Braintree Tops A Billion Transactions Per Quarter Mark

Braintree Tops A Billion Transactions Per Quarter Mark
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Braintree

Now, that’s brain power.

Payment platform Braintree announced this week that it now processes more than one billion payment transactions per quarter.

“This is another significant milestone in the Braintree story as we continue to prove how uniquely well-positioned we are – in partnership with the power and reach of PayPal’s global two-sided network – to drive the future of commerce forward,” Braintree GM Juan Benitez wrote at the company blog. In a footnote, Benitez added that the volume represents PayPal transactions as well as others that are ineligible for inclusion in Braintree’s “stated transaction count” and not included in calculations to determine total payment volume (TPV).

Merchants in more than 40 countries around the world accept, split, and support payments in more than 130 currencies using Braintree’s platform. Braintree helps merchants build seamless online and mobile checkout experiences for their customers and provides both white-glove support and advanced fraud protection. From e-commerce businesses that want to accept direct payments to marketplace businesses with multiple payment services requirements, Braintree provides scalable, easy-to-integrate solutions that enable processing of a wide variety of payment options including PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Android Pay, Visa Checkout, Masterpass, Amex Express Checkout, and ACH Direct Debit, as well as credit and debit cards.

Founded in 2007 in Chicago, Illinois, Braintree demonstrated Venmo Touch at FinovateSpring 2013. Also a veteran of our developer’s conference, Braintree discussed developer resources for building a better checkout experience at FinDEVr New York last spring in a presentation titled, “A Credit Card Form Walks into a Bar … Making Beautiful Credit Card Forms.” The company, which acquired Venmo for more than $26 million in 2012, was acquired by PayPal the following year for $800 million. In May, Braintree announced a remodel of its mobile Drop-in payments acceptance UI, launched a few months earlier. Braintree hired John MacIlwaine as CTO in February, and unveiled its commerce infrastructure tools back in December.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Lendio’s Marketplace Surpasses $500 Million in Loans

Lendio’s Marketplace Surpasses $500 Million in Loans
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Lendio

Small business loan marketplace Lendio announced it has matched borrowers with more than $500 million in loans on its platform since it facilitated its first loan in 2013. That’s more than half a billion dollars in working capital extended to empower small businesses.

These funds have been distributed from Lendio’s network of more than 75 small business lenders to more than 21,000 businesses across the U.S. This growth comes after the company reported an increase of more than 1.4X in loans originated via the Lendio platform in the last year.

“Small businesses create the lion’s share of economic growth and jobs in this country. Lendio is proud of the impact that $500 million in business loans is having on the American economy,” said Brock Blake, CEO and founder of Lendio. “From restaurants and retail shops, to plumbers and landscapers, our team is passionate about providing the access to capital to help these businesses grow, recharge and thrive.”

Lendio showcased its marketplace at FinovateSpring 2011. The company’s average loan size is just under $27,000 and Lendio reports that 70% of businesses received the funds they requested within five days of submitting an application. The top business categories funded on Lendio’s marketplace include construction, restaurants, retail, healthcare, and manufacturing.

Last month, the Utah-based company began a pilot with Comcast Business customers that offers streamlined access to the Lendio marketplace. Earlier this spring, the company launched a marketplace lending franchise program that gives Lendio franchisees get access to Lendio’s marketplace and technology, training, branded marketing tools and advertising, partnerships, and training. In the fall of 2016, the company landed $20 million in funding, bringing its total raised to $31 million. Lendio’s partners include American Express and Finovate alums BlueVine, Lending Club, On Deck, and Kabbage.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Finovate Alumni News

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Braintree, eMoney Advisor, Lendio, Prosper, Temenos, TransferWise, VASCO, WorldPay

On Finovate.com

  • Lendio’s Marketplace surpasses $500 Million in Loans.
  • Worldpay Ships New Features for Worldpay Total
  • Braintree Tops A Billion Transactions Per Quarter Mark

Around the web

  • Temenos Marketplace now hosts Moroku’s Chore Scout.
  • TransferWise links with Apple Pay globally.
  • Vasco names Scott Clements president and CEO.

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.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Handle Financial’s PayNearMe Partners with Blackhawk Network

Handle Financial’s PayNearMe Partners with Blackhawk Network
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Blackhawk Network, PayNearMe

Fintech platform provider Handle Financial announced this week that its cash transaction network PayNearMe has aligned itself with stored value card management company Blackhawk Network. The partnership will give PayNearMe access to Blackhawk’s network of retail partners.

At launch, the first retailer to take advantage of the new alliance is Casey’s General Stores, a Midwest chain with nearly 2,000 locations that operates in 15 states. The addition of Casey’s to PayNearMe’s already 28,000 brick-and-mortar retail locations will allow more rural Americans to make electronic payments to more than 17,000 billers using cash.

Danny Shader, PayNearMe CEO and founder said, “Blackhawk Network is an outstanding provider of branded value and works with some of the largest, most specialized and unique retailers in the world… Together, we can help ensure that all payment methods are considered equal and easy to use.”

Founded in 2009, PayNearMe enables consumers to pay bills using cash by scanning a barcode on their smartphone. The company has partnerships with physical retail locations such as 7-Eleven, Ace Cash Express, and Family Dollar stores. At FinovateSpring 2013, PayNearMe debuted its white-label treasury services product.

Handle Financial launched the Handle Platform at FinovateSpring 2017. The Handle Platform helps companies integrate bill presentment and same-day bill payment technology into their existing platform. Handle Financial also hosts PayNearMe and the Prism API, which it began offering after it acquired Prism Money, a PFM platform, in May of 2016. Visa was the first client to leverage the Prism API.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

FutureVault Appoints John D. Orr as New CEO

FutureVault Appoints John D. Orr as New CEO
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: FutureVault

FutureVault announced this week that the company has hired banking executive, attorney, and investment professional John D. Orr to serve as its new CEO. Orr takes the helm of the company from G. Scott Paterson, who will continue as Executive Chairman.

Paterson praised Orr’s “extensive experience” and “tremendous entrepreneurial and investment acumen.” Adding that FutureVault “set out to recruit a leader with the vision and management skills to guide the company to reach its incredible potential,” Paterson noted that the company’s relatively recent commercial launch made it an ideal time to bring Orr on board. With more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, Orr (pictured) spent several years in a variety of senior leadership positions at CBIC including Head of Amicus Division, Head of International Retail Markets, and most recently, EVP for Strategy and Corporate Development. Orr is founder and managing director of Orr Capital Management, and serves as an advisor to G2 Investment Group, Applied Data Finance, and The Kessler Group.

Calling information “the next and ultimate asset class,” Orr explained the role FutureVault’s technology plays in helping people manage and protect it. “Everyone understands what current cloud-based document management platforms provide,” he said, “but when viewing information through the lens of an asset class, it is clear that these solutions were not designed to meet this need.” Orr added, “Fundamentally, our role is to provide the tools and intelligence to allow individuals and businesses to optimize the value of their information.”

FutureVault demonstrated its digital information management platform at FinovateFall 2016. Last month, the company partnered with BlueRock Wealth Management, giving the firm’s HNW (high net worth) clients access to the intelligent document management technology. FutureVault began the year with a trio of major, C-level additions, bringing on Kevin Whyte as president and COO, Tom Duane as CTO, and Rudy Sankovic as CFO.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Vipera Acquires SoftTelecom for $1.5 Million

Vipera Acquires SoftTelecom for $1.5 Million
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Mergers & Acquisitions, Vipera

Mobile financial services company Vipera announced today it is acquiring SoftTelecom. The deal is expected to close for $1.5 million (€1.3 million).

Madrid-based SoftTelecom is a fintech and telecom software solutions company focused on open source technologies, including PSD2 and blockchain development projects. The company has 18 employees who serve clients in Madrid, the Netherlands, and the U.K. In 2016, SoftTelecom had an operating profit of $289,000 (€247,000) and recorded net assets of $856,000 (€734,000).

Vipera’s primary goal with the acquisition is to bolster product development. Specifically, the company sees SoftTelecom as a “launchpad for expanding Group sales into the Spanish market with a local delivery capability in the Iberian region. “London-based Vipera offers its MOTIF platform to clients in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. MOTIF is comprised of three personal banking products: Mobile Banking, Mobile Payments, and Mobile Card Control.

Simon Pearce (Chief Commercial Officer) and Andrea Gambirasio (Head of Sales Support) demo Vipera’s MOTIF at FinovateEurope 2016 in London

At FinovateEurope 2016, Vipera demonstrated how MOTIF can generate location and context-based mobile offers. The personalized offers are sent to the user’s phone at an appropriate time to enhance the shopping experience and build user engagement with their bank. In the demo, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer Simon Pearce explained how the real-time contextual offers engine “can be used by banks and merchants to deliver appropriate offers right into the handset of the user with a reward or offer appropriate to them at the right time, but most importantly, in the right place.”

Vipera also announced today that Sella Bank Group has subscribed $2.9 million (€2.5 million) for 40 million shares in Vipera at a price of just over 7 cents per share. Last month, the company partnered with core banking provider Mambu and in April it won its largest contract to-date, worth $2.4 million in revenue.

Vipera was founded in 2005. Marco Casartelli is CEO.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Finovate Alumni News

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Agreement Express, Banno, Blackhawk Network, Bluescape, Braintree, CrowdFlower, Featurespace, FutureVault, Handle Financial, Infosys, Jack Henry, Kony, PayNearMe, PayPal, Pendo Systems, Top Image Systems, Vipera, wipro

On Finovate.com

  • Vipera Acquires SoftTelecom for $1.5 Million
  • FutureVault Appoints John D. Orr as New CEO.
  • Handle Financial’s PayNearMe Partners with Blackhawk Network.

Around the web

  • CrowdFlower earns Gartner “Cool Vendor” status for Information Innovation and Governance.
  • Braintree surpasses one billion transactions per quarter milestone.
  • Infosys wins three out of seven Catalyst Awards at TM forum Live.
  • Baidu and PayPal announce strategic partnership.
  • International Air Transport Association chooses fraud prevention technology from Featurespace.
  • Top Image Systems announces eFlow AP 5.2 integration with SAP S/4HANA.
  • Wipro and Compuware partner to launch mainframe center of excellence.
  • Agreement Express ranked among top 100 technology companies in British Columbia by Business in Vancouver.
  • SearchUnifiedCommunications features Bluescape in its look at use cases for digital collaborative whiteboards.
  • Pendo Systems announces trio of new hires to support a “banner year” for the company.
  • Central Bankshares now uses Jack Henry’s Banno for online banking.
  • UN Migration Agency Selects Kony to Accelerate Digital Strategy to Reach More Migrants.

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.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Symbiont Announces Strategic Investment from Medici Ventures

Symbiont Announces Strategic Investment from Medici Ventures
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Funding, Symbiont

Two months ago, Symbiont announced an undisclosed strategic investment from China’s Hundsun Technologies. At the time, Symbiont CEO Mark Smith called the investment “a clear vote of confidence” from a “strong partner in Asia.”

Last week we learned that the votes of confidence are still coming in. Blockchain technology investor Medici Ventures has teamed up with Symbiont, providing strategic investment to the company and announcing a collaboration involving both Medici and its parent company Overstock.com. The partnership will enable Medici Ventures to become the first company to register corporate ownership shares using the blockchain.

Pledging to deliver “best-in-class investor transparency,” Jonathan Johnson, President of Medici Ventures and Overstock.com Director, said, “We also anticipate using blockchain to administer Medici Ventures’ fund interests from inception, thereby providing our investors with end-to-end recordkeeping on a blockchain and administration of investor interests using smart contracts.”

Pictured: Adam Krellenstein, Symbiont CTO and co-founder, discussing “Distributed Ledgers and Smart Contracts,” during his presentation at FinDEVr New York 2016.

Symbiont’s Smith highlighted investor interests as a major use case for his company’s technology. “Management of fund interests is a logical extension of Symbiont’s Smart Securities capabilities,” he said, “and we welcome a partner that is equally committed to the principle of ensuring accuracy of shareholder records at all times during a company’s life cycle.”

The issue was explained in more detail by Overstock CEO and founder Patrick Byrne. He called the process of signing over personal ownership of shares received in the IPO process “a Faustian bargain” for entrepreneurs. He praised Delaware for pioneering registration of ownership shares using blockchain technology. “Delaware is giving entrepreneurs a path to retaining direct ownership of their shares after their IPOs, Byrne said. “Thanks to Delaware, accuracy in securities ownership records can be achieved.”

Symbiont’s blockchain-based technology enables easy-to-understand modeling of complex financial instruments and fully digitizing those instruments into a distributed ledger. The company’s Smart Security technology avoids error-prone manual processes and tampering while increasing transparency, reducing risks, and enabling participants to share ledger statuses and updates. The technology also helps companies save on back and middle office costs.

Founded in 2015, Symbiont is based in New York City. The company is an alum of our developer’s conference, having presented “Distributed Ledgers and Smart Contracts” at FinDEVr New York 2016.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Worldline Buys First Data Baltics for $85 Million

Worldline Buys First Data Baltics for $85 Million
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: First Data, Mergers & Acquisitions, Worldline

European payments and transactional service provider Worldline has agreed to acquire First Data Baltics, the leading payment processor in the region, for $85 million (73 million euros). The deal is slated to be finalized in the third quarter of this year.

Worldline’s acquisition of the 200-person First Data Baltics branch helps the France-based company break into the Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian markets. Gilles Grapinet, Worldline CEO said that the deal is a “significant development” that will “accelerate the execution of our pan-European consolidation strategy in financial processing services.” Grapinet added, “In one transaction, we gain a leading position in the fast-developing countries of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, we reinforce our group capabilities in the north of Europe and will establish new relationships with numerous prestigious Baltic and Nordic banks.”

This marks the company’s second acquisition this year, after it acquired Digital River World Payments earlier this month. Worldline anticipates these acquisitions are the first of many for the company. Grapinet said that the company sees, “an unprecedented level of M&A opportunities in the payment space, notably in Europe.”

Founded in 1973, Worldline showcased a connected piggy bank. The IoT device pairs with a companion mobile app on a child’s phone to serve as a physical savings account for the kid. The app helps the child recognize and count their coins, while the parent-facing side of the app enables parents to deposit money into the child’s online account using NFC.

Worldline went public in 2014 and Earlier this week the company and Total partnered with InTouch to deploy Guichet Unique, a digital solution for retail networks. Worldline has ranked as a Market Leader in the Ovum Decision Matrix for its white label mobile wallet solution and was recently awarded Best Chile 2017 for its commitment to the well-being of its collaborators.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Summit View: Bank Tech of the Future

Summit View: Bank Tech of the Future
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: FinovateFall 2017, FinovateFall 2017 Summit Series

Our expanded FinovateFall conference is coming up on September 11 through 14, and we’re taking a look at each of the six summit discussions that will take place after the demos. In the final segment of this series, we’re examining future technologies.

Summit #6: Future technology

The year was 2000. AOL and Timer Warner merged, Tate Modern and the London Eye both opened in London, Blink-182 and Oasis ruled the air waves, and the movie Meet the Parents premiered in theaters. Seventeen years later, we’re living in the future, and while payments and mortgage technology sometimes still hark back to the 1990’s, there are a handful of enabling technologies that remind us of our progress.

Blockchain

Blockchain has come a long way since Bitcoin became available in 2008 and spiked in value in 2014. The blockchain, the technology behind the digital currency, has not only opened doors to a range of other cryptocurrencies, it is now used by companies to track and manage personal identities, transmit data, send and receive international payments, and more.

Notable alums leveraging the blockchain:

  • Ripple, the technology behind the XRP cryptocurrency. Ripple demoed at FinovateSpring 2013 as OpenCoin.
  • Caxton, a multi-currency, cross-border payments platform. The company’s CEO, Rupert Lee-Browne debuted Caxton’s Firebird Payment Engine at FinovateEurope 2017.
  • Bitbond, an international marketplace lending platform for small business loans that leverages the blockchain for global payments. At FinovateFall 2016, the company’s founder and CEO, Radko Albrecht, showcased Bitbond’s automated SME credit scoring methodology.
  • BanQu leverages the blockchain to provide global economic identities. The company won Best of Show for its demo at FinovateSpring 2016.
  • MarketX’s online investment platform leverages the blockchain to prove ownership and integrity of private, pre-IPO shares. The company’s CEO and founder, Cathryn Chen, showcased MarketX at FinovateFall 2016.

AI

Elon Musk has bolstered the public’s interest in artificial intelligence recently, after he publicized a doomsday warning that software and machines may leverage AI to take over the world. Despite this, the use of AI in fintech has been growing over the past couple of years and we have yet to see its peak.

Notable alums leveraging AI:

  • Aire offers an API that generates an alternative credit score for potential borrowers with thin-to-no credit files. The company, which recently raised $5 million, demoed at FinovateEurope 2015.
  • LendingRobot is an automated investment service that enables lenders to invest in alternative, P2P investments. The company won Best of Show for demoing its dashboard at FinovateSpring 2016.
  • Kensho is an interactive, user-friendly research assistant. The company’s CEO Daniel Nadler debuted Kensho’s Warren assistant at FinovateEurope 2014.
  • Personetics uses AI-powered predictive analytics to help banks fulfill their clients’ needs by predicting their situation. The Israel-based company showcased its chatbot at FinovateFall 2016.
  • Feedzai’s fraud prevention software uses big data and AI to block payment fraud in real time. The company’s CEO, Nuno Sebastiao, demoed Feedzai at FinovateEurope 2014.

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality (AR) isn’t new to banking, but its potential has increased since technologies such as ATM location tools came on the scene in 2010. In the seven years since, there has been little development across all sectors.

The most notable application of augmented reality has been Pokemon Go, a game launched in 2016. While Pokemon Go is still one step removed from the banking world, it has shown us that the way in which we interact with our devices is changing. This change is still in its infancy but a handful of companies have created viable products for banks, mostly in the way of marketing solutions.

Notable alums leveraging AR:

  • ebankIT provides omni-channel digital solutions that break the mold of traditional online banking. The company most recently demoed at FinovateEurope 2017 and will showcase its newest technology at FinovateFall in September.
  • ITSector is a software development company (and parent company of ebankIT) that offers banks marketing products powered by augmented reality. The company debuted its Express Credit solution at FinovateEurope 2017.
  • Fiserv, a global financial services technology provider, offers augmented reality solutions for banks seeking a unique way to advertise to their customers. The company’s most recent Finovate demo was at FinovateFall 2016.

Virtual Reality

Similar to AR, virtual reality (VR) is also on the fringe. While there’s a lot of excitement about technology’s potential to make communications more efficient, harness new client segments, and improve the customer experience; there has been limited application in its use for financial services.

Notable alums leveraging VR:

  • NCR is an omni-channel solutions company. At FinovateSpring 2017, the company showed off its fully immersive VR ATM experience that leverages real-time collaboration to train employees to fix ATMs with hands-on experience.
  • CREALOGIX, a digital banking company, launched a VR solution for personal financial management at FinovateEurope 2017. The solution uses imagery and an inspiring user experience to engage users and encourage them to mange their finances.
  • Comarch is an international software company. At FinovateSpring 2016, the company showed how advisors and relationship managers can deliver investment advice in VR for a more personal touch.
  • Worldpay, a global payments company, is developing a VR-based payments system. The company gave a presentation about the payment journey at FinDEVr Silicon Valley 2016.

The upcoming Future Technology Summit at FinovateFall will offer a day of discussions from industry thought leaders, top fintechs, and banks. Be a part of these live panel discussions at FinovateFall; register and save your spot at the show. A few summit highlights include:

  • Blockchain
  • AI
  • Open Banking
  • AR/VR

This is our final post in the FinovateFall Summit Series. Review all six topics and be sure to drop by the discussions taking place at FinovateFall this September 11 through 14 in New York.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Finovate Alumni News

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: BellaDati, BeSmartee, Capsilon, CoverHound, Credit Sesame, LendUp, Roostify, SuperMoney, Symbiont, Symphony Software Foundation, Worldline

On Finovate.com

  • Worldline Buys First Data Baltics for $85 Million.
  • Symbiont Announces Strategic Investment from Medici Ventures.

Around the web

  • Benzinga features SuperMoney, LendUp, Credit Sesame, Capsilon, & BeSmartee as companies revolutionizing lending.
  • HuffPost features Jeana Deninger, ‎Chief Operating Officer at CoverHound.
  • BellaDati announces BellaDati IoT Cloud for the exploration of real-time data from Cross Domain Development Kit XDK of Bosch Connected Devices.
  • Symphony Software Foundation now counts more than 50 projects, 100+ contributors, 4 working groups, & 25 members.
  • Roostify helps First Cal Cut Loan Process to 15 Days.

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.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

TickSmith Lands $2 Million Investment from Illuminate Financial

TickSmith Lands $2 Million Investment from Illuminate Financial
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Funding, TickSmith

In the Quebec-based company’s first round of funding, data management platform TickSmith announced today it has raised $1.6 million ($2 million CAD) from Illuminate Financial.

TickSmith will use the funds to further commercialize TickVault, its flagship product that works like a financial data lake for capital markets. Based on Hadoop technology, TickVault records, stores, and transforms structured and unstructured financial data by breaking down trade history, exchange and tick data, back office data, news, events, research, and more. In addition to analysis, the TickVault’s data scrubbing is also useful for compliance and risk management teams.

TickSmith’s TickVault data flow diagram

Francis Wenzel, CEO and co-founder of TickSmith, said, “Market participants recognize the competitive advantage that can be gained from a next generation capital markets data lake, not just in Europe and North America, but increasingly on a global basis.” Wenzel added, “As venture capital specialists within the capital markets technology space, Illuminate Financial are well positioned to help us further develop our flagship product, TickVault, as we continue to build an international client base.”

Founded in 2012, TickSmith presented TickVault and FIXVault at FinovateFall 2014. The company recently introduced a new performance-tracking module, Marketplace Advanced Insights, that gives market participants a better idea of how they are performing and how their peers are behaving. TickSmith partnered with CME Group in October of last year to provide the derivatives marketplace with access to historical data. The company also counts National Bank of Canada as a client.

Share this:

Send Post Twitter LinkedIn Facebook