CBS Early Show Features Weemba, Lighter Capital, and Rebirth Financial

Last week, The Early Show on CBS featured three Finovate alumni (see video below). The newscast describes how Weemba, Lighter Capital, and Rebirth Financial are all working to find funding for small businesses.  

All three startups use different approaches to provide small businesses with funding when banks fail to come through:

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Weemba

Approach: Serves as a matchmaker for borrowers and lenders
Average loan amount: $27,500
FinovateFall 2011 demo

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Lighter Capital
Approach: Lends money based on business earnings
Average loan amount: $150,000

FinovateFall 2011 demo

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Rebirth Financial
Approach: Matches borrowers with lenders based on a desired loan amount and interest rate 
Average loan amount: $80,000

FinovateFall 2011 demo

Source: CBS News http://bit.ly/t2inQG

Finovate Alumni News– January 2, 2012

  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgMaine Public Broadcasting Network profiles CashStar.
  • Bank Technology News describes how Bill.com uses capital infusion to build a cash flow dashboard for businesses.
  • SecondMarket’s homepage gets a makeover.
  • The CBS Early Show features Weemba, Lighter Capital, and Rebirth 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.

2011 Funding for Finovate Alumni– Over $423 Million Raised

Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgTo wrap up 2011, we’ve compiled a list of all of the funding Finovate alumni received over the course of the year. 

The results were impressive:
  • A total of 34 companies received funding, some more than once
  • The companies collectively raised over $423 million dollars
  • The months with the highest number of companies receiving funding were June August, both with 8 companies
  • The highest amount of funding came in the month of June, when the alumni brought in over $124.4 million
Here is a month-by-month breakdown of funding received:
January — $40.8 million raised by 3 companies
February — $10.3+ million raised by 3 companies
March — $20.4 million raised by 4 companies
June — $124.4 million raised by 8 companies
July — $1.1 million raised by 1 company
August — $103.4 million raised by 8 companies
September — $33 million raised by 1 company
October– $22 million raised by 2 companies
November — $16.3+ million raised by 3 companies
December — $52.2 million raised by 5 companies
Note: Funding that companies received before they demonstrated at Finovate was not counted. If you see any funding that is not on this list, please send the name of the company along with a link to the funding information to [email protected] and I will add it.

IP Commerce’s Solution Used in Billing Service Group’s New Web Checkout Platform

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Yesterday, Colorado-based IP Commerce announced an alliance with Billing Services Group, a payment solution company whose OrderBridge payment gateway will use IP Commerce’s Payments as a Platform Service to power a program called Secure Hosted Payments for Web Checkout:

“This valuable solution for quick, branded and secure online payments provides instant access to multiple payment services, payment providers, value-added capabilities, and customizable payment options. Secure Hosted Payments (SHP) for Web Checkout, protects customer credit card information, drastically reducing PCI Compliance scope and expediting future development requirements.”

Billing Services Group chose IP Commerce for the Secure Hosted Payments for Web Checkout because its open platform approach is solid, tested, and scaleable.

To learn more about IP Commerce, watch its FinovateStartup 2008 demo.

Capital Access Network Helps Banks Give Small Businesses Alternative Funding

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Last month, Capital Access Network (CAN) revealed two new services that help banks find alternative funding for small to medium sized businesses who don’t qualify for traditional loans. Its Different Look and Pre-Look programs were developed to fill the gap between the increasing number of loan requests and the bank’s lacking ability to meet those requests with traditional loans.

Here’s how they work:

Different Look

After a small business’ loan application is denied, this reactive approach uses non-traditional underwriting methods that leverage CAN’s Daily Remittance Platform to find alternative funding products.

Pre-Look

Based on a client’s profile information, CAN uses its behavioral modeling, a consideration of 90 different variables, to determine who will need capital over the next 12-18 months. This proactive approach also leverages the Daily Remittance Platform, but allows the bank to offer the applicant alternative funding even before they apply for a loan.

Quick facts:

  • 5 days: The amount of time it takes for new applicants to receive funding. Renewal customers can get funding in the same day they apply.
  • $30,000: The average amount of funding provided.
  • 75%: The percentage of businesses that are willing to renew funding

To learn more about Capital Access Network, watch its FinovateEurope 2011 demo.

Finovate Alumni News– December 22, 2011

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  • Best Buy Canada & Future Shop are the 1st major retailers in Canada to offer eGift Cards via CashStar.
  • The Street interviews Zecco CEO, Michael Raneri.
  • Fox News interviews Dwolla CEO Ben Milne about the startup’s business model.
  • PayPal partners with Fandango to allow users to purchase movie tickets using PayPal.
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.

HelloWallet Gives Away 20,000 Free Subscriptions in 2011 to Families In Need

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Subscription-based PFM, HelloWalletannounced  yesterday that it donated 20,000 free subscriptions to its PFM service in 2011:

“As part of their charitable mission to give away 1 free subscription for every 5 sold, online financial guidance company HelloWallet announced today that they have donated 20,000 free subscriptions to community organizations that serve families in need across the country in 2011…”

The goal of the donations is to provide families in need with a tool to better plan their finances. Based on the deals it recently signed, the startup estimates that it will give away 40,000 free subscriptions in 2012.

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

Linkable Networks Partners with Mphoria, Becomes Mobile in First App

LinkableNetworksLogo.jpgToday, card-linked offer innovator Linkable Networks (formerly CLOVR Media) announced a partnership with mphoria, a mobile and social merchandising platform:

“This agreement will transform retail deals available on the mobile web and via mobile apps into linkable offers.”
The startup also announced that CardStar will be the first mobile app to feature its card-linked offer technology:

“Both partnerships mark the launch of the Linkables mobile API and the first mobile deployment for the card linked offer industry. Now any type of restaurant, service provider, retailer or brand may capitalize on card linked offers in a mobile environment.”

The two developments bring Linkable Networks into the mobile environment and allow retailers and service providers to benefit from mobile card-linked offers.

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

Finovate Alumni News– December 21, 2011

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  • Fox News discusses how Prosper & Lending Club help small businesses.
  • BizReport examines card-linked offers from Linkable Networks (formerly CLOVR Media).
  • ReadWriteWeb’s Richard MacManus lists Xero as #8 in his 2011 list of top 10 web products.
  • Inc Magazine lists Expensify as 1 of 8 startups to watch in 2012.
  • Ping Identity makes the top 10 list of most exciting IT security vendors. Come see Ping Identity’s live demo at FinovateEurope.
  • HelloWallet gives away 20,000 free subscriptions in 2011 to families in need.
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.

ProfitStars Announces Availability of Mobile Website Platform

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Jack Henry’s ProfitStars, a provider of products and services to financial institutions, announced the availability of its Mobile Website platform today:

“Mobile Website supports a rapidly expanding banking channel with websites developed specifically for smaller screens and on-the-go functionality while also maintaining the consistent look and ease of navigation that customers demand.”

ProfitStars hopes that the Mobile Website will provide an affordable and user-friendly way for financial institutions of all sizes to expand to a mobile-optimized website.

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

Check Point Software Technologies Positioned in Gartner’s Leader Quadrant

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Online security company Check Point Software Technologies announced yesterday that it was positioned in the Leaders quadrant of Gartner’s 2011 Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Network Firewalls.

Gartner’s Magic Quadrant aims to recognize technology providers who are leaders, visionaries, niche players and challengers in high market growth industries. Leaders are defined as those who, “execute well against their current vision and are well positioned for tomorrow.”

Here are the other players in the Enterprise Network Firewalls category:

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(Source: Check Point website December 20, 2011)

To learn more about Check Point Software Technologies, watch its Finovate 2008 demo.

Kony Solutions Wins 2 First Place Awards in the Mobile Star Awards

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Mobile platform provider Kony Solutions announced yesterday that it recently earned two first place awards at MobileVillage.com’s 10th annual Mobile Star Awards.

Kony received two SUPERSTAR awards and one Rising Star:

  • “The KonyOne platform won the SUPERSTAR award in the category “Enterprise Software: Middleware”
  • Developed on Kony’s “Write Once, Run Everywhere” platform, the GEICO Glovebox won a SUPERSTAR award in the “Success Story: Banking or Insurance” category
  • The KonyOne platform also won the Rising Star award in the “Enterprise Software: Application Development” category”

The Mobile Star Award winners are selected through nominations and an online voting process in which SUPERSTAR is the first place award and Rising Star is the first runner up. 

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