Realty Mogul Goes Live with Real Estate Crowdfunding Platform

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With rumors of a recovery in the housing market titillating would-be real-estate investors, could there have been a better time for the launch of Realty Mogul’s real estate crowd funding platform?

Realty Mogul helps accredited investors diversify through real estate. Investors who join Realty Mogul can review and choose from a number of different potential investments, from fix-and-flip residential properties to buy-and-hold commercial developments. The platform allows investors to buy shares in these pre-screened investments, with a minimum investment of $5,000. Investors can take care of all the legal paperwork while on the Realty Mogul website, as well.

Accredited investors, by the way, are individuals with more than $200,000 in annual income, or a net worth in excess of $1 million. Ultimately, Realty Mogul hopes to expand availability to non-accredited investors. TechCrunch’s reporting suggests a potential “mass affluent” category for those with incomes above $100,000.

Realty Mogul picked up $500,000 in financing from angel investors and successfully completed the Microsoft/TechStars Accelerator program. The company will be demoing their platform at FinovateSpring this May in San Francisco. Learn more about the event, and how to save your spot, at this link.

Finovate Alumni News– March 29, 2013

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  • Atlanta Business Chronicle takes a look inside the TSYS/NetSpend merger.
  • TradeHero reaches $5 billion in virtual currency traded over 350,000 trades in the first three months.
  • Washington Trust Bank to deploy Jack Henry & Associates‘ SilverLake System core processing platform.
  • The Options Insider interviews TradeKing CEO Don Montanaro.
  • Leading U.S. healthcare insurer invested more than $250k to implement a Kofax-based solution. See Kofax demo at FinovateSpring.
  • Bill.com announces it enables more than 175k businesses to pay and get paid.
  • Fargo bank adds Fiserv mobile banking, payment tools.
  • Dwolla site back up after DDoS attack.
  • BBC Easy launches C & I Loan Management Software for businesses looking to save time on cumbersome BBCs. Check out BBC’s demo at FinovateSpring.
  • Keynote DeviceAnywhere platform now integrated with Worksoft Certif.
  • AH Capital raises more than $100,000 using Realty Mogul’s real estate crowd funding platform. Join Realty Mogul in San Francisco this May at FinovateSpring.
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.

Yodlee Accelerator Program Bears Fruit with 300 Startups Served

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With 300 fintech innovators already taking advantage of Yodlee’s 10-month old accelerator program, the company’s sights are set on still more companies coming on board. In fact, Yodlee anticipates growth of more than 50% by the end of the year.

One of the key features of the program is free access to Yodlee’s API, which brings with it the ability to draw from a wealth of financial data, from bank accounts to rewards campaigns. Program companies have taken this data and run with it, building everything from eWallets to new lending services.

Aside from its role in “paying it forward” (fintech edition), Yodlee has been a very successful outfit in its own right. The company has more than 40 million users and $100 million in capital, with 20% of its customers coming from outside the United States.

It’s worth pointing out that Yodlee’s accelerated startups include a handful of Finovate alumni such as EZBOB and FreeAgent (both companies fresh from appearances at FinovateEurope). Other alumni taking advantage of Yodlee’s platform include Credit Karma, Xero, and LearnVest.

Success with the accelerator program, which was launched in May 2012, may be what has encouraged the company to launch its API incubator program to cater to a different subset of startups. So far, Yodlee has been able to incubate 10 companies, including Finovate alumn, Planwise.

Yodless was last on the Finovate stage in September 2012 as part of FinovateFall in New York. Watch a demo of Yodlee in action here, as they present their small business platform.

Finovate Alumni News– March 27, 2013

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  • Acculynk to provide UnionPay International UPOP authentication service via PaySecure.
  • GMC  Software Technology’s GMC Inspire now available as a complete solution with Xerox devices.
  • Klarna AB wins SEK 150 million contract with EVRY.
  • Finextra reports East River FCU & Ishpeming Community FCU to integrate Geezeo’s PFM product.
  • International Business News reports Aditi Technologies and TIBCO Software announce strategic alliance to bolster enterprise social and e-commerce solutions.
  • Lend Academy reports: Lending Club adds monthly income and loan ID filters.
  • American Banker reports: Harleysville Savings chooses Q2ebanking’s online banking platform.
  • TIO Networks surpasses 1 million transactions across all TIO Wallet members.
  • BankersLab launches Collections Edition of its Bank-it mobile game.
  • Bell State Bank deploys Fiserv’s mobile banking system.
  • Banking Technology looks at Kiboo’s participation in London’s fintech Innovation Lab.
  • Wilson Bank & Trust introduces MoneyDesktop to members.
  • TIBCO Software acquires Maporama Solutions.
  • P2P lending comes to real estate courtesy of Realty Mogul.
  • Small Business Computing takes a look at Flint’s pursuit of “highly mobile small businesses.”
  • Retail Touch Points features Jingit and a conversation on the importance of in-store marketing ROI.
  • Bank Crerdit News talks compliance with Fenergo CEO Marc Murphy.
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 Alumni News– March 26, 2013

  • Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgTransferWise 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.
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 Alumni News– March 25, 2013

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  • Innovations in gamification help True Office win Computerworld Honors Program award.
  • Aiming for the enterprise: Mobile Payments Today features Corduro.
  • Azimo goes live on Google Affiliate Network.
  • American Banker reports: Randolph-Brooks chooses Andera’s online account opening platform.
  • The gamification revolution interviews Michelle Katics, CEO of BankersLab.
  • Kabbage takes home first place for Top B2B Innovation from PYMNTS.com.
  • Virtual Piggy taps into $10Bn Annual Market with epay Partnership.
  • eToro placed on the 2013 FinTech50 Watchlist, a shortlist of 50 companies in Europe that are redefining financial services through technology.
  • Macgasm features Tuition.io as 1 of 5 apps of the week.
  • Newfination interviews SumUp’s Florian Richter.
  • Tradeshift features Intuit’s Eric Dunn to talk about the recent partnership.
  • TechCrunch reports: Yodlee Interactive now powers financial data for 300 apps and businesses; on pace to surpass 500 in 2013.
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.

Flint Mobile Partners with NXGEN’s Fidano to Support Mobile Payments

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The battle to liberate merchants from card reader hardware and proprietary mobile wallets just recorded another victory.

Flint Mobile has announced that they will bring their swipe-free mobile payments solution to Fidano, a subsidiary of merchant service provider NXGEN

Flint’s app enables merchants to accept credit card payments via iPhone. While the cardholder information passes through the app (the app scans the card numbers and is used to enter verification data) no information is stored on the phone itself.

Fidano’s partners will be able to take advantage of Flint’s platform in the second quarter of 2013. The company, which made the partnership announcement at the PYMNTS.com Innovation Project today, reports strong usage growth of its iOS app over the past six weeks. The app has been available since November 2012.

Flint Mobile was last on the Finovate stage in 2012 at FinovateSpring.  See them in action here.

Wealthfront Secures $20 Million Funding Round

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Index Ventures, Greylock Partners and the Social+Capital Partnership have just made financial advisory service Wealthfront $20 million wealthier.

Joined by angel investors from institutions as diverse as WordPress and the San Francisco 49ers professional football team, the funding round provides a significant shot in the arm to a start-up still seeking to distinguish itself in a crowded and growing marketplace.

Wealthfront is an online, SEC-registered financial advisory service geared toward average, non-accredited investors who want actively managed accounts. The service includes such features as tax-loss harvesting (for accounts above $100,000) and automatic rebalancing. Note that both of these features are often accessible only through in-person, human brokers and financial advisors.

The company has seen growth in assets under management of more than 70% since 2013, totaling more than $170 million. 

Wealthfront first appeared on the Finovate stage as part of FinovateStartup 2009. Then doing business as “kaChing”, the company presented their virtual investing environment. To see their demo, click here.

Tyfone Taking Mobile Wallet Services to Communication Federal Credit Union

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Believe that mobile banking is the future? Then stay tuned for more from credit unions like Communication FCU which just announced a new partnership with mobile banking platform provider Tyfone.

What’s in the deal for Communication FCU and its members? The highlights include:

  • Fiserv XP2 core integrated mobile banking
  • Enhanced ID authentication
  • NFC contactless payment technology

Central to Tyfone’s mobile banking solution is the iCashe mobile wallet. Tyfone’s mobile wallet provides opportunities for financial institutions to earn revenue while simultaneously offering wallet-users easy and secure access to their accounts.

Communication FCU has more than 55,000 members and more than $850 million in assets. Founded in 1939, the credit union has 10 branches in Oklahoma and Kansas.

Long-time alum Tyfone demoed at Finovate Startup 2008. You can see their demo here.

Finovate Alumni News– March 20, 2013

  • Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgFenergo releases enhanced compliance and customer onboarding support solution for FIs.
  • FIS announces seven-year agreement with FirstBank Puerto Rico for outsourcing services.
  • Fortnoff Financial reviews TradeKing.
  • The Valley Girl Show interviews Locaid CEO, Rip Gerber.
  • Creative Huddle takes a look at TransferWise as a disruptive force in banking.
  • BillGuard launches early, limited MVP testing version of iPhone app.
  • Expensify bolsters SalesForce integration by supporting FinancialForce.
  • American Banker reports Backbase launches Portal 5.4,  enhancing digital marketing to include better targeting & more.
  • Cortera launches Cortera Lookalikes to seek out new customers  that look and act like a company’s existing customer base.
  • rPlan launches “rplan University”, an online course to provide crucial education on investing.
  • ID Analytics launches ID Network Attributes, targeted consumer behavior insights that provide visibility into identity or transaction risk.
  • Lend Academy reports LendingClub loans being snatched up quickly (within hours).
  • PaySimple partners with CheckAlt to provide suite of payments and receivables tools to SMBs.
  • Validata to provide test case content for Temenos T24 German Banking Suite.
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 Alumni News– March 19, 2013

  • Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgVantageScore 3.0 now available from Experian.
  • WattzOn featured in RealtorMag column on energy savings for homeowners.
  • Communications Federal Credit Union to provide Tyfone mobile wallet services to its members.
  • Service2Media‘s M2Active 4.0 selected by Achmea as the “technological cornerstone” for its App Factory.
  • Bank Systems & Technology takes a look at what the acquisition of mFoundry means for FIS‘s future in mobile banking.
  • Bloomberg’s Tech Deals reviews Jemstep Portfolio Manager.
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.

Intuit Beats PayPal to Market with Mobile Pay in the UK

Thumbnail image for intuit.jpgThe latest on American mobile payment companies making a play for Europe?

PayPal says it’s on the way. And Square so far is nowhere to be found. Which makes Intuit‘s announcement that it is launching its Intuit Pay mobile payments service in the United Kingdom all the more provocative.

UK consumers have been waiting for Intuit Pay since the fall of 2012, when the company announced its intention to break into the mobile payments market in Europe. Starting in the UK, Intuit hopes to expand both to a wider European audience, as well as globally. This would follow in the pattern of previous, successful, region-by-region rollouts (i.e., Intuit’s QuickBooks).

Consumers in the United States can currently take advantage of Intuit’s GoPayment app, which is functionally the same service as Intuit Pay.

Intuit Pay will be available initially as an iOS app, with other platforms to be added in the near future (including Android). Intuit is offering its reader for free for a limited time.

The company’s move to the UK may have been encouraged in part by results from a survey suggesting that 47% of the small business respondents would accept cards if there were more affordable options, such as a smartphone or tablet. Currently, less than 20% of companies with less than 10 employees accept card payments.

Intuit was last on the Finovate stage in September 2009. The company demoed an integration of TurboTax for Online Banking with FinanceWorks.