Minna Technologies Launches Merchant Solution for Fight Subscription Cancellations

Minna Technologies Launches Merchant Solution for Fight Subscription Cancellations
  • Minna Technologies has launched a new solution to help merchants recover revenue and re-engage customers who recently canceled subscriptions.
  • The new offering, Merchant Solutions, helps solve a pain point in which bank cards are often blocked during a subscription cancellation.
  • Merchant Solutions tackles the new reality of subscription management in which customers are more proactive toward both signing up for and cancelling subscription-based services.

Sweden-based subscription management infrastructure company Minna Technologies unveiled its new Merchant Solutions late last week. The solution will enable subscription-based businesses to recover revenue from customers who have recently canceled their service and who manage their subscriptions via their retail bank app.

“We are thrilled to allow the 20% of consumers who cancel with Minna to more easily return to the subscription service when it suits them; and to enable subscription businesses to more personally retarget these consumers with suitable offers,” Minna Technologies Chief Product Officer Tiama Hanson-Drury said. “Not every cancellation is a desire to sever ties with the merchant – often it is a call for increased flexibility or personalization. By keeping the channel open, merchants have the chance to evolve the customer relationship and reacquire the consumer.”

Minna Technologies’ new solution also helps merchants deal with an unintended consequence of consumer protection efforts that require banks to support subscription payment management, especially with regard to unidentified or unintended payments. Sometimes, the subscription cancellation process results in the customer’s bank card being blocked to prevent future wrongful payments. Minna Technologies cited a study by Experian Insights that indicated that almost 80% of those who try to re-establish their subscriptions within three months after canceling have found that their bank cards have been blocked. This friction can be enough to cause the customer to abandon the attempt to resubscribe to the service.

To this end, Minna will offer a new “unblock” feature that facilitates communication between banks and subscription businesses to unblock bank cards in instances when banks have confidence that no wrongful payments will be reattempted by the business. This block removal service will help alleviate operational issues and the potential for poor customer service when payments are automatically blocked during subscription cancellation. Minna noted that the Unblock feature is one example of the kind of assistance the company is developing for subscription-based merchants with other solutions, including a way to prevent cancellations in the first place, to be offered in the near future.

Minna Technologies’ new offering also responds to the challenge of what Minna Technologies’ VP of Sales, Partnerships and Solutions Erica Katsambis referred to as the “rise of new subscription personas”. These personas reflect a growing assertiveness on the part of consumers who are more likely to be proactive in expressing their digital preferences than consumers of even a few years ago.

“From the ‘lost, confused, and angry’ who are disengaged and canceling via their bank, to the ‘savvy’ consumers switching subscriptions regularly or those consumers happy to try out many new subscriptions, they all demand more from their subscriptions,” Katsambis explained. “It is more important than ever to diversify and bolster digital channels and functionality to retain users, grow your customer base, and prevent unwanted churn.”

Minna Technologies made its Finovate debut at FinovateEurope 2019. In the time since then, the company has forged partnerships with ING Belgium, Lloyds Bank, and Danske Bank; earned recognition as an Inclusive Fintech 50 member; and raised more than $23 million in funding. Late last year, Minna launched its “1-click” subscription management solution. Early this year, the company announced the appointment of new board chairwoman, Amanda Mesler.


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Worldline Taps Alogen to Offer Lenders Credit Assessment Tool

Worldline Taps Alogen to Offer Lenders Credit Assessment Tool
  • Payment and transaction services company Worldline and credit decisioning firm Algoan are joining forces.
  • The two are developing a credit assessment tool that will help lenders make better, faster, and more efficient lending decisions.
  • The credit assessment solution will leverage Worldline’s open banking experience as well as Algoan’s credit decisioning expertise.

Payment and transaction services company Worldline announced a partnership with credit decisioning firm Algoan. As part of the agreement, the two firms will work together to develop a credit assessment solution to help lenders and services providers make better credit decisions.

Specifically, the partnership will leverage Worldline’s open banking experience. “At Worldline we look for innovative partners who share our vision and enable us to enrich and expand our open banking services,” said Worldline Managing Director Financial Services Michael Steinbach. “As a lead and one of the largest Open Banking providers in Europe, we are committed to unlocking the full potential of Open Banking. With Algoan, we will be able to offer our customers an end-to-end and cost-efficient white-label solution to assess credit worthiness.”

According to Alogan CEO Michael Diguet, it is an ideal time to launch this solution. “Open Banking credit scoring is experiencing momentum that big players should embrace,” said Diguet.

Another key resource behind the credit assessment solution is Alogen’s four years of credit scoring expertise. Financial institutions can use the new tool to receive more accurate credit scoring and increased processing efficiency. Underwriting use cases include personal finance, consumer lending, auto finance and leasing, retail lending, BNPL, insurance, and utility providers.

The credit assessment solution will also bring benefits to borrowers. The enhanced data means that more borrowers may be approved and will receive their approval faster.

Having won its first contract to facilitate card transactions in 1973, Worldline currently has 20,000 employees in more than 50 countries and counts annual revenue of almost $4 billion. Gilles Grapinet is CEO.


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LexisNexus Acquires Behavioral Biometrics Pioneer BehavioSec

LexisNexus Acquires Behavioral Biometrics Pioneer BehavioSec
  • LexisNexis announced its acquisition of behavioral biometrics innovator BehavioSec. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
  • The acquisition adds to LexisNexis’ fraud and identity risk management capability following its 2018 acquisition of ThreatMetrix.
  • Sweden-based BehavioSec won Best of Show in its Finovate debut at FinovateSpring in 2012.

Yesterday we shared the news that Finovate newcomer – and recent Best of Show winner – Long Game had been acquired by Truist. Today, we see that the M&A train continues to chug down the tracks with word that another Finovate alum that also won Best of Show in its Finovate debut – has been acquired.

BehavioSec, which won top honors in its Finovate debut at FinovateSpring 2012, has agreed to be acquired by LexisNexis Risk Solutions, a part of RELX. Among the pioneers in advanced behavioral biometrics, Sweden-based BehavioSec leverages behavioral analysis to provide continuous authentication to establish identity and prevent fraud. The company’s technology gives firms a passive method and frictionless approach to identity management, analyzing the complex mobile signals from touchscreens and sensors to seamlessly prevent fraud before it strikes.

“Behavioral biometrics is a valuable component in fraud prevention strategies that layer defenses to tighten the net that stops fraudsters,” LexisNexis Business Services CEO Rick Trainor explained. Complimenting BehavioSec as a “forerunner” in the behavioral biometrics industry that “continues to evolve and innovate,” Trainor added that “our combined customer base will benefit significantly from a blended behavioral biometrics solution within ThreatMetrix that offers more defense for customers without adding friction across the customer journey.”

Terms of the acquisition have not been made available. BehavioSec CEO Dr. Neil Costigan said that he is looking forward to “discovering the next phase in the evolution for behavioral biometrics alongside a successful, innovative company looking to further evolve our advanced capabilities.”

BehavioSec’s acquisition by LexisNexis Risk Solutions comes after a year of major activity for the company. Last summer, BehavioSec unveiled a new compliant, hosted version and a new cloud-native, SaaS version of its platform. The offering made it easier for more organizations to take advantage of BehavioSec’s anti-fraud technology, satisfying compliance requirements and embracing frictionless, multi-factor authentication. In May, the company launched new authentication and fraud detection capabilities via its BehavioSense platform. The platform features accelerated profile training, doppelgänger detection, enhanced mobile fraud detection, and predictive modeling.

“Our newest features respond to customer feedback and, frankly, market demands,” VP of Products at BehavioSec Jordan Blake said when the solution was introduced. “These features add to our platform’s existing anti-fraud capabilities and are designed to solve the COVID-19 era challenge of accelerated digital transformation, online security, and privacy regulation compliance.”


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Truist Acquires Finovate Best of Show Winner Long Game

Truist Acquires Finovate Best of Show Winner Long Game
  • Truist has acquired mobile savings gamification app, Long Game.
  • Long Game uses strategies from the prize-linked savings and mobile gamification worlds to drive customer engagement and increase brand loyalty for banks.
  • Long Game won Best of Show in its Finovate debut last September at FinovateFall 2021 in New York.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. But U.S.-based financial services company Truist announced today that it has acquired bank engagement and savings gamification app, Long Game.

“Truist’s commitment to help people build financial wellness is exactly what we are about at Long Game,” company co-founder and CEO Lindsay Holden said. “We’ve revolutionized bank engagement and are eager to apply ourselves to creating disruptive technologies that help Truist deliver a human touch in new ways.”

Long Game won Best of Show in its Finovate debut at FinovateFall in New York last year. The company offers a bank-branded mobile app that leverages the best practices from prize-linked savings and mobile gaming to help banks acquire new customers, boost customer engagement, and promote financial literacy – with a particular focus on Millennial and Gen Z customers.

Courtesy of the acquisition, Long Game’s team of engineers, designers, and business leaders will join Truist’s innovation team. Holden will lead a San Francisco, California-based crew of engineers, product managers, and designers as they develop new client-centric solutions.

“At Truist we are laser-focused on shaping the future of finance with innovative people and products – and democratizing entrepreneurial opportunity while we do it,” Vanessa Indriolo Vreeland of Truist Ventures said. “Long Game is a female-led business with a diverse team of incredibly talented innovators creating unique solutions to help people achieve financial confidence.”

The acquisition is designed to help Truist reach a younger demographic. Truist also sees Long Game’s technology as complementary to its workplace financial wellness program, Truist Momentum, that helps employees better manage their finances based on their goals and values. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Truist was formed in 2019 as a result of the merger between BB&T and SunTrust Banks. Truist is a publicly traded company on the NYSE under the ticker symbol TFC. The firm has a market capitalization of $66 billion.

Learn more about Long Game! Check out our interview with company co-founder and CEO Lindsay Holden on the Finovate Podcast with Greg Palmer.


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Fiserv Taps The Clearing House to Expand Access to Real-Time Payments

Fiserv Taps The Clearing House to Expand Access to Real-Time Payments
  • Fiserv is leveraging a partnership with The Clearing House to help its bank clients offer real time payments.
  • Banks that integrate into Fiserv’s NOW Gateway will benefit from real time payments in peer-to-peer payments, interbank account transfers, billpay, and more.
  • The partnership comes as the U.S. Federal Reserve announced pilot participants of its own real time payments system, FedNow.

Fintech solutions provider Fiserv is in the fintech headlines today for its move to help its bank clients provide real time payments to their end users. The Wisconsin-based company is partnering with The Clearing House (TCH), which is allowing Fiserv’s bank customers to access its Real Time Payments (RTP) network via Fiserv’s NOW Gateway.

Banks can integrate into the NOW Gateway, which leverages the RTP network, to offer their clients a range of real time payments services, including peer-to-peer payments with Zelle, payouts for gig economy work and insurance claims, interbank account transfers, and real time bill payments. Ultimately, the move will allow financial institutions to send and receive real time payments on behalf of their customers over the RTP network, which connects to over 60% of bank accounts in the U.S.

“To remain competitive, financial institutions must offer real-time payment capabilities. That’s why we are committed to making real-time implementation easier for any financial institution, from regional bank to community bank, to credit union,” said Fiserv’s President of Digital Payments and Data Aggregation Matt Wilcox. “Our work with The Clearing House to integrate the RTP network with our NOW Gateway is the latest advancement towards this goal.”

Founded in 1853, TCH clears and settles more than $2 trillion a day through wire, ACH, check image, and real-time payments. The company’s RTP network facilitates real time payments by immediately clearing and settling payments. In the first quarter of this year, the network cleared almost 37 million transactions totaling almost $16 billion.

Today’s news comes as the U.S. Federal Reserve’s real time payments tool, FedNow, began onboarding pilot participants. Fiserv is among the first 120 pilot organizations, a list which also includes Finastra, Green Dot, Q2, Square, Temenos, and Visa. The purpose of the pilot is to establish connectivity and perform technical and operational tasks that will lay the groundwork for full-scale, end-to-end testing later this year.

Fiserv most recently demoed at FinovateWest 2020 where it showcased its Virtual Banking Assistant, a tool that helps banks deliver intelligent, AI-driven conversational experiences. With nearly 10,000 financial institution clients, the company facilitates 12,000 transactions each second. Frank Bisignano is president and CEO.


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American Express Teams Up with Billtrust to Streamline Virtual Card Acceptance

American Express Teams Up with Billtrust to Streamline Virtual Card Acceptance
  • American Express and Billtrust announced a partnership that will leverage automation to enhance acceptance of AMEX virtual cards.
  • The collaboration is designed to meet the accounts receivable (AR) needs of suppliers who are experiencing faster payments and increased cash flow.
  • A Finovate alum since 2015, American Express recently partnered with i2c to help fintechs and financial institutions develop solutions on its payments network.

A partnership between American Express and B2B accounts receivable (AR) automation and integrated payments innovator Billtrust will make it easier for suppliers to accept payments via AMEX’s virtual cards.

The integration, announced late last week, will enable suppliers to automate and accelerate virtual card payments and to benefit from real-time insight into their outstanding invoices and current cash flow. The partnership, according to AMEX President of U.S. Global Merchant Services Colleen Taylor, is designed to help suppliers keep pace with both an increased demand for products and services, as well as a need for faster, more efficient payment processes. This is due, Taylor suggested, in large part to the trend of businesses “moving away from paper-based payments to electronic payments for the greater visibility and speed they provide.”

Unfortunately, this trend of faster payments and larger cash flows also means that many companies have existing AR systems that are often inadequate. The partnership between American Express and Billtrust responds to this challenge by giving suppliers a complete solution that covers all aspects of the AR process, including credit decisioning, ordering, invoicing, payments, cash application, and collections. The partnership also will give suppliers access to Billtrust’s Business Payments Network (BPM), which boosts invoice and digital payment efficiency by connecting them with hundreds of buyers and buyer portals.

“Both Billtrust and American Express recognize the need to support merchants and suppliers in responding to buyer demands for digital payment options,” Billtrust CEO Flint Lane said. “This collaboration brings automation to American Express merchants and suppliers, helping create better outcomes and increased customer satisfaction.”

American Express has been a Finovate alum since 2015, when the company presented The role of B2B payments in the evolving commerce ecosystem at our developers conference, FinDEVr Silicon Valley. The company’s partnership news with Billtrust comes in the wake of a collaboration with digital payment and banking technology company i2c that will make it easier for fintechs and financial institutions to develop and scale products on AMEX’s global payments network. American Express trades on the NYSE under the ticker AXP, and has a market capitalization of $127 billion.


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Personetics Teams Up with Ecolytiq to Launch New Sustainability Insights Offering

Personetics Teams Up with Ecolytiq to Launch New Sustainability Insights Offering
  • Personetics launched its Sustainability Insights solution this week, giving consumers visibility into the carbon emissions of their spending and investments.
  • The new offering is made possible thanks to a partnership with sustainability-as-a-service company ecolytiq.
  • The launch of Sustainability Insights comes less than a month after the company introduced new proactive cash flow management functionality on its platform.

Financial data-driven personalization innovator Personetics announced the launch of a new offering, Sustainability Insights, to help financial institutions respond to consumer demand – and increasing expectations from regulators — for sustainable, environmentally-responsible, climate-aware finance. The new solution has been made possible courtesy of Personetics’ partnership with sustainability-as-a-service company ecolytiq, and will enable customers to see their own carbon footprint, as well as suggest ways they can reduce the impact of their transactions on the climate by pursuing greener spending options and financial objectives that are support climate sustainability.

“Personetics Sustainability Insights are the next evolution in sustainable finance,” Personetics CEO David Sosna said. “Beyond just showing back customers their carbon footprint, we offer them specific actions that they can take today to reduce their carbon impact, choose climate-friendly savings goals, and push the industry in a greener direction.”

Sustainability Insights offers consumers a personalized, holistic “financial map” that graphically shows the carbon emissions of customer spending and/or investments. The solution also offers personalized insights and advice, tailored to the customer’s financial profile, to help them reduce those carbon emissions. The recommendations range from the more modest, for example, transacting with a different, more eco-conscious merchant, to the more comprehensive, such as setting up a savings plan to pay for the installation of solar panels on a home. Sustainability Insights also leverages quizzes and feedback insights to enhance the accuracy of its recommendations. In a statement, Personetics noted that the solution is based on the company’s “four pillars of sustainable finance” strategy; namely, that the technology be integrated, relatable, interactive, and actionable.

Sustainability Insights is also designed to have benefits for banks and financial institutions, as well as for their customers. For one, Sosna highlighted the ability of the solution to improve customer engagement, and open up new opportunities for cross-selling. “This will create deeper relationships with banking customers and ultimately support banks’ ESG reporting,” Sosna explained. “Every financial institution can be a leader in green banking with Sustainability Insights.”

A Finovate alum since 2016, Personetics serves more than 80 financial institutions in 30 global markets, and reaches 120 million customers. An innovator in the field of financial data-driven personalization, customer engagement, and advanced money management capabilities for financial services, Personetics is dedicated to what it calls “the future of self-driving finance” in which banks are able to serve their customers’ financial wellness needs proactively.

Speaking of which, earlier this month Personetics introduced new “proactive cash flow management” capabilities on its platform. The offering is geared toward helping mitigate liquidity issues that customers face that often lead to overdrafts. Proactive cash flow management predicts 70% of overdraft situations, reduces the frequency of low balance incidents, provides personalized recommendations to help fix overdrafts, and helps enhance customer relationships with their financial institution, leading to higher customer lifetime value (CLV).

“Progressive banks all over the world are seeking new ways to help customers with their money management,” Jody Bhagat, President of Americas at Personetics, said when the cash flow management capabilities were launched. “By adopting a data-driven, personalized approach, banks can unleash their creativity in delivering tailored solutions and treatments that put customers’ financial wellness at the center of the experience.”


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Entersekt and Bonifii Team Up to Bring Context-Aware Authentication Solutions to Credit Unions

Entersekt and Bonifii Team Up to Bring Context-Aware Authentication Solutions to Credit Unions
  • South African identity authentication specialist Entersket has teamed up with U.S. FX network Bonifii.
  • The partnership will give credit unions access to passwordless, context-based authentication technology.
  • The new solution, MemberPass Express, will provide multi-channel authentication in less than ten seconds.

Identity authentication provider Entersekt has announced a collaboration with U.S.-based foreign currency network Bonifii that will enable more credit unions to take advantage of new passwordless, context-aware authentication technology.

The new offering, MemberPass Express, will be made available via MemberPass, the first KYC-compliant, member-controlled digital identity issued by credit union cooperatives. MemberPass Express will enable credit union members to authenticate their identity during e-commerce, online, or mobile banking transactions, as well as while visiting a branch or contacting a call center. The new seamless authentication process, which provides multi-channel authentication in less than 10 seconds, is currently being piloted with a pair of credit unions.

“The joint new solution leverages artificial intelligence to protect members from fraud by analyzing the context (such as identity, behavior, location, device, and channel) of each user journey in real-time,” Entersekt CEO Schalk Nolte said. “This informs the most appropriate member authentication method that will be used, and means that members will now benefit from industry-leading authentication, while enjoying a fast and smooth user experience.”

A Finovate alum since its appearance at FinDEVr Silicon Valley in 2014, Entersekt in recent years has forged partnerships with edtech Mindjoy and the MiDO Foundation to support financial literacy in high schools, teamed up with Netcetera to bring new authentication options to Germany’s Hanseatic Bank, and announced a collaboration with open banking platform company ndgit that added Entersekt’s customer authentication and smart messaging solutions available via ndgit’s marketplace.

South Africa-based Entersekt ended 2021 with a major investment from technology-based private equity firm Accel-KKR. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Joe Porten, Principal at Accel-KKR, praised the company for its “deep vertical expertise” and its record of success in the financial services industry. “As a partner, Accel-KKR is committed to helping the Entersekt team accelerate growth and continually deliver innovation in their category.”


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Apex Fintech Solutions and Zogo Finance Partner on DIY Investor Education

Apex Fintech Solutions and Zogo Finance Partner on DIY Investor Education
  • Zogo Finance announced a partnership with Apex Fintech Solutions to help promote financial literacy.
  • Clients of the two companies will be able to access more than 450 financial literacy-related educational modules.
  • Zogo Finance won Best of Show at FinovateFall 2019 in New York for its Teen Financial Literacy App.

Zogo Finance, which won Best of Show in its 2019 FinovateFall debut, announced a partnership with Apex Fintech Solutions that will help investors educate themselves on the fundamentals of sound money management. The collaboration will enable clients of both companies to access more than 450 learning modules on investing and financial literacy.

“Millennials and Gen Z are reinventing investing, which requires companies to adapt to their evolving interests, financial aspirations, and educational needs,” Zogo founder and CEO Bolun Li explained. “Apex shares our vision of harnessing technology to create customized, flexible, and accessible learning opportunities to support investors of all types.”

With more than 500,000 users and 180+ financial institution partners, Zogo leverages behavioral economic research – much of it developed at Duke University – to help improve youth financial literacy. The company’s app uses easy-to-comprehend lessons to educate users on complicated financial concepts, and offers rewards and incentives to encourage users to complete the coursework. Users can also earn rewards by taking positive financial actions such as logging into their mobile banking app, visiting a bank branch, or even using their debit or credit cards. Since inception, users of the Austin, Texas-based company’s technology have completed more than 16 million lessons, with the average Zogo users finishing 38 financial literacy courses.

“Our mission is all about democratizing finance through access – and education is a vital part of that,” Apex Fintech Solutions CEO Bill Capuzzi said. “Partnering with Zogo helps us empower our clients and their millions of customers.”

Founded in 2018, Zogo Finance forged 31 new partnerships with financial institutions in the first quarter of 2022. The company has raised $295,000 in funding from investors including MassChallenge and TechStars.


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Best of Show Winner Arkose Labs Launches New Fraud Detection Solution, Arkose Detect

Best of Show Winner Arkose Labs Launches New Fraud Detection Solution, Arkose Detect
  • Arkose Labs launched its new fraud detection solution, Arkose Detect.
  • The new offering was formerly an embedded component of the company’s Arkose Protect technology.
  • Arkose Labs won Best of Show at its Finovate debut at FinovateSpring 2019.

A new fraud detection solution from Arkose Labs called Arkose Detect will help prevent fraud attacks on consumer accounts as well as help businesses boost revenue by providing legitimate users with a seamless customer experience.

“Every company today is operating in the ‘decision economy,’ which is stimulated and fueled by data,” Arkose Labs Chief Product Officer Ashish Jain said. “We designed Arkose Detect to leverage the collective data from the world’s biggest companies so that those hard-to-suss-out fraud attacks can be easily detected. As fraud is constantly evolving, we have an ambitious product roadmap and will continue to innovate to stay ahead of threats.”

Arkose Detect was previously an embedded component of the company’s dynamic attack response solution, Arkose Protect. Now, in the wake of testing with major international businesses, Arkose Detect is being rolled out as its own product. Arkose Detect leverages AI to force fraudsters and cybercriminals to become increasingly sophisticated in their attacks. This raises the cost of their attacks against businesses defended with Arkose Detect, incentivizing fraudsters to go elsewhere.

Additionally, the new solution gives customers a risk score that allows them to adjust their own fraud models to better detect both automated, malicious bots as well as human-driven fraud attacks. Arkose Labs will also share the fraud data collected and analyzed by Arkose Detect with its customers in order to enable them to enhance their internal fraud prevention processes. Arkose Detect features more than 70 raw risk signals and more than 150 pre-built insights culled from Arkose Labs’ global network.

“In just six years, Arkose Labs has grown to boast a portfolio of category-leading customers across financial services, gaming, travel, ecommerce/retail, social media, and technology industries,” Arkose CEO and founder Kevin Gosschalk said. “And this is just an early chapter in our growth story. Our forecasted trajectory is exciting and attracting attention due to the efficiency of our core technology, on which Arkose Detect is built.”

A Finovate alum since its Best of Show-winning demo at FinovateSpring in 2019, Arkose Labs has since partnered with Bugcrowd to launch a private bug bounty program, introduced the industry’s first warranty against credential stuffing attacks, and unveiled a range of “significant updates” to its fraud detection platform including the development of Arkose Enforce, Arkose Insights, and Arkose Detect.

“The latest product enhancements include detection capabilities which are adapted to a world where attackers are spoofing devices and other identifying information,” Jain said when the updates were announced in October. “Customers also have easier access to the multi-layered risk insights that we use in our machine learning-powered decision engine.”

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Arkose Labs was founded in 2015. The company has raised more than $106 million in funding from investors including the SoftBank Vision Fund 2, M12 – Microsoft’s Venture Fund, and the Sony Innovation Fund, among others.


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Revolut Turns to Cross River to Power U.S. Expansion

Revolut Turns to Cross River to Power U.S. Expansion
  • Revolut announced a partnership with fintech technology infrastructure company Cross River.
  • The partnership will enable Revolut to offer personal loans to its customers in the U.S.
  • The announcement comes in the wake of Cross River’s announcement that it raised $620 million in March.

International superapp Revolut has partnered with fintech infrastructure provider Cross River to help it build and scale its business in the U.S. The collaboration will facilitate the first personal loans for Revolut’s U.S. customers and, courtesy of Cross River’s technology infrastructure, will be followed by additional credit solutions to be launched later this year.

“At Revolut, we’re building the world’s first global financial superapp so the move into credit and personal loans is a natural next step,” Revolut U.S. Head of Lending Tarun Bhushan said. “Revolut has developed technology to provide loans instantly to approved customers, with no origination fees – so customers can get the credit they need, when they need it.”

In addition to the absence of origination fees, the partnership means that Revolut borrowers will also be liberated from late fees and prepayment penalties, as well. Potential borrowers can also use the Revolut app to check their rates without affecting their credit score. Revolut’s “near-instant” and same-day loan funding solution means that users receive their funds in their Revolut wallet accounts within minutes of approval. Customers can also establish automatic loan repayments using the app’s AutoPay feature.

“At Cross River, we’re always looking for new and innovative ways to provide access to credit,” EVP and Head of Fintech Banking at Cross River Adam Goller said. “Our partnership with Revolut is instrumental in facilitating responsible financial solutions to consumers, and we’re excited to be powering Revolut’s U.S. expansion.”

Loans from Revolut are currently available only to the company’s U.S, customers. Revolut expects to be able to make the personal loans available to all U.S. consumers “in the coming months.”

Revolut’s partnership news comes as the company makes headlines for both personnel moves and expansion into new markets. This spring, Revolut appointed a new APAC General Manager, a new CEO for Brazil ahead of its expansion into that Latin American country, as well as a new General Manager and a new Head of Growth to support Revolut’s move into the U.S. market.

“It’s an exciting time to be joining Revolut as we further establish and grow our brand in the U.S.,” new Revolut General Manager for the U.S. Yuval Rechter said in March. “The pandemic has supercharged the digitalization of banking and Revolut is the best answer for U.S. consumers seeking greater value, transparency, and flexibility in how they manage their money.”

Cross River made fintech headlines less than a month ago with the news of its $620 million capital raise led by Eldridge and Andreessen Horowitz. The funds will be used to accelerate the company’s tech-focused growth strategy which consists of projects in embedded finance – including payments, lending, and crypto – as well as investments in “people and communities,” plans for international expansion, and “bolstering strategic partnerships.”

“Cross River is powering the future digital economy and changing lives by reinventing the way financial services are accessed,” Cross River founder, President, and CEO Gilles Gade said last month with the financing was announced.


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More Than $365 Million Raised by 11 Alums in Q1 of 2022

More Than $365 Million Raised by 11 Alums in Q1 of 2022

Quarterly funding for Finovate alums topped $365 million in the first three months of 2022. The amount is lower than last year’s Q1 tally, and is more reminiscent of the sums raised by Finovate alums in the first quarters of 2019, 2017, and 2016. The number of alums receiving funding in Q1 of 2022 was also lower than in recent years.

That said, overall fintech investment is as strong as ever. According to research from CB Insights, while overall fintech investment in Q1 of 2022 was lower than in three out of four quarters in 2021, the sum – more than $28 billion – tops Q1 2021 and stands as the largest first quarter for fintech investment on record.

Previous quarterly comparisons

  • Q1 2021: $3.3 billion raised by 26 alums
  • Q1 2020: $1.3 billion raised by 14 alums
  • Q1 2019: $468 million raised by 20 alums
  • Q1 2018: $1.3 billion raised by 26 alums
  • Q1 2017: $230 million raised by 20 alums
  • Q1 2016: $656 million raised by 32 alums

Top Equity Investments

  • Personetics: $85 million
  • iProov: $70 million
  • Glia: $45 million
  • Atomic: $40 million
  • OCR Labs: $30 million
  • Zeta: $30 million
  • Vymo: $22 million
  • TickSmith: $20 million
  • doxo: $18.5 million
  • Plinqit: $5 million

The biggest fundraising of the quarter was the $85 million secured by Personetics in January. Close behind was the $70 million that iProov raised – also in the first month of the year. Given that there were only 11 alums reporting funding in Q1 of 2022, it is understandable that the top ten equity investments for the quarter represent virtually all of the known funds raised by Finovate alums in the first three months of the year.


Here is our detailed alum funding report for Q1 2022.

January: $155 million raised by two alums

February: $55 million raised by three alums

March: More than $155 million raised by six alums

If you are a Finovate alum that raised money in the first quarter of 2022 and do not see your company listed, please drop us a note at research@finovate.com. We would love to share the good news! Funding received prior to becoming an alum not included.


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