Artivest Inks Deal with Institutional Investment Manager LaSalle

Artivest Inks Deal with Institutional Investment Manager LaSalle
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Artivest

Curated online platform for alternative investments Artivest announced a major new partnership today. The firm has been selected by institutional investment manager LaSalle to help it enter the retail market for privately-held value-added real estate investment programs via a closed end fund.

“We are delighted to find a compelling platform to seamlessly connect financial advisors and qualified high net worth investors to our flagship, U.S. value-add investment strategy,” Jason Kern, CEO of the Americas at LaSalle Investment Management, said.

One of the largest real estate investment managers in the world with $65 billion in assets under management, LaSalle will leverage Artivest’s Open Network to make its offerings available for investment by advisors and qualified purchasers. In an investment environment increasingly characterized by passive management and low-fee ETFs, LaSalle sees Artivest as a partner to help it meet investor demand for alternative solutions that can provide outperformance.

Artivest combines expert insights, extensive due diligence, and a streamlined investor experience to improve the process of finding, evaluating, and investing in leading private funds for advisors and fund managers. The solution reduces the complexity of private fund investing, helping clients save time and more readily identify opportunities that are most compatible with their investment goals.

“Our platform brings together data-driven insights, proprietary technology, and robust diligence expertise to deliver a simplified, efficient experience and remove the barriers that have traditionally stood in the way of advisors and investors seeking access to alternatives,” Artivest founder and CEO James Waldinger said.

Artivest demonstrated its curated investment platform at FinovateSpring 2014. Headquartered in New York City and founded in 2012, the company completed a merger with alternative investment manager Altegris last summer that made the company one of the biggest independent alternative investment solution providers in the world.

Earlier this year, Artivest announced that was expanding its services to include both product structuring and fund distribution solutions for asset and wealth managers. Back in December, Chicago-based Northern Trust added private market capabilities to its ArcLine Alternatives platform for its wealth management customers courtesy of a partnership with Artivest.

With more than $17 million in funding, Artivest includes 500 Startups, RRE Ventures, Founders Fund, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, and Signatures Capital among its investors.

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Holvi Expands to Five New European Markets

Holvi Expands to Five New European Markets
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Holvi

BBVA-backed start-up Holvi will expand its offering to micro businesses in Ireland, Italy, Belgium, France and the Netherlands after reaching a 150,000-customer milestone, reports Jane Connolly of Fintech Futures (Finovate’s sister publication).

Claiming to provide small business banking services for “everyday entrepreneurs”, the Finnish firm has experienced significant growth, particularly since its acquisition by global bank BBVA in 2016.

Holvi has been providing business banking in Germany, Austria and Finland for over three years and has seen year-on-year growth of 60% from 2017 to 2018.

CEO Antti-Jussi Suominen said: “2019 is set to be an exciting year for Holvi. Having become the leading business banking service for micro-entrepreneurs in our home market of Finland, and rapidly growing in Austria and Germany, we are setting our sights on the rest of Europe.”

Holvi caters for customers such as freelancers, small family-run businesses and gig economy workers, through a combination of banking, a Mastercard and smart digital business tools.

The firm is authorized to operate across the European Economic Area (EEA) under the Payment Services Directive by the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA).

Holvi was founded in 2011. The Helsinki, Finland-based company demonstrated its technology at FinovateEurope 2013, and was acquired by fellow Finovate alum BBVA in 2016.

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Finovate Alumni News

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Artivest, BioCatch, Blend, Crypterium, Holvi, Interactions, Kabbage, NIIT Technologies, Pendo Systems, Plaid, Ripple, Salt Edge, Signifyd, TransUnion, Yseop

On Finovate

  • Holvi Expands to Five New European Markets.
  • Artivest Inks Deal with Institutional Investment Manager LaSalle.
  • BioCatch Brings on New Chief Revenue Officer.
  • Yseop Pairs Up with Larsen & Toubro Infotech.

Around the web

  • Inc. names Blend, Kabbage, Lendio, Plaid, Pendo, Signifyd, and Ripple among the best places to work.
  • Alt Coin Magazine interviews Steven Parker, Crypterium CEO.
  • Interactions‘ IVA was named the top virtual assistant in Speech Technology Magazine’s 2019 People’s Choice Awards.
  • Salt Edge Open Banking API now supports eIDAS PSD2 certificates.
  • NIIT Technologies launches Cognitive Service Desk Audit, a tool to help applications understand and interpret user needs through natural communication.

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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Webinar: Digital, Data and Disinformation – Modern Banking

Webinar: Digital, Data and Disinformation – Modern Banking
By Charlie Burgess Posted on
Categories: Webinars

Take a look back on the latest FinTech Futures and Finovate webinar, Digital, Data and Disinformation: Modern Banking with Jon Deutsch, from Information Builders; and Dave Birch, Global Ambassador at Consult Hyperion.

Technology and increasing competition have rendered the financial services sector very much under pressure. Banking is not what it used to be, and it’s becoming clear that new players are appearing by the minute, who will take a seemingly marginal share.

However, these changes are not as bad as they seem. If we focus on the potential of fintech disintermediation, digital transformation, and data proliferation, it’s easy to see that the industry is ripe for disruption.

Future growth and success belong to those institutions who align on strategy to marshal these forces to build and retain market share through superior products, service, and customer outcomes.

Banking and financial services industry leaders must now look to push the boundaries of innovation even further and question exactly how the implementation of emerging technology enablers can help them to truly redefine the customer experience.I

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SparkPost Unveils Predictive Email Intelligence Solution

SparkPost Unveils Predictive Email Intelligence Solution
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: SparkPost

This week marks the official launch of SparkPost Signals, the data-powered predictive email intelligence solution from Columbia, Maryland-based Finovate newcomer, SparkPost. The company announced earlier this week that its platform, which helps users gain 4x higher engagement while sending 70% less email, is now available via the SparkPost Cloud, as well as to customers using SparkPost’s Momentum and PowerMTA on-premises email delivery platforms.

“Current email analytics products sit outside the delivery process and don’t have access to ISP behavior and industry-wide sending data, two factors that are essential for finding delivery problems before they occur,” SparkPost CEO Rich Harris explained. In contrast, SparkPost’s technology is designed to predict email delivery problems and offer actionable remedies before the damage is done.

Signals leverages its massive email data footprint (the company sends 37% of the world’s business email) and machine learning to monitor dozens of key email engagement and delivery metrics and provide users with an email Health Score. The technology uses the Health Score to predict potential issues and problems with email engagement or delivery, and also provides peer analysis against other senders who match the user’s profile. Users can set up alerts to have the platform notify them in the event of changes to their Health Score.

In a blog post, the company teased “Health Score V2 (Coming Soon)” which they referred to as having “a wider set of features … for 50% greater accuracy.” The update is expected “over the next two months.”

Other platform features include Spam Tram Reporting, which uses visibility into the largest commercial and non-commercial spam trap networks to help senders identify and fix any issues before they cause major problems. Signals also includes Engagement Insights. This feature helps senders leverage data to better understand how different subgroups within a recipient pool are responding to specific email campaigns.

Founded in 2008, SparkPost made its Finovate debut at FinovateSpring 2019 earlier this month. Video of the company’s live demonstration at the event will be available soon.

SparkPost began the year with an announcement that it had forged a strategic partnership with cloud communications platform, MessageBird. With more than $93 million in funding, the company includes Hercules Capital, LLR Partners, and NewSpring Capital among its investors.

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Fintech OS Raises $1.2 Million

Fintech OS Raises $1.2 Million
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Fintech OS, Funding

Digital transformation expert Fintech OS landed $1.2 million (€1.1 million) in a post-seed investment round this week. The round, which brings the company’s total funding to $3 million (€2.7 million), was led by GapMinder VC. LAUNCHub Ventures, Gecad Ventures, and private investors also contributed.

Fintech OS will use the funds to expand its international presence. “This new investment round allows us to quickly deploy commercial teams in three strategic territories: U.K., Benelux and DACH,” said Teodor Blidăruş, FintechOS CEO. “Meanwhile, we’re going ahead full-throttle to further integrate AI technology within the FintechOS platform, because intelligent processing of massive amounts of data and quick customization of financial instruments are critical components for the whole financial industry.”

Founded in 2014, Fintech OS helps banks launch new technologies by offering them low-code solutions that facilitate fast and inexpensive deployment of new products and services. At FinovateEurope 2018, Blidăruş demoed how the company uses AI to facilitate financial services companies’ digital transformation.

By the end of this year, the company plans to have secured $9 million to $11.2 million (€8 million to €10 million) in Series A funding. Also in 2019, the company anticipates expanding its workforce to 70 employees and plans to see over 4X year-over-year growth in annual recurring revenue from licenses. Additionally, Blidăruş said, Fintech OS will be “announcing a technological revolution” in the third quarter of 2019.

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Neustar Helps TELUS Fight Caller ID Spoofing

Neustar Helps TELUS Fight Caller ID Spoofing
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Neustar

Data services company Neustar has joined forces with TELUS this week to fight caller ID spoofing. The Canadian telecommunications company recently finalized a test of Neustar’s Certified Caller software suite.

The trial was done per the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) mandate that telecommunications service providers deploy caller ID authentication and verification for voice over internet (VoIP) calls to reduce illegal caller ID spoofing. TELUS tested Neustar’s Certified Caller in its NFV lab environment using the STIR/SHAKEN protocol.

STIR, which stands for Secure Telephony Identity Revisited, is a set of technical standards to certify the identity of originating calls. SHAKEN, which stands for Signature-based Handling of Asserted information using toKENs, is a framework that focuses on implementing STIR within IP-based service provider networks. The industry sees STIR/SHAKEN as the most feasible measure of trust in the phone number and name displayed during an incoming call.

“We fully support the adoption of STIR/SHAKEN as a means to restore trust in calls,” said Neustar General Manager and Vice President of Caller ID Solutions James Garvert. “Neustar’s Certified Caller is a full STIR/SHAKEN solution that enables service providers to meet the standards to authenticate and verify the caller telephone identity between originating and terminating carriers and detect and warn subscribers of spoofing.”

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Virginia, Neustar combines identity and data to offer businesses a range of marketing, risk, communications, security, and registry services. Among the company’s clients are Google, Tesco, Ticketmaster, Allstate, and Pinterest.

Neustar demoed its marketing solution at FinovateSpring 2016. Earlier this year, the company acquired fraud solutions provider TrustID. Neustar is a public company, listed on the NYSE under the ticker “NSR.” The company has a market capitalization of $1.87 billion. Charles Gottdiener is president and CEO.

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Personetics Unveils AI-Enabled Small Business Banking Solution

Personetics Unveils AI-Enabled Small Business Banking Solution
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Personetics

Personetics is leveraging its success in developing AI-enabled consumer banking solutions to help small businesses better manage their day-to-day banking affairs. The tool is geared toward the small business owners who cite a “lack of tools that fit their needs” as the primary challenge to banking digitally. Personetics’ integrates the solution into the bank’s online and mobile channels to give SMEs deeper insight into cash flow and liquidity.

“The small business solution is a result of our work with banks around the globe to address the shifting expectations of business customers as they become more digital-savvy,” Personetics co-founder and CEO David Sosna explained. “Banks that act on these emerging needs have an opportunity to turn online and mobile banking into the go-to places for businesses to manage their day-to-day finances and stay ahead of the rapidly evolving needs of their small business customers.”

Personetics’ new solution proactively identifies potential issues in payments and receivables, anticipates future cashflow, and offers relevant financing options to help users reach liquidity and growth objectives. Additionally, the technology leverages bank and accounting information to give users a comprehensive overview of both financial planning and actual activity.

The company’s announcement is the latest sign of Personetics’ determination to bring AI-enabled personalization solutions to more financial institutions. In March, Personetics teamed up with fellow Finovate alum MX in a technology partnership designed to help FIs translate data into actionable insights.

Also this spring, Personetics partner BGL BNP Paribas, one of the largest banks in Luxembourg, launched its personalized, intelligent digital assistant, Genius. The AI-powered solution, which the bank said was “developed in close collaboration with the fintech Personetics,” encourages financial wellness by providing information on user spending, analyzing cash flow for unusual transactions or other issues, and offering tips on better banking.

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, Personetics demonstrated its Personetics Anywhere chatbot solution at FinovateFall 2016. The company works with six of the top 12 banks in North America and Europe, and serves more than 60 million customers around the world.

Personetics has raised more than $18 million in funding from investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital Israel, and Viola Ventures. The company announced an investment of an undisclosed amount from United Overseas Bank last summer.

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Q2 and ALTR Leverage the Blockchain to Boost Data Security

Q2 and ALTR Leverage the Blockchain to Boost Data Security
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: ALTR, Q2

Hot on the heels of its Finovate debut earlier this month, blockchain-based data security platform ALTR has teamed up with digital banking solutions provider Q2 to unveil a new solution to improve data security.

The new technology, Q2 TrustView, powered by ALTR, adds to Q2’s approach to data management and protection by mitigating security breaches in real time. The solution protects critical data by fragmenting personally identifiable information (PII) across a private, low-latency blockchain, and makes data-at-rest unusable to unauthorized parties. Q2 TrustView powered by ALTR also gives authorized users a comprehensive insight into who accesses sensitive information, as well as data on when and how frequently that data is accessed.

“Great financial experiences are built on a foundational confidence and trust that an account holder’s data will be protected,” Q2 CTO Adam Blue said. “With Q2 TrustView, we are strengthening our data management approach to ensure that protections are in place for our customers and their users at every step of the data journey.”

ALTR CEO Dave Sikora praised Q2’s leadership in a “highly-regulated industry,” and said it was a “powerful validation of the confidence (that) banking and lending institutions” have in his company’s technology. He added, “Data is critical to these institutions, and the integration of ALTR’s smart driver and blockchain technologies into Q2 TrustView reinforces Q2’s approach to data security, privacy, and governance by implementing a critical human error countermeasure.”

Founded in 2004, Q2 demonstrated its Biller Direct solution at FinovateSpring 2018. Biller Direct enables consumers to aggregate their bills and pay them via credit or debit card. The solution both improves the billpay experience for consumers and gives financial institutions the opportunity to earn interchange revenue in the process.

We highlighted Q2 earlier this year in our look at how banks can compete with the new credit card from Apple. The company closed out 2018 with the acquisition of fellow Finovate alum, Gro Solutions.

Making its Finovate debut less than a month ago at FinovateSpring, Austin, Texas-based ALTR was founded in 2014 to help businesses leverage blockchain technology to change the way data is monitored, accessed, and stored. The company announced in April that its technology had earned Level 1 Service Provider accreditation for the latest version of the PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard). In February, ALTR partnered with IT solutions integrator Sirius Computer Solutions to provide its blockchain-based data security as a managed service.

Named one of Built in Austin’s 50 Startups to Watch in 2019, ALTR has raised $15 million in funding.

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Fintech Illustrated

Fintech Illustrated
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: FinovateSpring 2019

If you had to draw fintech, what would it look like? For our audience at FinovateSpring last week, it might look similar to the illustrations below.

Check out sketches that cover the highlights from 10 sessions at last week’s show (there’s a lot to unpack, so click on the image to open it in a new tab).

A huge thanks to Giselle Chow Consulting (gisellechow.com) for the composition and use of the images!

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Finovate Alumni News

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: ALTR, BlueVine, Coinbase, Currency Cloud, Equifax, Fenergo, Finastra, Fintech OS, Kony, Lendio, Meniga, Neustar, Personetics, Q2, SparkPost, The Currency Cloud, Tink

On Finovate.com

  • Q2 and ALTR Leverage the Blockchain to Boost Data Security.
  • Neustar Helps TELUS Fight Caller ID Spoofing.
  • Fintech OS Raises $1.2 Million.
  • Personetics Unveils AI-Enabled Small Banking Solution.
  • SparkPost Launches Predictive Email Intelligence Platform.

Around the web

  • Meniga opens an office in Barcelona, Spain.
  • Coinbase extends support for USD Coin (USDC) trading in 85 countries.
  • Finastra hires Mark Miller as new Chief Financial Officer.
  • Fenergo announces API integration with global financial markets data provider Refinitiv.
  • Hastings Direct extends deal with Equifax by signing a multi-year deal.
  • SDC and Tink partner to give 120 Nordic banks access to account aggregation and payment initiation services.
  • Kony Quantum powers Qualifacts’ new CareLogic mobile app.
  • WireBarley partners with Currencycloud to boost its operations in the U.S.
  • Lendio named to Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Financial Services & Insurance.
  • BlueVine taps Herman Man as new Chief Product Officer.

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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ClickSWITCH Raises $13 Million in Series B

ClickSWITCH Raises $13 Million in Series B
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: ClickSWITCH, Funding

Minnesota-based ClickSWITCH is having a big month. A week after making its first-ever appearance on the Finovate stage, the account acquisition solution provider has announced raising $13 million in new funding.

The Series B was led by Commerce Ventures and Points72 Ventures, and will help the company accelerate its product roadmap, add to its executive leadership ranks – as well as to its sales and development teams – and contribute toward the firm’s overall growth.

ClickSWITCH CEO Cale Johnston underscored the momentum the company has experienced with clients and prospects since closing its previous, Series A round. “We remain focused on providing the best automated account switching solution available in the market for financial institutions and fintechs,” Johnston said. “We are eager to continue working with Commerce Ventures, Points72 Ventures, and our other tremendous investors to further growth of our customer base and expand our service offerings.”

Founded in 2014, ClickSwitch offers financial institutions a white-label technology that enables customers to easily and quickly switch their direct deposits and recurring payments when opening new accounts. In addition to improving the process for banking customers, the solution makes it easier for FIs to onboard new customers by making new account funding a faster process.

Commerce Ventures Partner Dan Rosen referred to the landscape as a “battle for banking deposits” between banks and fintechs. “ClickSWITCH is a critical utility for onboarding and activating valuable new customers,” he said. Point72 Venture’s Tripp Shriner added that changing direct deposits was one of the “biggest pain points” for banking consumers when it comes to opening a new account. ClickSWITCH, per Shriner, “dramatically reduce(s) friction … increasing choice for customers.”

This latest round of funding puts ClickSWITCH’s total capital at $17.1 million. Earlier this year, the company announced a partnership that would bring its account switching solution to Virginia’s Old Point National Bank. ClickSWITCH demonstrated its technology at FinovateSpring in May. Video of the company’s live demonstration will be available soon.

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