Finovate Debuts: SaleMove Brings the In-person Customer Experience Online

Finovate Debuts: SaleMove Brings the In-person Customer Experience Online

SaleMove_homepage_Dec2016

What if you could keep all the things you like about the in-person customer experience and leave out everything you don’t like?

That’s the goal of SaleMove, the company that has built a platform to enable businesses selling services, such as banking, mortgage, insurance, to provide an online user experience that exceeds the in-person version.

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SaleMove Founder and CEO Daniel Michaeli demonstrated the SaleMove Engagement Platform and Omni Call at FinovateFall 2015.

With its Engagement Platform, which won Best of Show honors at FinovateFall 2015, SaleMove offers financial services companies and others the ability to provide an omnichannel experience. Whether using instant video, voice, co-browsing or a combination, the platform is an enterprise-caliber, FINRA- and SEC-compliant solution-increasing engagement.

Company facts:

  • Founded May 2012
  • Headquartered in New York City, with offices in Estonia and Irvine, California
  • 100+ customers
  • $7 million in funding raised

How it works

The premise behind SaleMove is that it is difficult for consumers to make online purchases of complex financial products. According to Founder and CEO Daniel Michaeli, the lack of face-to-face interaction makes it easy for customers to be intimidated by these kind of purchases.

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“Too often our interaction with businesses is asynchronous,” Michaeli says. “Even email and social media posts are more traditional, turn-based ways of communicating.” And what passes for real-time communication online is limited to IVR script or chats. “Walking into a website should be the same as walking into a store.” But the challenge is that much greater for businesses that are trying to sell complex services.

At Finovate, Michaeli elaborated on a few use-cases of the SaleMove platform in action. Starting with the Engagement Platform, he showed how a person completing an online insurance form, for example, was able to request real-time help from a customer-service representative via his preferred mode of communication—video, voice, phone, or chat—at any point during the process. The customer may opt in for co-browsing, giving the agent a cursor and the ability to enter data into on-screen fields. The communication mode can be changed any time during the interaction.

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Michaeli also showcased SaleMove’s OmniCall. The service enables a customer to call an online merchant and immediately begin a co-browse session, made possible by a unique number that pairs the browsing session with the merchant’s number. “[Co-browsing] allows us to pre-authenticate the visitor,” Michaeli says. “[The merchant] knows exactly where I am. He can start co-browsing with me right away. It saves time, it saves cost, and it dramatically enhances the customer experience.”

SaleMove’s platform not only makes real-time online communication as seamless as in-person communication, but also works without the user or operator having to download or install anything; the platform is compatible with all browsers. “Everything happens through the browser,” Michaeli said. “All browsers, all operating systems.”

The future

When talking about the company’s current plans, Michaeli focuses on features. He talks about an engagement center that provides professional services. The idea is to determine KPIs “right off the bat,” and then build the program around the metrics that clients want to impact. “Many companies we work with—early adopting innovators—share our wavelength,” Michaeli said.

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This is Michaeli’s central theme: tailoring the solution, making sure that even at the enterprise level the experience is unique and engaging. In terms of potential markets for the technology, Michaeli says financial services are a top-three vertical, along with auto and e-commerce. He says the breadth of applications in the financial service vertical enables a “whole host of things you can do: advisory, brokerage, insurance.”

“We have such great initial customers in the financial space,” Michaeli says. “I want to find more like-minded people who get the value of customer experience.”


Check out the demo video from SaleMove

Building a Better 401(k) with Betterment for Business

Building a Better 401(k) with Betterment for Business

Betterment_homepage_Jan2016

Online investment advisory innovator Betterment announced its new, turnkey 401(k) service, Betterment for Business. It is designed to give employees the same inexpensive, personalized investment advice Betterment currently provides to its more than 125,000 customers.

“No matter how low-cost the funds, typical plans do not ensure solid retirement readiness,” wrote Jon Stein, Betterment’s founder and CEO, in an extensive blog post about the launch. “They offer little guidance, are hard to navigate, and aren’t personalized to the employee’s circumstances and goals.”

“We wanted to do something better.”

 

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Betterment for Business, like Betterment’s original service, focuses on reducing fees and providing more tailored investment solutions. Calling high 401(k) fees a product of both inefficiency and conflicts of interest, Betterment for Business  compares itself to low-cost providers such as Vanguard. And because Betterment is independent, it has no incentive to use any particular fund or ETF in its portfolios. “We can be a true fiduciary to our customers,” Stein explained.

Betterment for Business also offers the RetireGuide, which lets workers know how much money to save for retirement based on geography, marital status, planned retirement location, current income and savings, and more. The RetireGuide reviews what workers are currently invested in with their 401(k) plans and makes recommendations on other investments that may be worthwhile.

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“Using vertical integration,” Stein said, “we can give holistic, unconflicted advice to employees about savings rates, account types, and investment selection, while also reducing costs and inefficiencies.”

Betterment for Business is scheduled to be available in the first quarter of 2016.

Recently featured in both the EconoTimes and Let’s Talk Payments, Betterment earned a spot in the Forbes Fintech 50 in December, and topped $3 billion in assets in November. Betterment founder and CEO Jon Stein was recognized by Hot Topics as one of the “100 Most Influential People in Fintech” back in August.

Founded in August 2008 and headquartered in New York, Betterment demonstrated its the Multiple Goals Feature of its platform at FinovateFall 2011.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Betterment: Building a Better 401(k) with Betterment for Business
  • Check out today’s “FinDEVr APIntelligence”
  • TSYS to Acquire TransFirst for $2.35 Billion”
  • Alpha Payments Cloud Wins ‘Next Generation Payments’ Category at KPMG FinTech Innovation Challenge”

Around the web

  • Bluefin Payment Systems teams up with CDE, an audited encryption service organization.
  • Equity Bank to deploy multi-factor, mobile authentication technology from Entersekt.
  • Let’s Talk Payments interviews Sam Rehman, Arxan Technologies’ CTO.
  • Nasdaq.com features interview with B.J. Lackland, CEO of Lighter Capital.

This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

MX Recruits Don MacDonald, Former Intel, Fiserv CMO

MX Recruits Don MacDonald, Former Intel, Fiserv CMO

MXHomepage2016

Don-MacDonald- PhotoPFM and banking-software company MX recruited its first CMO today.

MX appointed Don MacDonald to lead marketing and branding efforts and develop marketing strategies to help bank clients enhance the account holder experience.

MacDonald has roots in the fintech industry; he served as the first CMO of Fiserv (FinovateFall 2015 demo) and has held executive positions at Checkpoint (FinovateFall 2008 demo) and Qualcomm (FinovateFall 2009 demo). Additionally, MacDonald worked at Intel for more than 20 years, four of which he served as the company’s CMO.

According to MX CEO and Founder Ryan Caldwell, landing MacDonald is a big win for the Utah-based company. “Don brings the rare combination of a seasoned and proven marketing leader with the passion and drive of a true innovator. He has the skills, experience and proven track record to continue to evolve our marketing organization, build the MX brand and drive accelerated growth for the company,” says Caldwell.

MX, formerly known as MoneyDesktop, offers data aggregation, data cleansing, auto-categorization, classification, money management, custom APIs, data analytics, and marketing. The company was founded in 2010 and now helps more than 600 financial institutions and 30+ digital, online and mobile banking providers deliver a better user experience.

MacDonald isn’t the only well-known fintech player MX has recruited. Last September, the company drafted Pete Kight to its board of directors. Kight is founder of Checkfree and served as the company’s CEO until it sold to Fiserv in 2007.

MX presented at FinDEVr San Francisco 2015 on how to build an easy-to-maintain platform. The company last demoed at FinovateFall 2014 in New York.

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: Finhorizon AG

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: Finhorizon AG

FinhorizonHomepage

FEULogowithDate A look at the companies demoing live to 1,500 fintech professionals. Register today.

 

Finhorizon enables sound, fast and reliable investment decisions by comparing all financial instruments on a single scale. The company’s methodology is compliant with regulatory technical standards.

Finhorizon is:

  • A consistent and traceable determination of risk and performance information
  • Independent from products and research providers
  • Instantly comprehensible, even for financial novices

Why it’s great
To comply with investor and regulator demand, Finhorizon’s independent and homogeneous risk-return estimation process for all financial instruments cannot be dismissed without consideration.

Presenter

Andreas Zimmermann, Partner
With 20 years in economic and finance research, Zimmermann has lectured on monetary economics and macroeconomics. He has developed and implemented risk-management tools for financial institutions internationally.

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: Sandstone Technology

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: Sandstone Technology

SandstoneHomepage

 

FEULogowithDate    A look at the companies demoing live to 1,500 fintech professionals. Register today.

 

The Sandstone Technology BankFast Mobile App’s latest innovation combines the power of dual persona banking, leveraging context and location to deliver a dynamic, adaptive customer experience.

Features

  • Frictionless banking: rich customer engagement and product origination
  • Dual persona banking: dynamic, adaptive customer experience
  • Adaptive security: using biometrics and distributed fraud management

Why it’s great
Sandstone delivers frictionless, dual persona banking. Its technology solves key customer-engagement issues through a unique mobile experience leveraging context and location to drive consumer engagement.

SandstonePresenter1Presenters

Sam Plowman, CEO, Sandstone Technology
Plowman is a digital industry leader and author with more than 20 years of experience building substantial, highly successful digital businesses in global companies such as Sandstone Technology, NAB and ANZ.
LinkedIn

SandstonePresenter2Mathew Cagney, General Manager, Sales
Dedicated to the banking industry, Cagney draws upon his experience to uncover, develop and deliver revolutionary, digital transformation benefits to financial institutions globally.
LinkedIn

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: Investify

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: Investify

investifyHomepage

FEULogowithDate A look at the companies demoing live to 1,500 fintech professionals. Register today.

 

Investify was founded in Luxembourg by award-winning asset managers, outstanding software specialists and top experts for advisory processes. Investify sets new levels in wealth management and customer experience.

Features

  • Playfully define your personalized investment strategy
  • Add motive-based investments in line with your risk tolerance
  • Receive a fully digital customer experience from account opening to portfolio review

Why it’s great
Investify provides private banking services to almost everyone. For a fraction of traditional costs, customers can invest in what they believe in and experience a high digital advisory level.

investifypresenter1Presenters

Tobias Haustein, CTO, Founder
Haustein is a banking and asset-management-software specialist with more than 20 years of professional experience. He is an entrepreneur and chief technology officer of aixigo, a leading advisory software provider in Germany.
LinkedIn

investifypresenter2Sebastian Hasenack, Head of Product Management
Hasenack is an asset manager and investment product specialist with a proven track record. He is highly specialized in product origination and portfolio management in highly regulated markets.
LinkedIn

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: myInvenio

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: myInvenio

myInvenioHomepage

FEULogowithDate A look at the companies demoing live to 1,500 fintech professionals. Register today.

 

myInvenio is a business-process solution that automatically draws the processes by reading banking and finance IT systems’ data, revealing its bottlenecks, critical activities, and resources.

Features

  • Compares real-life business process with business reference model and KPI – is visual and immediate
  • Drastically reduces analysis and improvements costs
  • Allows for multiple users, works cross-platform, and is browser-based

Why it’s great
myInvenio is a process-intelligence solution that automatically analyzes your processes to achieve performance increases at a fraction of the cost.

Presenters

Massimiliano Delsante, Chief Executive Officer
Delsante is an entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in the IT business, supporting banking, automotive and fashion industries by working on business process and workflow-management projects.
LinkedIn

Modesta Jonauskyte, Sales & Marketing Department
Jonauskyte is a graduate of communication and public relations with valuable experience in marketing and a passion for IT innovations.
LinkedIn

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: InvestGlass

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: InvestGlass

InvestGlassHomepage

FEULogowithDate A look at the companies demoing live to 1,500 fintech professionals. Register today.

 

InvestGlass offers the industry’s leading robo-advisor for professional investors solving suitability and appropriateness of advice.

Features

  • Receive relevant leads and actionable storytelling
  • Increase accounts profitability
  • Facilitate compliance duties

Why it’s great
Automatic advisories 
are revolutionizing 
the value chain.

InvestGlassPresenterPresenter

Alexandre Gaillard, CEO
Gaillard is CEO and founder of InvestGlass SA, the first Swiss robotic advisor for bankers and brokers. He also serves as a board member on the Swiss Chinese Chamber of Commerce and previously worked at Union Bancaire Privée, Bank of China.
LinkedIn

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: Xpenditure

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: Xpenditure

XpenditureHomepage

FEULogowithDate A look at the companies demoing live to 1,500 fintech professionals. Register today.

 

Xpenditure is a leading expense-management solution that helps you save time managing your expenses. Xpenditure automates the complex expense-management flow. The company’s motto is: Xpenditure—Claim Back Your Time.

Features

  • Reward colleagues who save the company money by spending less than defined
  • Integrate directly with several global financial institutions
  • Save time reclaiming VAT with our integrated solutions

Why it’s great
Xpenditure is driven by a passion to save users’ time when managing expenses. This informs all decisions it makes. As a result, the company’s approach is unlike others who seek to replicate offline process online.

XpenditurePresenter1Presenters

Wim Derkinderen, CCO, Co-founder
Derkinderen is a co-founder, the CCO and the executive chairman of Xpenditure. Derkinderen has a passion for SaaS and technology; he is involved in multiple startups.
LinkedIn

XpenditurePresenter2Koen Christiaens, Chief Product Officer
Christiaens is chief product officer at Xpenditure and defines the product strategy, ensuring constant innovation and improvement so Xpenditure continues to lead the expense-management market.
LinkedIn

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: Asseco

FinovateEurope Sneak Peek: Asseco

AssecoHomepage

FEULogowithDate A look at the companies demoing live to 1,500 fintech professionals. Register today.

 

Asseco is the fastest growing of the top-10 software vendors in Europe, specializing in advanced software solutions for banks and other financial institutions.

Features

  • Innovative mini-applications concept: flexibility and customization for a great user experience
  • Versatile and multidimensional omnichannel architecture
  • Single solution that runs on multiple devices

Why it’s great
Asseco Customer Banking Platform is a unique solution that integrates the functionality of internet and mobile banking based on an innovative mini-applications concept.AssecoPresenter1

Presenters

Artur Wiza, Managing Director Corporate Communication
Wiza is an experienced sales and marketing executive with a strong track record within the banking and IT industry.
LinkedInAssecoPresenter2

Tomasz Leś, Senior Product Manager
Leś serves as senior product manager of internet and mobile banking for retail and corporate customers. He has experience in designing and developing products for banks.
LinkedIn

AssecoPresenter3Pola Wiza, student
Wiza is a student and heavy user of social and mobile apps.

Taulia Announces Record New Bookings; New CMO Holzapfel

Taulia Announces Record New Bookings; New CMO Holzapfel

Taulia_homepage_Jan2016b

A year-over-year gain of 219% in new bookings growth is the highlight of a record fourth quarter from financial supply-chain innovator Taulia, which added 50,000 suppliers across 71 countries in Q4. New customers include “two of the world’s top 10 retailers” as well as a “leading pharmaceutical manufacturer and one of the largest U.S. hospital networks.”

Taulia also announced hiring Barbara Holzapfel as its new chief marketing officer. Holzapfel was previously CMO at Addepar, and served on the leadership team at SAP.

Taulia_BarbaraHolzapfelTaulia CEO Cedric Bru called Holzapfel a “powerhouse” and praised her expertise in strategic marketing and operations. “From incubating SAP’s supplier-relationship management business to driving significant growth through innovation strategies, she has time and again proven her leadership and marketing savvy,” Bru said.

Taulia’s new CMO will join a relatively new C-level management. Earlier this month the company hired a new Chief Financial Officer, John Varughese, and Bru himself joined Taulia as CEO less than a year ago last April. Before working with SAP, Holzapfel did strategic marketing at The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Georgia. She holds an MBA from the University of Michigan, and a business degree from Germany’s Universität des Saarlandes.

In addition to tripling new bookings from the previous year, Taulia highlighted a number of other quarterly and 2015 milestones:

  • Provided more than $50 billion in financing to suppliers in more than 100 countries
  • Maintained  a 100% customer renewal rate
  • Forged a strategic alliance with KPMG
  • Earned recognition as a 2015 National Best and Brightest Company to Work For
  • Raised $46 million in funding, bringing total capital to more than $130 million

Founded in June 2009 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Taulia demonstrated its Enhanced Discounting at FinovateEurope 2015.