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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Layer’s New Messaging Design System Helps Create Perfect Conversational Experiences

Layer’s New Messaging Design System Helps Create Perfect Conversational Experiences
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Layer

Customer engagement has been a big theme on the Finovate blog this month. As our recent guest features from SaleMove (Enhancing the Customer Experience in Financial Services) and SuiteBox (Top Five Trends in Customer Engagement Technology) attest, technologies that enable better communication between businesses and customers are among the most promising areas of innovation in fintech.

So the news that FinovateSpring 2017 alum Layer has released a new customer engagement-enabling solution is the latest reminder of the trend toward more and better engagement options for businesses. The San Francisco-based company launched its Conversation Design System earlier this month, giving enterprises new tools to quickly build and customize conversational experiences for their customers “in just minutes.”

Pictured (left to right): John Montgomery (COO) and Bill Hu (VP Sales) demonstrating Layer’s customer conversation platform at FinovateSpring 2017.

Layer’s technology leverages chatbot technology and data analytics to provide a wide range of businesses with a customer conversation platform that makes it easier to engage with consumers over the channel of their choice – especially mobile. Through a combination of AI and human participation, Layer’s platform enables financial professionals to provide advice, counseling, and customer service in a unified experience that is more convenient and less intrusive for the contemporary client. “From (our) vantage point, we have seen a dramatic shift in the way people, consumers and businesses alike, want to do business,” Layer’s John Montgomery said during his FinovateSpring presentation earlier this year. Pointing out that both the phone and email were becoming less popular modes of communication, Montgomery added that transitioning to a platform like Layer also gave benefits to businesses. “(This platform can) accelerate the time it takes to do a sales cycle, help you be more scalable in the delivery of services and ultimately lead to greater lifetime value,” he said.

VP of Product at Nordstrom Trunk Club Justin Hughes praised the way the technology helped them improve customer engagement. Calling Layer’s messaging technology “central to the shopping experience and critical to our conversation effectiveness,” Hughes credited Layer for helping the company become and and remain better connected with its customers.

Layer also announced seven new integrations including integrations with Front, Salesforce, and Zendesk. These add to the company’s previously announced IBM Watson and Microsoft integrations. “Today’s announcements unlock boundless potential for brands across all industries,” Layer CEO Ron Palmeri said. “Unlike messaging platforms that simply move text messages from point A to point B, Layer gives brands everything they need to build truly amazing, delightful customer experiences on essentially any channel,” he said.

Founded in 2013, Layer demonstrated its customer conversation platform at FinovateSpring 2017. With more than 1,000 customers including nerdwallet, Qapital, and snapswap, the company has raised more than $42 million in funding, including a $15 million Series B led by Greycroft Partners in February.

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IBM Launches Security Testing Services for IoT Developers

IBM Launches Security Testing Services for IoT Developers
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: IBM

IoT technologies are on the rise– in fact, Gartner predicts that connected things will reach 20.4 billion by 2020. This flood of new capabilities comes with the need for enhanced security in a field where developers have hacked everything from self-driving cars to wifi-connected Crock Pots.

That’s why IBM announced yesterday that its security arm is launching testing services for the internet of things (IoT). The company’s Watson IoT offers configuration and management capabilities for IoT environments. The company also launched testing services for automotive security.

One of IBM’s designated research teams, the X-Force Red researchers, will deliver the testing service alongside the Watson IoT platform. IBM reports that 58% of companies only test their IoT apps during the production phase, which could possibly introduce vulnerabilities into existing systems. To combat this, the researchers are incorporating an added layer of security and penetration testing.

IBM describes the new cloud-based service as “programmatic, on-demand” testing that will occur “through the entire lifecycle” of IoT products. Clients of the Watson IoT platform can leverage the expertise of X-Force Red researchers throughout the process of development and deployment of IoT products.

Charles Henderson, Global Head of IBM X-Force Red said, “Over the past year, we’ve seen security testing further emerge as a key component in clients’ security programs.” Henderson added, “Finding issues in your products and services upfront is a far better investment than the expense of letting cybercriminals find and exploit vulnerabilities.”

Ayelet Avni, Senior Offering Manager of IBM Trusteer and Shaked Vax, Product Strategist of IBM Trusteer demo IBM Trusteer Rapport at FinovateSpring 2017

New York-based IBM was founded in 1911 and debuted its Customer Insight for Banking product at FinovateFall 2016. The solution uses predictive analytics and pre-built data models to help banks perfect customer segmentation models by analyzing transactions, spending behavior, and life events. The company’s security arm most recently demonstrated its Trusteer solutions. Ayelet Avni, Senior Offering Manager, and Shaked Vax, Product Strategist of IBM Trusteer, took the stage at FinovateSpring 2017 to debut how IBM Trusteer Rapport protects against phishing attacks.

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FinovateAsia 2017 – Save Big with a Super Early-Bird Ticket!

By Erika Sanchez Posted on
Categories: Finovate Marketing, FinovateAsia 2017

Though we’re in the heat of summer, FinovateAsia 2017 is just around the corner. Tickets for the event are limited, and we’re on pace for a record setting attendance in Hong Kong.

We’ve already received a number of impressive applications from companies looking to present, so this year’s event is shaping up to be one you won’t want to miss. On November 7 & 8, we will showcase 36+ of the newest fintech innovations via our signature format that blends fast-paced demos with high-quality networking. Plus, for the first time ever, we’ll be expanding the event to two days to include deeper dives into the latest regional trends and macro issues affecting financial technology via keynotes, panels, and fireside chats interspersed throughout each day.

To give you an idea of the influential companies that attend Finovate, see below for just a few of those who joined us in 2016:

  • Accenture Japan
  • Alibaba
  • American Express
  • Ant Financial
  • ANZ
  • Apple
  • Arbor Ventures
  • Asia Times
  • Asian Private Banker
  • Barclays Bank
  • Blackrock
  • Celent
  • Citibank
  • Commonwealth Bank of Australia
  • Cyberport
  • Dah Sing Banking Group
  • DBS Bank
  • Deutsche Bank
  • Envestnet
  • EY
  • Fidelity
  • Finstar Labs
  • Fintechnews Singapore
  • Forrester
  • FUJITSU
  • Goldman Sachs
  • Google
  • Hang Seng Bank
  • Hitachi Systems
  • Hong Kong Monetary Authority
  • HSBC
  • Invest Hong Kong
  • J.P. Morgan
  • KPMG
  • MasterCard
  • Maybank
  • Nasdaq
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers
  • Rakuten Fintech Fund
  • Standard Chartered Bank
  • The Asian Banker
  • The Stock Exchange of Thailand
  • Thomson Reuters
  • TMB Bank
  • Wells Fargo
  • Wall Street Journal

If you’re interested in joining them to watch the future of financial and banking technology unfold live on stage, then get your ticket by this Friday to lock in your spot at the low, super early-bird rate of $400 off. That said, if you can’t wait until November for your next fix of fintech innovation, we do have tickets left for FinovateFall 2017 (September 11 through 14 in New York).

Hope to see you at a future event soon!

FinovateAsia 2017 is sponsored by: Invest Hong Kong, CeleritiFintech, Lleida.net, and more to be announced.

FinovateAsia 2017 is partners with: Aite Group, BankersHub, Banking Technology, Breaking Banks, Celent, FemTech, Financial IT, Fintech Finance, Holland Fintech, IBS Intelligence, Mercator Advisory Group, Ovum, The Paypers, Plug and Play, and SME Finance Forum.

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Finovate Alumni News

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Bill.com, GoodData, IBM, Layer, MaxMyInterest, MicroStrategy, Passport, TickSmith, Vantiv, Xero

On Finovate.com

  • IBM Launches Security Testing Services for IoT Developers.
  • TickSmith Lands $2 Million Investment from Illuminate Financial.
  • Layer’s New Messaging Design System Helps Create Perfect Conversational Experiences.

Around the web

  • Vantiv partners with Columbia Bank to provide new payment services to business customers.
  • Commerce Bank to offer AP and AR automated service, CashFlow Complete, powered by Bill.com.
  • Xero and Recurly team up in new integration that combines subscription management with cloud accounting.
  • Fintech Supercharger features an interview with Roman Stanek, Founder and CEO, GoodData.
  • BARC Score Data Discovery identifies MicroStrategy as a ‘Market Leader’ ranking #1 in “Platform Capabilities”
  • Chicago Tribune column on savvy saving highlights MaxMyInterest.
  • Village of Palos Park Introduces Passport’s Parking 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.

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Alex Foster of BT Advises Women in Fintech: Don’t Wait to Become a Leader

Alex Foster of BT Advises Women in Fintech: Don’t Wait to Become a Leader
By finovate Posted on
Categories: Women in Fintech
This article was first published on FinTech Futures on May 18th 2017.

Alex Foster Adding to our stellar line up of leading women in fintech, we speak to Alex Foster about how she has become Head of Insurance & Finance Sector & Post Trade Services at BT, and what she would suggest if you were just starting out as a woman in tech.

How did you start your career?

I always had a fascination by what makes the cogs turn in the financial markets world. I started my career on the trading floor — initially working in sales trading which was at that time more voice-based.  Over time, the markets started to morph and automation and algorithms evolved.  With this “electronification” of the markets came the need for more than just traditional trading skills.  The role started to require greater market understanding, as well as market structure and technology knowledge.

To have a true understanding of how things work, I developed an appreciation of the effect of technology, such as the impact of proximity and algorithms.

My current role is at BT, a move I made to get a better view as to what was “under the bonnet” of the infrastructure underpinning the global financial markets. I’ve found this has made my skill set more rounded. I’ve been able to provide first-hand knowledge of customer requirements. This helps us to develop technology solutions that anticipate the needs, and support the aspirations of, the full spectrum of BT’s financial services customers.

What sparked your interest in fintech?

I have always enjoyed the tech side of financial markets and have always strived to act as an agent of positive change. Fintech has so much potential to deliver new ways of working. The possibilities that can evolve from a perfect synergy of new technology, collaboration, and regulation are incredibly exciting.

Consider the process: new regulation comes in, start-ups develop the necessary technology to manage it, and collaboration between firms sees the process through. Fintech is an integral tool for moving financial markets forward.

What was your lightbulb moment?

My light bulb moment came about four to five years ago, when I began working with bankers, some who were friends, leaving their traditional roles on the trading floor to create new and exciting fintech, regtech, and insurtech companies. As we know, these start-ups are a growing source of innovation in the financial markets industry. But their small size can create challenges around market adoption, delivery, and meeting the stringent contractual or compliance expectations of large financial institutions. We started to work with these companies to help them scale-up to obtain a global reach. I realized the monumental impact that these technologies and fintech firms could achieve when the right partnerships are in place.

What inspires you?

I find the drive and nerve that start-ups have when they decide to give their idea a go very inspiring. That willingness to try something different is so exciting because you see human ingenuity, courage and hard work at its finest.

At BT, I see so much innovation first hand. I also get involved with this as a non-executive director or simply as a noisy advisor. From these positions, I get to see the talent that it takes to take an idea and make it grow. The absolute focus you need to achieve this is exemplary.

Why is the #WomenInTech movement important?

The digital age is here and with it we can already see that new technology will pervade every part of our global economy. STEM is a big part of this growing field and one where more top talent is needed, but where female representation is still too low.  It’s so important that we see more girls taking STEM subjects in their school years. And it’s equally important that we attract, retain, develop, and progress female talent in these careers.

At a personal level, I have always loved tech – my school was one of the first that offered a Computer Studies O Level and it has been a huge part of my professional life. And I studied mathematics, statistics, and computing at university. That’s why the movement is so important; it encourages women to take up the opportunities which have made such a difference to me.

I’m encouraged to see that this is actively promoted at BT through initiatives like Step into Stem and BT TechWomen which aim to increase the presence of women in technology. Again, partnerships are essential – we are working with a number of our clients, start-up hubs, schools and business partners realise our ambitions together.

What piece of advice would you give women starting their careers in FinTech?

Make sure you have great mentors, both within your firm and externally. Never be afraid to ask questions, this will help you to continue to learn and flourish. Don’t wait to become a leader – start this at whatever stage of your career you are in. And finally, always aspire to be the leader that you yourself would want to follow.

Throughout the year we will be profiling women in fintech, not simply to celebrate their success but also to hear what has worked for them during the course of their careers. Click here to read more inspirational stories from fintech’s leading women >>

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Microblink’s Photopay Expands to New European Markets

Microblink’s Photopay Expands to New European Markets
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: microblink

Photopay, the payment receipt scanning solution from Best of Show winner Microblink, is now available in more countries including France, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. The news is the latest step in Microblink’s European expansion – begun four years ago – and brings the company’s data extraction technology to an even wider range of SME customers.

In a blog post discussing the news, Microblink pointed to the way Photopay improved the UX for banking app users. The company cited a case study with Erste Bank that realized a 100x increase in the number of mobile banking transactions and and 30x increase in mobile banking transactions as a share of all transactions. Erste Bank also reported an increase of 160% in the number of its mobile banking users. In addition, Microblink highlighted a European bank that credited Photopay for the high marks its mobile banking app received. “More than 40 renowned European banks have recognized the value photopay provides in terms of UX,” the blog authors wrote.

Pictured: Microblink Co-Founder and SMD Izet Ždralović demonstrating BlinkReceipt at FinovateSpring 2017.

Photopay leverages optical character recognition technology (OCR) to capture data from payment slips and receipts, removing manual data entry – and the potential for error – from the process. Photopay also offers an automatic field-by-field scanning feature that makes it easy to more accurately extract data from unstructured sources including small business invoices. The real-time technology operates locally on the user’s mobile device and does not require an internet connection to work. Photopay is available as an SDK that can be easily integrated into existing banking apps and fully customized into a white-label solution that’s virtually invisible to the user.

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in London, U.K., Microblink demonstrated its BlinkReceipt solution at FinovateSpring 2017, taking home Best of Show honors. Earlier this month, Zagrebačka banka, the largest bank in Croatia, announced that its mobile app would feature portrait and document scanning technology provided by Microblink. In addition to Photopay and BlinkReceipt, Microblink offers SDKs that add ID scanning (BlinkID), barcode scanning (pdf417), and general purpose data scanning (BlinkInput) to mobile apps. The company, which launched the popular, free Photo Math app in 2014, includes Cherubic Ventures among its investors. Damir Sabol is founder and CEO.

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