsenko_Revolut_FEU15.jpg

Vlad Yatsenko, CTO
Yatsenko has 12 years experience in developing IT projects in major financial institutions including Credit Suisse, UBS, and Deustche Bank.

Smart_eMoney_FEU15_hires_logo.jpg

Smart e-Money’s LockByMobile is an anti-fraud security solution which allows you to lock and unlock your cards in real-time using your mobile phone.
Features
  • Provides an extra layer of security for your added peace of mind
  • Easy-to-use interface to lock/unlock your cards with a simple swipe of the finger
  • Customizable lock settings and built-in alerts
Why it’s great
Feel secure when using your card locally or even abroad. With LockByMobile, you have the power to prevent fraud from happening.
Presenters

AVillanueva_SmarteMoney_FEU15.jpg

Angelito Villanueva, VP & Head of Innovation
With over 20 years experience, Villanueva is the lead in unlocking the huge potential of e-money by introducing digital payments innovations for financial inclusion including building a dynamic ecosystem.

GDanielou_SmarteMoney_FEU15.jpg

Guillaume Danielou, Senior Product Manager
With 12 years experience in IT Development/Consulting/Product Development, Danielou has experience working throughout the entire product development life cycle process in international environments.

TiViTZ_FEU15_hires_logo.jpg

TiViTz College $avings Game-a-thon is a fully automated, easy-to-use, market-disrupting, patent-pending, activity-based fundraising tool for children’s college savings.
Features
  • Complements existing financial savings vehicles
  • Creates new college savings accounts and relationships
  • Provides a marketing tool for consumer and business banking
Why it’s great
The Game-a-thon provides families with a solution to afford higher education by significantly increasing children’s savings, while improving their math skills and financial literacy.
Presenters

SMullen_TiViTz_FEU15.jpg

Siobhan Mullen, CEO
Former aerospace executive, Special Advisor to the NASA Administrator, and experienced high-tech entrepreneur in launch services, satellite communications and data distribution.

SScully_TiViTz_FEU15.jpg

Stephen Scully, President


TransferTo_FEU15_hires_logo.jpg

TransferTo’s Value Remittance service is an innovative and unique remittance solution that enables migrants to determine how the funds they send are allocated.
Features
Value Remittance provides direct payment of services such as electricity, mobile airtime, and education, while providing a new revenue stream for financial institutions and MTOs.
Why it’s great
Value remittance allows senders to know exactly how their money is being spent and provides the receiver with instant access to the selected service.
Presenters

EBarbier_TransferTo_FEU15.jpg

Eric Barbier, CEO
As founder and Chief Executive Officer, Barbier oversees the strategic direction of the company as well as manages the relationships with many of TransferTo’s customers and partners.

CDamen_TransferTo_FEU15.jpg

Charles Damen, EVP Global Business Development
Damen is responsible for the development of new services, strategic partnerships, and the growth of global accounts with over 18 years of experience in telecommunications, Internet, and payments.

Wipro_FEU14_hires_logo.jpg

Wipro ngGenie Smart Banking Assistant provides the “next generation banking experience” for customers. It helps by providing you with right information at the right place.
Features
A personalized, contextual, next generation user experience for banking customers that can result in reduced costs of serving customers and an increased cross sell / up sell opportunities.
Why it’s great
Wipro myAdvisor helps in day-to-day transactions and acts as your personal financial advisor.
Presenters

MKalmanker_Wipro_FEU15.jpg

Mukund Kalmanker, General Manager
Kalmanker is a general manager at CTO office and has a rich background in the banking domain. He had earlier handled the banking business for Wipro under the Analytics and Information Management domain.

Thumbnail image for STamminedi_Wipro_FEU15.jpg

Sudhakar Babu Tamminedi, Practice Head
Tamminedi has over 15 years of experience in Consumer and Enterprise Mobility applications across industries. He has provided end-to-end mobility solutions form conceptualization to deployment.

Pick up your tickets for FinovateEurope 2015 today! Want more info? Visit our FAQ page.

Spreedly Raises $150,000 in New Funding

Thumbnail image for Spreedlylogo.jpg

North Carolina-based payments specialist Spreedly has secured a new investment of $150,000. Information on the investors was not immediately available. The new funding takes the company’s total to more than $2 million.

Spreedly’s “credit card vault in the cloud” technology gives merchants and aggregator platforms the ability to work simultaneously with multiple payment gateways. With its single API and secure credit card tokenization, Spreedly’s solution provides both greater flexibility and control over the payments process.

 Spreedly_homepage_new.jpg
Spreedly recently reported processing $50 million in credit card transactions in December 2014, the company’s 22nd month since its re-launch to its current incarnation. Spreedly launched a collaboration with PayItSimple in December, as well, helping the Israel-based POS consumer financing company integrate with 70% of U.S. payment gateways. Spreedly currently serves more than 70 gateways in more than 80 countries.
Founded in 2008, Spreedly demoed its technology at FinovateSpring 2014. Justin Benson is CEO.

Alumni News– January 29, 2015

  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgTinkoff Bank to deploy fraud prevention solution from Iris Analytics.
  • EagleBank implements EnAct client management and sales software from Fiserv.
  • KDnuggets interviews Anthony Bak, principal data scientist for Ayasdi.
  • Red Zebra Analytics brings its card-linked offers service to Germany.
  • Ripple Labs raises $30 million in Series A round.
  • CNBC Tech Check interviews Tradeshift CEO Christian Lanng.
  • Computer Business Review features Venmo and Flint Mobile in its list of “5 mobile apps to turn your wallet digital.
  • Datamonitor analyst describes why he’s looking forward to watching Advice Games’ demo at FinovateEurope 2015.
  • Simple now works on BillGuard.
  • Google Cloud Platform now available to VMware customers.
  • TechCrunch explores Coinbase’s recently launched U.S. exchange.
  • Cachet Financial Solutions integrates with Apple Pay.
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.

Ripple Labs Raises $30 Million in Series A Round

RippleLabs_logo.jpg

The Wall Street Journal, Crunchbase, and other sources are reporting that open payments protocol specialist, Ripple Labs, has raised $30 million in new funding. Although the company has not confirmed some of the details of the deal, participating investors are believed to be IDG Capital Partners, Google Ventures, and Andreessen Horowitz.

RippleLabs_homepage.jpg

This latest infusion of capital follows successful angel and seed funding rounds which raised $9 million in 2013, and takes the company’s total capital to nearly $40 million. WSJ further reported that the investment puts Ripple Labs’ valuation at $100 million.
(Crypto Coins News helpfully compares this valuation to Ripple’s “primary value in XRP” to arrive at a very different figure.)
Ripple Labs developed the Ripple protocol, a distributed open source payment network that enables the real-time transfer of funds in any currency. The technology was deployed by Fidor Bank AG last May, and in September Cross River Bank and CBW Bank became the first U.S. banks to incorporate the Ripple protocol into its settlement operations. In January, Ripple Labs named Gene Sperling, former Chief White House Advisor, to its board of directors.
Ripple_homepage.jpg
The investment comes at a time of resurgent optimism for digital and cryptocurrencies like Ripple. Recent investment in bitcoin exchange Coinbase, which opened its first U.S. exchange this week, has helped restore interest in the technology after the price of bitcoin dripped below $300 and fell to as low as $178.
Founded in 2012 and headquartered in San Francisco, Ripple demonstrated its technology at FinovateSpring 2013 in San Francisco. Chris Larsen is CEO.

Alumni News– January 28, 2015

  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgEasier Finance features Azimo in its list of the top money saving apps for 2015.
  • The Credit.com Blog writes about how Global Debt Registry can help consumers track down old debts.
  • Sonavation hires Karl Weintz as president and CEO.
  • Jim Siegienski of iQuantifi wins “CTO of the Year” award from 2014 Nashville Technology Council.
  • Fenergo earns top 100 ranking among risk technology providers according to Chartis.
  • CheBanca! to deploy digital banking platform from Backbase.
  • Insuritas to provide Tulsa FCU with insurance agency solution inside Tulsa’s existing insurance agency platform.
  • My Bank Tracker lists Expensify as 1 of 6 best apps for preparing your tax return.
  • Intuit and Uber partner to enable Uber drivers to import their earnings into the QuickBooks software.
  • ThreatMetrix enhances multi-factor authentication solutions for financial services institutions.
  • Credit Sesame and Identity Theft Council bring identity theft awareness to 100 cities.
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.