B2B Currency Exchange Specialist Kantox Raises $9 Million in Series A Round

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Kantox

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This time a year ago, Kantox was on stage at FinovateEurope, showing the world its peer-to-peer currency exchange for SMEs.

Today, the company is announcing its largest funding round to date: a Series A investment of €6.5 million (approximately $9 million). The round was led by Partech Ventures and IDinvest Partners, which joined previous investor, Cabiedes & Partners.

The new investment brings the company’s funding total to more than $12 million. Kantox plans to use the capital to help develop its peer-to-peer trading technology, as well as to expand the company’s presence in Europe. Philippe Gelis, Kantox CEO, said, “We are extremely excited to have secured this latest round of funding, and can’t wait to continue building out our sales teams in Germany, France, Spain, the UK and Italy.”

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Kantox specializes in helping small and medium sized businesses access optimal foreign currency exchange rates. Kantox leverages its peer-to-peer technology to provide SMEs with a way to avoid costly (and often undisclosed) FX fees typically demanded by brokerage firms and banks.
“Large corporates enjoy access to really competitive rates while SMEs and mid-caps – who usually don’t have access to live rates or an in-house FX expert – are overcharged by a banking oligopoly which promotes opacity,” Gelis said.
A few Kantox metrics:
  • Serves more than 500 corporate clients
  • Anticipates processing more than 1 billion euros in transactions in 2014.
  • Provides ability to trade more than 25 international currencies
  • Saved more than 70% of its customers more than 80% compared to banks and brokerages
Kantox is one of a number of innovators in this P2P currency exchange space, competing alongside fellow Europeans (and Finovate alums) like CurrencyTransfer and TransferWise. The company is headquartered in the UK, and has offices in Barcelona, Spain.

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FinovateEurope 2014 is Sold Out!

By Eric Mattson Posted on
Categories: Uncategorized

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We’re very excited to announce that FinovateEurope 2014 is sold out and the wait list is growing quickly. The demand for our 4th annual event in London has been unprecedented and we believe yet another sign of how vibrant the European fintech industry has become.

On this Tuesday and Wednesday, almost 1,000 innovators will witness the future of fintech debut live at Old Billingsgate Market Hall in the heart of London.

Here is a small sample of the organizations that will be in attendance:

  • ABN Amro
  • ABN AMRO
  • Accel Partners
  • AIB Bank
  • American Express
  • AXA Bank
  • Balderton Capital
  • Banco Santander
  • Bank Julius Baer
  • Bank of America
  • Bank of East Asia
  • Bank of Ireland
  • Barclays
  • BNP Paribas
  • Bradesco Bank
  • Capgemini
  • Celent
  • comdirect bank
  • Cortal Consors
  • Credit Suisse
  • Datamonitor Financial
  • e-laCaixa
  • Ernst & Young
  • Erste Bank
  • Euromoney
  • Experian
  • FHB Bank
  • Fidelity Investments
  • Financial Technology Partners
  • Financial Times
  • Fiserv
  • Forbes
  • Forrester
  • Gartner
  • General Atlantic
  • Goldman Sachs
  • Google
  • HSBC
  • Index Ventures
  • ING DIRECT
  • Investec
  • Jyske Bank
  • KPMG
  • Lloyds
  • MasterCard
  • Mergermarket
  • Microsoft
  • Nationwide
  • OTP Bank
  • Ovum
  • PostFinance
  • Rabobank
  • RBKMoney
  • RBS
  • Riyadbank
  • Route 66 Ventures
  • Royal Bank of Scotland
  • S&P Capital IQ
  • Sberbank of Russia
  • SBT Venture Capital
  • Scottish Equity Partners
  • Silicon Valley Bank
  • SKAGEN Funds
  • SNS Bank
  • SocGen
  • Sparebanken
  • Standard Bank Group
  • Standard Life
  • Suncorp
  • Sutor Bank
  • Swedbank
  • SWIFT
  • Swisscom
  • T. Garanti Bankasi
  • TechCrunch
  • Techstars
  • The Bancorp
  • The Economist
  • The New York Times
  • The Wall Street Journal
  • Thomson Reuters
  • TSB Bank
  • UBS AG
  • Unicredit Bank
  • Velocity Capital
  • Visa
  • Volksbank Bühl
  • Wellington Partners
  • Western Union
  • Wonga.com
  • Yahoo Japan
  • And many more!

If you’re like to follow along with all the FinovateEurope innovations, our research team will be live blogging the conference at Finovate.com and you can also search for #finovate on twitter. If you’re interested in getting on the wait list for the event, please email us at europe@finovate.com.

Please note we’re also seeing strong demand for our FinovateSpring 2014 event in Silicon Valley in late April. If you’re interested in locking in your ability to attend that event, please register soon.

FinovateEurope 2014 is sponsored by: The Bancorp, Be Group, Financial Technology Partners, and Life.SREDA.

FinovateEurope 2014 is partners with: Aite Group, Bank Innovators Council, BankersHub, Celent, The Financial Services Club, FSIC, Hotwire PR, Level39, Mapa Research, SME Finance Forum, Visible Banking, & World Finance.

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Finovate Alumni News– February 7, 2014

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: EyeVerify, IntelliResponse, Klarna, Realty Mogul
  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgKansas City, Kansas mayor declares February 6th “EyeVerify Day.”
  • Klarna announces broader expansion in Europe, interest in Japan and the US.
  • LA Times real estate column on innovations in lending features Realty Mogul.
  • Opus Research report names IntelliResponse as a leader in the Enterprise Virtual Assistant 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.

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FinovateEurope 2014 Launches Tuesday. Come Join Us!

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: FinovateEurope 2014

The Finovate team is on their way to London, and that can only mean one thing: FinovateEurope 2014 is just around the corner!

Here’s what you need to know as you prepare to attend the biggest show we’ve ever hosted in Europe:

Schedule
Registration opens at 8AM on Tuesday, February 11 and the demos will go from 9:00AM Tuesday until 3:30PM on Wednesday.

If you don’t have your ticket yet, there’s still time. Ticket registration will be open until we sell out. Click here to be a part of our record-breaking audience.

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Venue
We’ll be returning to the Old Billingsgate Market Hall on the Thames. As a reminder, here’s the address:

1 Old Billingsgate Walk 16 Lower Thames Street London, EC3R 6DX
Presenters
Throughout the two day event, 67 companies will have a chance to show off their newest technology from the Finovate stage. Check out our Presenters page to learn more about each company.Euro2014BookletLogoCloud.jpgQuestions about the event? Check out the FAQ or contact info@finovate.com.

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PayNearMe Leverages Family Dollar Partnership; Raises $20 Million

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: PayNearMe

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Helping separate itself from the growing pack of consumer payments platforms, PayNearMe‘s partnership with the Family Dollar retail chain will bring the company’s cash payment solution to more than 8,000 locations in 40 states.

“Footprint” has been the company’s biggest limitation, according to PayNearMe CEO Danny Shader. With the technology already in use at 7-Elevens and ACE Cash Express, the addition of Family Dollar will expand PayNearMe’s reach to 17,000 payment locations.

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PayNearMe also announced a major new funding: $20 million in a round led by GSV Capital, with existing investors August Capital, Khosla Ventures, Maveron, and True Ventures also participating. The company’s total funding now stands at more than $56 million.
A cash transaction network, PayNearMe provides an easy way for cash-based consumers to pay bills, rent, auto loans, and other obligations at designated payment locations. The solution benefits consumers who prefer to pay with cash, retailers who gain additional foot traffic to their brick and mortar locations – as well as earning commissions from their PayNearMe payments, and merchants looking to expand their customer base by accepting cash. 
According to PayNearMe, the cash economy remains important, especially for the underbanked. They note:
  • More than 28% of U.S. households are un- or underbanked
  • 68 million adults living in the U.S. are un- or underbanked
  • 54% of U.S. adults cite cash as their preferred form of payment
For its part, PayNearMe has experienced major growth, including a tripling of payment volume from 2012 to 2013. 
PayNearMe demoed its technology as part of the FinovateFall 2011 show in New York. See the company in action here.

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Finovate Alumni News– February 6, 2014

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Billeo, FIS, Mambu, PayNearMe
  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgFIS announces multi-year business process outsourcing agreement with wealth manager Diversified Trust.
  • Mexican micro-lender Kueski chooses Mambu’s cloud banking platform.
  • Billeo launches social e-commerce solution for Facebook fan pages and Twitter.
  • PayNearMeleverages Family Dollar partnership; raises $20 million.
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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New OBR Published: Money 3.0

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: bitcoin, Online Banking Report

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The report, Money 3.0: Payments Go Mobile examines the evolution of money beyond cash, check and credit cards. We also take a look at the biggest story in payments over the past six months, the rise of bitcoin. If you believe the proponents, we’ve been witnessing the founding of the “internet for money.” 
That may be true, but like Napster when it created the “internet for music” there will be substantial push-back from existing players. And this time, legacy providers will have the full support of the government to keep the newcomers in check. 
But as the music industry changed post-Napster, we expect the rise of bitcoin, and digital financial transfers in general (especially mobile), to have lasting impact on the financial services industry. The rapid rise of mobile payments at PayPal, the original alt-payments disrupter, illustrates the speed of change in the space.
This report looks at the latest developments and recommends potential courses of action for financial institutions of all sizes.


About the report


Money 3.0: Payments Go Mobile (link)

Apple, Bitcoin, & mobile apps are changing the game. What’s a bank to do?

Author: Julie Schicktanz, Research Analyst
Editor: Jim Bruene, Editor & Founder
Published: 4 February 2014
Length: 36 pages
Cost: No extra charge to OBR subscribers, US$395 for others here

Report excerpt:

A look at Fidor Bank’s recent involvement in bitcoin:
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Finovate Alumni News– February 5, 2014

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: ACI Worldwide, Backbase, Digital Insight, Digital Mailer, Experian, Fiserv, Flint Mobile, Kabbage, PlayMoolah, Taulia
  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgKabbage expands platform to serve all SMBs: online, brick-and-mortar, and services businesses.
  • Spend Matters interviews Taulia’s Markus Ament on its discounting philosophy, e-invoicing, and ERP.
  • Gartner recognizes Backbase CXP as being at the forefront of UX design and mobile development support.
  • Washington Federal picks Fiserv’s DNA account processing platform.
  • Digital Mailer adds eight new financial institutions to its My Virtual Strongbox service.
  • Experian launches real-time data sharing service for UK credit providers.
  • Genesis Financial chooses ACI Worldwide to power multichannel call center and eLockbox payment options.
  • LegacyTexas Bank of Plano to work with Digital Insight to deploy online and mobile banking solutions. See Digital Insight demo at FinovateEurope next week.
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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Finovate Alumni News– February 4, 2014

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Banno, Finovera, Jack Henry, Kofax, Luminous, Nous.net, Pindrop Security, Refundo, TransferWise
  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgNous makes it to the finals of UK’s Million Pound Startup competition. Check them out at FinovateEurope in London.
  • Luminous partners with Jack Henry & Associates. Come see them both at FinovateEurope next week.
  • Pindrop Security achieves record growth in 2013 fueled by rising phone-based fraud.
  • Sun Hearlad features Finovera as a new site to help manage personal finances.
  • In yet another partnership, Refundo partners with Stripe to process payments for tax preparers.
  • CNB Texas launches responsive design website from Banno for greater cross-sell potential.
  • Top-Five U.S. Bank makes million dollar investment in software licenses for Kofax’s Mobile Capture. Come see Kofax’s live demo at FinovateEurope.
  • VentureBeat lists TransferWise among London’s hottest startups.
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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FinovateEurope 2014: Guess Who’s Coming to London?

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: FinovateEurope 2014

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Make no mistake – one of the biggest selling points of Finovate is the high-quality networking. With dedicated networking sessions setup throughout both presentation days, we do everything we can to make sure that you get the opportunity to meet some of the most interesting people in financial technology today.

Just take a look at the titles of the more than 1,000 industry professionals who will be attending this year’s FinovateEurope.

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CEOs and CTOs. Presidents and Partners. Founders, Directors and more. Whether they were there building the company from the beginning or brought onboard afterward to help make the climb to the next level, the attendees of FinovateEurope 2014 will be another stimulating mix of movers, shakers, and IT decision-makers.
And while our events always attract C-level talent, be on the lookout for the Creative Consultants, the Heads of Innovation, the Business Architects … all of whom can be equally valuable in helping enterprises and entrepreneurs make the most of the Finovate experience.
There’s still plenty of time for you to get your ticket and save your spot at our biggest FinovateEurope yet. For more information, visit our FinovateEurope page today.

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Red Zebra Analytics Announces Seven-Figure Investment from SBT Venture Capital

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Red Zebra

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Sometimes innovation in loyalty program development is its own reward.

London-based Red Zebra Analytics announced that it has picked up a “seven-figure” investment from SBT Venture Capital. The specific amount of the venture round was not disclosed. But the figure is believed to be under five million pounds (approximately $8M USD). The capital also represents the first significant funding for the loyalty program specialist.

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A self-described “offers generation and delivery company” Red Zebra Analytics provides technology that analyzes bank transaction data in order to provide highly-targeted offers. Consumers review and select personalized offers from a “rewards hub” inside their bank’s online banking environment via the channel of their choice. And once accepted, taking advantage of offers is as simple as paying with that bank’s credit or debit card – no vouchers and no codes necessary.
According to Red Zebra CEO, Attul Sehgal, the new capital will help the company grow its sales and marketing initiatives. The technology already has been deployed in Germany, as well as in Southeast Asia.
Founded in August 2011, Red Zebra Analytics demoed its technology as part of FinovateAsia 2013, and will be on stage as part of the show at FinovateEurope 2014 next week. For info on how to see Red Zebra live in London, click here.

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Finovate Alumni News–February 3, 2014

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: FinanceIt, HelloWallet, Holvi, Monitise, Taulia, TSYS
  • Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgMonitise acquires Pozitron in all share deal worth $100 million.
  • TSYS announces two new board members: William M. Isaac and Connie D. McDaniel.
  • Washington Post features HelloWallet’s principal scientist.
  • Spend Matters interviews Taulia’s Chief Product Officer.
  • Arctic Startup: Holvi lets startups compare their finances to Apple’s first year.
  • FinanceIt’s Casper Wong nominated for Inc Magazine’s 30 Under 30.
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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