Author: David Penn

Finovate Alumni News– April 11, 2013

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Banno, Blippy, Credit Sesame, Currensee, Fiserv, HelloWallet, Leaf, Locaid, Lovemoney.com, Nutmeg, OpenCoin, PayPal, Ping Identity, rplan, TSYS, Yandex

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  • Alliance Data teams up with Locaid to provide opt-in geofence pilot program for branded cards.
  • Currensee announces Trade Leaders Investment Program.
  • Leaf announces Quick Serve POS solution for restaurants. See Leaf in action at FinovateSpring in May.
  • Credit Sesame reports growth figures.
  • Banno creates 15 responsive design websites in Q1 2013.
  • HelloWallet hires 6, bringing total number of employees to 40.
  • LG now offers the convenience of purchasing via PayPal on their 2013 line of Smart TVs.
  • American Banker reports Fiserv updates its Unified Wealth Management platform.
  • Money Marketing features Rplan, Nutmeg, and LoveMoney as startups that appeal to the under-30 crowd.
  • Dropbox offers single sign on through partnership with Ping Identity.
  • CMO.com interviews Yandex CEO Bernard Lukey is the director of sales and business development.
  • GigaOM reports PayPal offers 2 new extensions for Magneto merchants.
  • The Economist takes a look at the bitcoin boom, including alternatives like OpenCoin. See OpenCoin demo Ripple at FinovateSpring in May.
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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eDeposit Announces Upgrade, New Features in Mobile App

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: eDeposit

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The payment network’s mobile app now allows merchants to see accounts receivable payments in real-time. Suppliers and retailers can take advantage of the ability to schedule payments and view payment history remotely.

eDeposit provides merchants and their customers with a prepaid account system. The company’s payment authorization and settlement network processes invoices and remittances in real-time, providing cost and time saving for businesses.

The app is available for both Android and iOS platforms.

eDeposit was founded in 1999. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, the company is led by CEP Robert Craig and demoed at FinovateSpring 2012. See their presentation here.

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Green Dot, UniRush Team Up to Launch New Prepaid Visa Card

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Green Dot
Green Dot Corporation

The pursuit of the underbanked continues with the announcement of a new, prepaid card from Green Dot and UniRush.

The card, the RushCard Live Reloadable Visa Card, is expected to be launch later this month, when it will be made available through Green Dot’s retail partners across the U.S. Some of the features of the new card include:

  • No overdraft fees or interest charges
  • Early payroll direct deposit
  • Pass-through FDIC insurance coverage
  • Access to more than 22,000 ATMs without having to pay a transaction fee
  • Online bill pay
RushCard Live customers will also have access to a mobile app that provides for real-time viewing of account balances and transaction history. Customers can choose either a “per use” plan or a monthly plan at the time of registration. This gives cardholders the option to either forgo a monthly charge (with the former plan) or avoid a transaction fee (with the latter plan).

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UniRush was founded in 2003, and was among the first companies to develop a prepaid Visa debit card. Headquartered in New York and Cincinnati, the company is focused on serving the more than 48 million consumers who do not have access to traditional banking services.

In business since 1999, Green Dot Corporation is a bank holding company based in Pasadena, California. It’s line of branded, prepaid debit cards and services are available at more than 60,000 retail locations across the U.S., such as Walmart, Fred Meyer, and Rite Aid. Green Dot’s prepaid cards are also available online.

Green Dot is also among the companies scheduled to demo at FinovateSpring this May in San Francisco. To learn more about FinovateSpring, and to save your spot, visit our information page here.

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Kashoo Updates iPad App with Attachments, AirPrint

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Kashoo

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Cloud accounting software makers Kashoo released a new edition of their iPad app. The new version includes a handful of features that add printing, invoicing, and other capabilities to the software.

Below is a rundown of the new features on the Kashoo iPad app, which can be used with both the iPad and the iPad Mini.

  • Add attachments to expenses and invoices
  • Print directly from iPad using AirPrint
  • Enter data more quickly with Duplicate
  • Choose from a variety of invoice templates

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Founded in 2008, Kashoo is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia and has a team of 13 led by CEO Jim Secord. The company’s cloud accounting software is used by more than 60,000 businesses and entrepreneurs in more than 180 countries. 

Kashoo demoed its accounting solution as part of the FinovateFall show in October 2010.  See their presentation here.

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IntelliResponse Adds 155th Customer and First Credit Union

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: IntelliResponse

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You know the saying: the 155th one is the charm …

IntelliResponse announced today that the company had added its 155th customer, Evangelical Christian Credit Union (ECCU). The credit union also has the distinction of being the first to deploy IntelliResponse’s enterprise-level, virtual agent solution.

The credit union plans to use IntelliResponse’s Virtual Agent platform in its call center environment, as well as on ECCU’s website and social media channels. Reducing time spent training new agents and lowering overall call center costs are among the major goals of the deployment.

Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Brea, California, Evangelical Christian CU provides both personal and ministry banking. A few key metrics as of December 2012 include:

  • More than $1.1 billion in assets
  • More than 12,000 members
  • More than 1,800 commercial clients

IntelliResponse’s technology allows customers to use their own natural, conversational language to ask questions of virtual agents. The technology has more than 365 live implementations responding to more than 100 million inquiries each year.

See IntelliResponse in action at FinovateSpring this May in San Francisco. For more information, including details on how to save your spot, click here.

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OpenCoin Acquires SimpleHoney

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: OpenCoin

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Terms have not been disclosed. But the four-person SimpleHoney team will be joining OpenCoin’s 12-person crew in an effort to make OpenCoin’s virtual currency system simpler and more accessible for the average consumer.

OpenCoin is the company behind Ripple, an open source payment system developed by self-described “Bitcoin Enthusiasts”. SimpleHoney was launched in the spring of 2012 as a source for hotel recommendations based on the traveler’s personality and preferences. Since then, SimpleHoney has become better known for its “I Want Wish List” wish list app.

SimpleHoney’s ability to develop user-friendly technologies is one of the reasons for the acquisition, according to SimpleHoney co-founder Joyce Kim. Indeed, the SimpleHoney team will serve as OpenCoin’s “consumer engagement” group, focusing on usability issues.

OpenCoin will be presenting in San Francisco in May as part of FinovateSpring 2013. To learn more about the event, and to find out how to reserve your spot, click here.

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Quantopian Launches “Bring Your Own Data” Service with Fetcher

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Quantopian

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Quantopian has announced a new feature called Fetcher, which allows traders and algorithm builders to import their own data series into the platform. 

With Fetcher, algo builders will be able to expand their focus beyond the world of stocks to include almost any imaginable time-series information. Curious about the impact of unemployment among young professionals on the hospitality industry? How about the correlation between the price of gold bullion and the share values of gold mining companies? Quantopian’s Fetcher may be for you.

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Quantopian offers programming-savvy traders (and trading-savvy programmers) a browser-based algorithmic trading platform. Along with a sophisticated backtester, the platform makes it possible for users to build the kind of quantitative trading algorithms often only available to hedge fund money managers and institutional investors.

The company raised more than $2 million in seed capital in January from Stark Capital and GETCO. According to Quantopian, the company’s users have completed more than 87,000 years worth of backtests.

Quantopian is one of the companies that will be presenting at FinovateSpring this May in San Francisco. To learn more about our upcoming Spring event, and how to save your spot to see companies like Quantopian in action, click here.

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Realty Mogul Goes Live with Real Estate Crowdfunding Platform

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Realty Mogul

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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.

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Finovate Alumni News– March 29, 2013

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: BBC Easy, Bill.com, Dwolla, Fiserv, FutureAdvisor, Jack Henry, Keynote DeviceAnywhere, Kofax, planwise, Realty Mogul, TIBCO Software, TradeHero, TradeKing, TSYS, Xendpay

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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.

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Yodlee Accelerator Program Bears Fruit with 300 Startups Served

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Credit Karma, EZBOB, FreeAgent, LearnVest, planwise, Xero, Yodlee

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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.

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Finovate Alumni News– March 27, 2013

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Acculynk, BankersLab, Fenergo, Fiserv, Flint Mobile, Geezeo, GMC Software Technology, Jingit, Kiboo, Klarna, Lending Club, MoneyDesktop, Q2ebanking, Realty Mogul, TIBCO Software, TIO Networks

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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.

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Finovate Alumni News– March 26, 2013

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Azimo, CSI globalVCard, CurrencyFair, Expensify, EZBOB, Fiserv, ID Analytics, Klarna, Lending Club, PayPal, Prosper, Rebirth Financial, SecureKey, SoMoLend, SumUp, TransferWise, Zopa
  • 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.

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