Moven Launches its Mobile-First Bank to Public

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After the Simple superstorm a couple of weeks ago, another neobank darling, Moven, is making headlines with the announcement that it is launching out of beta to the general public.

Now that it’s no longer limited to invite-only, anyone can sign up for the New York-based startup’s platform. Additionally, new users have the option to open a Moven account directly from their mobile device, as seen below.

MovenAccountOpenUX.jpgIn a blog post on Friday, TechCrunch reported the following stats about Moven:

    • Has 5,000 registered users 
    • Received more than 100,000 requests for invites
    • Helps manage over $300 million in customer spending (this is not funds under management, which Moven declines to disclose). 
    • About 60% of users link at least 2 external accounts

Check out Moven’s live demo video from FinovateSpring 2013 and its Best of Show winning demo from FinovateEurope 2013.

SocietyOne Garners $5 Million in Series A Round from New Westpac Bank Fund, $3.5 Million from Other Investors

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Australia-based P2P lending company SocietyOne announced earlier this week that it received its first round of funding, which totaled $8.5 million. 

This series A round comes from Reinventure, Global Founders Capital and private investor Justin Reizes.

The most notable of these investors is Reinventure, which is a new venture capital manager funded by Westpac Banking Corp. According to the Financial Review, Westpac is believed to be the first bank in the world to take an equity stake in a P2P lending organization. 

Managers of Reinventure, which contributed $5 million to SocietyOne’s $8.5 million round, say they are keeping the new fund at arm’s length from Westpac Bank. Despite the distance, Westpac hopes the investment will help it to gain insight into SocietyOne’s proprietary algorithm that assess the creditworthiness of borrowers.

Founder and CEO Matt Symons says that the funding will allow the company to accelerate its growth rate because it will:

    1. Enable it to offer more borrowers a better deal
    2. Give more investors access to attractive fixed income asset classes

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SocietyOne’s platform, which won Best of Show at FinovateAsia 2012, connects creditworthy borrowers with investors looking for better rates of return.

To see SocietyOne’s award-winning demo, check out the video here.

Finovate Alumni News– March 8, 2014

  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgActiance partners with Shoutlet to integrate Shoutlet’s social marketing capabilities with Actiance Socialite.
  • PayPal’s Braintree to waive the first $50k of processing fees for startups building on its platform through its new Ignition program.
  • On Deck raises $77 million in funding round led by Tiger Capital.
  • Mechanics Bank’s Bradley Leimer takes a look at the lessons from BBVA’s acquisition of Simple.
  • Simple, Moven, and Numbrs are listed in American Banker’s feature “6 Apps That Are Making Bankers Jealous.”
  • Recode reviews Loop. Check out its new payment tech at FinovateSpring next month.
  • The Tally’s Financial News Fintech Focus column features Kensho.
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.

FinovateEurope: Behind the Scenes with Luxoft, Topicus Finan, and Jumio

Here’s a look at another set of companies who showed off their new technology at FinovateEurope in London last month.

If you missed the previous behind-the-scenes features, you can check them out below:


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What they do

With its mobile tablet app, iStockTrack, Luxoft aims to give premium bank clients a single, powerful tool to compare stocks, monitor their wealth, do daily banking activities, keep up with industry news, and more.

Stats
    • 7,000+ employees
    • 19 offices worldwide
    • 130+ clients
    • 300+ successful projects
    • Public company NYSE: LXFT

The experience
The screenshot below, which captures the user experience on the iPad, illustrates the client view of their net worth in the Banking tab. The top of the screen details the user’s individual accounts, while the graph in the middle shows a visual representation of the user’s net worth over time and projected future net worth.

Near the bottom, the user has access to tools such as a calculator, a video chat connection to their advisor, and an ATM locator. The user can customize these to their individual preferences.

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This screenshot shows the user’s Favorites section that breaks down an individual stock (in this case, Google). It includes a comprehensive view of the stock, including data, a written business summary, and the ability to compare it with other stocks.

Also noteworthy is the Analyst Consensus section in the bottom right corner, which advises the user on the option to buy, sell, or hold a stock.

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The screenshot below shows stock indices along the top, along with relevant events on the bottom right, and news on the left. Written news releases are located along the left side, and are complemented with videos on the bottom help to further inform the user on their trading decisions.

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Luxoft can bring iStockTrack to any banking client within 4-6 weeks.The app can be re-skinned to match the branding preferences of any financial institution. 

Luxoft has been around for 14 years and provides a host of other financial solutions.

Check out Luxoft’s live demo from FinovateEurope here.


Topicus Finan

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What they do

Among Topicus Finan’s many different solutions is its self-serve small business lending product, which it demoed at FinovateEurope. This product-as-a-service provides entrepreneurs with an easy-to-understand view of their business financials along with tools such as what-if analyses to determine the financial impact of possible decisions.

Simultaneously, the lending institution is given full visibility into the business owner’s financials and decisions, and even informs them when the entrepreneur is seeking additional capital.

Stats
    • 52 full time employees and growing
    • Turnover in 2013 was €4.1 million
The experience

The below screenshot illustrates the entrepreneur’s view of their small business finances. In this case, after the client logs on via their tablet’s web browser, they see an advisory graph that shows the assessment rating that the business receives on 6 different pillars: Capital, Liquidity, Return on capital, Revenues development, Payment behavior, and Payment credit charges.

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The entrepreneur can also view graphs of their solvency rate, gross profit margin, and net cash. Additionally, they have the ability to see how each of these metrics will change with different scenarios such as purchasing equipment or adjusting labor.

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The financial institution is given a full view of the small business’ finances. In this case, the business owner tested a what-if scenario about financing a new piece of machinery, and realized he did not have the cash flow to make it happen.

Afterwards, the loan officer was alerted that the client needed additional capital to purchase the new piece of machinery. At this point, the loan officer can easily view the actual business metrics to help make the decision about how much capital to offer.

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Topicus Finan counts ING as one of its largest customers. The Dutch bank uses Topicus Finan’s software worldwide.

Check out Topicus Finan’s live demo video from FinovateEurope here.


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What they do

Jumio’s Fastfill speeds up a bank’s customer acquisition process by extracting data on a customer’s ID document. After scanning an ID such as a passport or driver’s license just once, the new client no longer needs to bother with filling out multiple fields on a form.

Stats

    • Raised $37 million, $25 of which was from Andreessen Horowitz 
    • PCI 1 Certified 
The experience

To open an account, the user is faced with the following 12-field form. In order to expedite the process and decrease friction, the user is presented with the option to scan their ID.


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The user scans their ID document, just as they would a check during a remote deposit capture process. Acceptable documentation includes a drivers license, passport, or government-issued ID.

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The screenshot below shows what the form looks like after it has extracted the information from the ID.

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Jumio also offers two other products that use its imaging technology, Netswipe, which allows consumers to pay by taking a picture of their credit card, and Netverify, which uses facial comparison to determine if users are who they say they are.

Check out Jumio’s live demo from FinovateEurope here.

Payoneer Lands $25 Million Series D Funding Round Led by Susquehanna Growth Equity

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Cross border payments company, Payoneer, whose aim it is to simplify global commerce, announced yesterday that it received a $25 million boost.

The funding round was led by new investor Susquehanna Growth Equity. Existing investors also contributed:

    • Carmel Ventures
    • Greylock IL
    • Vintage Venture Partners
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The New York-based company plans to use the funds to:

    • Accelerate its product roadmap
    • Expand into new verticals and markets
    • Increase sales and marketing investments
    • More actively pursue acquisitions

Prior to this round, Payoneer received $8 million in Series B, $4 million in Series A, and $2 million in Seed funding. Combined, this brings the company’s total funding to $39 million.

Check out Payoneer’s live demo video from FinovateAsia 2013.

Finovate Alumni News– March 6, 2014

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  • iQuantifi launches financial advice platform to general public.
  • Billeo and Danal partner to create a mobile ID solution for Billeo’s XpressBuy checkout service to make it easier by autofilling forms with your relevant information.
  • GMC Software Technology and Kony partner to develop next-gen document tech solutions for businesses.
  • SecureKey Concierge Service tops one million-credential mark.
  • American Banker takes a look at Jack Henry & Associates and its acquisition of Banno.
  • FinovateEurope: Behind the Scenes with Arxan Technologies, Kensho, and Plutus Software.
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.

iQuantifi Launches Financial Advice Platform to General Public

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Earlier this week, iQuantifi launched its virtual financial advisor to the public. Now everyone can sign up for iQuantifi’s platform that helps users identify, prioritize, and achieve their financial goals.

Its Core Planning Algorithm helps users pay down their debt and achieve their financial goals that are personalized for each individual user.

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In order for iQuantifi to help users build their goals, they need to answer a few basic questions about:

    • Family status
    • Income
    • Expenses
    • Debts
    • Accounts and policies

A subscription for iQuantifi costs just under $10 per month. However, it is currently running a Refer a Friend promotion that grants users free access to the platform if they share iQuantifi on Facebook or Twitter.

To see iQuantifi’s Best of Show demo, check out a video of its live demo at FinovateSpring 2012.

Finovate Alumni News– February 28, 2014

  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgPindrop Security launches Industry’s First Combined Voice Biometric and Phoneprinting Fraud Detection System.
  • Tyfone launches mobile banking platform for small and medium FIs.
  • Taulia launches Taulia Enhanced Discounting which gives organizations the choice of using cash or the capital of a third-party FI to pay early.
  • FreeAgent launches its first dedicated division giving direct support to UK accountants and their clients.
  • ShopKeep POS reaches 10,000 customers, announces expansion in Ireland and western U.S.
  • PrivatBank launches HCE mobile NFC payments solution.
  • Housing Wire lists Realty Mogul among its 100 most innovative technology companies for 2014.
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.

FinovateEurope: Behind the Scenes with NF Innova, Tink, and Vaamo

In another behind-the-scenes view of FinovateEurope 2014, we take a closer look at NF Innova, Tink, and Vaamo.

If you missed the previous two behind-the-scenes features, be sure to check out:



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What they do
NF Innova helps banks provide a tailored banking experience for their customers. This Personal Experience Module replaces a company’s static CRM system with an adaptive solution. It responds to individual users’ needs without the need for administrative input. 
By monitoring user behavior on digital touch points, it automatically provides the functionalities that appeal most to each user. The result is a solution that provides a single location for the end user to address all of their financial needs.
Stats
  • $1.5 million in revenue in 2013
  • 1 million users in its iBanking suite
  • 42 employees
  • 15 years experience working with banks
The experience
Customers are greeted with a login screen that speaks especially to them. In this example, the customer is greeted with a clean login screen that targets them with a home mortgage.
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After logging in, the user sees a financial “command center” where they can view multiple accounts and have access to P2P payment options, alerts, account balance and feed of transactions over time, and more.
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In this view, the My Cards section on the right is expanded to detail the customers’ balance across their credit card accounts.
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NF Innova’s solution works for both larger and smaller financial institutions. It is working with one of the largest financial institutions in Russia but is mostly focused on the European market. However, it plans to expand to both North and South America later this year.


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What they do
Tink is a direct-to-consumer mobile app seeking to reinvent PFM to make managing finances more enjoyable and digestible for ordinary people. Its average user is a 25-year-old female, and in order to appeal to this demographic, Tink makes looking at finances as easy and beautiful and checking your Instagram feed.

The Sweden-based company does its own aggregation, ensuring that all of users’ transactions are accurately represented. This is crucial because, as Tink notes, it is rare for users to manually input or change details about their transactions. Therefore, if the aggregation isn’t done correctly the first time, the user’s view of their finances will never be accurate.

Stats
  • 150,000 users 
  • 10 employees
  • Average user logs in 3 times per week
The experience
The middle phone below depicts the user’s financial feed, which has a similar feel to Facebook’s activity feed. Its purpose is to inform the consumer of their spending while not making them feel guilty about it. By viewing spending habits as something positive, Tink encourages users to log in more frequently.
 
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In addition to the general activity feed, Tink also shows the user a close up view of their spending. The phone in the middle depicts spending across simplified categories, and the one on the right is a magnification of what the user spent on a specific category, Food & Drinks.
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Tink is live in Sweden on iOS and Android. It plans to launch in other markets in the future.

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What they do
Vaamo helps users achieve their personal financial goals by providing them a simple and easy-to-use platform that visually portrays their goals over time.
 It invests the user’s money in international equities, government and corporate loans and real estate. To optimize return on investment, Vaamo uses an investment approach that was developed in collaboration with the Goethe-University in Frankfurt.
If one of the funds changes unexpectedly, the user is prompted to log in and change their goal by either contributing more money or extending the time period.
Stats
  • 14 employees
  • More than €500K in capital raised
  • It is in final negotiations in contracting with a bank in Germany to h
    old customer account balances.
The experience
The screenshot below depicts a user’s view of their three goals. With a personalized picture as the background and the progress bar in the middle, it is easy to see each savings goal.
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The interface below illustrates the simplicity of setting up a goal. Instead of being burdened with selecting individual funds, the user needs only to select their risk class and how much they are willing to contribute initially.
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Users can withdraw funds from their goals at any time. When they opt to withdraw from their account, they are prompted to make a choice about how they want to make up the amount they took from their savings goal (see the red box in the screenshot below).
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Vaamo is a paid product that will target 25-45 year olds who earn a range of €3k to €10k per month.

Check out Vaamo’s live demo video from FinovateEurope here.


Stay tuned next week for another behind-the-curtain view of FinovateEurope 2014.

Tradeshift Raises $75 Million, Plans to Open Office in Tokyo

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Further enforcing the trend of small business tools in fintech, online invoicing company Tradeshift announced a $75 million round of funding.

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The new installment comes from Singapore-based Scentan Ventures, which Tradeshift now claims as a partner.

The San Francisco-based company has global offices in Copenhagen, London, and Suzhou and plans to use the funds to expand to Asia and open an office in Tokyo. This is a large step in its stated mission of “connecting every business on the planet.”

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Tradeshift, which counts 500,000 businesses connected on its platform, differentiates itself with a dynamic discounting service that gives buyers a discount for paying their suppliers early.

Tradeshift demoed at FinovateEurope 2012. Watch its demo video here.

Startupbootcamp’s FinTech Program Launches in London

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Startupbootcamp is a 3-month accelerator program that aims to give startups exposure to key players in their industry, while connecting them to a community of top-level mentors and advisors.

The organization recently launched a FinTech-exclusive accelerator in London, which will begin August 11. It is accepting applications from startups now through June 22, but the earlier you apply, the better chances you have to get into the program.

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In exchange for 8% equity, you get:
    • Extensive mentorship from +100 entrepreneurs, investors, and partners
    • Access to top markets in London, U.S. and APAC
    • 3+1 months free office space
    • €15K in cash per team
    • €450K+ in partner services
    • Exposure to 200+ Angels & VCs
    • Invitation to SBC global alumni network and growth program

Startupbootcamp’s other programs have so far proven their worth. In fact, over 70% of participating startups have gone on to receive funding.

In addition to the FinTech accelerator, Startupbootcamp has seven other programs located in Europe with unique foci:

    1. Istanbul serves as a hub for startups in the Middle East and North Africa regions.
    2. Israel is focused on startups within internet and mobile technology. 
    3. Amsterdam focuses on intensive mentoring from industry leaders across Europe and beyond to bolster their funding.
    4. Copenhagen works primarily with startups focusing on mobile devices and related technologies and solutions.
    5. Berlin helps entrepreneurs launch their business ideas into the global market.
    6. Another Amsterdam-located accelerator focuses on innovative solutions based on Near Field Communications and Contactless Interactions Technologies. 
    7. Eindhoven’s HighTechXL is the fastest way to accelerate your tech ideas-in-progress.

If you’re interested, check out the application page here

SecondMarket Considering U.S.-Based Bitcoin Exchange

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There has been a flood of negativity shed on bitcoin thanks to the recent Mt. Gox drama. Despite that, SecondMarket, which originally launched as a trading platform for pre-IPO companies, plans to launch the first New York-based Bitcoin exchange.

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This announcement comes after SecondMarket dipped its toes into bitcoin waters last fall with the launch of the Bitcoin Investment Trust (BIT), a private, open-ended trust that is invested exclusively in bitcoin.

To support the new, yet-to-be-named exchange, SecondMarket will contribute approximately $20 million in cash and bitcoin. SecondMarket CEO Barry Silbert will likely serve as CEO for the new exchange, which will be self-regulated.

According to Fortune contributor Dan Primack, who first covered this story picked up by CNN Money,

“The goal would be to reduce Bitcoin price volatility, by using spot pricing once or twice per day (like gold spot pricing) and serving as a clearing company in which member firms would clear all transactions by day’s end. Members also would keep enough cash in Bitcoin to keep the exchange liquid.”

The new exchange is pending approval by SecondMarket’s board, which meets next week.

SecondMarket demonstrated at FinovateStartup 2009. Check out the demo video here.