Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Priority Payment Systems to Offer Sezzle’s Shop Now, Pay Later Solution.
  • The ID Co. Launches NoMo Cashflow Tracking App.

Around the web

  • IDG’s Techworld features U.K.-based insurtech innovator, Anorak. The company was also selected to participate in the Plug and Play Insurtech innovation platform in November.
  • Silicon Republic highlights Meniga in its roundup of “cool start-ups from Reykjavik.”
  • In partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense, HackerOne uncovers 150 cybersecurity vulnerabilities during Hack the Marine Corps challenge.

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.

Student Loan Genius Relaunches as Vault

Student Loan Genius Relaunches as Vault

Fall has brought not only a change of season for student loan repayment benefits platform Student Loan Genius, it also marks a name change, as the company has rebranded as Vault this week.

“Vault was born out of the desire and ability to be more than a third-party financial technology service for organizations,” said Matt Beecher, CEO of Vault. “We solve a very real and increasingly suffocating financial problem that affects a large number of employees: student loan debt. And, we are willing to get down into the trenches to create results that give our clients an advantage in the marketplace. We’ve changed our name to reflect that we’ve honed our focus, more than ever, on empowering financial freedom.”

The rebrand also helps to differentiate Vault from a student loan refinancing platform with a name similar to its former one, Student Loan Hero.

The news comes as Vault closes a deal with American Family Insurance. The firm agreed to provide its employees with two of Vault’s offerings, Vault Pay, which facilitates employer student loan contributions; and Vault Advisor, an online tool that suggests customized payoff plans based on employees’ actual loans.

Vault was founded in 2013 and demonstrated at FinovateSpring 2016, where it showcased a 401(k) product that allows employers to allocate unused 401(k) dollars to student loan benefits. The offering launched this week under the name Vault Match. Headquartered in Texas, Vault has raised a total of $7.7 million.

Lighter Capital Launches Capital Client Perks Program

Lighter Capital Launches Capital Client Perks Program

Revenue-based financing provider Lighter Capital has brightened up its services today with the launch of a new perks program.

The Lighter Capital Client Perks, which bundles business tools and service offerings, launches today for startups funded by Lighter Capital. Customers can use the program for free and benefit from offers that add up to $75,000 in savings from 30 companies (including Finovate alum Gusto), more than 10% of which are Lighter Capital clients. Offerings include cloud hosting, HR services, marketing and sales automation, CRM, and more.

“We recognize that in today’s business environment, it takes more than money for tech startups to achieve success – so we’ve assembled a lineup of services specially catered to assist early-stage companies,” said BJ Lackland, CEO of Lighter Capital. “Our goal is to help startups grow. We’d love it if companies can receive enough savings from these perks that they effectively pay us no interest on our loans. That’s a great benefit for everyone.”

Since it was founded in 2010, Seattle-based Lighter Capital  has funded more than 270 startup companies with 450+ rounds of financing totaling more than $125 million. Designed for tech companies, Lighter Capital’s revenue-based financing model exchanges from $50,000 to $2 million in up-front capital for 2% to 8% of future revenue. Unlike with VC funding, startups retain full ownership of their company.

Lighter Capital last demoed at FinovateFall 2013 where it showcased loan analysis and monitoring tools. The company was recently ranked 776 on the Inc. 5,000 list for achieving a growth rate of 6.5x over the last three years.

Trustly Teams with Mintos Marketplace

Trustly Teams with Mintos Marketplace

Payment solutions company Trustly landed a new client in the peer-to-peer lending space this week. The Sweden-based company announced it has teamed up with Mintos, Europe’s largest P2P marketplace.

The collaboration will allow the almost-100,000 investors at the Latvia-based P2P platform to transfer funds from banks in 29 European countries in real time. Mintos anticipates the partnership will not only simplify but also speed up the process for investors.

In a statement, Mintos CEO and co-founder Martins Sulte commented on the importance of offering “fast and highly secure transfers” and meeting investors’ demand “for a seamless, fast, and simple user experience.” He added, “We are very pleased to be able to grow our offer with both an in-demand payment method and the unrivaled European coverage that Trustly provides.”

Johan Nord, Trustly CCO, discussed the value of synergies within fintech. He said that today’s partnership with Mintos “is an excellent example of how two financial technology businesses can partner to create value for investors by streamlining the transaction process, while also delivering the highest level of transaction security.”

Founded in 2008, Trustly supports card-not-present payments for online merchants and offers a secure way for consumers to transact using their online banking access credentials. At FinovateEurope 2017, the company debuted Direct Debit, a payment offering that removes the pain of entering payment card information by allowing users to transact using their current account by entering their bank login credentials.

Trustly works with more than 3,000 banks across Europe. The company has 215 employees across Sweden, Spain, Malta, Germany, and the U.K. Last month, the company teamed with proptech company Oscar Properties to help clients book and pay for their new apartment online.

Daon Inks Deal with South Africa’s Capitec Bank

Daon Inks Deal with South Africa’s Capitec Bank

Finovate is not the only company looking forward to doing more business in South Africa. Biometric identity technology solutions provider Daon has partnered with Stellenbosch South Africa’s Capitec Bank in a multi-year agreement that will leverage Daon’s IdentityX platform to develop new authentication solutions. Capitec initially will use the technology to enhance its onboarding process.

“Daon is excited to partner with Capitec to deliver digital onboarding and authentication to its clients,” Daon CEO Tom Grissen said. “We share in Capitec’s mission for simplicity and client empowerment through convenient and secure choices for mobile banking.”

With more than 10 million active clients, Capitec Bank is the fastest growing full service retail bank in South Africa. The bank has more than 820 branches and 4,600 ATMs across the country, and has more than three million customers using its banking app to access account information, as well as make payments, transfers, and pre-paid purchases.

“Capitec remains committed to providing an all-inclusive banking solution and harnessing the power of technology to make interactions easier and simpler,” Wim de Bruyn, Executive Information Technology at Capitec said. “We are eager to work with Daon to bring new and innovative solutions to our clients so we can continue to keep their banking experience affordable and secure.”

Daon demonstrated its universal mobile biometric authentication platform, IdentityX, at FinovateFall 2016. The platform leverages multiple authentication methodologies – from biometrics to geolocation and device binding – to enable firms to build the most appropriate authentication experience for their customers. This approach also future-proofs the platform, making it easy for companies to integrate new technologies and biometric modalities as they come to market.

Founded in 2002, the Reston, Virginia-based company has deployed its technology in a wide variety of verticals including digital banking, payments verification, employee credentialing, and cloud authentication. An authentication innovator with a broad, global reach, Daon teamed up with Tradelink to bring biometric authentication technology to Hong Kong’s Dah Sing Bank this summer, and began the year announcing a strategic partnership with North African security and document dematerialization specialist, GEMADEC.

Analyst All-Stars: What’s Hot in Fintech?

During Finovate Fall 2018, leading fintech research analysts took to the stage for 7 minutes each to present key opportunities for banks and other financial services providers. Featuring:

  • Jacob Jegher – Senior Vice President, Banking and Head of StrategyJavelin Strategy & Research
  • Alyson Clarke – Principal AnalystForrester
  • Daniel Latimore – Senior Vice President, Banking GroupCelent
  • Thad Peterson – Senior AnalystAite Group

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Daon Inks Deal with South Africa’s Capitec Bank.
  • Lighter Capital Launches Capital Client Perks Program.

Around the web

  • Ping Identity integrates its multi-factor authentication solution, PingID, with Microsoft Azure Active Directory.
  • MoneyTap, DLT-based payment app developed by SBI and Ripple goes live in Japan.
  • OutSystems appoints Tim MacCarrick as new Chief Financial Officer.
  • Baltic International Bank finishes upgrade of its private, corporate, and retail banking offerings courtesy of a partnership with Temenos.
  • Sberbank customers can now add “cash postcards” – automated images with sound – to their money transfers.
  • CNBC features Plaid: the startup you’ve never heard of.
  • Arxan begins a month-long initiative to raise awareness for improved application security and threat intelligence.
  • RightCapital launches white-labeled, native mobile app.

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.

MX to Power Ent Credit Union’s Money Insight Tool

MX to Power Ent Credit Union’s Money Insight Tool

Financial data expert MX landed a new Colorado-based client this week. Ent Credit Union will integrate MX’s digital money management (DMM) technology into its Money Insight tool.

DMM gathers and augments the data, then presents financial insights to clients to help them better manage their money and meet their financial goals. Money Insight allows users not only to track their accounts at Ent Credit Union, but it also aggregates their account information from other financial institutions, allowing them to have a unified view of finances in a single place.

Ent’s more than 300,000 members, who can access the tool for free, can also use DMM to track spending, manage debt, and create budgets. Describing the mission of the tool, Ent’s VP of Electronic Banking, Tanan Miles, said, “It’s just one more way we’re delivering on our credit union’s mission to improve our members’ financial quality of life.”

“…We’re basically helping people get to know their finances better than their Amazon shopping cart,” said Nate Gardner, chief customer officer at MX. “…We know financial clarity and guidance are key to delighting members. The MX data platform gives Ent powerful tools that make that happen – increasing member loyalty while driving profitable growth,” he added.

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.

Agreement Express Signs Deal with Independent Financial Partners

Agreement Express Signs Deal with Independent Financial Partners

Account onboarding specialist Agreement Express recently inked a large contract with Florida-based Independent Financial Partners (IFP).

The deal comes in advance of IFP launching its broker-dealer technology that will allow advisors to run their business on their own. IFP will leverage Agreement Express’ Automated Broker Transitions platform. The technology will enable advisors to digitally pre-populate new account forms. Once clients sign the form and it has been approved by the compliance team, the account will automatically be opened at one of IFP’s four custodians: Pershing, Charles Schwab, Fidelity or TD Ameritrade. Overall, Agreement Express will help transition clients in a matter of days instead of months, will provide a complete audit trail, and will minimize human form-filling errors.

“Generally, hybrid RIAs don’t have the latitude or financials to be able to implement expensive technologies that otherwise would positively impact advisors’ businesses,” said IFP CEO William Hamm. “On the other hand, independent broker-dealers not only have control of their own destiny, but they are also able to better control and enhance their revenue lines. As such, IFP has been able to invest in systems to support the advisor experience we’ve always wanted to provide.”

Founded in 2001, Agreement Express helps financial services companies create and manage a consistent onboarding experience across channels, as well as leverage consumer data to create a personalized user experience. In addition to its Automated Broker Transitions Platform, the company also offers Risk Scorecard for Payments Underwriting and One-Click Merchant Onboarding.

At FinovateFall 2016, Agreement Express debuted the newest version of its wealth management offering, an onboarding solution that helps advisers interact with clients in a nonintrusive, compliant manner. Earlier this spring, the company received an undisclosed amount of funding, boosting its total to more than $1 million. Among the company’s clients are National Bank of Canada, Questrade, and M&T Bank. Mike Gardner is CEO.

Fiserv and DadeSystems Help Banks Bring Automated A/R to Business Clients

Fiserv and DadeSystems Help Banks Bring Automated A/R to Business Clients

Courtesy of a new partnership between financial services technology solution provider Fiserv and DadeSystems, more banks will be able to access automated account receivables (A/R) technology which they can offer to their commercial clients as either a SaaS or standalone solution.

“Businesses spend too much time manually posting payments to invoices – a process prone to error and costly in terms of time and resources,” VP of Product Management for Fiserv’s Payments Management Solutions division, John Dangoia said. “By offering DadePay AR Automation, we empower financial institutions to further enrich customer relationships by reducing the need for businesses to manually enter payments into their accounts receivable systems.”

Miami, Florida-based DadeSystems leverages machine learning, advanced optical character recognition technology, and its own patented, AI-based algorithms to automate the invoice-to-cash application process. The company’s DadePay AR Automation solution captures both paper and electronic incoming payments automatically, matches them to open invoices and updates the companies’ ERP systems. DadePay also features a mobile AR app and an ePayment portal. Combined, the suite provides faster payment processing with greater efficiency and cash collection, and lower fees.

“Many businesses are demanding new types of electronic payment and data analytics services,” President and CEO of DadeSystems, Bill Zayas, said, “yet their treasury and finance departments are slowed down by manual and outdated processes. Through this relationship with Fiserv, banks can help their business customers overcome these obstacles with technology from a provider they know and trust.”

In its most recent Finovate appearance, Fiserv demonstrated an integration of Samsung SDS biometric authentication and collaboration technology into its Commercial Center: Security solution. The authentication methodology leverages non-duplicative biometric data – fingerprint, voice, and facial scan – to make the user experience more seamless and secure. Real-time video chat, e-signatures, and annotated screen sharing are among the features available via Samsung’s digital collaboration features.

Headquartered in Brookfield, Wisconsin, Fiserv was founded in 1984, and had global revenues of $5.7 billion in 2017. Trading on the NASDAQ under the symbol “FISV,” the firm has a market capitalization of $33 billion.

Finovate Global: Fintech News from Around the World

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.

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Banco Fassil is the first Bolivian company to migrate its ATM network to TranzAxis from Compass Plus.
  • Legal Tech News reviews the improved opportunity for investment in the Mexican fintech market.
  • Can blockchain technology fix Argentina’s financial crisis? VentureBeat considers the challenge.

Asia-Pacific

  • Siam Commercial Bank is the first bank on Ripple’s RippleNet to pioneer multi-hop, a feature that allows payment settlement on behalf of other financial institutions on the network.
  • Singapore and Hong Kong-based digital private banking clients of Credit Suisse now can communicate with their bank via Apple Business chat.
  • Singtel launches electronics payments alliance with a pair of Thailand-based partners.

Sub-Saharan Africa

  • South African fintech Centbee announces beta launch of its bitcoin cash wallet.
  • BitCoinke looks at funding for African fintech startups in 2018.
  • Fintech Association of Nigeria begins fintech learning series in partnership with the SEC.

Central and Eastern Europe

  • Sberbank to offer loans of up to RUB 300,000 without proof of income as part of new pilot program.
  • FICO to provide KYC and onboarding solutions for Belarus-based lender, Belgazprombank.
  • Alfa Group of Russia plans to launch online insurance company, Mango.

Middle East and Northern Africa

  • Cameroon’s biggest bank, Afriland First Bank, to deploy Temenos’ T24 core banking platform.
  • Qatar Islamic Bank to leverage solutions from Volante Technologies to help meet PSD2 and open banking standards.
  • ICS Financial Systems completes blockchain proof of concept for Arab Jordan Investment Bank (AJIB).
  • Tunisia’s Banque de l’Habitat (BH) selects Temenos’ T24 core banking system.

Central and South Asia

  • KPMG releases its latest report: Fintech in India: Powering a Digital Economy.
  • Paytm secures 33% market share of UPI payments in India.
  • Medici looks at the state of financial inclusion in India.

Top image designed by Freepik

FinovateAsia Sneak Peek: UNPay

FinovateAsia Sneak Peek: UNPay

FinovateAsiaA look at the companies demoing live at FinovateAsia on October 29 and 30, 2018 in Hong Kong. Register today and save your spot.

UNPay’s UN Smart Cashier integrates functions of a retail cashier and dynamic advertisements on one platform. It can optimize sales processes and aggregate e-marketing services.

Features

  • Leverages facial recognition by scanning the customer and showing gender-appropriate ads
  • Uses Face ID-associated accounts for payments and loyalty points
  • Processes a myriad of payment modes

Why it’s great
Enables businesses to showcase gender-appropriate advertisements to maximize sales. It also links to associated accounts for payments and loyalty points for enhanced convenience.

Presenters

Yulong Hu, Co-Founder
Hu is a serial entrepreneur in entertainment, electronic commerce, and payment industries and is the founder of the first domestic electronic coupon platform, “LuckyMoney.”

Ernest Lo, Singapore Country Manager
Lo is a veteran in e-payments and holds a MSc in Telecommunications from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
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