Marketplace Lending Power 20 List Honors 8 Alums

Marketplace Lending Power 20 List Honors 8 Alums

Power20This week, small business lender Mayava Capital honored the most influential people in small business lending in its Marketplace Lending Power 20 awards.

Representatives from eight Finovate alums were ranked among the group who are, as Mayava puts it, “redefining lending, resurrecting small businesses across the country, and consequently rebuilding the American economy, one loan at a time.” For more information about the awards, check out What Powers the Power 20.

The recipients in order of rank:

Lending Club CEO and Founder Renaud Laplanche
Rank: #1

Lending Club’s FinovateSpring 2009 demo

Prosper CEO Aaron Vermut
Rank: #5

Prosper’s FinovateSpring 2009 demo

OnDeck Capital CEO Noah Breslow
Rank: #8

OnDeck’s FinovateSpring 2012 demo

OnDeck’s FinDEVr New York 2016 presentation

Kabbage COO and Co-founder Kathryn Petralia
Rank: #9

  • Has grown to 80 employees since launching in 2009
  • Has gained 100,000+ customers
  • Has furnished almost $1 billion in loans

Kabbage’s FinovateSpring 2015 demo

Kabbage’s FinDEVr San Francisco 2015 presentation

Credit Karma CEO and Founder Kenneth Lin
Rank: #10

  • Ranked a top-free finance app in iTunes
  • Serves 50+ million users
  • Founded in 2007

Credit Karma’s FinovateSpring 2009 demo

LiftForward President and CEO Jeffrey Rogers
Rank: #17

  • Has secured credit facilities of up to $250 million
  • More than 70% of the company’s SMB borrowers return for a second loan

LiftForward’s FinovateFall 2015 demo

Patch of Land former CEO* and Co-founder Jason Fritton
Rank: #18

  • Formed the idea of the company in 2011 to help Chicago recover from the real estate crash
  • Since launching in 2013, has funded 217 loans totaling $97 million
  • Has returned $25 million to investors

Patch of Land’s FinovateFall 2014 demo

Lendio CEO and Founder Brock Blake
Rank: #20

  • Has helped more than 500,000 small business owners secure loans since launching in 2005
  • Holds a database of more than 3,500 active U.S. lenders
  • Recognized as one of Utah’s fastest growing companies in 2011

Lendio’s FinovateSpring 2011 demo


*Just this week Patch of Land appointed Paul Deitch, former managing director of Oaktree Capital Management, to take Fritton’s place as Patch of Land CEO.

FinDEVr APIntelligence

FinDEVrSV16-LogoV2(wdate)Our FinDEVr New York developer showcase last week was a success! FinDEVr Silicon Valley will be held October 18 & 19 in Santa Clara. Register today and save.

On FinDEVr.com

  • Beyond the Bitcoin BlockChain: Coinalytics is Now Skry”

The latest from FinDEVr New York 2016 presenters

  • Capgemini consulting services adds risk and fraud management technology from FICO.
  • Aerospike releases version 3.8 of its database server.
  • Wealth Professional features Betterment in a column on roboadvisors.

Alumni updates

  • Blockchain solution provider Gem launches Gem Health.
  • CNBC Africa interviews Entersekt CEO Schalk Nolte.

Stay current on daily news from the fintech developer community! Follow FinDEVr on Twitter.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Check out this week’s FinDEVr APIntelligence.
  • “Finovate, FinDEVr Alums Among Winners of 2016 Fintech Innovation Awards”
  • “Marketplace Lending “Power 20” List Honors 8 Alums”

Around the web

  • FamZoo celebrates its tenth birthday of helping parents prepare financially strong children.
  • EyeVerify’s EyeprintID to power HYPR’s Biometric Security Suite.
  • Socure launches v. 2.5 of its ID+ Digital Identity solution.
  • Blockchain solution provider Gem launches Gem Health.
  • EdgeVerve Systems launches its EdgeVerve Blockchain Framework for banks.
  • Sberbank to deploy risk management technology from Wolters Kluwer.
  • FD teams up with Thomson Reuters to power its DaaS platform, Velocity Analytics.

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.

FinovateSpring Sneak Peek: Finova Financial

FinovateSpring Sneak Peek: Finova Financial

FinovaFinancialHomepage

FS2016-wdateA look at the companies demoing live to 1,500+ fintech professionals on May 10 & 11. Register today.

Finova Financial, a socially responsible lender, provides fast, affordable loans based on the equity in your car to the 70 million financially underserved Americans.

Features:

  • Costs 70% less than the current national average
  • Instant access to capital and a 12-month pathway back to financial health
  • Online/mobile 24×7

Why it’s great
Finova provides a same-day solution for emergency expenses to the millions of Americans who spend $5.3 billion annually on title loans at a cost 70% less than the current national average.FinovaPresenter1

Presenter: Gregory Keough, CEO
Keough is an executive with global experience. He is a serial entrepreneur with an impressive track record of innovation in the technology and financial services arena.
LinkedIn

FinovateSpring Sneak Peek: SaleMove

FinovateSpring Sneak Peek: SaleMove

SaleMoveHomepage

FS2016-wdateA look at the companies demoing live to 1,500+ fintech professionals on May 10 & 11. Register today.

SaleMove enables organizations to engage online visitors the same way they would in person, using video, audio, chat, and co-browsing without any downloads or installations.

Features:

  • Increase conversions
  • Enhance customer experience
  • Improve contact center efficiency

Why it’s great
Businesses that use SaleMove are able to provide online customers with the same high-touch interactions that are possible face-to-face.

salemovepresenter

Presenter: Daniel Michaeli, Co-Founder and CEO
Michaeli is a Univeristy of Pennsylvania graduate, originally from Guatemala. His career has focused on Venture Capital, Tech/Strategy Consulting and Start-Ups.
LinkedIn

FinovateSpring Sneak Peek: Linqto

FinovateSpring Sneak Peek: Linqto

LinqtoHomepage2016

FS2016-wdateA look at the companies demoing live to 1,500+ fintech professionals on May 10 & 11. Register today.

Linqto is the link between fintech developers and financial institutions. The App Store for Banks automates the process of mobile app branding and delivery. Choose your fintech from an online store.

Features:

  • Connect with and attract millennials
  • No long term contracts
  • Monetize without charging the consumer

Why it’s great
The App Store creates a revolutionary new marketplace where banks and credit unions can brand new software and use it with their customers. Automatically. In an online store. In minutes, not months.LinqtoPresenter1

Presenters

Bill Sarris, CEO of Linqto
Sarris is a recognized expert in the field of collaborative technology and has delivered major enterprise software applications for Microsoft, Intuit, Digital Insight, NCR, Stanford and other clients.
LinkedInLinqtoPresenter2

Kim Fraser, SVP Business Development at Wallaby
Fraser has extensive experience in business development, partnership and GTM strategic experience, driving recurring revenue growth, consumer acquisition and end-user engagement.
LinkedIn

LinqtoPresenter3Matt Kirchharr, Innovation Development Coordinator at LEVERAGE
Kirchharr is experienced in innovation development, vendor due-diligence of prospective partners, implementation planning, and is a subject-matter expert for all new product lines.
LinkedIn

FinovateSpring Sneak Peek: Sberbank

FinovateSpring Sneak Peek: Sberbank

SberbankHomepageFS2016-wdateA look at the companies demoing live to 1,500+ fintech professionals on May 10 & 11. Register today.

Sberbank, one of Europe’s largest banks, created an omni-purpose communication platform for people and companies.

Features:

  • A smart search tool that finds relevant people and businesses based on data
  • Chats with payments and transfers
  • New way to find and serve clients

Why it’s great
At the heart of the product is the smart-search engine that suggests contacts of people and businesses based on the user’s data that includes habits, preferences and perceived needs.SberbankPresenter1

Presenters

Vladimir Stasevich is the executive director of Sberbank’s Bank XXI department.
LinkedIn

Katerina Frolovicheva is managing director of technology innovations for Sberbank.SberbankPresenter2
LinkedIn

FinovateSpring Sneak Peek: Student Loan Genius

FinovateSpring Sneak Peek: Student Loan Genius

StudentLoanGeniusHomepage

FS2016-wdateA look at the companies demoing live to 1,500+ fintech professionals on May 10 & 11. Register today.

The co-founders of Student Loan Genius graduated with a combined total of $275,000 in student loan debt and are now helping employees turn their student loan payment into a wealth-building activity.

Leveraging existing frameworks for retirement savings, the 401(k) Contribution Feature helps employees save by using student loans to activate unused 401(k) dollars and helps employers retain talent.

Why it’s great
No matter the retirement provider, the Student Loan Genius 401(k) Contribution Feature can help eliminate one of the biggest barriers for employees to invest using their existing student loan payment.StudentLoanPresenter

Tony Aguilar, CEO
A former financial adviser turned startup CEO, Tony is committed to helping millennials improve their financial picture and secure freedom from student loan debt.
LinkedIn

FinovateSpring Sneak Peek: Qumram

FinovateSpring Sneak Peek: Qumram

QumramHomepage

FS2016-wdateA look at the companies demoing live to 1,500+ fintech professionals on May 10 & 11. Register today.

Qumram provides a fully compliant, digital audit-trail by recording every digital interaction (web, social, mobile) securely and transparently in accordance with global regulatory requirements.

Features:

  • 100% recording for 100% compliance
  • Indisputable evidence for conduct risk and fraud detection – internal and external
  • Complete, end-to-end view of every customer’s digital journey

Why it’s great
For peace of mind, ensuring that your digital business is 100% compliant, and by recording indisputable evidence of every digital interaction, Qumram is the only answer.
QumramPresenter1

Presenters:

Simon Scheurer, Co-Founder and CTO
CTO Scheurer is a strategic technology advisor and entrepreneur. With Masters degrees in both mathematics and physics, Scheurer loves solving technical challenges.
LinkedInQumrampresenter2

Nicola Cowburn, CMO
CMO Cowburn is an accomplished financial services marketing executive, experienced in developing high-growth SMEs into successful global enterprises.
LinkedIn

Qumrampresenter3Patrick Barnert, CEO
CEO Barnert (and board member) is a visionary business leader and global entrepreneur. As SVP at OpenText, Patrick was responsible for $800 million in revenue.
LinkedIn

FinovateSpring Sneak Peek: savedroid

FinovateSpring Sneak Peek: savedroid

savedroidhomepage

FS2016-wdateA look at the companies demoing live to 1,500+ fintech professionals on May 10 & 11. Register today.

savedroid is the algorithm-based mobile app for end-2-end savings: We turn your everyday activities into automated savings and cut your monthly bills to make your wishes come true.

Features:

  • Lifestyle saving rules: go for a run +$5; hit snooze +$1; shop at Amazon +5%
  • Smart contract optimization: Based on your consumption, savedroid finds the best-value cell phone, electricity, internet, insurance contract

Why it’s great
savedroid is not just another savings app; savedroid is end-to-end savings. We are the very forefront of algorithm-based saving tools using big data to create significant value for our users.savedroidpresenter1

Presenters

Yassin Hankir, Founder & CEO
Yassin is a fintech entrepreneur and enthusiast. He initiated savedroid, is co-host of FinTech Meetup Frankfurt, and co-founded robo-adviser vaamo; previously, he worked as engagement manager at McKinsey.
LinkedIn

savedroidpresenter2Marco Trautmann, Founder & COO
Marco has deep experience in strategy and banking IT. Before co-founding savedroid, he worked for McKinsey setting up innovative digital business models for banks and bringing them to market.
LinkedIn

TIO Networks Closes Purchase of Softgate Systems

TIO Networks Closes Purchase of Softgate Systems

TIOHomepage

Cloud-based bill payment processor TIO Networks today announced it closed on the acquisition of Softgate Systems. The acquisition of the New Jersey-based bill payment services provider makes TIO the largest walk-in bill payment network in North America.

In a press release, TIO CEO Hamed Shahbazi says the deal “provides a unique opportunity for TIO to scale its business substantially and represents an important corporate milestone as we continue to grow and evolve to meet the needs of our customers.” He continues, “TIO has enjoyed an eight-year relationship with Softgate. …We expect to be able to expand and extend services towards our customer base across North America, with a strong focus on servicing the underbanked and unbanked population.”

Along with the news, TIO cited recent metrics about the combined companies:

  • The two generated 12-month historical revenues of more than $83 million (CAD$105 million)
  • In the last year, the two processed  about 80 million consumer transactions worth over $9 billion
  • The addition of Softgate adds $5 million in incremental EBITDA per year (providing TIO with $30 million in net operating losses)
  • TIO’s geographical footprint has expanded from 15 U.S. states to 46 states.

The financial terms of the deal, for which TIO secured a $5.7 million loan, were divided into three aspects:

  1. $4.6 million in cash
  2. 25 million TIO Network shares issued to Softgate shareholders
  3. $4 million issuance in vendor take-back promissory notes

TIO was founded in 1997 under the name Infotouch Technologies. At FinovateSpring 2012, the company launched TIO Mobile Pay, a mobile app that empowers consumers by allowing them to pay telecom, utility, financial services, and insurance bills using their Visa or MasterCard credit cards, or their debit card. Since then, the Vancouver, B.C.-based company garnered $1.7 million through the issuance of a secondary stock offering, and was awarded second place in the top-10 companies on the 2016 TSX Venture 50. It was also named one of Canada’s 20 hottest and most innovative public tech companies.

Finovate Debuts: Featurespace’s ARIC Sandbox Offers a Safe Environment to Test Fraud Models

Finovate Debuts: Featurespace’s ARIC Sandbox Offers a Safe Environment to Test Fraud Models

FeaturespaceHomepage

Fraud-protection company Featurespace uses behavioral analytics to catch new fraud attacks as they happen, to better protect financial services companies and their clients.

Featurespace showed its ARIC fraud manager at FinovateEurope 2016 in London. ARIC—an acronym for Adaptive, Real-time, Individual, Change Identification—uses the real-time behavior of a bank’s customers to quickly stop fraud by detecting anomalies in user behavior.

The recently launched ARIC Sandbox lets financial institutions train and test their fraud models in an easy-to-use interface within their own production environment, thereby eliminating the need to export batch data to test updates. Featurespace’s CTO Dave Excell explains the key aspect of the Sandbox: “Most importantly, [bank clients are] able to visualize the impact of those changes on historic data before they actually go and impact live customer transactions.”

Company facts:

  • Headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom
  • Martina King is CEO
  • Awarded a Top 100 company in Red Herring Europe Awards
FeaturespaceStagephotoFeaturespace’s Commercial Director Matt Mills and Dave Excell, co-founder and CTO, presented at FinovateEurope 2016

FeaturespaceExcellWe interviewed Dave Excell, Featurespace co-founder and CTO. Dave has more than eighteen years’ experience transferring technology into practical business applications. Under his leadership, Featurespace has grown from a concept to a commercial success with many blue-chip customers. David has been awarded 11 prizes and scholarships for his academic and commercial achievements, including the 2011 ITC Enterprise Award for Young Entrepreneur.

Finovate: What problem does Featurespace solve?

Excell: Featurespace’s ARIC engine provides a leading real-time, machine learning system for fraud and cyber risk for organizations in financial services (including retail banks, payments providers and card issuers), insurance and gaming. We enable our clients to monitor every individual customer in real-time. ARIC (Adaptive, Real-time, Individual, Change Identification) uses Adaptive Behavioral Analytics to detect anomalies in individual behavior to spot new fraud attacks as they occur, while also reducing the number of genuine customers blocked when attempting to catch fraud. Clients are spotting and blocking new fraud types, reducing genuine transactions declined by over 70% and improving operational efficiency by 50%.

Finovate: Who are your primary customers?

Excell: We are currently working with major U.K. Card Issuers and global high street banks to improve their fraud-detection rates while enabling them to improve revenue by accepting more good business. From our experience working with high street retail banks, we recognized that organizations in the financial services sector are turning to automated, machine learning solutions to combat problems with inflexible and inefficient fraud systems that rely on pattern-matching against known, past fraud types. The ARIC engine has been implemented as the fraud hub for Vocalink’s new mobile payment platform, Zapp, and we built Magna with KPMG to identify rogue trading. We are also firmly established in the gaming sector, working with companies including Betfair, William Hill, Camelot (that runs The National Lottery U.K.) and the Responsible Gambling Trust.

Finovate: How does Featurespace solve the problem better?

Excell: Most fraud-reduction systems work by looking for ‘bad’ behavior based on past, known fraud types. Featurespace’s ARIC engine has revolutionized this approach by understanding the normal, ‘good’ behavior of each individual customer, and detecting the importance of the subtle anomalies that indicate someone is acting out of character. This enables ARIC to spot and block new fraud types in real time. It also means ARIC understands the context of normal behavior, reducing the number of transactions that get unnecessarily blocked in an attempt to block fraud. This improves customer experience by accepting more transactions in real-time, maximizing revenue growth.

Finovate: Tell us about your favorite implementation of your solution.

Excell: We were pleased to announce a 5-year agreement with Vocalink to be the sole provider of fraud protection for Zapp, their new Pay by Bank app. Zapp wanted a fraud system which can protect their customers in real time and they chose Featurespace. We delivered the ARIC system on time and on budget. ARIC will be monitoring fraud activity across thousands of transactions per second, seven days a week. We are proud to be enabling financial institutions to deliver a great customer experience, whilst providing some of the highest levels of fraud protection in the industry.

Finovate: What in your background gave you the confidence to tackle this challenge?

Excell: ARIC was developed out of Cambridge University’s engineering department by Professor Bill Fitzgerald and me, his PhD student. Our roots started in the gaming sector, helping organizations like Betfair detect and block fraud to protect their customers. We found that the financial services industry is facing similar challenges around fraud prevention and customer management, which can be solved using the ARIC engine and Adaptive Behavioral Analytics. Our results prove the success of this approach for financial services, by reducing genuine transactions declined by over 70% and improving operational efficiency by 50%.

Finovate: What are some upcoming initiatives from Featurespace that we can look forward to over the next few months?

Excell: In response to demand from our financial services clients, we continue to add new functionality to our ARIC products, including the ARIC Fraud Hub. This includes enabling decision-making around in-session behavior and web-tagging, and ensuring these new features are easy to interpret and manage from the user interface. We have also been working alongside a leading national bank on transactional fraud and spotting fraudulent transactions before they have gone through to completion. As our ARIC Fraud Hub becomes even more advanced, our clients will get an extra barrier of security for catching fraud as it occurs.

Finovate: Where do you see Featurespace a year or two from now?

Excell: Featurespace is set for global expansion. Our aim is to continue to be adopted by the most significant global financial institutions, not only to improve their revenues, but also to help build a better experience for their customers. For our clients, this means protecting their business and their customers, so that, for their consumers, the embarrassment of getting a card rejected (at the till or online) becomes greatly reduced, while retaining consumer confidence that financial service institutions are actively working to protect their customers against fraud.