Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

Around the web

  • Akamai Technologies teams with Salesforce to launch the Akamai Connector for Salesforce Commerce Cloud, enabling enterprises to provide personalized experiences for shoppers.
  • Summit Equities selects HiddenLevers for inclusion in next-gen technology platform for advisors.

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.

Tavant Teams with Freddie Mac

Tavant Teams with Freddie Mac

A new partnership between digital mortgagetech solutions company Tavant and Freddie Mac is aiming to simplify loan data submission.

This week, the two are collaborating on the launch of a one-click submission for Freddie Mac’s automated underwriting system, Loan Product Advisor. The new tool leverages machine learning to enable lenders to submit loan data to both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in a single click and quickly receive a list of borrower options.

“We are enabling mortgage lenders to thrive in the digital era. Our partnership with Freddie Mac will increase productivity, improve accuracy in the loan decisioning and underwriting process and reduce the overall origination cycle time. It provides intelligent support throughout the loan lifecycle and reduces the overall cost of loan origination,” said Hassan Rashid, CRO of Tavant.

To kick off the partnership, California-based Tavant will pilot the new tool with four unnamed lenders. The company demoed VELOX, an AI-powered digital lending product that offers an omnichannel, end-to-end experience for mortgages, at FinovateSpring 2017. Founded in 2000, Tavant employs more than 2,500 people who serve customers across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.

JPMorgan Chase Signs Deal with Cardlytics

JPMorgan Chase Signs Deal with Cardlytics

After going public earlier this year, Cardlytics has come out with its Q1 financial results, and a major new client. The data-driven marketing company has sealed a deal with JPMorgan Chase.

“We are pleased to announce the signing of an agreement for a national launch with JPMorgan Chase,” said Lynne Laube, COO and co-founder of Cardlytics. “The addition of Chase to the Cardlytics Purchase Intelligence platform will further strengthen our ability to provide powerful, actionable insights for our marketer clients and then act on these insights at scale.”

Cardlytics’ Purchase Intelligence platform is a loyalty program that banks implement with their existing debit or credit cards. Customers receive personalized offers and cash-back savings based on their transactions. This increases average consumer spend, boosts merchant loyalty, and drives more engagement within the bank’s online and mobile banking.

Chase joins a host of other banks and financial services companies already leveraging Purchase Intelligence, including PNC, Regions, SunTrust, Bank of America, Fiserv, FIS, and Digital Insight. David Evans, CFO of Cardlytics, said, “With the announcement that Chase will be coming onto our platform, we are very excited about the longer-term prospects for the business.”

Cardlytics’ primary offering is Cardlytics Direct, a native bank advertising channel that enables marketers to reach consumers through online and mobile banking channels. The service has more than 2,000 bank clients in the U.S. and appeals to bank customers by offering cash back on select purchases. In fact, Cardlytics has paid more than $230 million in consumer rewards to date.

At FinovateFall 2013, Cardlytics demoed its geolocation application, a solution that sends bank customers ads and offers based on their location. Making its public debut on the NASDAQ in February, the company has put forth strong growth for shareholders. In the first quarter of this year, Cardlytics’ total revenue was $32.7 million, an 22% YoY increase, and its direct revenue was $32.1 million, a 31% YoY increase.

Optimove Acquires PowerInbox’s DynamicMail Business

Optimove Acquires PowerInbox’s DynamicMail Business

Relationship marketing hub Optimove has taken a step further in helping brands build an emotional relationship with their customers. The New York-based company announced today it acquired DynamicMail from PowerInbox.

DynamicMail specializes in real-time email personalization and dynamic subscriber engagement and is expected to boost Optimove’s growth. Here’s how Optimove described the acquisition in its announcement: “After being built and developed as a brain, the company is now at a position to acquire muscle and give our clients a more holistic solution to their relationship marketing needs.”

The 3,000 brands that use Optimove can now email their subscribers that can be updated in real-time to keep the contents relevant at the time the consumer opens it. Brands can also include dynamic content such as countdown timers, videos, and information, such as weather, that is based on a reader’s current location.

As a part of the transition, eight of DynamicMail’s employees will join Optimove’s team. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Optimove was founded in 2009 with a mission to “empower marketers with the emotional intelligence required to communicate with their customers most effectively at all times, via all available channels.” At FinovateFall 2017, the company’s CEO & Founder, Pini Yakuel, showcased the Science-first Relationship Marketing Hub. That same year, the company’s clients sent more than 3 billion personalized emails to their customers.

OurCrowd Surpasses $1 Billion AUM

OurCrowd Surpasses $1 Billion AUM

Equity crowdfunding platform OurCrowd recently reached a major milestone. The Israel-based company has surpassed $1 billion in assets under management.

OurCrowd is currently backing 150 startups across the globe and has previously helped 20 startups successfully exit from funding since its launch in 2013. One of OurCrowd’s most notable investments is Hyperloop, which it backed before Virgin Group invested in the company last year.

OurCrowd founder Jon Medved told The Australian Financial Review during an interview that the company is “a hybrid between equity crowdfunding and venture capital.” Medved added, “With the most valuable companies in the world like Uber staying private for much longer, we’re democratizing early access to them. The minimums on venture capital funds are still $3 million to $5 million, which is out of reach of almost everybody.”

OurCrowd selects 1 to 2 percent of the 3,000 companies that apply for funding, negotiates the terms of the deal, and invites the investor community to invest at the same terms. The company requires a minimum investment of $10,000. This may be one factor that enticed the 25,000 registered investors on its platform, since traditional VC investing is typically out of reach. OurCrowd has vetted 8,500 companies and its clients represent 112 countries.

At FinovateSpring 2016, the company debuted the OurCrowd mobile app. Last October, the company opened an office in Spain and in March launched a location in the U.K. OurCrowd now has offices in seven countries– Israel, the U.S., Canada, Australia, Singapore, Spain, and the U.K. The company has raised $700 million.

Following #Finovate at FinovateSpring

Following #Finovate at FinovateSpring

After four days of fintech content at FinovateSpring last week, there was a lot to Tweet about but our audience was up to the task. We’ve captured their thoughts on everything from the demos to the food.

So if you missed out, check out the conversation below.

About the demos

Going for the gong

Talking about the tunes

Food for thought

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of love

Discussion days

Thanks to everyone for Tweeting and tagging your thoughts #Finovate! We’ll see you at FinovateFall on September 24 through 26 in New York.

Welcome to Day Four of FinovateSpring

Welcome to Day Four of FinovateSpring

After our first content-packed discussion day at FinovateSpring, we’re ready for round two!

Today’s discussion begins at 9 AM at the Santa Clara Convention Center and you won’t want to be late because we’re kicking things off with a keynote presentation from Adam Cheyer, co-founder and VP of engineering at Siri and Viv Labs. And that’s just the start– there’s plenty more in store. Check out the full agenda on our website or see the highlights below:

8 AM to 9 AM Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00 Opening Remarks

9:05 to 9:45 Keynote Address: The rise of Natural Language Processing (NLP), smart speakers (Alexa), and a future with far less screen time

  • Adam Cheyer, co-founder and VP of engineering at Siri and Viv Labs

9:45 to 10:05 Fireside Chat: How to innovate on behalf of the customer

  • David Penn – Research Analyst, Finovate
  • Joseph Villamizar – Director, FinTech Partnerships, Scotiabank
  • Patrick Gauthier – Vice President, Amazon Pay

10:05 to 10:35 Refreshments and Networking Break

10:35 to 12:20 Summit Sessions

  • Banking & Payments
  • New Technology
  • SMB Fintech

12:20 to 1:20 Lunch and Networking

1:20 to 3:00 Summit Sessions

  • Banking & Payments
  • New Technology
  • SMB Fintech

Coat check is available until 3 PM today so be sure to take advantage of that if you need it.

A huge thank-you to everyone for coming out and attending, speaking, demoing, blogging, Tweeting, and networking! We could not do this without you! We’ll see you next at FinovateFall, September 24 through 26 in New York.

In the meantime, feel free to follow @Finovate on Twitter and read along on the Finovate blog for fintech news and alumni updates.

Finovate Alumni News

Around the web

  • Entrust Datacard appoints Beth Klehr Chief Human Resources Officer.
  • Emida announces it is actively seeking partnerships with early-stage tech companies whose products and services support the Telecommunications sector.
  • AdviceRobo and Neener Analytics selected for BNP Paribas’ Plug and Play accelerator program.

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.

Welcome to Day Three of FinovateSpring

Welcome to Day Three of FinovateSpring

We wrapped up the demos at FinovateSpring yesterday and crowned the Best of Show winners. Today we’re switching gears to discuss some of the tools and trends we saw on stage, and look at what they mean for the future of fintech.

There’s a lot to fit in, so doors open earlier this morning at 8 AM and the general session kicks off at 9 AM here at the Santa Clara Convention Center. Tickets are still available at the door.

You can check out the full agenda on our website, but here’s what you can expect today:

8 AM to 9 AM Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00 Opening Remarks

9:10 to 9:55 Analyst All Stars

  • Shane Hubbell – Managing Director, Alkali Partners
  • Jacob Jegher – Senior Vice President, Banking and Head of Strategy, Javelin Strategy & Research
  • Daniel Latimore – Senior Vice President, Banking Group, Celent
  • Tiffani Montez – Retail Banking Senior Analyst, Aite Group
  • Ron Shevlin – Director of Research, Cornerstone Advisors
  • Jerry Silva – Global Retail Banking Research Director, IDC Financial Insights

9:55 to 10:35 Keynote Address: How Blockchain will revolutionize the industry

  • Bettina Warburg – Blockchain Researcher, Entrepreneur and Educator, Animal Ventures

10:35 to 10:55 Strategy Session: Is the future digital interface voice activated?

  • Mark Schwanhausser – Director Digital Banking, Javelin Strategy
  • Theodora (Theo) Lau – Innovator Technologist and Connector, Unconventional Ventures
  • Windsor Tanner – VP, Voice Biometrics for Real-Time Authentication, NICE

10:55 to 11:30 Refreshments and Networking Break

11:30 to 12:00 Panel Discussion: Open Banking, APIs & Regulation – Shifting sands of the US banking industry

  • Jacob Jegher – Senior Vice President, Banking and Head of Strategy, Javelin Strategy & Research
  • Kerry Warwicker – Head of Research & Intelligence, Digital Cash Products – Global Transaction Banking, Deutsche Bank
  • Dan Quan – Head of Catalyst, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
  • Oded Shoshany – CEO, CeleritiFinTech

12:00 to 12:20 Question Time: Customer Acquisition and Retention Models – New technologies and ideas being used to sell to and service client accounts in order to increase growth and profits

  • Steven Ramirez – CEO, Beyond the Arc
  • Mahima Chawla – Growth Lead at Square Capital, Square
  • Vaduvur Bharghavan – CEO, Ondot Systems

12:20 to 1:00 Thriving in an Era of Digital Disruption

  • JP Nicols – Managing Director, Fintech Forge

1:00 to 2:00 Lunch and Networking

2:00 to 3:25 Summit Sessions

  • Banking & Payments
  • Digital Lending
  • Customer Experience
  • Cyber Security

3:25 to 4:00 Afternoon Coffee & Networking Break

4:00 to 5:05 Summit Sessions

  • Banking & Payments
  • Digital Lending
  • Customer Experience
  • Cyber Security

5:05 to 6:30 Reception & Networking

We’re excited to continue this momentum tomorrow, when registration opens at 8 AM and the general session content begins at 9 AM.

If you need to bring your bags, free coat check will be available.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • FinovateSpring 2018 Best of Show winners announced.

Around the web

  • TransferWise releases batch payments.
  • Bankrate features KeyBank’s acquisition of HelloWallet.
  • American Banker: Green Dot’s mobile growth distances it from its prepaid reputation.
  • Visa and PayPal extend partnership to accelerate adoption of digital and mobile payments in Canada.

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.

Welcome to Day Two of FinovateSpring

Welcome to Day Two of FinovateSpring

Our first day started off strong and we’re continuing that momentum here at FinovateSpring in Santa Clara.

Yesterday’s demo session gave us a look at what’s new in lending, serving the underbanked, PFM, and more. And we have even more trends in store for today. Doors open again this morning at 8:30 AM and the first demo begins at 9:30 AM. Don’t want to miss out? Come on down to the Santa Clara Convention Center– you can still get your ticket at the registration desk.

8:30 to 9:30 Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:30 to 10:30 Demos

10:30 to 11:15 Intermission, Refreshments & Networking

11:15 to 12:15 Demos

12:15 to 1:15 Lunch & Networking

1:15 to 2:20 Demos

2:20 to 3:00 Intermission, Refreshments & Networking

3:00 to 3:30

3:30 to 5:30 Best of Show Awards and Networking

That wraps up the demo portion of the show. We’ll see you tomorrow, May 10, when registration opens at 8 AM and the content begins at 9 AM.

Finovate Alumni News

Around the web

  • InComm launches health plan-sponsored first years wellness card to support babies’ well being.
  • Payworks introduces P2PE component services for payment providers.
  • Coinone Transfer joins Ripple’s RippleNet to enhance cross-border payments.
  • Navigant and Ayasdi collaborate to deploy machine intelligence to effectively and efficiently detect and deter financial crime.
  • INV Fintech collaborates with the Open Bank Project to offer sandbox APIs.
  • Lendio announces franchise in Broomfield, Colorado.
  • Token granted FCA authorization for open banking payment and information services.

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.