Author: Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz)

Finovate Alumni News– July 23, 2012

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Akamai, Bolstr, Corduro, CurrencyFair, ImpulseSave, LearnVest, SmartyPig, Social Money, Virtual Piggy, Xero
  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgVirtual Piggy expands merchant base with Blee Inara’s handcrafted original jewelry.
  • Umbel forms NetAlliance partnership with Akamai. Come to FinovateFall to see Akamai’s live demo.
  • Fast Company talks with Alexa Von Tobel, LearnVest CEO. Check out LearnVest’s live demo at FinovateFall.
  • USA Today features Social Money’s SmartyPig.
  • Startup America features Bolstr. Come see Bolstr’s live demo at FinovateFall.
  • The Independent looks at how CurrencyFair helps cut cost of cash transfers abroad.
  • The Financial Brand looks at how ImpulseSave hopes to create spontaneous savers.
  • GigaOM reports Corduro aims to win over big organizations that want to modernize their payment systems.
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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Finovate Alumni News– July 20, 2012

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: BillGuard, Credit Karma, Dynamics, Lighter Capital, Outright.com, SaveUp, TSYS
  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgDynamics certified as payment card production vendor on MasterCard network.
  • Lighter Capital hires BJ Lackland as new CEO.
  • Netbanker reports: BillGuard Puts Extra Effort into Contacting Customers.
  • Lazy Man and Money blog features SaveUp.
  • TechCrunch reports Credit Karma app becomes #1 Financial app in Apple App Store and #22 overall, only 1 day after debut.
  • TSYS signs 6 year agreement to provide BofA processing services for consumer credit card portfolios in the U.S.
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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Lighter Capital Hires BJ Lackland as New CEO

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Lighter Capital

Thumbnail image for LighterCapitalLogo1.jpg

Revenue-based investment startup, Lighter Capital, announced today it has hired BJ Lackland to replace Andy Sack as CEO.

Sack, who will stay involved in the startup, plans to focus on his roles as general partner at Founder’s Co-op and director of TechStars Seattle.

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Lackland comes to Lighter Capital as the former CFO of Power Efficiency Corporation.

Xconomy reports Lackland’s vision for the startup’s future:

“As he takes over, Lackland says Lighter Capital has learned some lessons that will change its approach in the future. The company won’t be going after pre-revenue companies, he says, and will likely focus on customers that have some kind of a software or tech focus (and the accompanying high profit margins).”

To learn more about Lighter Capital, watch its FinovateFall 2011 demo.

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Dynamics Certified as Payment Card Production Vendor on MasterCard Network

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

Thumbnail image for DynamicsLogo1.jpg

Dynamics, creator of the next-generation payment card, announced today that it has been certified as a payment card production vendor on the MasterCard network.

This certification enables the next-generation MasterCard cardholders to be offered special spending, security, and personalization options:

“MasterCard cardholders, for example, could push a button that allows them to pay with loyalty points instead of their credit account. Buttons also could be used to require someone to enter a personal unlocking code to authorize a payment, adding another layer of security.”

In addition, the certification means that the Dynamics production facility meets MasterCard requirements.

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

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Go Daddy Acquires Outright.com

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

Thumbnail image for Outrightlogo9.1.11.png

Outright, a company that streamlines the process of running a small business, announced yesterday it has been acquired by Arizona-based Go Daddy.

The acquisition will help Go Daddy extend its reach into a larger range of services and use Outright’s Mountain View office as a hub for its Silicon Valley presence. Go Daddy’s reach of over 7.5 million small businesses will give Outright the opportunity to expand its user base of 200,000.

On its blog, Outright makes it clear that its service will remain the same for the end-user.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

To learn more about Outright, watch its FinovateFall 2010 demo.

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Finovate Alumni News– July 19, 2012

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Bazaarvoice, BillGuard, Credit Karma, Locaid, Nutmeg, PayPal, SecondMarket, The Receivables Exchange, Tuition.io
  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgCredit Karma releases Free iPhone App.
  • PayPal acquires mobile credit card scanning startup, Card.io.
  • Bazaarvoice to raise $131 million for working capital by selling 8.5 million shares of stock.
  • WSJ blog looks at BillGuard’s experience at the NY FinTech Innovation Lab.
  • JD Supra reports SecondMarket provides new liquidity options for startup investors & employees.
  • Business Insider reports Tuition.io aims to help students better manage college loan debt.
  • The Greenfield Daily Reporter conducts case study on The Receivables Exchange.
  • Wired UK features Nutmeg as startup of the week.
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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PayPal Acquires Mobile Credit Card Scanning Startup, Card.io

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

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Yesterday, PayPal announced it acquired its partner,card.io, a startup that enables users to capture their credit card information by using a smartphone to snap a picture of their card.

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While the eBay-owned company is already using card.io’s technology to power PayPal Here, as a part of the acquisition card.io employees will immediately begin working for PayPal.

Card.io powers Uber, LevelUp, TaskRabbit, and other applications, and the current card.io iOS and Android SDKs will remain available for developers to use in their own applications.

The financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

To learn more about PayPal, watch its FinovateEurope 2012 demo.

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Credit Karma Releases Free iPhone App

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Credit Karma

Thumbnail image for creditkarmalogo.jpg

Free credit score and credit monitoring platform, Credit Karma, released its free iPhone app, Credit Karma Mobile, today.

Users can download the app and, within minutes, register to get their credit score information on their iPhone. FeaturesMobileCreditScore.jpginclude:

    • Free credit scores
    • Free on-the-go credit monitoring
    • Notifications when something important changes in your credit report
    • Credit report card, which tells you about factors influencing your credit score
    • Free membership. No credit card required.

MobileCreditHistory.jpg

To learn more about Credit Karma, watch its FinovateStartup 2009 demo.

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Finovate Alumni News– July 18, 2012

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Bill.com, Dashlane, Dwolla, InComm, Lendio, PlayMoolah, ProfitStars, Xero
  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgInComm launches prepaid products in Brazil, partners with Peela.
  • Dwolla re-launches developers portal to make it more user friendly.
  • PC Mag recommends Dashlane to protect your password.
  • Number of small business owners using Lendio increased by 12x YOY in Q2.
  • ProfitStars announces remittance solutions for its relationship with the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA).
  • Rumors suggest Xero to announce acquisitions at annual conference.
  • Bill.com recognized as a JMP Securities “Hot 100” Software Company for third consecutive year.
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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Dwolla Relaunches Developers Portal to Make it More User Friendly

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

Thumbnail image for DwollaLogo.jpg

Earlier this week, TechCrunch featured the recent relaunch of Dwolla’s developers portal site.

Launched last week, the site was renamedIntegration Portal to reflect the accessibility to tech developers and non-tech users alike.

Visitors to the Integration Portal are faced with two options to identify themselves:

1) I can code: You know the difference between Java and Javascript, and just want to dive into our API documentation.

2) I don’t code: You’re a non-technical executive, the master of partnerships and product, and want to know why Dwolla is right for you.

DwollaAPI.jpg

According to Dwolla’s blog post, selecting the option I don’t code won’t teach you how to code, but it will provide an easy-to-understand rundown of Dwolla and what an integration could mean for your company.

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

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InComm Launches Prepaid Products in Brazil, Partners with Peela

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

Thumbnail image for inCommlogo.jpg

Prepaid and payment solutions company, InComm, announced the launch of its prepaid products in Brazil in addition to a partnership with Peela.

InComm will offer prepaid products in a variety of entertainment brands, including:

    • Rock Laser Games
    • Geek.Etc.Br by Livraria Cultura
    • Saraiva bookstore

In addition, it will expand its product line in the future with other popular Brazilian retailers.

The Austin-based company also announced a partnership with Peela, a Brazil-based issuer of prepaid entertainment cards. As a part of the partnership, InComm will market their products, including:

    • Cards for Internet courses
    • Magazine subscriptions
    • Credits for online games and e-retailers
    • Credits for children’s game, Mundo do Sitio

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

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Finovate Alumni News– July 17, 2012

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Actiance, Cartera Commerce, Check Point, CurrencyFair, Dwolla, Kony Solutions, planwise, SafetyPay, Silver Tail Systems, Tuition.io
  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgForbes features Tuition.io’s student loan platform. Come see Tuition.io’s live demo at FinovateFall in NYC.
  • Alfa Insurance chooses Kony to power features of its mobile app.
  • Killerstartups features the planwise story and their success at FinovateFall 2011.
  • MSN Money compares CurrencyFair and competitor, Azimo. Come see CurrencyFair’s live demo at FinovateFall.
  • Cartera Commerce named Global 250 Top Private Company for second consecutive year.
  • Actiance integrates Socialite platform and Salesforce.com to help companies track and monetize social media conversations. Come see Actiance at FinovateFall September 12 and 13.
  • SafetyPay, launches mobile version of service available to mobile shoppers internationally.
  • NPR features Silver Tail Systems, discusses how In-Q-Tel gives it the CIA’s seal of approval.
  • Check Point Software Technologies taps the power of virtualization to simplify security for private clouds.
  • Des Moines Register staff blog reports Dwolla CEO, Ben Milne, spreads his mobile payments message at TEDxDesMoines.
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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