Alumni News– September 10, 2014

  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgAmerican Banker: TSYS and Visa have announced their tokenization technology will support Apple Pay http://bit.ly/WIBIwx
  • Credit Sesame and Prosper partner.
  • Cachet Financial receives order from top tier credit union in the U.S. for mobile money management platform, Select Mobile Money.
  • AcceptEmail selects Worldpay to power its international e-billing solutions.
  • Trustly releases open source alternative messaging technology for FIs, BankAPI.
  • Loop co-founder and CTO George Wallner weighs in on Apple Pay in Time.com Money column.
  • Visa teams up with the National Football League to promote Visa Checkout. See Visa at FinDEVr this fall.
  • Braintree to support Apple Pay. Come see Braintree at FinDEVr this September 30 through October 1 in San Francisco.
  • Business Insider profiles Christian Lanng, Co-Founder and CEO of TradeShift.
  • Dwolla CEO and Founder Ben Milne talks about the role of Apple as a new entrant in the mobile payments industry.
    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.

    Launching: Self Lender Helps Build Credit with Digital "Credit-Builder" Loans

    image Ever since the financial debacle of 2008, it’s been harder for consumers to establish their first credit account. Therefore, with no credit history or score, it becomes even harder to get credit. That’s created a Catch-22 around new credit that Denver-based startup Self Lender looks to address. The company launched today at TechCrunch Disrupt (see full presentation here, at bottom of post).

    Self Lender has a fairly straightforward value proposition.

    • Agree to transfer a certain amount of money to yourself for a set period of time via the Self Lender platform.
    • Self Lender reports the payments to credit bureaus as a secured loan.
    • At the end of the contract period, between 3 and 12 months, the user gets their money back (without interest) or can use the funds as a down payment on a vehicle or other item with the balance financed by Self Lender lending partners (see screenshot below).

    The funds are held in an FDIC-insured account. Users can make their monthly transfers via ACH, debit card, paper check/money orders, or via cash through PayNearMe’s network. The startup also will accept bitcoin payments, an interesting side note that wasn’t mentioned during their demo.

    Self Lender will make a few dollars on interest and lead-gen commissions, but its primary business model revolves around charging $3 per month for the service.

    Thoughts: Many banks and credit unions offer products with similar benefits. According to CUNA (note 1), 15% of U.S. credit unions offer “credit builder loans.” Banks and credit unions also offer CD/saving secured loans. But those deposit-secured loans generally require a good sum of cash to get started. For example, Wells Fargo has a $3,000 minimum deposit and $75 origination fee. Self Lender lets you get started with just $25.

    So, the concept is good. But I think it will be difficult for the company to get consumers to entrust them directly, so distribution through FI or PFM partners is crucial. To that end, during the Q&A session, Self Lender said it was hoping to ink deals with one or more major banks in the near future. 

    ———————————–

    Self Lender demonstrates how the money saved in the platform can be used as down payment (9 Sep 2014)

    image

    ———————-

    Note:
    1. Source: NY Times, 6 Feb 2012. http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/06/credit-builder-loans-can-help-burnish-your-credit-score/

    From API to POS: The Themes of FinovateFall 2014

    From API to POS: The Themes of FinovateFall 2014
    FF2014ButtonLogo

    It’s hard to believe that FinovateFall 2014 is only two weeks away. And if the pre-event buzz is any indication, conference attendees and presenters alike are in store for quite a show.

    As always, our presenters are a fascinating mix of new startups and industry veterans, and the innovations they will be demonstrating on stage later this month are no less diverse and interesting.

    Take a look for yourself courtesy of our FinovateFall 2014 Theme Word Cloud. From authentication and biometrics to machine-learning algorithms and self-service banking, FinovateFall has something for everyone.

    FF2014ThemeCloud
    If you like what you see then you’ll love what we’ve got in store for you at FinovateFall 2014. This year, FinovateFall is moving to the New York Hilton Midtown. Located on the Avenue of the Americas, our new venue is centrally located, convenient to public transportation, and fully-equipped to serve as the center of the fintech universe for two days in late September. 
    We hope to see you there! Click here to get your tickets today.

    Heartland Financial USA Announces 10-Bank Deployment of Q2platform

    Heartland Financial USA Announces 10-Bank Deployment of Q2platform

    Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Q2logoNew.jpg

    Ten of Heartland Financial USA’s banks have implemented the online banking platform developed by Q2 Holdings according to an announcement Tuesday morning.

    The implementation of the Q2platform took place over the five months between April and August. Matt Flake, Q2 CEO and president, said, “Everyone at Heartland has an outstanding commitment to simplifying the online banking process and creating a seamless user experience for account holders.”

    Q2ebankingHomepage
    A full list of the banks that have deployed the technology is below:
    • Arizona Bank & Trust
    • Dubuque Bank and Trust Company
    • Galena State Bank & Trust Co.
    • The Morrill & Janes Bank and Trust Company
    • Minnesota Bank & Trust
    • New Mexico Bank & Trust
    • Riverside Community Bank
    • Rocky Mountain Bank
    • Summit Bank & Trust
    • Wisconsin Bank & Trust
    An innovator in the field of cloud-based, virtual banking, Q2’s solutions are particularly sought after by community banks, regional banks, and credit unions looking to provide new mobile and online services to their customers while keeping costs low. Q2 was recently in the news, announcing partnerships with Easy Solutions in July, and First Financial Bank in June. The company went public in March, trades under the ticker symbol “QTWO” on the New York Stock Exchange, and is currently valued at $500 million. 
    Founded in 2005 and based in Austin, Texas, Q2 demoed its Risk and Fraud Analytics technology as part of FinovateSpring 2011 in San Francisco. See the company’s presentation here.

    Alumni News– September 9, 2014

    • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgGet Connected: Join the FinovateFall 2014 Community on Bizzabo.
    • PYMNTS.com talks with TSYS executive Paul Bridgewater on the importance of tokenization in payments.
    • Nostrum Group earns spot in Sunday Times Hiscox Tech Track 100.
    • True Potential launches Investor on Android Wear smartwatches. See True Potential demo at FinovateFall 2014.
    • London Evening Standard profiles wealth management innovator, Nutmeg.
    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.

    Launching: Allre Will Help You Sell Your House for Zero Commission

    imageSo far, the U.S. real estate industry has maintained its 6% standard commission despite mass adoption of the Internet for researching available properties. And the run-up in housing prices in many areas has made real-dollar commissions much larger than they were in 1995. Certainly Redfin and others rebating commissions on the buyer’s side have made inroads. But if the seller’s agent is still taking 3% the total commission remains stubbornly high.

    Enter Allre.com, a San Diego-based startup that debuted at TechCrunch Disrupt today (demo video). Taking a page from Zenefits model (free payroll services if you buy your healthcare through them), Allre will do the real estate transaction for free. That would save the average California seller $24,000 in commissions.

    The catch? Buyers use the Allre platform to buy their title insurance, homeowner’s insurance, mortgage and other closing services. Allre is able to book these ancillary commissions because as a free service it does not come under RESPA regulations forbidding such arrangements.

    Allre said it will work with multiple vendors in each category; however, for now its exclusive mortgage provider in its first market is Prime Lending.

    Real estate is a business with huge network effects, which is why the various MLS services around the country continue to maintain a tight grip on real estate marketing, and commissions. So the challenge for Allre, or anyone who wants to take on the local commissioned base, is to get a large cross-section of homes listed on its site. The company has some ideas on how to do that (see the Q&A session that follows the TC demo, specifically, the question at the 7:06 mark), but no one has really cracked that nut yet.  

    Relevance for Netbankers: Home ownership, and the financial services surrounding it, is an area that holds significant profit potential for banks and credit unions. Working with Allre or other real estate disrupters could be an effective way to find new mortgage (and banking) customers. 

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    Allre homepage (8 Sep 2014)

    image

    Allre transaction dashboard

    image

    Get Connected: Join the FinovateFall 2014 Community on Bizzabo

    Get Connected: Join the FinovateFall 2014 Community on Bizzabo

    Once again we are partnering with social networking innovator, Bizzabo to make it that much easier for you to find, meet, and network with your fellow attendees at FinovateFall 2014.

    FinovateFall 2014 will mark the third time we’ve turned to Bizzabo to help provide conference attendees with every opportunity to get in touch with colleagues and new acquaintances before, during, and even after the event.

    FF2014AppPostimage2
    Download Bizzabo and get connected today. Search for the app (“Bizzabo”) in the Apple App Store or at Google Play. Once you’ve downloaded the app, search for “Finovate”, sign in, and then press the green “Join the Community” bar and you’re ready to go.
    If you’re new to Bizzabo, you can sign up using your LinkedIn information or simply set up an account using your email address (the email address you used when registering for Finovate) and a password. Please email [email protected] if you are asked for a code or have any difficulty signing in.
    What is all this Bizzabo business good for?
    • See, meet, and connect with fellow Finovate attendees
    • Learn more about the presenting companies and their presentations via the “Partners” and “Agenda” tabs, respectively
    • Get to know the backgrounds of conference speakers courtesy of LinkedIn profiles.
    You can also use Bizzabo on your laptop or PC courtesy of Bizzabo’s web app – available here.

    Questions? Send us an email at [email protected] and we’ll be glad to help.

    ZenPayroll Opens Up its API to Small Business Technology Providers

    ZenPayroll Opens Up its API to Small Business Technology Providers
    ZenPayrollLogo

    For SMEs looking at the market for fintech productivity apps, the world often seems either anarchically “a la carte” or paralyzingly prix fixe.

    And while companies have come to appreciate the flexibility of having a lot of little apps doing a lot of little things, having those apps talk with each other, work with each other, can be another challenge entirely.

    I suspect this is part of the thinking behind ZenPayroll’s decision to open up its API further to make it even easier for developers to ensure that their business productivity apps play well with ZenPayroll.
    ZenPayrollGenerationE
    Writing at the ZenPayroll blog, “Head of Inbound” David Cheng said, “(This) will make it dramatically easier for small businesses to compete with large, established companies.”
    “We’re calling this movement Generation-E,” he added, “to celebrate the breed of entrepreneurs that are street smart, tech savvy, and ready to take on the world.”
    As pointed out in coverage of the announcement at TechCrunch, ZenPayroll’s stable of partners already includes thoroughbreds like Intuit and Xero (both Finovate alums, by the way). But the opening up of its API for a dozen companies goes a long way toward helping even more small business technology providers bring their useful benefits and HR-related tools to market courtesy of a ZenPayroll integration.
    ZenPayrollHomepage
    Quoted in the New York Times earlier this week, ZenPayroll CEO and Co-Founder Joshua Reeves spoke to this point, saying, “you have these huge product suites from monolithic business software companies. Companies like Oracle, Workday, and ADP typically serve large companies. They aren’t in it for the little guy.”
    Among the companies already taking advantage of the new integration are:
    • BambooHR and KinHR: human resources information systems
    • SimplyInsured and Baypoint Benefits: benefits administration
    • TSheets, WageBase/When I Work, Nimble Schedule, and Deputy: time-tracking
    • Receipt Bank: expense management
    • inDinero, Zenefits, and insynctive: back-office management
    And for developers looking to integrate with ZenPayroll, the company’s developer page – including documentation of ZenPayroll’s API – is available here.
    Founded in 2011 and based in San Francisco, ZenPayroll made its Finovate devout as part of the Spring conference earlier this year. See the company’s live demo here
    For more from fintech’s developer community, be sure to visit our FinDEVr page.

    Alumni News– September 8, 2014

    • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgPYMNTS.com profiles Tradeshift Co-Founder and CEO Christian Lanng.
    • ZenPayroll opens up its API to small business technology providers.
    • Silicon Republic takes a look at Trustev’s “multimillion-dollar security deal” with Radio Shack.
    • Tibco announces Engage software as a service to motivate consumers with real-time and predictive personalization.
    • Kony named “Leader” by Gartner in Magic Quadrant for Mobile Application Development Platforms.
    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.

    FinovateFall 2014 Sneak Peek: Part 7

    FinovateFall 2014 Sneak Peek: Part 7
    FinovateFallWithDateLogo

    In the final FinovateFall Sneak Peek of our series, we’re showcasing nine companies: eMoney Advisor, Finovera, Luxoft, Minetta Brook, P2Binvestor, SAS Games, SelfScore, Sender, and Top Image Systems

    These companies are coming to the Finovate stage in New York from all over the globe to showcase their newest fintech on September 23 and 24. Tickets are going fast; get yours here to be a part of it.
    Want to see more of what to expect at FinovateFall? Here are some companies you may have missed:

    eMoneyLogo

    With eMoney Advisor, if you’re a salesman with a practice selling products, it’s not for you. eMoney is built for advisors running a business based on relationships.

    Features:
      • With EMX, you’ll work smarter, not harder
      • Integrations and ease of use are the future
      • eMoney’s latest technology will define advisor success
    Why it’s great:
    With so many enhancements, it’s easy to focus on eMoney’s features–but it’s more important to remember the benefits: eMoney solidifies the advisor/client relationship.
    ChadeMoney

    Presenters:

    1) Chad Porche, Senior User Interface Designer  
    Kyleemoney

    2) Kyle Wharton, Director of Business Development  


    FinoveraLogo

    Finovera is transforming Online Bill Pay into holistic personal financial management with eBills and payments at its core designed for banks and credit unions.

    Features:
      • Receive, view and pay all bills – on bank site
      • Enables bill pay with credit cards – Banks get paid for offering Bill Pay
      • Great user experience – simple, convenient, attractive and mobile
    Why it’s great
    Transform your bill pay from cost center into revenue center

    PurnaFinovera

    Presenters:

    1) Purna Pareek, Founder and CEO
    Pareek is a serial entrepreneur and CEO of the company. He founded Finovera to bring simplicity, efficiency and convenience to household bill and information management.
    2) Amanda Zepeda, Marketing Manager  


    LuxoftLogo

    Luxoft’s Horizon is a cutting-edge data visualization framework for financial institutions. It enables executives to quickly identify and resolve problems in multiple domains such as risk and regulation.

    Features:
      • A fast and intuitive access to data
      • Ability to collaborate across roles and teams
      • Radically shortens the decision-making time
    Why it’s great:
    Horizon – executive dashboards that give you back control. There is no need to hide.
    pberendtLuxoft

    Presenters:

    1) Przemek Berendt, Global Marketing Vice President
    Global Marketing Vice President at Luxoft (NYSE: LXFT) responsible for its B2B, B2E, and CSR strategies. Berendt led Luxoft’s winning presentation at Finovate London 2014.
    aresufabriceimg

    2) Fabrice Aresu, Head of Business Support Group

    Aresu is Luxoft’s Horizon Product Manager, focusing on Advanced Data Visualization; he worked 15 years in Finance & Risk software, at Thomson Reuters and Oracle.





    MinettaBrooklogo

    Minetta Brook’s KNEWSAPP allows trading and investment professionals to take advantage of news related market inefficiencies by surfacing tickers, topics, and stories that are currently developing in the news.

    Features:
      • Track news, blog & tweet VELOCITY around your portfolio tickers, in real-time
      • Use its linguistics based STORY SCORES to prioritize what you read
      • Get to key active topics quickly, with STORY DNA
    Why it’s great:

    Track news, blog and twitter stories as they develop, well before they become headlines.
    MinettaBrook1

    Presenters:

    1) DB (Deepak) Bharadwaj, Founder & CEO
    Technology pioneer at Microsoft & Sun. Built and ran multiple multi-hundred million dollar businesses. Over 20 years of technology expertise with specialty in operations & turnarounds.
    MinettaBrook2

    2) Viplav Nigam, Head of Engineering

    Built & ran NASDAQ’s trading system. Developed ultra low latency news feeds for trading at RTT News. Over 20 years of financial technology experience.





    P2BinvestorLogo

    P2Binvestor (P2Bi) is a crowdlending platform for receivables-backed working capital that is supported by a crowd of accredited investors.

    Features:
      • Integrates with QuickBooks Online (API sync)
      • Streamlines the online application and lending process
      • Facilitates better account management and underwriting
    Why it’s great:
    P2Binvestor makes it really easy for borrowers to apply, get funded, and grow their credit line as their business evolves. Up to $5MM available.
    kristaMorganp2bi

    Pressenters:

    1) G. Krista Morgan, President and Cofounder
    Morgan has an extensive background in digital marketing and account leadership for blue-chip brands at some of London’s top interactive agencies. COO for P2Binvestor since 2012.
    claymcilrathp2bi

    2) Clay McIlrath, CTO

    McIlrath is a seasoned technologist with more than a decade of experience developing software applications and working with start-up companies. 



    SASGamesLogo

    SAS Games’ TiViTz College $avings Game-a-thon is a fully automated, easy-to-use, market-disrupting, patent-pending, activity-based fundraising tool for children’s college savings.

    Features:
      • Complements existing financial savings vehicles
      • Creates new college savings accounts and relationships
      • Enhances CRA outreach and provides a marketing tool for consumer and business banking 
    Why it’s great:
    The Game-a-thon provides families a solution to afford higher education by significantly increasing children’s savings, while improving their math skills and financial literacy.
    SASiobhanmullen

    Presenting:

    1) Siobhan Mullen, CEO
    Former aerospace executive and Special Adviser to the NASA Administrator, experienced high-tech entrepreneur in launch services, satellite communicatio
    ns and data distribution.
    SASstevescully

    2) Steve Scully, President

    Serial entrepreneur and investor with a focus on children’s education through games, inventor of the TiViTz educational games and tournaments.

    SelfScorelogo

    SelfScore is a disruptive consumer analytics solution that supplements FICO scores and informs a wide array of data-driven decisions.

    Features:
      • SelfScore measures consumers in better ways using more information
      • Online profiles, phone data, and questions inform the score
      • Providing insights to users and contextual information to businesses
    Why it’s great:

    SelfScore uses a proprietary algorithm to attain a more timely and accurate picture of consumer behaviors that benefit both consumers and businesses.
    KalpeshScore

    Presenters:

    1) Kalpesh Kapadia, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
    Kapadia’s professional career in finance and technology spans 20 years. Before co-founding SelfScore, managed Equanum Capital, a technology fund, from 2007 to 2012 and was the WSJ #1 Analyst in 2005.
    MichaelSelfScore

    2) Michael Hallinan, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer

    Hallinan’s professional career spans more than 12 years of strategic innovation. Before co-founding SelfScore, he worked at U.S. CyberCommand and consulted Wall St. firms while at Booz Allen Hamilton.

    SenderLogoNew

    Sender is the first messenger for businesses, enabling direct chat communication with customers. Sender – like Google’s Search Bar with endless possibilities. Sender – the last and only app.

    Features:
    • Creates 2-way communication of business with customers like in usual chat
    • Provides possibility for businesses to create business processes without developers and endless softwareApps updates
    Why it’s great
    People communicate with each other via chats with similar interfaces. Businesses communicate with people via apps with various unique interfaces and user experiences. 
    SenderK



    Presenters:

    1) Kristina Chaiykovskaya, Department Head of E-business in PrivatBank
    Sender2

    2) Maria Gurina, Liqpay Business Development Manager at PrivatBank 

    Sender3

    3) Egor Avetisov, Creative director at Sender 


    TopImageSystemsLogo

    Top Image Systems’ next-generation mobile image capture and processing solutions, like GlassCapture, are designed to make account opening, bill payment and other mobile-initiated process simple and fun!

    Features:
      • Optimal user experience leads to customer loyalty
      • Upfront validation ensures the image is correct 
      • Perfect image capture enables straight-through processing in the backend
    Why it’s great:
    FIs that establish a reputation for mobile innovation are likely to benefit in the future from greater market share and more loyal customers.

    Fintech Fundings: 20 Companies Raise $275 Million in First Week of Sept.

    September is often a busy month in financial services. And it looks like 2014 is no exception. During the first week of September, 19 fintech firms attracted $269 million in new funding. Even if you exclude the $110 million to alt-biz lender Strategic Funding Source, it was still a huge week, despite the short week caused by the USA holiday Monday. 
    Here’s your scorecard ranked by size of funding (Aug 30 through Sep 5, 2014):

    Strategic Funding Source
    Small business financing using advanced technology
    Latest round: $110 million
    Total raised: Unknown
    Tags: SMB, lending, credit, New York
    Source: Crunchbase

    IEX

    Alternative mutual funding trading platform
    Latest round: $75 million
    Total raised: $101 million
    Tags: Investing, trading, exchange, New York
    Source: Crunchbase
    Real-estate marketing and CRM solution
    Latest round: $20.1 million
    Tags: Home buying, sales, marketing, mortgage, South Carolina
    Source: Crunchbase
    Insurance automation technology
    Latest round: $16.7 million
    Total raised: $16.7 million
    Tags: Insurance, distribution, sales, mobile, California
    Source: FT Partners
    SyndicateRoom
    Equity crowdfunding platform
    Latest round: $16.6 million
    Total raised: $16.6 million
    Tags: Crowdfunding, SMB, UK
    Source: Crunchbase

    Prepaid card in India
    Latest round: $15 million
    Total raised: Unknown
    Tags: Prepaid, debit card, India
    Source: Crunchbase
    Technology for distributing shareholder and other investor information
    Latest round: $7 million
    Total raised: $7 million
    Tags: Investing, proxies, communications, New York
    Source: Crunchbase
    Wecash
    Chinese big data technology for loan underwriting
    Latest round: $6.5 million
    Total raised: 
    Tags: Big data, underwriting, credit score, China
    Source: FT Partners
    Health care billing and payments technology (aka VisitPay.com)
    Latest round: $5 million
    Total raised: $7.1 million
    Tags: Payments, medical, Idaho
    Source: VentureBeat
    Automating private placements (Fundroom.com)
    Latest round: $1 million
    Total raised: $4 million
    Tags: Investing, marketplace, private placements, equity, Virginia
    Source: SEC
    Manages receivables for healthcare providers
    Latest round: $358,000
    Total raised: Unknown
    Tags: Billpay, accounting, SMB, healthcare, California
    Source: SEC
    Home search technology
    Latest round: $275,000
    Total raised: $275,000
    Tags: Real estate, mortgage, Texas
    Source: Crunchbase
    Russian mobile-optimized bank
    Latest round: $46,000
    Total raised: $446,000
    Tags: Near bank, mobile, Russia, Finovate alum (FF13)
    Source: Crunchbase
    Mobile identity and fraud protection
    Latest round: $46,000
    Total raised: $1.8 million
    Tags: Security, authentication, mobile, MasterCard accelerator, Finland
    Source: Crunchbase
    Mobile identity and fraud protection
    Latest round: $46,000
    Total raised: Unknown
    Tags: Security, authentication, mobile, MasterCard accelerator, Ireland
    Source: Crunchbase
    ZenCard
    Mobile loyalty with bank integrations
    Latest round: $46,000
    Total raised: $46,000
    Tags: Mobile, loyalty, cards, MasterCard accelerator, Poland
    Source: Crunchbase
    Indian mobile payments company
    Latest round: Undisclosed
    Total raised: At least $2.2 million
    Tags: Payments, mobile, India
    Source: FT Partners
    Technology to underwrite credit using mobile phone behavior
    Latest round: Unknown (series B)
    Total raised: More than $1.5 million
    Tags: Credit, lending, underbank
    ed, mobile, underwriting, Massachusetts 
    Source: FT Partners
    Asian payments gateway
    Latest round: Undisclosed
    Total raised: Undisclosed
    Tags: Payments, Singapore
    Source: Crunchbase
    Russian credit assessments for microfinance applications
    Latest round: Undisclosed
    Total raised: Undisclosed
    Tags: Credit, underwriting, microfinance, Russia
    Source: Crunchbase

    Finovate Alums Among SWIFT Innotribe’s Startup Challenge Finalists

    Finovate Alums Among SWIFT Innotribe’s Startup Challenge Finalists
    InnotribeLogo

    With more than 280 companies applying, and 47 companies selected to compete, the Innotribe Startup Challenge is down to the top 15 companies that will move on to the Grand Finale. And six of the companies to advance are Finovate alums.

    Sibos

    The Innotribe Startup Challenge is part of Sibos, the conference held by SWIFT each year. The goal of the Challenge is to help what the contest categorizes as “startups” and “innovators” get access and exposure to the broader fintech community. Events are held in London, Singapore, and New York during which competing companies pitch their innovations to industry experts and fintech investors. 

    The Grand Finale will be held on October 1 at Sibos. The winning companies – one “early stage startup” and one “growth-stage innovator” – will receive a prize of $50,000 USD.
    The six Finovate alums among the finalists are below.
    Thumbnail image for AMPLogoHiRes.jpg

    “Innovator”
    Founded: 2009
    HQ: Hong Kong, China

    Thumbnail image for currencytransferLogoNew.jpg

    “Startup”
    Founded: 2013
    HQ: London, UK

    Thumbnail image for fastcashlogo.jpg

    “Innovator”
    Founded: 2012
    HQ: Singapore
    “Startup”
    Founded: 2012
    HQ: Seattle, WA

    Thumbnail image for MambuLogo.jpg

    “Innovator”
    Founded: 2011
    HQ: Berlin, Germany

    Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Wallaby_logo.jpg

    “Innovator”
    Founded: 2011
    HQ: Pasadena, CA
    Said Fabian Vendenreydt, Head of Markets Management, Innotribe and the SWIFT Institute at SWIFT said “Since it started in 2011, the Innotribe Startup Challenge has provided a huge opportunity to our community to understand and support this innovation.” 
    For more information about the Innotribe’s Startup Challenge, visit their page here.