CashSentinel Launches in France with SFPMEI Partnership

CashSentinel Launches in France with SFPMEI Partnership

CashSentinelHomepage2016

Starting today, mobile payments escrow service CashSentinel is available in France. The new launch is made possible by a partnership with SFPMEI, a French electronic money-issuer. This is CashSentinel’s first expansion outside of Switzerland, where it has been operating since 2012 in partnership with pre-owned vehicle-ad platform AutoScout24 and Swissquote bank.

CashSentinel’s mobile escrow service offers a safe place for two parties to buy and sell new and used vehicles (check out our in-depth review of the platform). Since launching in Switzerland, CashSentinel has protected payments for hundreds of parties.

In June of last year, the Switzerland-based company closed a seed funding round of an undisclosed amount. Prior to this round, CashSentinel had raised a total of $650,000 in seed funding and grants. The company was recognized as a Regional Finalist in the 2015 UBS Future of Finance competition.

CashSentinel’s CEO Sylvain Bertolus and Board Director Michael Chaille debuted the Large Amount Payment Service at FinovateEurope 2015 in London.

Capitalise.com to Join Microsoft Accelerator London

Capitalise.com to Join Microsoft Accelerator London

Capitalise_homepage_Mar2016

Fresh from its launch at FinovateEurope 2016, British-based Capitalise.com announced that it will be joining the fifth cohort of Microsoft’s 16-week accelerator program in London.

Capitalise.com Founder Paul Surtees, M.D., said, “Working closely with Microsoft will enable Capitalise to more quickly develop our machine-learning capability and realize our ambition to make access to finance a reality for all small businesses.”

Capitalisecom_stage_FEU2016

Pictured (left to right): Capitalise.com co-founders Ollie Maitland, product director, and Paul Surtees, M.D., founder, demonstrated their technology at FinovateEurope 2016 in London.

One of 13 companies to participate in “Batch V,” Capitalise.com helps small businesses—and those who advise them—find financing. The company’s platform uses behavioral data to compare more than 2,500 data points to connect business borrowers with the best lender for them. Focusing on getting borrowers the financing offer with the highest likelihood of approval, Capitalise says that borrowers on its platform are twice as likely to get funded.

Microsoft Accelerator London provides startups with mentorship, technical guidance and support in order to help them scale their businesses. The accelerator does not take an equity stake in the startups that participate in the program, and companies do not have to be U.K.-based to participate in the London Accelerator, as long as the team is able to stay in London for the duration of the program.

MicrosoftAcceleratorLondon_Twitterpic

Joining Capitalise.com in the spring accelerator are:

  • Dendrite
  • FitWell
  • Apprecie Solutions
  • Altitude Angel
  • Crowdaura
  • Glisser
  • Instanda
  • Opsh
  • Pinipa
  • Furo

Founded in 2014 and headquartered in London, Capitalise.com demonstrated its platform at FinovateEurope 2016.

BillGuard App Changes Name to Prosper Daily

BillGuard App Changes Name to Prosper Daily

ProsperDaily

P2P lending company Prosper, which purchased Israel-based startup BillGuard for $30 million last September, has rebranded the BillGuard app as Prosper DailyThe company offers reasoning behind the change, stating, “the security focus of ‘BillGuard’ no longer captures the essence of the app.”ProsperDaily

IMG_6212BillGuard users will be automatically migrated to the new platform automatically upon updating the app. The core of the app, which helps users flag suspicious charges, check their credit score, and track spending, is the same (aside from the rebrand). Today’s update brings added 3D Touch capability that lets users view inbox count and monthly spend from their home screen. Also new is a loan overview for Prosper borrowers.*

While there’s no word yet on loan performance overview capability for Prosper lenders, the company hints at upcoming changes, stating, “In the near future, we’ll be strengthening the app’s core with smarter ways to keep track of your spending, helping you reach your money goals and improving the reliability of the updates from your accounts.”

BillGuard last presented at FinovateSpring 2012 where it debuted BillGuard FI. Prosper presented at FinovateSpring 2009 as well as the inaugural Finovate in 2007.


*Note: While the update description touts “loan overview for Prosper borrowers” as a new feature, it doesn’t yet appear available in the app. 

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • “BillGuard App Changes Name to Prosper Daily”
  • “Capitalise.com to Join Microsoft Accelerator London”
  • “CashSentinel Launches in France with SFPMEI Partnership”
  • “StockViews Raises $355k in Seed Funding; Adds Fidelity’s Balk as Chairman”

On FinDEVr.com

Around the web

  • Poland’s mBank elects to focus on HCE for mobile payments over NFC.
  • Spain’s BBVA upgrades its ATM network to enable cash recycling.
  • TechCrunch features multiple Finovate and FinDEVr alums in its recommendations of financial products for the gig economy.
  • Mitek elects CEO James B. DeBello as chairman of the board.
  • CereTel, selects Cachet Financial Solutions to develop, deploy and manage new prepaid mobile banking platform.
  • Lendio partners with SBE Council to offer its lending resources to SMB owners.
  • Tradeshift announces MetaProcure as reseller.
  • First National Bank to install Insuritas insurance agency solution for its customers.

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.

Revealed: The Full Presenter Roster and Schedule for FinDEVr New York

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As we approach the home stretch with only 18 days to FinDEVr New York, we’re thrilled to announce the full presenter roster and schedule for the event. Combined, this roster includes 49 companies, 50 technologists, 80 presenters, and 735 minutes of technical content—all in just two days.

The full presenter roster is on our website and below:

As night owls, many developers prefer a later start so the event kicks off at 10:00 AM on both March 29 & 30. With dual-synced auditoriums and a 5-minute passing period, attendees choose precisely which 15-minute presentations are most relevant. A happy-hour networking session will conclude both days.

To get a jump on planning your FinDEVr experience, take a look at the schedule below or on our website:

————
Tuesday, March 29
————
Morning
10:05  Flybits or Markit
10:25  Avoka or The Beast Apps
10:40  Intermission
11:10  Google Cloud Platform or Praesidio
11:30  Sayula or Aerospike
11:50  Financial Apps or TokBox
Afternoon
1:00  Mambu or Braintree
1:20  Nostrum Group or FairCom
1:40  Stealth Company or Finicity
2:00  Thinking Capital or Nexmo
2:15  Intermission
2:45  Hyperwallet or Xignite
3:05  Solinea or Forte
3:25  Stratumn or OnDeck
3:40  Networking
————
Wednesday, March 30
————
Morning
10:05  DigiByte or Quovo & Betterment
10:25  Fidor Bank or OutsideIQ
10:40  Intermission
11:10   i-exceed or VIX Verify
11:30  Honkio or Nubank
11:50  Solace Systems or Prevoty
Afternoon
1:00  Mobeam or Craft Silicon
1:20  ZeroDB or FICO
1:40  Green Key Technologies or ScientiaMobile
2:00  Accusoft or PokitDok
2:15  Intermission
2:45  Magnet or NYMBUS
3:05  SpeechPro or Streamdata.io
3:25  Smart Token Chain or Symbiont
3:45  EdgeVerve Systems
4:00  Networking
We hope you’ll join us as we launch FinDEVr’s first East Coast event. Tickets are on sale at findevrnewyork2016.eventbrite.com. Space is limited, so get your ticket soon.

Wells Fargo to Deploy Biometric Authentication Technology from EyeVerify

Wells Fargo to Deploy Biometric Authentication Technology from EyeVerify

EyeVerify_homepage2_Mar2016

By summer, Wells Fargo will be offering Eyeprint ID from EyeVerify to its corporate clients with commercial banking accounts.

As reported earlier this year in Bank Innovation, the initiative comes in the wake of EyeVerify’s participation in Wells Fargo’s startup accelerator program. Eyeprint ID will be offered as an option along with a face- and voice-recognition system. Both biometric authentication options replace the need for usernames, passwords, corporate ID numbers, and security tokens.

Secil Watson, head of wholesale Internet solutions for Wells Fargo, told the LA. Times this week that passwords were “at the end of their useful life.” She pointed out that Wells Fargo had been studying a variety of biometric solutions for “six or seven years,” including voice-authentication technologies.

EyeVerify_stage_FEU2016

Pictured: EyeVerify Director of Marketing Tinna Hung demonstrating Eyeprint ID at FinovateEurope 2016 in London.

Eyeprint ID technology provides a biometric authentication solution that is as straightforward as taking a selfie. By leveraging the existing camera in a smartphone to image the patterns of veins in the eye, the technology can be used for opening and securing mobile devices, as well as for logins. Unlike other solutions like fingerprint readers or iris scanners, Eyeprint ID’s software-only biometric approach doesn’t require expensive hardware to provide users with 99.99% accuracy.

EyeVerify has been on a roll in recent months. The company announced a deployment of its Eyeprint ID technology at Republic Bank in Kentucky at the beginning of the year, just a few weeks after reporting EyeVerify had topped two million users of its technology. And last fall, the company’s Eyeprint ID was adopted by both Chinese smartphone maker Nubia and the First Internet Bank.

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, EyeVerify won a Best of Show award at FinovateEurope 2016. Toby Rush is CEO and founder.

Pamela Joseph Tapped as New President, COO at TSYS

Pamela Joseph Tapped as New President, COO at TSYS

TSYS_homepage_Mar2016

Fintech veteran Pamela Joseph has been chosen by TSYS to serve as the company’s new president and chief operating officer. The move comes less than a year after Joseph retired from her position as vice chair of U.S. Bancorp’s payment services division.

M. Troy Woods, TSYS CEO and chairman, called Joseph “immensely respected” among payments professionals. Woods said her “deep familiarity” with TSYS would help the company “deliver people-centered innovation in this rapidly evolving payments industry.”

Joseph praised TSYS’s “best in class technology platforms” and the “blue-chip” customer roster, and says she looks forward to “driving additional client and partner benefits through product innovation and service enhancements.”

In addition, Joseph will also be a part of the TSYS board of directors.

During her 11-year tenure at U.S. Bancorp, Joseph was responsible for all of the company’s electronic product lines (consumer credit, corporate, debit, global acquiring, prepaid, purchasing and fleet card programs, and small business). She was honored as one of the Most Influential Women in Payments by Payments Source, and as one of the Most Powerful Women in Banking by American Banker.

Joseph also served as chair of U.S. Bancorp subsidiary, Elavon, the fourth-largest merchant acquirer in both the United States and Europe. Her previous experience in the industry includes stints at Visa International (director of new market development) and Wells Fargo. She is credited for implementing a solution to mitigate $300 million in revenue lost each year because of changes required by the Durbin Amendment—all without major price changes for cardholders—and for helping U.S. Bancorp become the first U.S. bank to issue a contactless EMV card back in 2011.

Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Columbus, Georgia, TSYS demonstrated its Spend Controls for Consumers technology at FinovateSpring 2013.

FinDEVr APIntelligence

FinDEVrNY16-V2(wdate)We’re taking our FinDEVr developer showcase to New York on March 29 & 30, 2016. Register today.

Developer news

The latest from upcoming FinDEVr New York 2015 presenters

  • PayStand to power new online payments service from ONE UP.
  • Xignite announces its XigniteGlobalCurrencies API is now available in the Oracle Cloud Marketplace.

Alumni updates

  • PYMNTS reports: Worldpay transactions up 14% post-IPO.
  • Mitek launches mobile deposit in the United Kingdom with other countries to follow.
  • CardFlight integrates with Stripe to encourage developers to build EMV payment functionality within their mobile apps.
  • Xero extends partnership with MidPoint to make cross-border procurement easier.
  • Personal Capital exceeds $2 billion AUM.

Stay current on daily news from the fintech developer community! Follow FinDEVr on Twitter.

Xero TaxTouch is Tinder for the Gig Economy’s Taxes

Xero TaxTouch is Tinder for the Gig Economy’s Taxes

XeroHomepage

Screen Shot 2016-03-08 at 4.14.33 PMToday, cloud-accounting platform Xero announced a mobile app called Xero TaxTouch that will benefit the 18.5 million U.S. freelance workers.

Xero TaxTouch aims to help self-employed workers track business expenses and manage their business-related tax deductions. In the Tinder-like user experience, freelancers separate their expenses by swiping right to file a business expense (see image on left) and swiping left to file a personal one.

The app also tracks estimated taxes and generates a report to help users prepare a Schedule C document to send to their Xero tax accounting professional (if they have one).

The New Zealand-based company has long been involved in the developer community, and recently launched Dev TV, a YouTube channel that discusses the latest from the Xero Ecosystem, API releases, and integrations.

Xero most recently presented at FinDEVr San Francisco 2014, where David Pollock, the company’s head of U.S. partnerships, gave a talk on Building an API-Driven Ecosystem for Small Business. Xero also presented at our FinovateSpring conference in 2011.


Join us in New York for FinDEVr 2015, March 29 and 30. Our developer’s conference features two days of provocative presentations and critical case studies of financial technology at work. Stop by our registration page today and save your spot!

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • “Pamela Joseph Tapped as New President, COO at TSYS
  • “Wells Fargo to Deploy Biometric Authentication Technology from EyeVerify

Around the web

  • PYMNTS reports: Worldpay transactions up 14% post-IPO.
  • Mitek launches mobile deposit in the United Kingdom with other countries to follow.
  • Dwolla’s Jordan Lampe contributes TechCrunch article about the state of faster payments in the United States.
  • Fiserv adds new features to its Unified Wealth Platform.
  • Jack Henry’s ProfitStars division unveils its ECS RDC conversion technology.
  • Betterment to extend account aggregation to all its customers.
  • BBVA Compass introduces Sandra Lee as brand ambassador to its BrightFutures platform.
  • Zooz reports that Gett, an on-demand taxi service, now routes global transactions through its platform.

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.

Fintech Fundings: 29 Companies Raise $76 Million Week Ending March 3

money_keyWhile we continued the streak of 20 or more weekly deals (now = 9), we had a sub-$100 million week for the first time this year. The $76 million raised was the lowest total in a non-holiday week since the first week of March a year ago (who knew the 9th week was so slow?).

However, there were 11 deals with undisclosed funding amounts, notably a “double digit millions” D-round for AuxMoney, which had also raised nearly $200 million in previous rounds. So, the weekly total may well have surpassed $100 million.

Nine weeks into 2016, the total raised is $5.4 billion, more than double the $2.4 billion invested during the same period last year. And more telling, the number of deals is up 90% (227 vs. 119 in 2015).

Two Finovate alums raised new cash:

Here are the fintech deals by size from 27 Feb to 4 Mar 2016:

iAngels
Equity crowdfunding platform
Latest round: $14 million
Total raised: $16.25 million
HQ: Tel Aviv, Israel
Tags: Consumers, SMB, accredited investors, equity investing, startups
Source: Crunchbase

Centage
Spending and forecasting software for small businesses
Latest round: $13.5 million Series A
Total raised: $23 million
HQ: Natick, Massachusetts
Tags: SMB, management accounting, business intelligence, BI
Source: FT Partners

OurCrowd
Crowdfunding/VC hybrid platform
Latest round: $10 million
Total raised: $35 million
HQ: Jerusalem, Israel
Tags: Consumers, SMB, accredited investors, equity investing, startups
Source: Crunchbase

InstaPartners
Receivables financing platform
Latest round: $8.7 million Seed
Total raised: $8.7 million
HQ: Milano, Italy
Tags: SMB, lending, loans, underwriting, factoring, receivables financing, investing
Source: Crunchbase

Roofstock
Platform for investing in single-family rental properties
Latest round: $7 million
Total raised: $13.25 million
HQ: Oakland, California
Tags: Consumers, SMB, lending, real estate, mortgage, investing, alt-investments
Source: Crunchbase

RentMoola
Rental payments network
Latest round: $5 million
Total raised: $5 million
HQ: New York City
Tags: Consumers, SMB, renters, landlords, real estate, payments, billpay, invoicing
Source: Crunchbase

Figo Pet Insurance
Digital pet insurance
Latest round: $4 million Series A
Total raised: $8 million
HQ: Chicago, Illinois
Tags: Consumers, insurance, pets
Source: Crunchbase

Wunder
Crowdfunding platform for solar projects
Latest round: $3.6 million
Total raised: $4.82 million
HQ: Boulder, Colorado
Tags: Consumers, SMB, lending, loans, underwriting, investing, peer-to-peer
Source: Crunchbase

ChangeIt
Charitable payments platform
Latest round: $2.2 million Seed
Total raised: $2.2 million
HQ: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Tags: Consumers, non-profits, SMB, payments, giving
Source: Crunchbase

iQuantifi
Robo-adviser software for financial institutions
Latest round: $2 million Angel
Total raised: $2.5 million
HQ: Franklin, Tennessee
Tags: Consumers, SMB, lending, loans, underwriting, investing, peer-to-peer, Finovate alum
Source: Crunchbase

Desposify
Deposit management for landlords and their tenants
Latest round: $1.53 million Seed
Total raised: $1.53 million
HQ: Dublin, Ireland
Tags: Consumers, SMB, renters, landlords, real estate, payments, deposit management
Source: Crunchbase

Mondo
U.K.-based challenger bank
Latest round: $1.42 million crowdfunding (CrowdCube)
Total raised: $11.7 million
HQ: California
Tags: Consumers, banking, debit cards, savings accounts
Source: FT Partners, PaymentsCardsandMobile

Propellr
Individual investment service
Latest round: $1.14 million
Total raised: $1.14 million
HQ: New York City
Tags: Consumers, investing, trading, alt-investments
Source: Crunchbase

Candis
Cloud-based accounting service
Latest round: $1.1 million Seed
Total raised: $1.1 million
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Tags: SMB, accounting, bookkeeping, accounts receivables, payables, invoicing, billing
Source: Crunchbase

Anchor ID
Identity management
Latest round: $260,000 Convertible note
Total raised: $1.1 mil
HQ: Kingston, New York
Tags: Enterprise, security, passwords, authentication, identity, Finovate alum
Source: Crunchbase

Bonsai
Invoicing, payment, and bookkeeping service for freelancers
Latest round: $120,000
Total raised: $120,000
HQ: San Francisco, California
Tags: SMB, accounting, business intelligence BI, invoicing, billing, accounts receivables, Y Combinator (W16)
Source: TechCrunch

STILT
Alt-lender targeting ex-pats
Latest round: $120,000
Total raised: $120,000
HQ: San Francisco, California
Tags: Consumers, lending, loans, underwriting, investing, peer-to-peer, Y Combinator (W16)
Source: VentureBeat

Verity.io
Document storage in the blockchain
Latest round: $23,000 Seed
Total raised: $23,000
HQ: London, England, United Kingdom
Tags: Consumers, SMB, security, blockchain, bitcoin, document management
Source: Crunchbase

AuxMoney
P2P loan marketplace
Latest round: Undisclosed Series D (described as “double digit millions“)
Total raised: $198 million
HQ: Dusseldorf, Germany
Tags: Consumers, lending, loans, underwriting, investing, peer-to-peer
Source: Crunchbase

BitPesa
Mobile payments platform
Latest round: Undisclosed
Total raised: Unknown
HQ: Nairobi, Nigeria
Tags: Consumers, SMB, payments, merchants, POS, mobile, acquiring, P2P, person-to-person
Source: Crunchbase

iiPay
Payroll services
Latest round: Undisclosed Private Equity
Total raised: $1.3 million prior to latest round
HQ: Cheltenham, England, UK
Tags: SMB, employees, HR, payments
Source: FT Partners

LandBay Partners
P2P platform for mortgage
Latest round: Undisclosed
Total raised: $2.4 million prior to latest round
HQ: London, England, UK
Tags: Consumers, mortgage, home buying, lending, loans, underwriting, investing, peer-to-peer
Source: FT Partners

OrthoFI
Financing platform for dental patients
Latest round: Undisclosed
Total raised: $3.7 million
HQ: Denver, Colorado
Tags: Consumers, SMB, dental practice, financing, lending, loans, underwriting
Source: FT Partners

PawnHero
Digital pawn shop
Latest round: Undisclosed
Total raised: Unknown
HQ: California
Tags: Consumers, lending, secured loans, underwriting, pawn
Source: Crunchbase

Pepperstone Financial Services
Online forex trading service
Latest round: Undisclosed
Total raised: Unknown
HQ: Camberwell, Australia
Tags: Consumers, SMB, fx, foreign exchange, trading
Source: FT Partners

RealBest
German real estate platform
Latest round: Undisclosed Series C
Total raised: Unknown
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Tags: Consumers, home buying, mortgage
Source: Crunchbase

Second Horizon (Kxter)
Crowdfuding platform
Latest round: Undisclosed
Total raised: Unknown
HQ: Las Vegas, Nevada
Tags: Consumers, SMB, lending, loans, underwriting, investing, peer-to-peer
Source: Crunchbase

StockRadars
Mobile stock investing information
Latest round: Undisclosed
Total raised: Unknown
HQ: Thailand
Tags: Consumers, investing, trading, information, analytics, insight
Source: Crunchbase

Tauro Wealth
Investing information
Latest round: Undisclosed
Total raised: Unknown
HQ: Bangalore, India
Tags: Consumers, investing, wealth management, information services
Source: Crunchbase

 

International Women’s Day: Celebrating Females in Fintech

International Women’s Day: Celebrating Females in Fintech

WomenOfFintech

One question I’m always asked during a Finovate networking session is, “Why don’t you put more women on stage?” My answer: we don’t dictate the gender of the company’s presenter. We leave that decision up to the company.

This post is to celebrate the fintech industry’s growth of female inclusion. At the first Finovate conference in 2007, there were zero women on stage. Last month, at FinovateEurope 2016, 20% of the companies featured a woman on stage (party on!). Here’s a look at the ladies of FinovateEurope 2016:

AdviceRobo’s CCO Rosali Steenkamer

AdviceRobo

 

BankersLab’s Co-founder and CEO Michelle Katics

BankersLab

CREALOGIX’s Geraldine Critchley, head of digital marketing

ebankIT’s Diana Winstanley, business development

eBankIT

Envestnet’s SVP Molly Pandya, product management

Ethoca’s Helene Ladjadj, senior manager, issuer relations, EMEA

Ethoca

EyeVerify’s Director of Marketing Tinna Hung

EyeVerify

IT Sector’s Inês Domingues, market manager

ITSector

Livian Technologies’s Raquel Oliveira, head of product

LivianTech

myInvenio’s Modesta Jonauskyte, sales and marketing assistant

MyInvenio

Outshared’s Director Irene van den Brink

SBDA Group’s Anna Laskovaya, project manager

SBDAGroup

Spiff’s CMO Kristin Moller

Spiff

While not all of these women are CEOs of their company, each plays a role in removing women from the “endangered species list” of fintech.

While we still have a long way to go, we can all be encouraged by the movement that has already taken place and the global initiatives that have sparked growth. The FemTech Leaders MeetUp, organized by Ghela Boskovich and Michelle Moffatt, has held three successful events this year (I attended the London meetup last month, and the attendance was impressive).

If you’re interested in attending a FemTech leaders event (men are also invited to attend), check out the upcoming meetup in Sydney or RSVP for the meetup in New York after the first day of FinDEVr New York on March 29. It’s less than a 10-minute walk from the venue.

This post wouldn’t be complete without a shoutout to the ladies of Finovate and FinDEVr; the women who help make our events happen (editor’s note: And of course, Julie Schicktanz, the author of this post):

  • Leah Baldwin
  • Dom Marczak
  • Emily Olyarchuk
  • Erika Sanchez
  • Kate Schultz
  • Kate Stolte
  • Heather Stowell
  • Paula Wrzecionowska

Be sure to check out our celebration of International Women’s Day on the FinDEVr blog.