Author: Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz)

Finovate Alumni News– August 1, 2012

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Braintree, Kabbage, Kony Solutions, LearnVest, MiiCard, ReadyForZero, ShopKeep POS, Simple, Tuition.io
  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgInc. Mag features ReadyForZero & Tuition.io as tackling the student debt crisis. Check out Tuition.io at FinovateFall.
  •  Orlando Sentinel reports Kony Solutions is on cutting edge of app development.
  • The Chicago Tribune reports Braintree to add 150 jobs.
  • Check out Q2 funding for Finovate alumni: over $120 mil raised.
  • ReadyForZero begins Smart Money Debate series.
  • Netbanker reports: Bank Simple Innovations #1 & #2: Demo Mode After Login.
  • MiiCard names RBS tech veteran Stephen Brannan chairman.
  • BostInno features LearnVest. Come see LearnVest’s new fintech at FinovateFall in NYC next month.
  • Beloit Daily News looks at how 2 local businesses are using ShopKeep POS.
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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Second Quarter 2012 Funding for Finovate Alumni: Over $120 Million Raised

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Affinity Solutions, Arroweye Solutions, Cartera Commerce, Credit Sesame, DoughMain, Kony Solutions, Lending Club, MiiCard, Nutmeg, Pindrop Security, planwise, SecureKey, SoMoLend, Yodlee

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This quarter’s funding of over $120 million closely matches quarter 2 of last year, when Finovate alumni raised approximately $124 million.

Meanwhile, compared to last quarter’s $150 million, Finovate alums pulled in around $30 million less this quarter.

Here’s the quarter 2 summary for 2012:

April — $2.5 million raised by 1 company

May — $55.5 million raised by 5 companies

June — Over $62 million raised by 8 companies

Note: Funding that companies received before they demonstrated at Finovate was not counted. If you know of any funding that is not on this list and should be, please send the name of the company along with a link to the funding information to julie@netbanker.com and we will add it.

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Finovate Alumni News– July 31, 2012

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Check Point, Kasasa, Lending Club, MoneyDesktop, SecureKey, SoMoLend, Stocktwits, Xero
  • SecureKey named eastern Canada’s winner of contest hosted by UK Trade & Investment. See its live demo at FinovateFall in September.
  • American Banker reports Park State Bank clients now have access to MoneyDesktop’s PFM.
  • Kasasa accounts have brought $55 million in interest to over 306k account holders at credit unions and community banks nationwide.
  • SecureKey wins one of three inaugural Secure Development Awards from Veracode.
  • Mashable reports StockTwits CEO ‘Disappointed’ With Twitter’s Cashtags.
  • Lending Club appoints former Visa & Morgan Stanley Executive, John MacIlwaine as new CTO.
  • Small Business Trends reports Xero makes changes to improve cloud-based accounting software.
  • Check Point Software launches new appliances for Sri Lanka.
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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SoMoLend and CircleUp Form Partnership

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

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SoMoLend, a platform that connects small business borrowers with investors, today announced a partnership with CircleUp, an equity-based lending platform.

The purpose of the partnership is to help small businesses find a source of capital that is tailored to meet their needs. Because SoMoLend supports micro-loans, while CircleUp facilitates equity investments, businesses will be able to choose from a wider variety of funding options.

The companies will also benefit from sharing information, best practices, and joint education efforts.

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

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StockTwits Integrates with Chart.ly

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

StockTwitsLogo4.jpg

StockTwits, a social platform for the investing community, announced late last week that it has integrated social charting service, Chart.ly, onto its platform. StockTwits purchased Chart.ly back in 2009, but this is the first integration of its capabilities.

The integration enables users to easily upload charts and record screenshots by using the Include Media button.

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It also makes it easy for members to search, view, and share the charts and videos, and even has the capability to filter for charts and screencasts on the StockTwits stream.

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Upon clicking the chart or video, users can see a larger view where they can zoom in and comment.

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Because all Chart.ly functionality has been ported to StockTwits, the Chart.ly site now redirects to StockTwits.

To learn more about StockTwits, watch its FinovateEurope 2011 demo.

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Finovate Alumni News– July 30, 2012

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: AcceptEmail, Backbase, Boku, peerTransfer, Simple, Virtual Piggy, Xero
  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgVirtual Piggy integrates its youth payment system into Arbor Collective’s ecommerce operations.
  • AcceptEmail featured in The E-invoicing Market Guide 2012.
  • BOKU receives A+Trust rating from the Better Business Bureau.
  • Barnard College partners with peerTransfer to streamline international education payments.
  • Simple begins on-boarding customers, loses CTO Alex Payne.
  • Xero reaches 100k paying customers, discloses additional metrics.
  • Tinkoff Credit Systems launches new online banking on Backbase.
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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Xero Reaches 100k Paying Customers, Discloses Additional Metrics

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

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New Zealand-based cloud accounting software company, Xero, recently held its annual meeting where it released some interesting metrics and announced it has reached 100k paying customers.

Here’s a summary of what it disclosed:

    • While it took 5 years to reach its first 50k paying customers, it took only 10 months to acquire the second 50k paying customers
    • Its annualized committed monthly revenue had increased to $34.5 million, up from $25.5 million at the end of March 2012
    • It is considering a dual listing on the Australian Security Exchange (ASX) to facilitate Australian shares purchasing

To learn more about Xero, watch its FinovateSpring 2011 demo.

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SecureKey Appoints Charles Walton as New CEO

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

SecureKeyLogoSM.jpg

Hardware and software security solutions company, SecureKey Technologies, announced today it has appointed Charles Walton as new CEO.

Walton, who comes to SecureKey with over thirty years of experienceThumbnail image for CharlesWaltonIMG.jpgin the security industry, has served as INSIDE Secure’s General Manager and EVP of the NFC and Secure Payments Business since 2005.

He will begin his new role at SecureKey next month.

To learn more about SecureKey, watch its FinovateEurope 2011 demo.

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Finovate Alumni News– July 27, 2012

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Continuity Control, Credit Sesame, Lending Club, Prosper, SecondMarket, SecureKey, Tuition.io
  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgSocial Lending Network considers the futures of Lending Club & Prosper.
  • Continuity Control receives remaining $1 million of its $2 million series B funding round.
  • Credit Sesame announces the launch of its new Android App. Come see the live demo of their newest at FinovateFall.
  • SecureKey appoints Charles Walton as new CEO.
  • Business Insider names Tuition.io as a creative idea to help manage student loans. Come see their live demo at FinovateFall.
  • SecondMarket names former U.S. Congressman Scott Murphy to Board of Directors.
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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Simple Begins On-Boarding Customers, Loses CTO Alex Payne

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

SimpleLogo.jpg

Finance startup, Simple (formerly BankSimple), quietly made a couple of announcements today.

First, a few weeks ago it began the process of on-boarding the 125k customers on its wait list. To give you a reference of how long that is expected to take, TechCrunch reports that those who request an invite today can expect to receive their card in the mail sometime this Fall.

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In addition to this, it announced one of its co-founders and CTO, Alex Payne, is leaving the company to pursue his interest in programming languages and developer tools. He will, however, fill the role as the startup’s advisor.

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To learn more about Simple, watch its FinovateFall 2011 demo.

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Forbes Publishes Facts and Stats about Payment Gateway, Braintree

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

BraintreeLogo.jpg

Earlier this week, Forbes featured an article on payment gateway, Braintree. Throughout the two-page piece, the author reveals some interesting facts about the Chicago-based company.

Here are some highlights:

    • Customers include OpenTable, Fab.com, Airbnb, Uber, Angry Birds, and Living Social
    • The name Braintree comes from a town in Massachusetts that was home to Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams
    • By the end of 2012, Braintree will employ at least 100 people
    • Braintree’s mobile client libraries are now at nearly $1 billion in mobile volume 
    • Braintree’s clients are in 30 countries in Europe, Latin America, and Asia (its staying out of China and Japan because of regulatory issues)

CEO Bill Ready strives to make Braintree the iOS of payments. Forbes reports:

“He wants Braintree’s technology to be like Apple’s (AAPL) operating system — a way to make all the complexity of the payments infrastructure easier for developers to access without requiring them to know all of its nuts and bolts.”

To learn more about Braintree, watch its FinovateSpring 2011 demo.

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Finovate Alumni News– July 26, 2012

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Boku, Braintree, HelloWallet, Locaid, Stocktwits, Taulia
  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgTaulia provides Dynamic Discounting platform to Northgate Information Solutions.
  • OANDA’s trading app integrates StockTwits social commentary on currency & forex markets.
  • TMC reports Locaid aids enterprises with secure location needs.
  • Forbes publishes facts and stats about payment gateway, Braintree.
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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