Author: Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz)

Boku Furthers its Global Reach with Acquisition of Qubecell

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

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Since its inception, global mobile payments company Boku has raised a total of $75 million from investors like Andreessen Horowitz and Khosla Ventures. 

Now the California-based company is putting some of that cash to use with its recently announced acquisition of Qubecell, an India-based mobile billing aggregator.

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In India’s fragmented carrier billing market, Qubecell is the biggest player in the nation, and has partnerships with 4 of the countries’ largest carrier networks, which have the potential to reach 75% of the mobile phone users in the nation.

According to TechCrunch, the acquisition, which is Boku’s first, will not only help it move into the India market, but will also give it access to Qubecell’s engineering talent. It also opens the door to additional global markets such as Asia and the Middle East.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Boku took the stage at FinovateEurope 2011 where it demonstrated its mobile payment service.

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Finovera Launches Out of Private Beta to Help Consumers Track and Pay Online Bills

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

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Finovera, the platform that serves as a single place where consumers can manage their online bills and accounts, is launching out of private beta this week.

The free platform aggregates consumers’ bill payments from more than 10,000 billers to provide a single place where they can access and pay their bills. Some of the features include:

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    • Track payments
    • Set payment reminders
    • View metrics from up to 12 months of historical data

It also provides users with a view of trends and analytics from their accounts and will alert them when bills are higher than average.

The service is similar to doxo and Manilla.

Finovera debuted at FinovateSpring 2013. Check out the live demo here and sign up for your own account here.

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Apprenda Raises $16 Million in Series C Funding

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

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Enterprise Platform-as-a-Service provider, Apprenda, announced it has raised some major funding today. The New York-based company raised $16 million in a Series C round from three investors. 

Safeguard Scientifics led the round, and existing investors Ignition Partners and New Enterprise Associates also contributed.

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While Apprenda’s customer list already includes 13 of the world’s top 20 banks, as well as a number of Fortune 500 companies, it plans to use the round to further increase adoption of its Platform-as-a-Service.

The new round brings Apprenda’s total funding to $32 million.

Apprenda debuted at FinovateFall 2013. Check out its demo video here.

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Finovate Alumni News– November 20, 2013

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Dashlane, FinanceIt, FIS, Fiserv, Google, Intuit, Kabbage, Moven, TSYS
  • Kabbage launches iPhone app out of test market.
  • PC Mag includes Dashlane on list of the 50 best free iPhone apps of 2013.
  • Financeit brings in $13 million in series A funding.
  • TSYS Director of Innovation Chris Colson talks about the launch of their Idea Center.
  • Intuit launches Apps.com, a small business app store, and an updated QuickBooks Online API.
  • FIS to power Bharatiya Mahila Bank Ltd., the first women-focused public sector bank in India.
  • Fiserv wins top honors at Mobile Money Global and Mobile Excellence Awards with Popmoney P2P payments service.
  • TechCrunch reports that Google Wallet customers will soon have the option of physical, prepaid Wallet cards.
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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Financeit Brings in $13 Million in Series A Funding

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

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In 2011, Financeit began providing point-of-sale funding options for small businesses to offer their customers. Today it announced it has raised $13 million to bolster this unique business model.

Investors include:

    • TTV Capital
    • Inter-Atlantic Group
    • Second City Capital

The Toronto-based company, which has almost 3,000 merchants processing more than $500 million in loan applications on its platform in Canada, will use the funds to begin its expansion into the U.S.

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At FinovateFall 2013, Financeit launched its platform on the iPad, which enables merchants to capture customer information by photographing the customer’s drivers license using a tablet or smartphone. Check out the demo video here.

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Finovate Alumni News– November 19, 2013

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Acculynk, Actiance, Billhighway, Doxo, Finovera, Green Dot, Intellaegis, Manilla, MasterCard, Mint.com, Moven, PayNearMe, PayPal, Saved Plus, Virtual Piggy
  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgBillhighway listed as one of the 100 Best & Brightest Companies to Work for.
  • Actiance to launch Vantage Compliance App on Salesforce.com’s AppExchange.
  • Virtual Piggy launches new iOS mobile app. 
  • hyperWALLET to integrate with PayNearMe to offer cash payment acceptance options.
  • Uber is first company to use PayPal’s mobile SDK.
  • Acculynk offers UnionPay debit card acceptance to U.S. merchants.
  • American Banker takes a look at efforts by Moven and GreenDot to bring transparency to payments.
  • Techcrunch reviews Finovera, includes shout-outs to Mint, Manilla, and doxo.
  • Intellaegis to provide masterQueue to Portfolio Recovery Associates, world’s largest debt buying company.
  • The Week features Saved Plus in column “3 money apps that look more useful than Coin.”
  • MasterCard and Worldline partner to provide MasterPass-powered digital wallet.
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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Virtual Piggy Launches New iOS Mobile App

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Virtual Piggy

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In a mobile and connected world, Virtual Piggy has found a way to reach a previously excluded demographic. With its digital wallet, children under the age of 18 can now make transactions online. Recently, Virtual Piggy launched a new iPhone app to make tracking those transactions even easier. It previewed the app at FinovateSpring in May of this year and it is now live in Apple’s app store.

Right now, the app is focused on kids and teens. Some of the features for this user group include:

    • view the status of all pending transactions 
    • check out all parent-approved stores 
    • see monthly spending and remaining allowance 

Capability for parents will supported in the next release.

Wallet homescreen

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Info screen

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The California-based company also has an app in the Google Play store. It was launched in July of this year and while the capabilities are similar to the new iOS 7-optimized app, the design is far different:

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Virtual Piggy debuted its mobile app at FinovateSpring 2013. Check out the demo video here. 

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Finovate Alumni News– November 18, 2013

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Billhighway, Credit Sesame, Doxo, EyeVerify, FlexScore, Leaf, Lending Club, Lendio, MasterCard, Open Bank Project, PayNearMe, PaySimple, ShopKeep POS, SumUp, Toopher, Wallaby Financial
  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgRentPaidOnline and PayNearMe partner to bring cash payments to its online platform 
  • Daily Finance interviews PaySimple CEO Eric Remer on Next-Gen Payment Processing.
  • ShopKeep POS releasing new version of its iPad-based sales mgmt system to cut checkout time in retail locations.
  • Novant Health launches on doxo to deliver bills & simplify the patient experience.
  • Lendio named one of Utah Business Magazine’s Best Companies to Work for in 2013.
  • Credit Sesame launches banking channel with new interest rate comparison tool.
  • Billhighway ranked no. 146 fastest growing company in North America on Deloitte’s 2013 Tech Fast 500.
  • Former U.S. Treasury assistant secretary for financial institutions and Google SVP join Lending Club’s advisory board.
  • The Paypers reports SumUp extends to Latin America with launch of m-payments service in Brazil.
  • Lend Academy reports: Lending Club now valued at over $2 Billion.
  • Open Bank Project organizing the second edition of Hack/Make The Bank FinTech hackathon in Paris on Nov 30th.
  • EyeVerify competes tonight in Kauffman Foundation’s “Get in the Ring: The American Startup Clash”.
  • Texas Advanced Computing Center to test pilot Toopher’s Invisible Multifactor Authentication solution.
  • MasterCard opens office in Bangladesh.
  • Leaf featured in column on Boston-based mobile payment hardware systems.
  • The Points Guy compares new Coin card to Wallaby Card.
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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FinovateAsia 2013 Best of Show Winners

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: BehavioSec, FinovateAsia 2013, IND Group, Kofax, Yodlee

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FinovateAsia 2013 was quite a success. We just finished up the second annual FinovateAsia in Singapore. 

After the show, the audience selected their favorite of the 35 demo companies. The top four companies were named Best of Show, and took home a trophy.

The winners (in alphabetical order):

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BehavioSec, for its behavioral biometrics-based authentication method 
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IND Group, for its Essence mobile banking app, with detailed financial management tools
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Kofax, for its omni-channel solution that accelerates and enhances the underwriting process
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Yodlee, for the international debut of TANDEM, an app that helps groups manage and discuss shared finances
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All of the demo videos will be posted on Finovate.com in a few weeks.

Many thanks to the great audience that participated in this year’s event. Also, thanks to the 34 innovative companies who demonstrated their newest tech from the FinovateAsia stage. Keep the tech coming!

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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 four companies appearing on the highest percentage of submitted ballots were named Best of Show.  
5. Go here for a list of previous Best of Show winners. 

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BlueKite’s Platform Helps Users Pay Utility Bills for Loved Ones Overseas

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: BlueKite, FinovateAsia 2013
This post is part of our live coverage of FinovateAsia 2013.

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Next, BlueKite demonstrated how its users can pay bills for family and friends living across borders:
“BlueKite’s real time bill payment platform is currently offered at affiliated Money Stores via a proprietary web portal (with our mobile application to be unveiled shortly) and is the perfect complement to traditional cash remittances.
Customers (typically “unbanked” immigrants) make billing enquiries and pay outstanding utility bills from U.S.-based stores for loved ones overseas. Immigrants gain visibility and control over the money they send home while relieving family members from the hassles associated with paying bills locally. BlueKite enables money stores to generate additional revenues and aids utility companies in reducing bad accounts and the administrative load of chasing receivables.”

Presenting 

Benny Hammond (Business Development Manager, US & Central America)

 and 

Toby Kennett (Head of Business Development, Asia)

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Product Launch: April 2012
Metrics: BlueKite raised $1.5M seed funding through Peoplefund, closed a Series A round of funding in October 2013, and currently employs 41 people across 6 countries.
Product distribution strategy: Direct to Consumer (B2C), Direct to Business (B2B), through other fintech companies and platforms & licensed

HQ: Miami, FL, USA
Founded: April 2012
Website: bluekite.com
Twitter: @bluekite_tm

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BRIDGEi2i’s Cloud-Based Analysis Platform Brings Banks Insight Into Consumer Needs

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: BRIDGEi2i, FinovateAsia 2013
This post is part of our live coverage of FinovateAsia 2013.

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BRIDGEi2i demonstrated how its Surveyi2i product can derive insight into the customer experience:
“Surveyi2i is a cloud-based one-stop shop for all analysis and reporting needs from survey data. Surveyi2i enhances productivity for analysts and researchers. Business managers can derive insights quickly without help from data scientists. Surveyi2i enables financial institutions to very easily implement data-driven customer and employee engagement strategies by understanding customer needs and experiences better at negligible costs.”
Presenting Prithvijit Roy (CEO & Co-Founder) and Pritam Kanti Paul (Director & Co-Founder)

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Product Launch: August 2013
Metrics: 35 member organization working with 10+ enterprises globally in Financial Services, Insurance and Technology. Surveyi2i has around 80 registered users and 2 paid clients since launch. BRIDGEi2i has around 2,000 website visits per month with 10,000 page views and 1,000+ followers in social media. BRIDGEi2i has featured among the top 10 analytics and big data start-ups in several coveted publications.
Product distribution strategy: Direct to Business (B2B), through other fintech companies and platforms, and licensed
HQ: Bangalore, India
Founded: May 2011
Website: bridgei2i.com
Twitter: @BRIDGEi2i

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App Annie Showcases Mobile App Analytics Capability with Three Products: Store Stats, Analytics, and Intelligence

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: App Annie, FinovateAsia 2013

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This post is part of our live coverage of FinovateAsia 2013.
Next, App Annie stepped up to demo:
“The App Annie suite consists of three main products – Store Stats, Analytics, and Intelligence.
 
App Annie Store Stats is a free online service that has become the standard for app ranking analysis in the industry. It provides a range of charts visualizing on historical rankings, daily rankings, ratings, and featured placements broken down by countries and categories.
 
App Annie Analytics offers the ultimate sales analytics dashboard for app publishers that is easy-to-use and packed full of features. It allows publishers to track their app downloads, revenues, rankings, and reviews across multiple platforms in one safe place. And App Annie gives publishers the tools to access that data via web dashboard, daily email reports, export function, and API. 
 
App Annie Intelligence is our premium offering for those that need advanced market intelligence about the global app economy. It provides the most accurate market estimates available for app stores, helping big businesses inform their product, international, marketing & investment strategy.”
Presenting Junde Yu (VP, APAC)

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Product Launch: November 2013
Metrics: Venture funded, series C; over $6B in app store publisher revenues tracked; 130 employees; 6 offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, San Francisco & London; 145,000 total App Annie users (all three products); 3.2 million store stats apps tracked; 300,000 apps tracked by App Annie Analytics; 90% of top iOS publishers (grossing) use App Annie; and 25 billion downloads
Product distribution strategy: Direct to Business (B2B)
HQ: Beijing, China
Founded: March 2010
Website: appannie.com
Twitter: @appannie

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