Finovate Alumni News– April 12, 2012

  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgDwolla redesigns dashboard page, reveals celebrity investor.
  • Intuit opens driving range in downtown Seattle for 1 day to promote its GoPayment technology.
  • mFoundry launches mobile banking solution for Conestoga Bank.
  • Utilities Employees CU signs a contract with Jwaala to enhance its online services and offer mobile banking.
  • eDeposit appoints Robert R. Craig as CEO. Come see its live demo at FinovateSpring May 8 and 9 in San Francisco.
  • Former Morgan Stanley CEO, John Mack, joins Lending Club’s board of directors.
  • NY Times Bucks blog covers SimpleTuition’s SmarterBank.
  • Social Money announces partnership with ICICI Bank in India.
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.

Dwolla Redesigns Dashboard Page, Reveals Celebrity Investor

Thumbnail image for DwollaLogo.jpg

Alternative payments company, Dwolla has been covered quite a bit in the news lately. Here’s why:

First off, Silicon Prairie News reported that Dwolla rolled out a redesign of its user dashboard page on Sunday. There are no major changes, but the design is more user friendly and aesthetically pleasing. 

Here are the major changes:

1) Account balances are located at the top of the user’s dashboard page

2) Users send and request money using a text box below their photo
3) A text box in the middle of the page enables users to find contacts by entering their name, email address, or phone number

DwollaDashboardRedesign.jpg

4) There’s a new tab called Places (as seen below) that has a Foursquare application. There’s no identified use for this yet, but the text on the dashboard states, “We are currently in the process of building an awesome platform to help you find new places to use Dwolla!”

DwollaFSQ.jpg

5) During the registration process, users are immediately given 10 cents to send to five of their friends. Silicon Prairie explains how it works:

“Following a registration page, the first action a new user is encouraged to take is to send money, free money. ‘Search for someone and we’ll shoot them some cash on your behalf,’ Dwolla’s website says. Users have the ability to send 10 cents to an individual by entering an email address or phone number or connecting their Facebook account to send to a friend.”

The Iowa-based startup is also in the news for the confirmation of rumors that Ashton Kutcher invested in Dwolla’s recent Series B funding round. Kutcher, an Iowa native, broke the news on an episode of Prairie Cast yesterday. 

The Des Moines Register also covered the announcement and included 16 photos of Milne with Kutcher. Here’s Milne’s reaction of the experience:

MilneTweet.jpg

To learn more about Dwolla, watch its FinovateSpring 2011 demo and come to FinovateSpring May 8 and 9 to see Dwolla’s new technology that Milne refers to as, …”a 420-second demo of a first-of-its-kind technology.” Get your ticket here.

Finovate Alumni News– April 11, 2012

Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpg

  • Bazaarvoice appoints Kelly Connery as GM of brands in North America & Matthew Schatz as GM of retail & emerging markets.
  • SoMoLend wins first place prize in the University of Dayton’s 2011-12 Business Plan Competition. See it demo live at FinovateSpring.
  • Bank Technology News reports Intuit Buys M-Payments Co. AisleBuyer.
  • Over 100 institutional partners offer Currensee Trade Leaders Investment program to investors.
  • Expensify Lite iPhone app is now Expensify.
  • Mashable features Personal Capital. Come see its live demo at FinovateSpring.
  • Equifax launches ID protection & credit monitoring product for the family.
  • Ping Identity partners with Macnica Networks.
  • Kiplinger covers Betterment.
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.

FinovateSpring 2012 Sneak Peek: Part 1

Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for FS2012IMG.jpg

More than 60 leading fintech innovators, both startups and established companies, are gearing up to present at the annual FinovateSpring conference in San Francisco May 8 and 9.

Each company provided a sneak peek of what they’ll demo on stage next month. Below is the first installment of these teasers. We’ll have more next week.

Don’t miss your chance to see the live demo from each company and meet the execs responsible. Get your FinovateSpring ticket here.

____________________________________________________________________

Balance Street

Thumbnail image for BalanceStreetLogo.jpg

The premier direct marketplace between consumers and creditors for the purpose of debt settlement, Balance Street, provides consumers the opportunity to relieve their debt burden without fees. Consumers use its web-based automated system to negotiate with creditors directly, avoiding debt settlement companies who charge exorbitant fees (up to 20% of total debt owed).

Eliminating this 20% market inefficiency makes for a better financial outcome for consumers and creditors. With over $780 billion in credit card debt in the U.S., the Balance Street technology will revolutionize the way debt is settled.

Innovation type: Cards, marketing, PFM

Bazaarvoice

BazaarvoiceLogo.jpg

See how leading brands are harnessing the power of online word-of-mouth to boost customer referrals, sales, retention, advocacy, and company innovation while building the world’s most powerful social data asset.

Innovation type: Communications, marketing, sales and customer service

Thumbnail image for BehavioSecLogo.jpg

BehavioSec

No one wants a complicated process for logging in to online or mobile banking. European banks have been forced to go down this route with hardware tokens and smart cards.

So now when U.S. banks will be rolling out new multi-layered security on the front-end following FFIEC, will we see the same thing here?

With BehavioSec’s solution there is a better choice. They add multilayered security through the use of behavioral biometrics. So when the user connects via mobile or online, the technology helps verify that they are who they say they are. Learn more at FinovateSpring 2012.

Innovation type: Identity, mobile, security

Thumbnail image for BillGuard.jpg

BillGuard

BillGuard identifies deceptive, erroneous and unauthorized charges on consumer payment cards using advanced crowdsourcing and big-data mining techniques that harness the collective knowledge of millions of consumers reporting billing complaints online and to their banks. 

BillGuard’s Advanced Card Protection Service for Banks is a seamlessly integrated, cloud-based solution that enables issuers to generate new value-add service revenue, and lower inquiry/dispute processing costs, by providing their customers daily bill monitoring and notification, enriched transition details and direct-to-merchant resolution.
Innovation type: Cards, communications, online UI

CoverHoundLogo.jpg

CoverHound is changing the way people shop for insurance online. Launching at FinovateSpring, CoverHound’s new rate comparison shopping service allows consumers for the first time to compare multiple, instant, accurate rates from top carriers. CoverHound will also be demonstrating an exciting array of products specifically designed to help banks and credit unions generate significant non-interest income while providing a valuable service to their members.
Innovation type: Insurance

eDepositLogo.jpg

Never before has it been so easy for companies to provide business and retail customers with a way to validate creditworthiness through the use of online deposits. eDeposit provides patented funds visibility and real time settlement to markets across the U.S. in an innovative, new form of payment.
At FinovateSpring, eDeposit announces a new innovation that makes conducting B2B and B2C e-business faster, cheaper and safer.
Innovation type: Payments, security, small business

edoInteractiveLogo.jpg

From “check-in to check-out”, intersecting the worlds of Payments and Advertising, edo takes the next step forward in its vision to transform shopping and saving.  
This next wave connects mobile and multi-channel retail . . . imagine a world where purchase and location meet and the new standard for mobile advertising moves from “check-in” to “check-out.”
Innovation type: Marketing, mobile, rewards

Thumbnail image for Expensify.jpg

Expensify <3’s Finovate — they view it as the premier stage on which to make their biggest announcement of
the year. Three years ago, it launched an open beta on the Finovate stage. Two years ago, it unveiled a major realtime analytics feature. One year ago it launched a revolutionary SmartScan service. But this year will trump all that.  A whole new approach to business travel. Prepare yourself!

Innovation type: Back office, mobile, small business

FutureAdvisorLogo.jpg

Most investors have assets spread across financial institutions and accounts, including limited-option accounts such as their employer’s 401(k) plan.
Managing this is a chore – including figuring out which funds, in which amounts, and rebalancing.
Well, it was a chore, before FutureAdvisor.
Innovation type: Investing and asset management, online, PFM

Thumbnail image for giftlyLogo.jpg

Giftly is inventing the future of the gift card. Using its new iPhone app, users can send anyone a Giftly for any place they choose. The recipient redeems it on their smartphone when they go. It’s fast, fun, and secure.
Giftly’s app and web products have been designed to be social, simple, and powerful. Thanks to Facebook, Foursquare, and smart iOS integration, you’ll always know which friends are celebrating birthdays, are checking in to cool new places, or are otherwise in need of a quick gift.

klarnaLogo.jpg

Is it possible to separate the fun of buying from the nuisance of paying? Klarna thinks so. The idea behind Klarna’s e-commerce services is the concept of after-delivery payment, letting buyers receive ordered goods before any payment is due. Instead of giving financial information, buyers shop with Klarna just by giving their name and select information (Klarna calculates the risk).
Innovation type: Payments

LinkableNetworksLogo.jpg

Linkable Networks will be debuting a first-to-market capability that significantly broadens the value proposition of card-linked offers to issuing banks, merchants, manufacturers, and cardholding consumers. In addition, Linkable Networks will demonstrate new features recently added to its product platform and user interface.
Innovation type: Cards, mobile, rewards


Thumbnail image for mSHIFTLogo.jpg

MShift believes that financial institutions need to enhance existing mobile banking solutions into mobile wallet and payment solutions.
At Finovate, MShift will demonstrate how mobile banking can influence how a consumer spends money in various retail scenarios.
Innovation type: Banking, payments, small business

NICELogo.jpg

Your customers go mobile with smartphones and tablets. When they cannot fulfill their needs in mobile self-service, do you jump in at the right time to help them complete their business? Do you want to maximize the opportunity for smart customer experience and increased business via smart mobile devices (while reducing costs)? NICE Mobile Reach can do that for you. Don’t miss its demo at FinovateSpring.
Innovation type: Mobile, sales

Thumbnail image for PersonalCapitalLogo9.11.jpg

Personal Capital is wealth management for the Internet Age. The company’s online platform combines digital technology with highly personalized service to provide a holistic view of your unique financial picture. The free online dashboard presents all of your financial data in one place, including an assessment of your allocation, investment risk and fees.
These days, the financial lives of Americans are becoming more and more complex. At FinovateSpring, Personal Capital will unveil core new features that enable you to access your financial data in real time, on-the-go. You’ll be able to view and do, anywhere, anytime.
Innovation type: Investing, mobile, PFM

pindropLogo.jpg

Pindrop Security provides enterprise solutions that help prevent phone-based fraud. Pindrop’s acoustical fingerprinting technology detects fraudulent calls and authenticates legitimate callers, helping customers eliminate financial losses and reduce operational costs. Pindrop’s breakthrough technology is the first of its kind to fingerprint individual phone calls, providing verification of caller provenance. 
Recently named one of the 10 Most Innovative Companies at the 2012 RSA conference, Pindrop’s solutions help companies feel more confident in the security of phone-based financial transactions.
Innovation type: Identity,
security

Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for ProfitStarsLogo.jpg

Easily administer and coordinate your annual budget with Budget Manager from ProfitStars. ProfitStars takes the headaches, and the spreadsheets, out of the budgeting process and optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of budgeting and planning.  
The company will show you how this newly redesigned browser-based version enables users to construct and manage a more efficient budgeting process, including how to tackle more difficult items like salaries and fixed assets.
Innovation type: Banking

Thumbnail image for ServersideLogo.jpg

Discover a new Facebook app for banks that will not only make you relevant and engage Facebook users, but will also get your customers recommending and endorsing your card products.  It drives great loyalty from existing customers and also helps to devise new customer acquisition –all through Facebook. 

Serverside does this by letting people design their own credit or debit card using a picture from their Facebook gallery, then post it to their Facebook wall. Their friends then click on the card image to design their own card and help your bank to go viral!

Innovation type: cards


SocialMoneyLogo.jpg

Social Money can provide any bank in the world its own branded version of our revolutionary and award-winning SmartyPig technology. A new bank can be up and running on our system within 90 days in any language and currency, for a fraction of the cost of internal development efforts.
Innovation type: Banking products, PFM

TascetLogo.jpg

The dawn of compliance solutions that work.
Meet Molly. 115 different people use Molly’s SSN.
Financial institutions have no idea who these people really are.
This is possible because FIs and so-called identity protection companies can only verify identity. Verification is not enough. Full identification is needed to fight fraud and provide FIs the means to meet compliance requirements. Only Financial ICONN from TASCET can identify financial customers.
Once Molly activates her ICONN, TASCET proactively secures her identity and FIs know exactly who she is.
Innovation type: Identity, security

tauliaLogo.jpg

Taulia takes the waste out of the supply chains of Fortune 500 Enterprises while simultaneously solving the cash-flow needs of their suppliers. The large enterprise buyers get discounts by paying their invoices early. In return, their suppliers get paid when they want. In Taulia’s young life, it has already enabled small suppliers from 40+ countries around the world to receive hundreds of millions of dollars of early payments.
Innovation type: Lending, payments, small business

Thumbnail image for VirtualPiggyLogo1.jpg

The Under-18 audience has an estimated $50 billion in spending power. Learn how to successfully monetize the kids/teen market in this powerful demo by Virtual Piggy, an exciting new company that provides innovative technological solutions to help bridge the gap between children, parents and online retailers.
Innovation type: Payments

Thumbnail image for Wall_Street_Survivor.jpg

Wall Street Survivor is the only place for the beginner to learn about investing. Guided missions, beginner-focused learning content, combined with the web’s best stock simulator help users effectively manage their financial future.
Innovation type: Investing & asset management, marketing, PFM

wipitLogo.jpg

Mobi
le commerce is estimated to be a $31 billion industry by 2015, but how will the underbanked participate? Wipit has unlocked mobile payments for this massive and largely untapped consumer demographic representing 25% of all U.S. households and over 70 million U.S. prepaid wireless subscribers. Underbanked consumers can now make in-app and online payments with a single click. No need for bank accounts or credit cards; Wipit lets underbanked consumers use their payment method of choice– cash.
Innovation type: Cards, payments
Stay tuned next week for another sneak peek of FinovateSpring 2012 presenting companies.

MoneyDesktop Adds 19 Credit Union Clients

Thumbnail image for MoneyDesktopLogo.jpg

Yesterday MoneyDesktop, financial management tool developer, announced the addition of 19 Credit Union clients. 

The new clients will use MoneyDesktop’s PFM solution to bring their members the money management solution within their online banking platform.

Below is the list of newly added clients:

  • Day Air Credit Union
  • Cumberland County Federal Credit Union
  • San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union
  • Peninsula Federal Credit Union
  • Achieve Financial Credit Union
  • Torrance Community Federal Credit Union
  • AAC Credit Union
  • Tomah Area Credit Union
  • Ukrainian Selfrelaince New England Federal Credit Union
  • Spirit of America Federal Credit Union
  • Health Employees Federal Credit Union
  • Evergreen Credit Union
  • Omaha Douglas Federal Credit Union
  • Family Focus Federal Credit Union
  • Northern Paper Mills Credit Union
  • Air Guard Federal Credit Union
  • Newaygo County Service Employees Credit Union
  • Oshkosh Truck Credit Union
  • Northern Teachers Community Credit Union

This brings the Utah-based startup’s total number of clients up to over 260.

To learn more about MoneyDesktop, come see its FinovateSpring 2012 demo in San Francisco on May 8 and 9. Get your ticket here.

Finovate Alumni News– April 10, 2012

  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgCredit Karma is moving its headquarters to San Francisco’s financial district.
  • Linkable Networks is listed as 1 of 5 startups you should follow.
  • Tablet PC review lists Wikinvest Portfolio as one of the best iPad apps for tracking Wall Street stocks.
  • AOL Daily Finance names HelloWallet as 1 of 5 money-smart apps for business travelers.
  • UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School turns to Ping Identity to solve identity management complexity.
  • Daily Herald looks at Credit Sesame.
  • Kony Solutions appoints Harold Goldberg as CMO.
  • The Bellingham Herald recommends using Expensify to organize your expenses for tax time. Come see the live demo at FinovateSpring next month in San Francisco.
  • Scotsman covers UK P2P company, Zopa.
  • CNN Money lists SecondMarket as 1 of 8 crowdfunding sites to watch.
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.

cbanc Network Acquires Webinar Company, Bankerstuff

Thumbnail image for cbancLogo.jpg

Collaborative information-sharing platform, cbanc Network, announced last week that it has acquired financial webinar and education company, Bankerstuff.

For cbanc Network, this is a great strategic move. According to a recent survey of the cbanc community:

“88% of respondents are “somewhat” or “highly” likely to buy webinars from cbanc, where those users already spend time collaborating with their peers to solve industry issues.”

Through this partnership, cbanc’s 9,300+ banking and credit union professionals will have access to purchase Bankerstuff’s online inventory of ongoing educational webinars. Bankerstuff’s 7,000 customers will benefit from the partnership by receiving an incentive to join cbanc’s collaborative community and the company now:

1) Has access to more resources and staff to deliver a broader scope of webinars, topics, and speakers. 

2) Has access to behind-the-scenes financial data from the cbanc community

Bankerstuff.jpg

Webinars will still be accessed through the Bankerstuff website for the foreseeable future. On the right is a glimpse of Bankerstuff’s updated logo.

To learn more about cbanc Network, come see it demo live at FinovateSpring in San Francisco May 8-9. Get your ticket here. Or watch its demo from FinovateFall 2011.

Finovate Alumni News– April 9, 2012

  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgCashSherpa.com reviews FutureAdvisor.
  • SuccessStories.com features Alexa Von Tobel, LearnVest CEO.
  • MyBankTracker reports TIO Networks gives underbanked a mobile wallet. See TIO Networks demo live at FinovateSpring next month.
  • Wisconsin State Journal features TASCET, who will demo its Financial Iconn technology at FinovateSpring in San Fran, May 8-9.
  • Northwest Credit Union Association reports Oregon Employees FCU is piloting SaveUp’s prize-linked savings alternative. See them at FinovateSpring.
  • Business Insider names Yodlee and Andera as 2 of 5 faceless companies that control your money.
  • MSNBC consults BillGuard to determine the validity of certain questionable charges. See them demo at FinovateSpring.
  • Financial Planning takes a closer look at Balance Financial.
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.

Finovate Alumni News– April 6, 2012

  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgInComm removes Visa Gift Card & MasterCard Gift Card products from New Jersey stores due to regulation.
  • SimpleTuition launches Student-Friendly SmarterBank, Powered by The Bancorp Bank.
  • Clairmail introduces Clairmail Plus, a mobile banking & payments solution for midmarket FIs. 
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.

SimpleTuition Launches Student-Friendly SmarterBank, Powered by The Bancorp Bank

simpletuitionlogo.jpg

Yesterday, SimpleTuition, a site designed to help students find an ideal student loan, debuted SmarterBank, a student-friendly online bank account that’s powered by The Bancorp Bank.

SmarterBank.jpg

The Bank

SmarterBank, which offers a free checking account that features online banking, bill pay, and a Visa debit card, is designed to help account holders pay back their student loans. It does this by enabling users to set up payments (one-time or recurring) that feed directly to their student loans. It also features a friends and family contribution function that directly pays down the loan with micropayments.

SBDashboard.jpg

The Rewards

Another student-friendly aspect of SmarterBank is SmarterBucks, its free rewards program. Through a partnership with merchant rewards program, RewardsNOW, SmarterBucks enables users to accumulate rewards on everyday purchases that are automatically used to make extra payments on their students loans. This summer, it plans to offer special rewards targeted toward students.

A linked savings account is currently in development and is slated for later this year.

To learn more about SimpleTuition, watch its FinovateStartup 2008 demo.

Finovate Alumni News– April 5, 2012

  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgSocial Lending Network reports Prosper quietly adds 3 new search filters.
  • CUinsight reports Credit Union of the Rockies joins SaveUp.
  • VentureBeat looks at PayPal’s new pricing model and suite of mobile products.
  • Money One FCU of Maryland introduces BancVue’s Kasasa.
  • Yodlee launches MoneyMovement, partners with Zoho.
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.

Yodlee Launches MoneyMovement, Partners with Zoho

Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for yodlee.jpg

PFM and account aggregation company Yodlee made two announcements today.

First, it announced the availability of MoneyMovement, a platform that handles money transfers and payments.

“The open, API-driven Platform enables financial institutions and other transactions providers to deliver specific functionality – such as account-to-account funds transfers, pay anyone bill payments, person-to-person (P2P) payments, same-day (expedited) payments, and much more – all from a single, secure payments environment.”

The platform’s capabilities, as stated on the press release, are listed below:

  • Account-to-account funds transfer
  • P2P capabilities
  • Full, end-to-end pay anyone bill pay capabilities
    • Intelligent payments routing (for least cost or most profit)
    • Revenue generating expedited and card based payments
    • Compatible with all major open and proprietary US remittance networks
  • Mobile payment and transfer capabilities
  • Real-time risk-management capabilities
  • Risk-based and good funds models
  • Complete regulatory and reporting compliance
  • Optional payment operations services

Because MoneyMovement features can be used as embedded features in Yodlee’s FinApps or as stand-alone applications, the platform can be tailored to the needs of both large and small financial institutions.

Its second announcement features a partnership with Zoho, in which Yodlee will provide account aggregation for Zoho Books, Zoho’s online accounting software.

This reduces data entry by providing an automatic bank feed into the software.

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