The biggest surprise in our look at first-quarter funding is that the $677 million amassed by 29 Finovate alums was more than 20% of the $3.2 billion invested in the entire worldwide fintech sector.

The $677 million raised was $85 million (+14%) above the same quarter a year ago, and more than triple the first quarter of 2013.

Q1 2015 was also $133 million above the $544 million mark set in the fourth quarter of 2014.

It will be worth watching to see if this record-setting first quarter for Finovate alum fundraising will be a sign of more great things to come for capital-raising in 2015.

Top 10 Overall Investments

1. Xero: $111 million in February
2. Coinbase: $75 million in January
3. Betterment: $60 million in February
4. TransferWise: $58 million in January
5. App Annie: $55 million in January
6. Ayasdi: $55 million in March
7. Motif Investing: $40 million in January
8. Ripple Labs: $30 million in January
9. Bill.com: $50 million in February
10. Pindrop Security: $35 in February

Previous Quarterly Comparisons

• Q1 2015: More than $676 million raised by 29 alums
• Q4 2014: More than $544 million raised by 25 alums
• Q1 2014: More than $600 million raised by 8 alums
• Q1 2013: More than $155 million raised by 14 alums

January: More than $275 million raised by 14 alums

• App Annie: $55 million – post
• BlueVine: $18.5 million – post
• Bolstr: $1.7 million – post
• Coinbase: $75 million – post
• Global Debt Registry: $7 million – post
• Kofax: $1.9 million – post
• LendingRobot: $3 million – post
• Motif Investing: $40 million – post
• PeerTransfer: $22 million – post
• Ripple Labs: $30 million – post
• Spreedly: $150,000 – post
• Taulia: $15 million – post
• TransferWise: $58 million – post
• True Link: $3.4 million – post

February: More than $264 million raised by 8 alums

• AdviceGames: $570,000 – post
• Betterment: $60 million – post
• Bill.com: $50 million – post
• Finsphere: $1.8 million – post
• Micronotes: $910,000 – post
• Pindrop Security: $35 million – post
• SimplyTapp: $2.5 million – post
• Xero: $111 million – post

March: More than $136 million raised by 7 alums

• Advanced Merchant Payments: undisclosed – post
• Aire: $1.1 million – post
• Ayasdi: $55 million – post
• Coverhound: $14 million – post
• Lendio: $20.5 million – post
• Linkable Networks: $11.7 million – post
• Q2 Holdings: $34.6 million – post

If you are an alum that raised money in the first quarter of 2015, 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.