The ID Co. Lands $2 Million

The ID Co. Lands $2 Million

Bank data expert The ID Co. boosted its funding total to $11 million this week after closing on $2 million (£1.5 million). Headline investors in today’s round are Amadeus Capital Partners and SixThirty.

The company, which already has clients in 30 countries, said the funding will fuel further global growth. CEO James Varga said, “We are hiring fast and entering new markets and geographies across the globe. The recent launch of DirectID Insights and Income Verification means that we are in an excellent place to capitalise on the need for greater efficiency in lending practices to reflect borrowers’ expectations.”

The ID Co. has two main branches, DirectID, its B2B offering, and NoMo, its B2C product launched last fall. DirectID’s product lineup includes Insights, a dashboard that displays data to assist underwriters in lending decisions, and Income Verification, a tool that combines real time data with six algorithms to offer a clear picture of clients’ income. In addition, the company offers an onboarding solution, a categories and classifications engine, and a bank account validation tool.

James Varga, CEO (right), and Lazaro Campos, Chairman

The ID Co. was prepared for the onset of the U.K.’s Open Banking mandate well before it came into play last January. Atul Kamra, Managing Partner of SixThirty said, “James and The ID Co. team have gotten a real nice head start here, and are well positioned to take advantage from the regulatory tail winds afforded by Open Banking.”

Varga added, “The financial world is being fundamentally changed through Open Banking. It improves our understanding of each individual, allowing us to move away from traditional credit reference agencies.” Varga last demonstrated miiCard’s identity as a service capabilities at FinovateFall 2013.

Launched as miiCard in 2011, the company pivoted to The ID Co. in 2016. Within the last year, the company has launched its Open Banking API, released its NoMo consumer cashflow tracking app, and unveiled its Income Verification solution.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • The ID Co. Lands $2 Million.
  • Finastra Inks New Bank Partners for its Blockchain-Based Lending Platform.
  • ClickSWITCH Raises $13 Million in Series B.
  • masterqueue Closes First Round of Funding.

Around the web

  • Fintech Switzerland lists additiv, finhorizon, and clevercircles on list of wealthtechs offering more than just roboadvisory.
  • Forbes on how Tradeshift is fighting modern day slavery.
  • Mint Life names FamZoo on list of apps to teach kids about money.
  • IBS Intelligence features CustomerXPS’ Clari5 in its latest report.

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.

Segmint Powers Data Analytics for Buzz Points

Segmint Powers Data Analytics for Buzz Points

Data insights startup Segmint has agreed to power analytics capabilities for Austin, TX-based Buzz Points. Specifically, Ohio’s Segmint will enable Buzz Points to help its clients to build marketing segments based on cardholders’ buying behavior.

“The ability to identify customers with a strong probability of action in combination with a strong call to action like rewards is a marketer’s dream,” said Dwayne Spradlin, Buzz Points CEO. “We’re excited to find strategic partners like Segmint that help us continue to offer robust platform solution with an even greater ROI for our clients.”

Founded in 2007, Segmint leverages the raw, unstructured data from banks’ consumer transactions to form marketing insights that lead to customer acquisition, cross-selling, and more efficient marketing techniques.

The company’s products include Merchant Payment Cleansing, a tool that decodes merchants’ cryptic transaction data descriptions; Transaction Analytics, which cleans and categorizes data to make it useful for marketers; and Data-Driven Marketing Platform, an all-in-one tool to help non-technical marketers create, deliver, and monitor campaigns.

Segmint, which demoed at FinovateFall 2012, was founded by John Cale, Nate Shahan, and Rob Heiser, who serves as CEO. The company has raised $30 million.

Onfido Delivers ID Verification to Mobility-as-a-Service Firm Drover

Onfido Delivers ID Verification to Mobility-as-a-Service Firm Drover

Mobility-as-a-service platform Drover has teamed up with identity verification specialist Onfido to support smarter, more secure onboarding for its customers.

“Balancing security against a smooth user experience is a challenge for many businesses, but our AI technology means we’re able to help Drover deliver both,” Onfido CEO Husayn Kassai said. “Reducing risk and building trust is core to both of our businesses, so the partnership is a natural fit.”

With Onfido as a partner, Drover will offer its drivers the ability to easily verify their identity when signing up for the company’s flexible car subscriptions. Drivers take a photo of their government-issued ID document, and Onfido checks to assure that the document is genuine by cross-referencing it against international databases. The technology also leverages machine learning to conduct facial checks to ensure image accuracy and liveness.

Drover CEO Felix Leuschner highlighted this last factor as one of the key reasons for partnering with Onfido. “As we grow our user base, being able to consistently deliver the speed our users want with the security they need is crucial,” he said. “Onfido helps us do both, so we can protect our platform without impacting on (our) user experience.”

An alternative to car leasing and buying, Drover began as an option for drivers working for Uber. Founded in 2015, the company has since grown into a subscription service for consumers that provides access to a new car for a single, all-in-one monthly payment. Drover is based in London, U.K., and has raised more than $9.7 million (£7.5 million) from investors including Partech, Version One Ventures, Cherry Ventures, Forward Partners, and BP Ventures.

Onfido demonstrated its Facial Check with Video technology at FinovateFall 2018. The London, U.K.-based company, which was founded in 2012, raised $50 million in new funding last month in a round led by SBI Investment and Salesforce Ventures. Appointed to the FIDO Alliance Board of Directors and added to the inaugural cohort of cross-border regulatory sandbox, Global Financial Innovation Network (GFIN) this spring, Onfido also made major C-suite moves in the first half of the year, appointing Kevin Goldsmith as Chief Technology Officer and Thomas Ammirati as Chief Revenue Officer.

In addition to its partnership with Drover, Onfido has teamed up with a variety of businesses and institutions this year. In March, the company announced a collaboration with INTERPOL to help the international police organization better spot fraudulent IDs. In February, Onfido announced it would provide identity verification for 2nd Address, a California-based online rental marketplace for extended accommodations.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Onfido Delivers ID Verification to Mobility-as-a-Service Firm Drover.
  • Segmint powers data analytics for Buzz Points.

Around the web

  • Paysend announces its new stablecoin will be available on the Stellar Network in June.
  • LoanScorecard forges partnership with Calyx Software, merging its SimpleCECL solution with Calyx’s Path LOS.
  • Digital Onboarding will join Best of Show winners Voleo and Neener Analytics as part of the fourth annual FIS Fintech Accelerator program.
  • Chartis Research recognizes FICO as a category leader in AI for Financial Services.
  • Judo Bank of Australia goes live with Temenos’ T24.
  • Xero launches new feature in the Xero Projects iOS app that suggests project time based on geolocation

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.

Kony Taps MX for PFM Tech

Kony Taps MX for PFM Tech

Everyone, including fintechs, gets by with a little help from their friends. That must be what digital banking solutions provider Kony and financial data expert MX were thinking when they joined forces this week.

Under the agreement, Kony will leverage MX’s PFM expertise to bolster Kony DBX, its digital banking experience product. Specifically, Kony will use MX’s data services for PFM and tap into the company’s solutions for spending categorization and classification.

Explaining the decision to partner, Kony DBX SVP and GM Jeffery Kendall described access to clean, actionable financial data as “critical” for banks and credit unions to meet customer expectations. “We are excited to collaborate with MX to deliver valued-added data services for Personal Financial Management and spending categorization and classification solutions that will give consumers a clear view of their financial health. In addition, banks and credit unions can also gain insight so they can better tailor their digital banking offerings to their customers and members,” said Kendall.

Don Parker, EVP of partnerships at MX added, “Together, and through Kony’s expansive partner network, we will help more banks, credit unions and fintech developers grow faster, reduce costs, and deliver exceptional experiences to their customers.”

The first client of the joint solution is CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union, a 33,000 member credit union with branches in Northern Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and Harrisonburg, VA. “By having access to clean, relevant and categorized data, we will be able to better serve and meet our members’ financial needs, and our members will also be able to aggregate and see all of their accounts in one place, said Larry Flory, CIO of CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union. “Having improved insight into their finances will enable our members to make better financial decisions.”

This is Kony’s second major enhancement this month to the Kony DBX platform. A little over a week ago the company partnered with Micronotes to bring Micronotes’ personalized conversation solution to Kony DBX’s bank customers.

Kony’s CTO Bill Bodin and Product Marketing Manager Antonio Sanchez showcased the company’s digital banking platform at FinovateFall 2017. Kony was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Austin, TX.

MX was founded in 2010 and is partnered with more than 1,800 financial institutions and 43 of the top 50 digital banking providers. Headquartered in Lehi, Utah, MX is a six-time Finovate Best of Show winner, having most recently presented at FinovateFall 2017, where it demoed Discovered Accounts.

Temenos in Tunisia; Fenergo Backs Blockchain-based KYC in Bahrain

As Finovate goes increasingly global, so does our coverage of financial technology. Finovate Global: Fintech News from Around the World is our weekly look at fintech innovation in developing economies in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Central and Eastern Europe.

Asia-Pacific

  • Singapore-based financial supermarket GoBear scoops up $80 million in new funding.
  • Wipro builds prototype for central bank digital currency project in Thailand.
  • Chinese fintech Pintec Technology opens international headquarters in Singapore.

Sub-Saharan Africa

  • Chipper Cash, an African cross-border payment startup, raiseded $2.4 million in funding – including a contribution from football Hall of Famer Joe Montana’s Liquid 2 Ventures.
  • Central Bank of Kenya and the Monetary Authority of Singapore to launch the first Afro-Asia Fintech Festival.
  • Remoney wins Innovation in Lending award at the Nigerian Fintech Awards.

Central and Eastern Europe

  • Twisto closes $15.7 million capital raise.
  • Estonia tightens regulations on granting virtual currency licenses.
  • Partnership between Wirecard and Orange Money to bring digital payment services to Eastern Europe.

Middle East and Northern Africa

  • Fenergo supports Bahrain’s blockchain-based KYC.
  • ACI extends partnership with Vocalink into Saudi Arabia to facilitate the adoption of real-time payments through ACI’s UP Real-Time Payments solution.
  • Tunisian bank selects Temenos to drive digital transformation and future growth.

Central and Southern Asia

  • New Indian Express features digital piggy bank, Wizely.
  • Zawya looks at the potential for Islamic banking and finance in Uzbekistan.
  • YourStory profiles year-old fintech startup, Nira.

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Mastercard partners with Edenred and northern Mexico state of Sonora to trial biometric cards.
  • Brazilian fintech Nubank goes live in Mexico.
  • Bolivia launches interoperable payment solution using QR codes.

Top image designed by Freepik

Finovate Alumni News

Around the web

  • RightCapital links up with investment research firm Morningstar.
  • Turbine, the creator of the Lord of the Rings online game, uses Xsolla to power in-game storefront
  • investorID taps IdentityMind’s compliance and risk management capabilities

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 Best of Show Winners Announced

FinovateSpring Best of Show Winners Announced

It’s been great to be back in the city by the bay!

After two days of live fintech demos, the attendees of FinovateSpring here in San Francisco have made their selections as to which fintech products, services, and solutions were interesting, impressive, and innovative enough to earn one of our coveted Best of Show awards.

From solutions to help consumers better access credit to technologies that bolster the fight against fraud to “Is this @#$% real?!” demonstrations of AI-powered agents that sound – and feel – as real as any human, this year’s Best of Show winners are truly in a class of their own.

Arkose Labs for its technology that solves multi-million dollar fraud problems for the world’s most targeted businesses with zero impact to user conversion. Video.

Blytzpay for its text-to-pay solution that makes billing and communication simple, streamlined, and secure, while providing flexibility to pay by card, check, or cash. Video.

BlueRush for Individeo, an interactive and personalized video platform for financial institutions to drive online sales success. Video.

Everplans for its solution that helps advisors create better interactions, establish new connections, strengthen relationships, and gain introductions to heirs. Video.

Glia (formerly SaleMove) for its technology that creates digital-first moments that simplify and transform communication between companies and their customers using messaging, video/voice, co-browsing, and AI. Video.

Invest Sou Sou for its smart social banking account designed to help community banks cultivate low-cost deposits and credit-ready borrowers in a secure and cost-efficient way. Video.

Neener Analytics for its regulatory compliant social media analytics platform that delivers specific individual risk outcomes for thin-file, no-file, and credit-challenged consumers. Video.

Voca AI for its smart, human, and empathetic virtual call center agent for financial institutions and service providers. Video.

A thousand thanks to all our demoing companies, our sponsors and partners, and, most importantly, our awesome attendees whose passion and enthusiasm for fintech innovation makes our events all the more engaging and entertaining. We’ll see you next year!

Notes on methodology:
1. Only audience members NOT associated with demoing companies were eligible to vote. Finovate employees did not vote.
2. Attendees were encouraged to note their favorites during each day. At the end of the last demo, they chose their three favorites.
3. The exact written instructions given to attendees: “Please rate (the companies) on the basis of demo quality and potential impact of the innovation demoed.”
4. The eight companies appearing on the highest percentage of submitted ballots were named “Best of Show.”
5. Go here for a list of previous Best of Show winners through 2014. Best of Show winners from our 2015 through 2018 conferences are below:
FinovateEurope 2015
FinovateSpring 2015
FinovateFall 2015
FinovateEurope 2016
FinovateSpring 2016
FinovateFall 2016
FinovateAsia 2016
FinovateEurope 2017
FinovateSpring 2017
FinovateFall 2017
FinovateAsia 2017
FinovateMiddleEast 2018
FinovateEurope 2018
FinovateSpring 2018
FinovateFall 2018
FinovateAsia 2018
FinovateAfrica 2018
FinovateEurope 2019

Twisto Closes $15.7 Million Capital Raise

Twisto Closes $15.7 Million Capital Raise

Mobile-first payment innovator Twisto closed a Series B funding round this week totaling $15.7 million (€14 million). The investment brings Twisto’s total funding to $38.7 million (€34.5 million), which is comprised of $23.6 million (€21 million) in equity and $16.8 million (€15 million) in debt.

The round was led by Finch Capital and includes support from existing investors UNIQA Ventures and ING Bank, as well as newcomers Velocity Capital Private Equity and ING Ventures.

The company, which is based in the Czech Republic and Poland, will use the funds to expand further into Europe. Twisto aims to have two million app users in the Central and Eastern European region in the next two years.

Founded in 2013, Twisto offers a simple financing solution to European retail banking customers. The company is best known for its Buy Now, Pay Later tool, which gives consumers an online point of sale financing option, offering instant credit that can be activated in a single click.

The company’s payment card features a favorable exchange rate, is compatible with Apple Pay, and offers 5% more cashback than competitors. The app offers a bill-splitting capability and OCR-powered bill payments that allow customers to pay bills by uploading a photo of the paper statement.

Launched in Prague, Twisto expanded to Poland in the first quarter of last year. Today, the company’s app has been used by more than 500,000 customers. The company’s CEO and Founder Michal Smida demoed the Twisto account at FinovateEurope 2018.

Tink Teams Up with NatWest

Tink Teams Up with NatWest

For its first partnership in the U.K., Swedish open banking startup Tink inked a deal this week with major U.K. bank NatWest.

NatWest will integrate Tink’s PFM capabilities and Data Enrichment offering, a tool that cleans and syncs data to categorize transactions for data-driven sales and decision-making optimization. These two enhancements will offer NatWest consumers better insight into their personal spending habits.

NatWest, which joins Tink’s other bank customers BNP Paribas Fortis, Nordea, ABN Amro, SEB, and Klarna, will offer the new PFM capabilities to customers starting in the fourth quarter of this year.

“The partnership with NatWest is a great testament to the quality of our technology — and to the dedication to improve the digital offering and customer experience,” said Tink co-founder and CEO Daniel Kjellen. “We believe there are massive opportunities for those who choose to leverage new technology to build greater engagement with their customers. This partnership is proof of just that.”

In addition to its PFM and Data Enrichment products, Tink also offers Account Aggregation, which connects to 2,500+ banks and is live in 10 markets, with coverage across Europe coming by the end of this year. The company also offers Payment Initiation, which allows customers to make payments from a bank’s website or mobile app. In addition to money transfers, Payment Initiation allows customers to transact online and pay bills and invoices.

Tink’s Senior Business Manager, Rudolf Bergslycka and Developer David Frenkel demo the Tink API at FinovateEurope 2019

Founded in 2012, Tink counts more than 500,000 app users and has 150 employees across two offices. The two-time Best of Show-winning company most recently demoed at FinovateEurope 2019 in London.

Welcome to FinovateSpring’s Conference Day

Welcome to FinovateSpring’s Conference Day

The final day of FinovateSpring’s four-day fintech fest has arrived. After a Summit Day focused on the customer experience and artificial intelligence, and two days of live fintech demos, Friday is a day of deep dives and insightful discussions into the present and future of fintech innovation.

We’ve provided an overview of what we’ve got in store for you below. Remember that registration opens at 8am on Friday. So be sure to arrive early, grab a little breakfast, and visit with our sponsors and partners in the networking area before we begin.

8:30am Opening Remarks from the Chair

8:35am Expert Insight: Review of the FinovateSpring Demos – What Do They Tell Us About Fintech’s Cutting Edge

8:50am Keynote Address: The Rise of the Machines – The Artificial Intelligence and the Road to Superintelligence. What Will AI Mean for the Future of Financial Services – And the Future of Work?

9:30am Power Panel: Which Artificial Intelligence Technologies Will Really Change Financial Services?

10:00am Morning Coffee & Networking

10:30am Fireside Chat: Improving the Financial Health of America’s 100 Million Credit Underserved Consumers

10:45am C-Suite Digital Change Leaders Debate: How Can Financial Institutions Capture the Fintech Opportunity & Collaborate with New Players to Transform Customer Experience

11:20am Special Address: Simplifying & Securing Digital Commerce through Tokenization

11:35am Fireside Chat: How Are Regulators Approaching Cryptocurrencies?

11:50am Strategy Roundtable: The Evolving Role of Cybersecurity – Are Banks Treating Technology Risks as Extensions of Their Businesses?

12:20pm Lunch & Networking Break – featuring Special Interest Discussion Tables

1:20pm to 2:40pm: Afternoon Tracks on Digital Banking, Digital Payments, Community Banking, and Digital Lending

  • Digital Banking
    • Opening Remarks from the Chair
    • Analyst Insight: Next Generation Banking – What is the Next Phase of the Digital Banking Revolution
    • Fireside Chat: Open Banking is Coming! How Will it Change Banking Forever?
    • Leaders Debate: How New Players, New Platforms, and New Technologies Will Transform Digital Banking. Is There a Role for the Branch in the Digital World?
  • Digital Payments
    • Opening Remarks from the Chair
    • Fireside Chat: How Changing Consumer Behavior is Transforming the Payments Industry
    • Fireside Chat: Payments Innovation – Why Experience is the New Reward
    • Leaders Debate: How New Technologies & New Competitors Will Solve Payments Pain Points Both Online and at the Point of Sale
  • Community Banking
    • Opening Remarks from the Chair
    • Keynote Address: How Can Community Banks Collaborate to Find a Path to Change to Compete in a Digital World?
    • Fireside Chat: Community Bank + Core Vendor + Fintech: What It Takes to Make the Partnership Work
    • Leaders Debate: How Community Banks Can Take a Strategic Approach to Fintech. What Bumps in the Road Have We Encountered?
  • Digital Lending
    • Opening Remarks from the Chair
    • Keynote Address: How Digital Players Can Transform Small & Medium-sized Enterprise Lending
    • Fireside Chat: Alt Credit Scores – Enhancing Underwriting Using Big Data & AI
    • Leaders Debate: How New Players Are Harnessing New Technologies to Disrupt Retail, Small Business & Commercial Digital Lending

2:40pm Afternoon Coffee & Networking Break

3:10pm Investors Debate: Where is the Smart VC Money Investing in Fintech?

3:40pm Finovate Finale! The Accelerators Showcase

4:10pm Closing Remarks from the Chair