Author: Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz)

Wipit Brings in Series A Financing from Core Innovation Capital

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

wipitLogo.jpg

Mobile wallet provider Wipit announced last week that it received an undisclosed amount in Series A funding.

Wipit’s major offering is a mobile wallet service, which, in a combined effort with Boost Mobile, was launched 

WipitBoostMobile.jpg

specifically to serve the underbanked community. Any user with a mobile phone has access to the mobile wallet– even if they don’t have a bank account. 

Since Core Innovation Capital focuses on supporting innovations that serve the underbanked community, Wipit is a good candidate for the funding.

The California-based company plans to use this Series A round to expand consumer adoption.

To learn more about Wipit, watch its FinovateSpring 2012 demo.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

FinovateFall 2013 Best of Show Winners

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: FinovateFall 2013, Interactions, LearnVest, mBank, mBank & Accenture, Mitek, MoneyDesktop, Motif Investing, TipRanks, Yodlee

FF2013-BestofShow-highres.jpg

We just wrapped up FinovateFall 2013 in New York. After a successful two days filled to the brim with 69 live demos, the audience voted for their favorites. Ultimately, the top eight companies were named Best of Show, and took home a trophy.

The winners (in alphabetical order):

InteractionsLogo.jpg

Interactions, for its voice-based virtual assistant technology

Interactions.jpg

LearnVEstlogo.jpg

LearnVest, for its iPad app and Workplace Solutions Center
LearnVest.jpg

mBankAccenturelogo.jpg

mBank & Accenture,  for their Bank 3.0 online platform
mBank.jpg

MitekLogo13.jpg

Mitek for its Mobile Photo Account Opening solution
MitekFFPic.jpg
MoneyDesktop, for its GuideMe solution
MDpic.jpg
MoneyDesktopLogoNew.jpg

motiflogo.jpg

Motif for its platform that lets you invest in ideas in one click
HardeeepIMG.jpeg
TipRanks, cloud-based accountability engine for investors
TipRanksLogo.jpg
tipranks.jpg

YodleeLogo2012.jpg

Yodlee, for its debut of TANDEM that helps groups manage and discuss shared finances
yodleeFFimg.jpg

All of the 69 demo videos will be posted on Finovate.com in a few weeks.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined the audience and participated in our largest New York show so far. And, of course, thanks to the 69 innovative companies who took on the FinovateFall stage in front of a crowd of 1,100+ audience members.

——————————————————————

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 eight 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.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

WordSentry for Outlook Indicates When Email Messages are Questionable Before They are Sent

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

WordSentryLogo.jpg

Next, WordSentry showcased how it can help financial institutions monitor outgoing email messages for questionable content before sending:
“The demonstration is of WordSentry for Outlook. E-mail messages will be composed during the demo and WordSentry will analyze words and phrases for ambiguity, tone, compliance, and emotionality.
Comments will be displayed alongside questionable message components, along with explanations of problems detected. When questionable components are corrected or improved the comments disappear and the message is Clear to Send.”
Product Launch: July 2013
Metrics: $485,000 raised from angels & associates, 5 employees
Product distribution strategy: Direct to Business (B2B), through financial institutions, archiving companies, terminal suppliers, and other fintech companies & platforms
HQ: Indianapolis, IN
Founded: November 2012
Twitter: @wordsentry
Presenting Harris Turner (Founder) and Dr. Johan Bollen (Co-Founder & Lead Theorist)
IMG_WS3141.JPG
IMG_WS3149.JPG
The full demo video will be available at finovate.com in mid-September.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Apprenda’s Technology Helps Financial Institutions Develop and Deploy Modern Software

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

ApprendaLogo.jpg

Next up, Apprenda demoed its technology to help financial institutions develop and deploy modern software to help them better align with their IT departments:
“Apprenda is the leading Enterprise Platform as a Service (PaaS) product powering the next generation of software defined enterprises. As a foundational software layer and application run-time environment, Apprenda abstracts away the complexities of building and delivering modern software applications, enabling organization to turn their ideas into innovations faster. 
By decoupling applications from infrastructure and developers from IT, Apprenda empowers organizations to achieve significant cost savings and massive productivity improvements that result in better business/IT alignment. With Apprenda, modern software development and delivery becomes frictionless and IT delivers more value to the business by operating like a world-class service provider.” 
Product Launch: May 2013
Metrics: More than 16M raised in venture capital & more than 50 employees & growing
Product distribution strategy: Direct to Business (B2B)
HQ: Clifton Park, NY
Founded: June 2005
Website: apprenda.com
Twitter: @apprenda
Presenting Sinclair Schuller (CEO & Co-Founder)
IMG_AA3166.JPG
IMG_AA3163.JPG
The full demo video will be available at finovate.com in mid-September.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

P2P Cash Helps Users Send Remittances to Any Cellphone Worldwide

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: FinovateFall 2013, P2P Cash
This post is part of our live coverage of FinovateFall 2013.

P2PCashlogo.jpg

Next, P2P Cash stepped up to demo its remittance platform:
“P2P Cash’s low cost money transfer system enables online consumers to send money to any cellphone worldwide at zero cost. Using international banking standards (SWIFT), P2P Cash developed a highly scalable, low cost mobile financial services solution to send cash to any cellphone globally. The technology enables any retailer to offer money transfer and other financial services to their customers, generating new revenue for the retailer.”
Product Launch: February 2013
Product distribution strategy: Direct to Consumer (B2C), Direct to Business (B2B), through financial institutions, & licensed
HQ: Roswell, GA
Founded: February 2008
Website: p2pcash.com
Presenting Donald Chapman (VP Business Development) and Tom Meredith (CEO)
IMG_PPC3137.JPG
IMG_PPC3139.JPG
The full demo video will be available at Finovate.com in mid-September.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Narrative Science’s Quill Financial Helps Institutions Process and Understand Big Data

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

NarrativeSciLogo13.jpg

Next, Narrative Science demonstrated how Quill Financial helps financial institutions analyze their data at a large scale:
“Quill Financial is a product suite that enables financial institutions the ability to automatically analyze, understand, and communicate what’s happening in their data at a speed and scale never before possible.
Portfolio Commentary: Quill automatically creates and delivers on-demand portfolio communications for wealth and investment management firms so that portfolio managers, sales, and marketing teams can access tailored, up-to-date commentary whenever they need it.
Investment Research: Quill analyzes both proprietary and market data to produce monthly and intra-month research reports that assess company expectations, upside and risk to help analysts, bankers, and investors make long-term investment decisions.”
Product Launch: September 2013
Product distribution strategy: Direct to Business (B2B), through financial institutions, & through other fintech companies and platforms
HQ: Chicago, IL
Founded: January 2010
Twitter: @narrativesci
Narrative Science recently announced it raised $11.5 million in Series C funding from Jump Capital and SAP Ventures along with Battery Ventures and Northwestern University.
Presenting Kris Hammond (CTO, Narrative Science) and Tim Bixler (Credit Suisse Managing Director — Global Head of HOLT)
IMG_NS3131.JPG
IMG_NS3134.JPG
The full demo video will be available at finovate.com in mid-September.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Place2Give Debuts Advisor Toolbox to Provide Charitable Giving Guidance

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: FinovateFall 2013, Place2Give
This post is part of our live coverage of FinovateFall 2013.

Place2GiveLogo.jpg

Next, Place2Give showcased how its tool can help advisors provide charitable giving guidance to their clients:
“The Advisor Toolbox uses proprietary algorithms to help financial and legal advisors provide additional fee value by reducing the research time taken to help clients achieve their charitable giving strategies. 
Our FinovateFall demo includes the client profiling tool, charity search and client typology matching, charity research, and the day-to-day management of a client’s charitable giving (including the scheduling of disbursements and tax receipts). The Toolbox can be incorporated into a client’s existing CRM or wealth advisory software.”
Product Launch: Spring 2013
Metrics: North America’s largest and most current charity search engine with a database of 1.6M+ North American charities profiled against 3 different donor typologies and incorporating 9 independent data sources. 6 employees, 4 contractors on retainer, and 3 students. No VC backing. Began generating revenue in 2012 through the sale of research, data, and the Advisor Toolbox. 
Product distribution strategy: Direct to Business (B2B), Reseller initiatives, & Data licensing.
HQ: Calgary, AB, Canada
Founded: June 2010
Twitter: @Place2Give
Presenting Gena Rotstein (Chief Conversationalist & Founder) and Ryan Bengtson (Developer)
IMG_P2G3110.JPG
IMG_P2G3122.JPG
The full demo video will be available at finovate.com in mid-September.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

SECOM GMixon Pixeliris Uses Sonic Communication to Create a Universal Contactless Mobile Payment System

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: FinovateFall 2013, SECOM GMixon Pixeliris
This post is part of our live coverage of FinovateFall 2013.

SECOMGMixonLogo.jpg

Beginning the final session of FinovateFall, SECOM GMixon Pixeliris demonstrated its universal, contactless mobile payment system:
“Pixeliris Labs’ unique contactless technology allows us today to create the first universal contactless mobile payment system. Based on sonic communication, our technology is compatible with 100% of existing phones and smartphones unlike NFC technologies which are compatible with only 5% of the smartphones and incompatible with phones. 
Several patents have been filed with regard to the security of the transaction. We have developed this technology into a SDK as to allow third companies to integrate the modules aiming a business model based on transaction fees.
With Copsonic, pay anywhere with any phone.”
Product Launch: September 2013
Metrics: Company with a capital of €210,000, 11 employees in France, & 50 engineers around the world
Product distribution strategy: Direct to Business (B2B), through other fintech companies and platforms, & licensed
HQ: Montauban, France
Founded: April 1989
Website: copsonic.com
Presenting Brian Roeten (Senior Product Manager) and Emmanuel Ruiz (CEO & Head of Innovation)
IMG_SG3104.JPG
IMG_SG3106.JPG
The full demo video will be available at Finovate.com in mid-September.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Fiserv Debuts Popmoney Instant Payments

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

FiservLogo2.jpg

Next, Fiserv stepped up to demo how it can help financial institutions provide a real-time payments solution to their clients:
“Financial institutions are challenged to meet the ticking clock of consumer expectations for a real‐time payments experience. The Popmoney personal payment service from Fiserv fulfills that need with Instant Payments, a new value-added feature offering real-time delivery of funds.
Popmoney lets people send, request, and receive money using an email address or mobile phone number. Traditionally, Popmoney has only been able to deliver payments via the ACH network, which works great for most payments. Funds settle in 1 to 3 business days. 
The Instant Payments feature, which is now available for financial institutions, uses the debit card networks to deliver funds in real-time – 24/7, 365 days a year. Recipients have access to funds literally in seconds.”
Product Launch: April 2013
Metrics: 2012 revenue: $4.4B, 2012 net income: $611M, about 20,000 employees worldwide, 6,000 account processing clients, & 16,000 financial institutions and businesses worldwide
Product distribution strategy: Through financial institutions and direct-to-consumer
HQ: Brookfield, WI
Founded: 1984
Website: fiserv.com
Twitter: @Finovate

Presenting Andrew Barnett (Sr. Mobile Solutions Consultant) and Neil Platt (SVP & General Manager, Payments)

IMG_F3065.JPG
IMG_F3069.JPG
The full demo video will be available at finovate.com in mid-September.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

BehavioSec Uses Policy-Based Behavior to Authenticate Users

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

BehavioSecLogo.jpg

Next, BehavioSec demoed its user-friendly authentication technology:
“BehavioSec has spotted the gap between user-friendly adaptive user authentication via risk-based authentication, or behaviour biometrics, and the reality of legacy systems at our current customers.
BehavioSec extended its award winning BehavioWeb and BehavioMobile solutions to offer policy-based behaviour authentication actions.
This allows the web fraud detection system to define cause and effect authentication, removing the burden of troublesome security from the end user.”
Product Launch: September 2013
Metrics: 1.5M€, 10 employees, university spin out

Product distribution strategy: Through financial institutions, through other fintech companies and platforms, & licensed.

HQ: Stockholm, Sweden
Founded: May 2009
Twitter: @behaviosec
Presenting Neil Costigan (CEO)

IMG_Bs3060.JPG
IMG_Bs3062.JPG
The full demo video will be available at finovate.com in mid-September.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

QuarterSpot’s Underwriting Platform Offers Small Businesses Lower Cost of Capital

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

QuarterSpotlogo.jpg

Next, QuarterSpot showcased its unique underwriting platform:
“QuarterSpot’s innovative Artificial Intelligence-driven underwriting platform can incorporate millions of pieces of real time data from business bank accounts, business credit profiles and more to execute a pre-approval decision in milliseconds. The QuarterSpot AI is also able to learn on the fly by monitoring loan repayment and trends to improve its scoring and approval terms in real time. 
Through this use of AI-driven underwriting and as one of the only online lenders to amortize interest, QuarterSpot offers small business owners a cost of capital as much as 85% lower than other lenders and does not require personal collateral to secure loans.”
Product distribution strategy: Direct to Business (B2B)
HQ: Wayne, NJ
Founded: April 2011
Presenting Adam Cohen (CEO) and Lance Emanuel (President & COO)
IMG_QS3055.JPG
IMG_QS3058.JPG
The full demo video will be available at finovate.com in mid-September.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Mitek Debuts Mobile Photo Account Opening

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

MitekLogo13.jpg

Then, Mitek showcased its Mobile Photo Account Opening solution: 
“Mitek’s new Mobile Photo Account Opening solution enables financial institutions to take advantage of mobile for customer acquisition by reducing the friction for users with mobile imaging. The engaging user experience will attract digital natives and mobile first then retain them throughout their financial life. 
The user simply takes photos of personal and financial documents instead of entering information on a device keypad. This greatly reduces the time and effort required by the user to open and fund an account on a mobile device. Mitek’s Mobile Photo Account Opening provides flexible deployment options and seamlessly integrates with FIs’ existing account origination and identity verification providers.”
Product Launch: Q4 2013
Metrics: Mitek (MITK) is publicly traded on NASDAQ
Product distribution strategy: Direct to Business (B2B)
HQ: San Diego, CA
Founded: 1986
Twitter: @miteksystems

Presenting Michael E. Diamond (CRO) and Wes Wilk (Sr. Director, Sales Engineering)

IMG_M3050.JPG
IMG_M3052.JPG
The full demo video will be available at finovate.com in mid-September.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook