Author: Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz)

Looking Back at the 28 Best of Show Winners of 2014

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Best of Show

There’s no doubt 2014 has been a big year for fintech. The amount of venture capital funding, along with a handful of successful IPOs, have brought a spotlight to a once-dark space.

It has been a banner year at Finovate, as well. Over the course of our four conferences in 2014, we’ve seen:

    • 251 demos
    • 29 hours of demos
    • 28 “time’s up” gongs
    • 36 hours of high-intensity networking

Also, our 4,000+ attendees awarded 28 Best of Show awards to participating companies. Here’s a look back at the best of 2014:

 

FinovateEurope2014Banner.jpg

Held February 11 & 12 in London
FEU2014BoSWinners.jpg
  • Backbase, with its out-of-the-box tool for mobile account origination and enrollment
    demo video
  • BehavioSec, with its behavioral biometrics solution created specifically for a mobile environment
    demo video
  • Luxoft, for its iStockTrack, an app that gives users a single place to connect with their investment life
    demo video
  • Tink, for its mobile PFM that helps users stay connected with their finances
    demo video
  • Momentum (FKA YourWealth) for its MoneyHub technology that gives users total control of their entire financial life
    demo video

 

FS2014BannerLogo.jpg
Held April 29 & 30 in San Jose
FS14BosWinners.jpg
  • EyeVerify, for its Eyeprint Verification technology that enables mobile biometric authentication
    demo video
  • Loop, for its smart mobile wallet system accepted at virtually every retail POS terminal without making changes to the existing POS system
    demo video
  • Motif Investing, for its Advisor Platform that streamlines the way advisors build, monitor, and rebalance investment portfolios
    demo video
  • Ondot Systems, for its CardControl technology that allows users to remotely control their credit and debit cards via their smartphones
    demo video
  • SaveUp, for its Gen Y/Millennial-oriented solution that combines gamification with personal finance
    demo video
  • Stockpile, for its “give the gift of stock” solution that helps people invest in the brands they love
    demo video

 

FinovateFallBannerLogo.jpg
Held September 23 & 24 in New York
FF14BoSWinners2.jpg
  • AnchorID, for its new way to log into websites and apps. One universal username logs you in with unique security.
    demo video
  • blooom, for its simple
    tool built to fix the millions of mis-invested 401(k) allocations for individual clients
    demo video
  • CrowdFlower, for its leading data-enrichment platform to help data scientists, analysts, and engineers collect, clean, and label data to make it useful
    demo video
  • Loyal3, for its use of social technologies to democratize the markets, making investing in IPOs and stocks easy and affordable for everyone
    demo video
  • MX (formerly MoneyDesktop), for its WideNet Technology to help FIs expand their market reach, and its Helios cross-platform digital banking app
    demo video
  • NICE Systems, for its real-time authentication that strengthens and streamlines the authentication process in real-time, while customers converse with an agent
    demo video
  • Toopher, for its multi-factor authentication platform that uses the location awareness of your smartphone to automate authentication for logins and critical actions
    demo video

 

FinDEVrBannerv2.jpg
Held September 30 & October 1 in San Francisco
FinDEVrBoSWinners2.jpg
  • Avoka, for its engagement platform that enables omni-channel account opening in 60 seconds
    demo video
  • BehavioSec, for its mature identification system that uses behaviour analytics to provide real-time security
    demo video
  • Yodlee, for its Interactive APIs that provide authorized access to real-time data for customer accounts
    demo video

Check out photos from FinDEVr San Francisco 2014 on Flickr

 

 

The Full History

Here’s the Best of Show history that spans back to the inception of Finovate in 2007:

Finovate 2007
Held October 2, 2007

Held April 29, 2008
  • First ROI (now BancVue), for its CheckingFinder services aimed at community financial institutions
    demo video
  • Jwaala, for its software solutions to help financial institutions compete
    demo video
Held October 14, 2008
  • Credit Karma, for its a free and easy way for consumers to understand, monitor and monetize their credit profile
    demo video
  • Neosaej (now closed), for its MoneyAisle platform where banks compete in live auctions for an individual consumer’s business
    demo video
Held April 28, 2009
  • BillShrink (now Truaxis), for its free cost-savings tool that saves consumers money on everyday bills
    demo video
  • Silver Tail Systems (acquired by EMC in October 2012), a predictive analytics to prevent fraud abuse
    demo video
  • SimpliFi (now closed), a web service that allows anyone to create and update their own financial plan
    demo video
Held September 29, 2009
  • Credit.com, for its free interactive tools, education, and unbiased comparisons of quality financial products and services
    demo video
  • Silver Tail Systems (acquired by EMC in October 2012), an online fraud-detection service
    demo video
  • Yodlee, for its personalized financial solutions for financial institutions
    demo video
Held May 11, 2010
  • oFlows (Purchased by Andera in 2011), a multichannel, paperless solutions for financial institution account opening
    demo video
Held October 4 & 5, 2010
  • oFlows (Purchased by Andera in 2011), a multichannel paperless solution for account openings
    demo video
Held February 1, 2011
Held May 10 & 11, 2011
  • BancVue, for its MoneyIsland financial education game aimed at community financial institutions
    demo video
  • BankOns, for its mobile app that offers consumers real-time savings at local merchants
    demo video
  • oFlows (Purchased by Andera in 2011), a multichannel, paperless solution for account opening
    demo video
Held September 20 & 21, 2011
  • FeeFighters (acquired by GroupOn in 2012), a platform that simplifies the process of choosing a merchant account provider
    demo video
  • Offermatic (closed in June 2013), a targeted online-offers provider
    demo video
  • oFlows (Purchased by Andera in 2011), a multichannel, paperless solution for account openings
    demo video
Held February 7, 2012
  • Nutmeg, an online investment manager that democratizes saving and investing
    demo video
Held May 8 & 9, 2012
  • BehavioSec, for its security layer based on user typing/swiping and other behavioral patterns
    demo video
  • Dwolla, for its FISync service to enable banks to originate real-time, P2P payments
    demo video
Held September 12 & 13, 2012
  • Credit Sesame, for its Financial Fitness Indicator that gives users a comprehensive view of their financial situation
    demo video
  • Dashlane, a password- and account-management platform that has instant login and checkout features
    demo video
  • Dynamics, for its Triple Interface card, allowing for tap, swipe, or EMV payments
    demo video
Held November 6, 2012
  • Finantix, for launching Sharp digital banking platform to improve sales and service interaction
    demo video
  • SocietyOne, for its ClearMatch technology used to streamline the loan-application process
    demo video
  • Ubank, for launching its peer-spending comparison tool, People like U, along with National Australian Bank (NAB)
    demo video
Held February 12 & 13, 2013
  • Meniga, for its PFM platform, including “buy” and “not buy” features
    demo video
  • Virtual Piggy (now Oink), for its kids’ payment system with parental controls
    demo video
Held May 14 & 15, 2013
  • LendUp, for its LendUp Ladder loan platform that helps the underbanked build credit
    demo video
  • TipRanks, for its solution that brings transparency to individual investors, helping them decide who to trust
    demo video
FinovateFall 2013
Held September 10 & 11, 2013
  • Motif, for its platform that lets you invest in ideas in one click
    demo video
  • TipRanks, for its solution that brings transparency to individual investors, helping them decide who to trust
    demo video
  • Yodlee, for its debut of TANDEM that helps groups manage and discuss shared finances
    demo video
Held November 14, 2013
  • IND Group, for its Essence mobile-banking app, with detailed financial management tools
    demo video
  • Kofax, for its omni-channel solution that accelerates and enhances the underwriting process
    demo video
  • Yodlee, for the international debut of TANDEM, an app that helps groups manage and discuss shared finances
    demo video
Notes on methodology:
1. Only audience members NOT associated with demoing companies were eligible to vote. Finovate employees did not vote.
2. Attendees were encouraged to note their favorites during each day. At the end of the last demo, they chose their three favorites.
3. The exact written instructions given to attendees: “Please rate (the companies) on the basis of demo quality and potential impact of the innovation demoed.”
4. The companies with the highest percentage of submitted ballots were named Best of Show.
5. FinDEVr Award Winners were selected from presenters only on the second day.

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Walmart to Distribute GreenDot Prepaid Products in 2015

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: GoBank, Green Dot

GoBank_Logo_small.jpgIf your new year’s resolution is to better manage your money, you can pick up a tool to help you accomplish it at Walmart.

Prepaid card company, GreenDot has extended its contract with retail giant, Walmart. Through the agreement, Walmart will distribute the California-based company’s prepaid products through 2015, including GreenDot’s GoBank, which was debuted at FinovateSpring 2013.

Since Walmart accounted for 53% of GreenDot’s revenue in Q3 of 2014, this is good news for GreenDot, though the two have yet to reach a multi-year agreement.
GoBankScreenshot.jpg
GoBank is a mobile and online-only account aimed at the un- and underbanked. Its mobile-first UI offers users free cash deposit and direct deposit services, mobile RDC, free ATM usage, online billpay, and a P2P payments platform.

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Alumni News– December 22, 2014

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Arroweye Solutions, Bluefin Payment Systems, Digital Retail Apps, Feedzai, FutureAdvisor, iQuantifi, Kensho, Motif Investing, Personal Capital, Strands, Tuition.io, Wealthfront
  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgDeutsche Bank launches FinanzPlaner powered by Strands PFM. Check out Strands’ newest tech at FinovateEurope.
  • Arroweye Solutions increases its payment card security.
  • SF Gate considers how Personal Capital brings a human touch to robo-advising.
  • Bluefin Payment Systems partners with 3Delta Systems to provide Bluefin’s Decryptx Point-to-Point Encryption Solution to 3Delta clients.
  • Financial Post takes a look at how innovations like SelfPay from Digital Retail Apps are helping small businesses.
  • Feedzai wins Silver Stevie Award in Most Innovative Company of the Year category in the 12th Annual American Business Awards.
  • FTSE Global Markets looks at how Kensho, Motif Investing, FutureAdvisor, and Wealthfront are leveraging big data and big computing.
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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Crealogix and Meniga Create Digital Bank and PFM Solution for BNP’s Consors Bank

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Cortal Consors, CREALOGIX, Meniga

CrealogixLogo.jpg

Cortal Consors demonstrated at FinovateEurope 2011, when it was an online brokerage and investment company under BNP Paribas. It has since become Consors Bank, a German-based subsidiary bank of BNP Paribas.

Launching a bank comes with a long to-do list– one thatMenigaLogo.jpgincludes providing financial planning tools for your customers– so Consors Bank has partnered with Meniga and Crealogix. Respectively, these fintech providers power spending and saving management tools, as well as a digital banking portal.

The combined solutions offer Consors Bank customers an engaging user experience that fits with the bank’s slogan, “mobile, just like you.”

Here’s a look at some of the aspects of Meniga’s PFM on Consors Bank’s web portal:

  • Monthly spending comparison:

ConsorsMonthlyComparison.jpg

  • Spending category overview:

MenigaConsorsCategoryOverview.jpgIceland-based Meniga launched in 2009 and has since brought its white-label PFM platform to 25 banks across the globe. Meniga last demonstrated at FinovateEurope 2014 and will return to London next February for FinovateEurope 2015.

Crealogix appeared on stage at FinovateSpring 2014 in San Jose and will also demo its new technology at FinovateEurope 2015 in London.

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Finovate Debuts: EyeLock’s Myris Device Authenticates Using Iris Identification

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: EyeLock, Finovate Debuts

The Finovate Debuts series introduces new Finovate alums. Today’s feature is EyeLock, which demonstrated its myris eye scanning device at FinovateFall 2014.

EyeLockLogo.jpg

EyeLock links a user’s password to their iris template, enabling them to log into their computer, websites, and applications by scanning their iris on the myris device.

MyrisScreenLogin.jpg

Stats

    • Headquartered in New York, NY
    • Founded 2006
    • Device cost: $280
    • Chance of a false iris match is 1 in 1.5 million

The device
myris is an iris-scanning device that plugs into the USB port on a user’s computer and authenticates them by taking a video of their iris. EyeLock associates the iris template with a long and complex password.

Upon first setting up their account on the device, users generate their unique iris ID, then select operating systems, websites, and applications they’d like to log into using myris. From then on, all they need to do to log into those sites is glance at the myris device.

EyeLockmyris3.jpg

EyeLock sells myris through different channels:

    • Directly to consumers (see Best Buy screenshot below)
    • To businesses for commercial use

MyrisBestBuy.jpg

Use cases
With the myris application on their computer, combined with the hand-held device, users manage login permissions for myris, as well as multiple users for a single account.

  • Sites, applications, and operating system

With the Sites tab, users scan their iris to log in automatically to websites such as Facebook and PayPal. The Applications tab enables users to securely log into applications such as Skype and Spotify, while the Operating System tab lets users opt to log into their computer using myris. EyeLock supports Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems.

Applications.jpg

  • Startup and settings

With the Startup tab, the user selects which sites and applications to launch automatically upon turning on their computer. This Autolaunch feature lets users select any number of sites they would like to open simultaneously after authenticating themselves with myris.

The Settings tab is exactly what it sounds like. Users download system updates, add and manage multiple user permissions for shared accounts, and view their account login history.

Settings.jpg

Benefits
Since the user’s iris is always with them and is exclusively theirs, myris eliminates the risk associated with lost, stolen or shared login credentials and ID cards. Additionally, scanning an iris is faster than typing in a username and password.

In addition to the digital realm, eyeLock has products that authenticate users on a commercial level to allow access into physical barriers, such as restricted buildings or conference rooms. Check out Eyeswipe-Nano, Eyeswipe-Nano TS, nano NXT and HBOX. 

EyeLock demonstrated its myris authentication device at FinovateFall 2014.

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After Manilla’s Demise, Mint Launches Bill Pay and Bill Management Platform

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Mint.com

mintlogo14.jpgIntuit’s Mint launched Mint Bills, a bill pay and management platform today, along with a new logo and fresh identity. This comes months after Manilla shuttered, and after Intuit acquired Check (formerly Pageonce).

Similar to what you may expect, the Mint Bills web platform allows users to search for and set up billers based on their zip code. The bill pay capability reminds users about upcoming bills, enables them to pay bills, or schedule a payment for the future.
MintBillUpdate.jpg
The mobile app is a complete revamp of Check’s former bill pay app. Not only is the design new, but the registration process has been simplified and new bill categories were added.
MintBillAlertMobile.jpg
Interestingly, for Mint users, the platform is separate from the legacy Mint PFM we’ve known and loved since 2006. Mint users need to create a new account for Mint Bills. Things are a bit easier for Check users, however, who login with their existing credentials.
MintBillsSignIn.jpg

Mint Bills is available as an iOS and Android app, as well as on the web. 

Mint demonstrated at the very first Finovate in 2007.

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Finovate Debuts: TickSmith’s TickVault and FixVault Help FIs Put Their Big Data to Use

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Finovate Debuts, TickSmith

The Finovate Debuts series introduces new Finovate alums. Today’s feature is TickSimth, which demonstrated TickVault and FixVault big data platforms at FinovateFall 2014.

TickSmithLogoNew.jpg

TickSmith’s big data platforms, TickVault and FixVault help brokerage and trading companies make sense of their massive amounts of financial data.

The Montreal-based company works with Six Financial to gather data on every trade, quote, instrument, and exchange globally. A single day of trading includes a few billion trade messages; TickSmith holds 6 years of this data and turns it into useable information.

TickSmithHomepage.jpg

Stats

    • Founded November 2012
    • Over a petabyte* in financial data under management

The current process financial institutions have for managing their data is slow, costly, and takes a lot of time to set up. FixVault and TickVault provide a system for stock exchanges, brokerage firms, and regulators to manage their large amounts of data.

Use cases

1) Data on exchanges
Users select which exchange they would like access to, along with the date of trades. Chi-X Canada, an ETF exchange, uses TickSmith to provide customers access to historical tick and order book trading information dating back to 2009.

TickSmithNYSE.jpg

2) News access
Users filter and search the accumulation of 3 years of global news (1.2 billion headlines) and social media posts.

TickSmithNewsHeadline.jpg

3) Compliance
TickSmith takes in hundreds of millions of trade messages daily. In the compliance section, users generate analytical reports from the data to find transactions from across the globe.

TickSmithCompliance.jpg

Benefits

TickSmith offers institutions easy access to all of their data, regardless of the amount. This eliminates the need for a manual process to extract specific data, which can take weeks or months.

It also provides the ability to extract meaning and value from the data, no matter how large or small. In seconds, it deciphers trends and computes reports for individual customers.

The services are available on the web interface or via an API, as either cloud-based or a managed offering for hedge funds, exchanges, brokerage firms, and other financial institutions.

To check out the live demo, watch the FinovateFall 2014 video.

*For a better understanding of how large a petabyte is, the Financial Times offers this video.

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BehavioSec Lands $6 Million Led by Northzone and Octopus Investments

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: BehavioSec, Funding

BehavioSecLogoFEU14.jpg

In the past few years, we’ve witnessed the evolution of security beyond usernames and passwords. Founded in 2009, BehavioSec is one of the forerunners of this trend; making security invisible to the end user.

Today, the Swedish company announced $6.2 million (€5 million) round led by Northzone and Octopus Investments. Existing investors, Conor Venture Partners and Partner Invest Norr, also contributed.

A 2011 installment of $500k and a 2008 round of $1.2 million bring BehavioSec’s total funding to almost $8 million.

BehavioSec plans to use the funds to:

    • Accelerate international growth
    • Expand presence in the U.K. and U.S.
    • Support existing clients
    • Invest further in existing products
BehavioSec3.jpg

The uptick in recent security hacks has brought about increased approval for the use of biometrics. From Apple’s TouchID to Nymi’s Nymi Band, companies and customers are growing accustomed to using physical assets for authentication. BehavioSec takes a slightly different approach. Instead of authenticating using a person’s physical attributes, it verifies an identity by passively observing how they interact with their device.

This week, BehavioSec welcomes three new board members: Simon Andrews of Octopus, Bjorn Stray of Northzone and Chris Barchak of Conor Venture Partners.

BehavioSec has won awards most recently at FinovateEurope 2014 and FinDEVr. It has won Best of Show at FinovateAsia 2013 and FinovateSpring 2012.

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Finovate Debuts: SAS Games Helps Kids Save for College by Playing Games

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Finovate Debuts, SAS Games

The Finovate Debuts series introduces new Finovate alums. Today’s feature is SAS Games, which demonstrated its TiViTz College $avings Game-a-thon at FinovateFall 2014.

SASGamesLogo.jpg

SAS Games’ TiViTz College $avings Game-a-thon offers a way for kids to save for college tuition by playing fun, math-based games.

The game-a-thon works similar to a walk-a-thon. Kids ages 6 to 18 solicit pledges from friends and family, whose total contribution is based on the child’s performance. To redeem the pledges and add the money to their college savings account, the child is challenged with TiVitz math games online.

Aside from bolstering funds in existing accounts, the games encourage families without a college savings fund to open one.

Stats:

    • $5+ million in funding raised
    • 10 employees
    • 10,000 teachers use TiVitz
    • 400,000 children use TiVitz
    • TiVitz game has won awards from:
      • Parent’s Choice
      • Dr. Toy
      • National Parenting
      • Creative Child

How it works:

1) Kids set up their TiViTz account online
The registration process requires student and parent information, along with a $10 annual registration fee.

2) Link an existing college savings account or establish a new one
Through SAS Games’ partnership with TrustEgg, parents of children without a savings account can open one in minutes (watch TrustEgg’s debut at FinovateSpring 2013).

SASandTrustEgg.jpg

3) Request pledges from friends and family
Kids set up their own personalized pledge page and send the link to friends and family. They may also send donation requests via email, text, social media, and printed flyers.

SASProfilePage.jpg

4) Play the game
In the TiVitz game, kids challenge each other or a computer. The difficulty of the game scales for grade levels 1 to 12.

TiVitzGame.jpg

Players customize their avatar and choose among 7 themes, such as Safari or Baseball. Once the game has ended, they tally their score by computing the equations on the board.

TiVitzGameScore.jpg

5) Collect pledges
When the child finishes the required number of games, TiVitz automatically invoices the friends and family members who pledged. Occasionally, companies and financial institutions match donations to help kids reach their goals faster.

6) Track college savings
The dashboard displays the total amount raised from friends and family, along with matched charity contributions. From the home screen, kids can personalize their pledge page, view the number of pledges requested and received, and more.

SASDashboard.jpg

The TiVitz online Game-a-thon is held once a year, around the holidays. Kids play 5 to 16 games each, depending on the amount of their pledges. Other activities around the TiVitz game include:

  • TiVitz Tournaments
    Boeing, Lockheed, NASA, National Hockey League, SeaWorld, and Major League Baseball sponsor tournaments where kids win college scholarships
  • TiVitz Tuesdays
    SAS Games is partnered with McDonald’s in Florida which hosts kids every Tuesday to practice for TiVitz tournaments

Benefits

For families and children:

    • Encourages them to open a new savings account
    • Helps them save more money for college
    • Augments math and critical thinking skills

For banks:

    • Provides access to new clients
    • Has potential to add new savings accounts for existing customers
    • Adds more funds to existing savings accounts
    • Enhances Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) efforts in local communities

SAS Games demonstrated its TiVitz College $avings Game-a-thon at FinovateFall 2014.

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SocietyOne Closes $20 Million Series B Funding Round

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Funding, SocietyOne

SocietyOneLogo.jpg

Australian P2P lending company, SocietyOne, closed a Series B funding round this week. The amount is officially undisclosed, but according to the Australian Financial Review, the round totals $20 million ($25 million AUD). This new installment comes just 10 months after it closed an $8.5 million round.

Contributors to the new round include Consolidated Press Holdings (CPH), News Corp Australia and Australian Capital Equity. Reinventure, the Westpac-funded venture capital manager that took a $5 million equity stake in SocietyOne in February, also helped furnish the round. Reinventure contributed another $5 million to this week’s Series B round.

SocietyOneHomepage2.jpg

The funding comes amid the buzz surrounding Lending Club’s IPO. The California-based company is expected to start trading on the NYSE next week at $10 to $12 per share valuing it at more than $4 billion (see our previous coverage here).

Lending Club’s success bodes well for SocietyOne. James Packer, a representative from SocietyOne’s new investors states, “We have seen first-hand the power of technology in reshaping the media industry and I am excited about the potential of technology, led by the team at SocietyOne, to help reshape the financial services industry in Australia.”

SocietyOne’s ClearMatch technology uses risk-based pricing to offer borrowers a rate that is up to 5% lower than bank loans. It debuted ClearMatch at FinovateAsia 2012 where it won Best of Show.

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Finovate Debuts: Loyal3’s Stock Investments Democratizes Access to Stocks and IPOs

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: LOYAL3

The Finovate Debuts series introduces new Finovate alums. Today’s feature is Loyal3, which demonstrated its mobile IPO investment platform at FinovateFall 2014.

LOYAL3Logo.jpg

Loyal3’s stock marketplace makes it easy to invest in stocks and IPOs. The simple user interface and lack of fees appeal to novice investors. It can also serve as a great tool for those looking to invest in IPOs at the same time and price as institutional investors.

Stats:

    • Founded October 2008
    • 130 employees
    • $75+ million in funding

Stock investing
Users start by browsing the 64 company stocks available on the platform.

Loyal3BrowseStocks.jpg

Stocks can be purchased in $10 increments. This fractional ownership allows for more diversification at a lower buy-in. If investors are feeling bullish, they have the option to purchase as much as $2,500 of a single stock.

Loyal3SelectStock.jpg

The portfolio below shows a total of $188 divided among eight different stocks, including Apple and Amazon, which have notoriously high share prices.

Loyal3MyAccount.jpg

Aside from the fractional share feature, Loyal3 also has:

    • Zero fees to buy and sell stock
    • No minimum account balances
    • Easy-to-open brokerage account
    • Automatic monthly investments that prompt recurring stock purchases

One of the ways Loyal3 is able to provide fee-free stock trades is by submitting orders in a batch at the end of the day. Because of the delay, the price quoted at the time the order is placed is not always the final purchase price.

IPO investing
Loyal3 offers access to IPOs at the same price and time as large investors and institutions.

Here’s how it works:

1) Reserve an IPO stock
Users choose the amount of stock they would like to purchase. However, since shares are limited, investors may not receive the full amount.

2) Confirm order
After the price of the IPO is determined, Loyal3 sends SMS and email notifications to investors and gives them two hours to confirm or cancel their order. They can invest as little as $10 and as much as $10,000 per IPO.

Mobile
Loyal3 launched its mobile interface at FinovateFall 2014. It provides on-the-go access to stock trading and instant IPO notifications.

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Finovate Debuts: iBillionaire’s Index ETF Exceeds Performance of S&P 500

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: iBillionaire

The Finovate Debuts series introduces new Finovate alums. Today’s feature is iBillionaire, which demonstrated its iBillionaire Index at FinovateFall 2014.

iBillionaireLogo.jpg

iBillionaire’s free mobile app gives investors insight into how the world’s top-performing billionaires, such as Warren Buffet, Carl Icahn, and George Soros, invest.

The clean user interface makes it easy to gather information on the billionaires’ trades and investments. Additionally, the iBillionaire Index, an exchange-traded fund (ETF), is an option for those looking for an alternative to the S&P 500.

Stats

    • Index ETF has $35+ million in AUM
    • Founded April 2013
    • 150,000 mobile users

iBillionaireIndex2.jpg

How it works
iBillionaire identifies the top 10 performing billionaire investors and translates their public SEC trade filings onto a clean user interface, identifying their top performing stocks.

The Index is a compilation of 30 company stocks where billionaire investors have allocated the most assets. When back-tested 5 years, the iBillionaire Index returns were almost double those of the S&P 500 (see right).

Methodology
iBillionaire selects the billionaires to follow based on their:

    • Net Worth: must be at least $1 billion
    • Source of Wealth: must be rooted in financial markets or investments industries
    • Portfolio Size: must be worth at least $1 billion
    • Portfolio Concentration: must contain at least 10 different positions
    • Turnover: must have a turnover ratio of less than 50%
    • Track Record: must have at least a 3-year track record
Mobile features
The user base, which consists of 80% retail investors and 20% financial advisors, accesses the information online and through the mobile app. While the web interface and mobile app have many of the same tools, the app provides on-the-go updates and alerts, such as:

1) News
Browse the billionaires’ assets under management, performance, and trading activity, as well as timely news related to their investments.

iBillionaireNews2.jpg

1) Portfolio comparison
Users upload their own portfolio, and see how it performs against the high profile investors’ portfolios

2) Price alerts
Optional push notifications inform users of trading activity from their preferred investors

iBillionaireAlerts.jpg

What’s next

iBillionaire has partnered with Direxion Investments, a top ETF sponsor in the U.S., and is looking to partner with financial institutions and brokers to grow internationally.

Additionally, it is redesigning the mobile app and is working on tools to help users build their own investment strategies, as well.

The New York-based company showcased at FinovateFall 2014. Check out the live demo video here.

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