Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz), Author at Finovate

CashStar Upgrades Web Gifting Interface

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on March 13, 2012
Categories: CashStar

Yesterday, digital gifting company CashStar announced Web Gifting 2, a new user interface that will make the user experience more engaging, interactive, and convenient.

With this new interface, CashStar’s 250+ retail customers will see upgrades such as:

Capability to upload personalized videos and photos

Animated gift cards

Option to print gift cards

Tool to remind users of holidays and occasions

More card design options

In another release, CashStar also announced that The Home Depot, Staples, CVS/pharmacy, and Landry’s have renewed their digital gifting offerings.

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

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eToro Closes $15 Million Funding Round Led by Spark Capital

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on March 13, 2012
Categories: eToro

Social investing network eToro announced today it has secured $15 million (U.S.) in funding. Spark Capital led the round, which is intended to expand the trading platform and fuel growth in international markets.

Within the past year, eToro has experienced growth across the board:

Active user base doubled
Workforce doubled to 200 employees
Trading volumes doubled in size
Number of traded positions increased 5x

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

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Finovate Alumni News– March 13, 2012

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on March 13, 2012
Categories: Backbase, BrightScope, CashStar, Enloop, eToro, HelloWallet, Kashoo, PayPal, Tradeshift, Xero

BrightScope adds Josh Brown, financial advisor & author to advisory board.

AppStorm shares how Enloop can help you move your business into the VC world.

GigaOM rumors that PayPal will launch a mobile payment dongle to compete with Square and Intuit.

The Urban Twist lists HelloWallet as one of seven scorching hot tech startups in D.C.

INTTRA, independent transactional network for ocean freight, and Tradeshift partner to help manage ocean freight invoices.

Entrepreneur lists Kashoo & Xero as 2 of 4 online apps that can be handy for tax time.

Backbase announces most successful year to date, doubling software revenue & adding multiple tier-1 customers.

eToro closes $15 mil funding round led by spark capital.

CashStar upgrades web gifting interface.

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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Plastyc Partners with IDology to Make Authentication More Consumer Friendly

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on March 12, 2012
Categories: Plastyc

Underbanked money-management company

Plastyc announced today a partnership with IDology, an identity verification company:

“IDology’s ExpectID solutions are being used to verify consumers enrolling for Plastyc’s services at upsidecard.com and ibankup.com. In addition, if a discrepancy exists in the initial CIP verification, IDology automatically escalates transactions to a higher level of verification.”

IDology will help Plastyc provide a consumer-friendly approach to authentication.

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

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cbanc Network Launches Backstage Pass to Open its Platform to Vendors

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on March 12, 2012
Categories: cbanc Network

This week cbanc Network, an online collaboration platform with over 8,000 individual users and almost 4,000 financial institutions, is launching Backstage Pass.

Credit Union Times reports:

“Backstage Pass comprises two components: Connect and Analyze. Connect gives service providers the tools to interact with cbanc’s FI membership when they are looking for help, the company said. Analyze organizes traded data so service providers can see which topics and issues are important to cbanc Network members, the company said.”

Backstage Pass gives vendors access to the information-sharing platform that exposes trends, product ratings, and content purchases.

To learn more about cbanc Network, watch its FinovateFall 2011 demo.

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Kabbage and Outright Announce Partnership

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on March 12, 2012
Categories: Kabbage, Outright.com

Yesterday Kabbage, a startup that provides capital to small businesses, and Outright, an online bookkeeping and tax software provider, announced a partnership:

“Kabbage uses Outright’s transactional data on an anonymous basis to help qualify and approve small businesses for cash to grow. Upon pre-qualification, the businesses go through an automated and painless application process to receive working capital, typically accessing their cash in less than 10 minutes.”

To learn more, watch Kabbage’s FinovateEurope 2012 demo and Outright’s FinovateFall 2010 demo.

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Finovate Alumni News– March 12, 2012

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on March 12, 2012
Categories: Authentify, Bill.com, cbanc Network, Kabbage, Kasasa, Outright.com, PayPal, Ping Identity, Plastyc, Xero

Gov Info Security interviews Authentify CEO Peter Tapling about authentication.

Kea interviews Xero CEO Rod Drury.

Ping Identity partners with Winvale, a gov’t tech solutions provider.

Fox Business News looks at how to get more money from Kabbage.

Bill.com unveils revamped user support.

TechCrunch reports PayPal to unveil small business payments platform.

Kabbage & Outright announce partnership.

cbanc Network launches Backstage Pass to open its platform to vendors.

How Kasasa helps community banks give megabanks a run for their money.

Plastyc partners with IDology to make authentication more consumer friendly.

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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Linkable Networks Launches Mobile App and API

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on March 9, 2012
Categories: Clovr Media, Linkable Networks

Earlier this week, card-linked offer startup Linkable Networks (formerly Clovr Media) launched a mobile app called MyLinkables and a social API.

Tom Burgess, Linkable Networks CEO states:

“The growing consumer desire for ‘on-demand’ mobile access to any online properties, the proliferation of

couponing and the mass appeal of sharing with friends told us it was time to bring even more convenience to shoppers with a MyLinkables app.

With smartphone shopping on the rise, our new developer tools will allow mobile app developers to link enable any deal or ad, further proliferating card linked offers in the mobile world.”

The app is available on both Android and iOS platforms.

To learn more about Linkable Networks, watch its FinovateSpring 2011 demo.

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Finovate Best of Show Winners: 2007 to Present

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on March 9, 2012
Categories: BancVue, BankOns, Best of Show, Betterment, BillGuard, BillShrink, Bobber Interactive, Bundle, Cardlytics, CheckFree, Credit Karma, Credit.com, Dwolla, Dynamics, eToro, Expensify, FamZoo, FeeFighters, Finantix, Intuit, Jwaala, Kasasa, LearnVest, Liqpay.com, Meniga, Mint.com, Mitek, MoneyAisle, Mortgagebot, Nutmeg, Offermatic, oFlows, PayNearMe, Personal Capital, Prosper, SecureKey, Silver Tail Systems, Simplifi, Truaxis, Wikinvest, Yodlee, Zecco, Zopa

We recently looked back at Finovate’s Best of Show Awards archives and wanted to share the list of the 41 award-winning companies.

Here’s the Best of Show history that stretches back to 2007, the inception of Finovate:

Held October 2, 2007

Mint: Online PFM for individuals