Finovate Favorites: A Baker’s Dozen of Best of Show Winners

Finovate Favorites: A Baker’s Dozen of Best of Show Winners

Which fintech companies have continued to impress Finovate audiences over the years? The return of Kasasa to FinovateSpring last month, winning its fourth Best of Show award in the process, got a few of us thinking that it was a good time to take a look at which companies have been selected as fan favorites most frequently after demoing their latest technologies live on stage.

We’ve highlighted companies that have been especially popular at certain conferences, such as FinovateAsia and FinovateSpring before. Here is our compendium of the top Best of Show vote-getters to date for all shows combined (minimum of three wins).

The Big Three

The three companies that have won the most Best of Show awards from Finovate audiences reflect three different themes in fintech over the years: the allure of social investing (eToro), the rise of data analytics in banking (MX, formerly Money Desktop), and the persistence of the payment card (Dynamics). What is especially impressive about all three companies in our Best of Show Big Three is their ability to innovate over time. Each alum won their first Best of Show award between 2010 and 2012 and won their most recent Best of Show award between 2016 and 2018.

Dynamics (8) Founded in 2007. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Jeff Mullen is CEO.

MX / Money Desktop (6) Founded in 2010. Headquartered in Lehi, Utah. Ryan Caldwell is CEO.

eToro (6) Founded in 2007. Headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel and London, U.K. Yoni Assia is CEO.

The Super Six

Of our Super Six – the six companies to have won Best of Show awards four times – what is most interesting is also the way many of them have been proven innovators over a time of major change in fintech. Companies like Kasasa (formerly BancVue) and Yodlee (now Envestnet | Yodlee) made their big splash back in the earliest days of Finovate and, with recent Best of Show wins in 2018 and 2017, respectively, shown that they are still among fintech’s most inspiring solution providers.

Backbase – 4

Kasasa / BancVue – 4

Meniga – 4

oFlows – 4

SaleMove – 4

Yodlee (including Envestnet | Yodlee) – 4

The Fantastic Four

Two of the companies in our Fantastic Four companies that have won Best of Show awards three times have since been acquired. LearnVest, a three-time Best of Show winner from 2011-2013, was acquired by Northwestern Mutual for more than $250 million in 2015. EyeVerify, which won Best of Show awards on three different continents, was acquired by Ant Financial in 2016. The company now operates as ZOLOZ, and is focused on providing digital identity solutions for the underbanked in Asia.

BehavioSec – 3

EyeVerify (now “ZOLOZ”) – 3

LearnVest – 3

mBank – 3

Note: FA: FinovateAsia, FE: FinovateEurope, FF: FinovateFall, FS: FinovateSpring. Audience favorite awards from FinDEVr not included.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Where is Banking Prime?
  • Currencycloud Collects $25 Million in New Funding.

Around the web

  • Blackhawk Network launches same-day rebate reward fulfillment.
  • BancVue’s John Waupsh discusses book, Bankruption, on this BankNXT podcast.
  • Idea Bank’s Tax Care accounting network builds bookkeeping app for Uber drivers.
  • Urban FT offers users faster prepaid wireless service top-ups via partnership with T-Cetra.
  • BBVA Compass unveils BBVA Momentum, a seven-month accelerator for socially-minded entrepreneurs.

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.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Ripple Releases XRP Metrics in New Report.
  • SocietyOne Appoints Former Westpac Exec as Chief Investment Officer.
  • Check out this week’s FinDEVr APIntelligence

Around the web

  • Fenergo announces new rules-based solution to better enable FIs to meet margin requirement obligations.
  • NCR unveils redesigned tablet point-of-sale app.
  • New development and support center for Monitise supported by $664,000 in business financing from Welsh government.
  • Let’s Talk Payments interviews Marcin Truszel, Founder & CEO of Kontomatik.
  • Overbond Ltd is launching a service that will allow companies to issue bonds digitally.
  • Kony powers KMC Connect Lite mobile app for KMC Controls.
  • Irish Tech News interviews BancVue’s John Waupsh on his book, Bankruption.

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.

Finovate Alumni News

Around the web

  • Financial Times talks with Zopa CEO Giles Andrews and his plan to disrupt banks.
  • Wipro acquires Cellent in 73 million euro deal.
  • Actimize from NICE Systems reaches 150 million customer milestone with its anti-fraud, cybercrime protections.
  • Radius launches improvements to its Global Payroll tool by introducing a way for employers to consolidate payroll across jurisdictions.
  • Xero introduces podcast series for small business.
  • Tech in Asia names Tradehero one of five interesting startups from Singapore.
  • Meniga partners with Bankdata to provide personal finance management to 11 banks in Denmark.
  • First Castle Federal Credit Union partners with BancVue.

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.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • “Mogl Earns $8 Million Investment Ahead of FinovateFall Debut”
  • “VATBox Locks Up $24 Million Growth Equity Investment”

Around the web

  • edo Interactive launches Blended Activation to give advertisers flexibility in how offers are redeemed.
  • nymi teams up with TD Bank and MasterCard to develop heartbeat-based, biometric authentication for contactless payments.
  • Generations Federal Credit Union hires Insuritas to upgrade its insurance agency offerings.
  • Intrade Magazine interviews Daniel Abrahams, CurrencyTransfer CEO.
  • Top Image Systems reports Q2 revenue growth of 21%.
  • Flint Mobile enhances its iOS app that leverages Apple’s digital wallet ecosystem.
  • Check Point Software Technologies and Wavecrest Computing partner to integrate Wavecrest’s Cyfin reporting tool with Check Point’s Next Generation Threat Prevention solution.
  • Austin Business Journal ranks BancVue’s Kasasa as number 6 in its 2015 Best Places to Work contest.
  • Tradeshift acquires Merchantry, a cloud-based, product-information-management provider for $30 million in cash and stock.

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.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Yodlee Brings “Sense” to Forward-Looking Bank Balances
  • BancVue’s Kasasa Spreads to 1,800+ Client Branch Locations Across 46 U.S. States.

Around the web

  • NerdWallet lists Lendio as 1 of 7 great small-business loan options for women-owned businesses.
  • Credit Sesame wins Gold Stevie Award in 2015’s American Business Awards.
  • PayPal and Uber extend their partnership to additional 9 countries, now in 19 total.
  • Backbase adds Geezeo’s PFM to its Open Banking Marketplace.
  • Partnership between Feedzai and Azul Systems yields first deployment with “leading payment technology provider.”
  • Insuritas wins NAFCU 2015 Services Innovation Award.
  • DriveWealth helps trading software technology company, KnowVera, develop video course on pattern recognition.
  • e-SignLive by Silanis to develop joint, cloud-based solution for digital transactions in new partnership with Australia’s Nuvola.
  • Jim Cramer of CNBC’s Mad Money interviews SeedInvest CEO Ryan Feit.

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.

BancVue’s Kasasa Spreads to 1,800+ Client Branch Locations Across 46 U.S. States

BancVue’s Kasasa Spreads to 1,800+ Client Branch Locations Across 46 U.S. States

KasasaHomepage

BancVue-owned Kasasa is known for giving community financial institutions (CFIs) a leg up against top-tier banks. Today, the Austin-based company divulged some numbers to offer a better picture of its reach in the industry:

  • 46: Number of states with Kasasa CFIs
  • 1,801: Number of client branch locations
  • 685,000+: Number of Kasasa-branded accounts opened since its 2009 launch
  • $156 million: Amount paid out in Kasasa rewards, cash-back, and ATM fee reimbursement
  • 93%: Percentage of account holders that say they love their account
  • $260 million: Amount of non-interest income Kasasa products have generated for clients

Kasasa didn’t hint at its official number of clients. But it did note that if all Kasasa clients were a single bank, they would have the seventh largest U.S. branch network.

Gabe Krajicek, BancVue CEO, states that as Kasasa grows, it plans to increase the breadth of services offered to community financial institutions.

BancVue launched Kasasa at FinovateFall 2009.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • DRAFT, Fidor US, Roostify to Present Solutions at Yodlee Ynext Incubator
  • $680 Million Raised by 29 Alums in Q1 2015

Around the web

  • BizJournals lists BancVue as one of Austin’s Best Places to Work in 2015.
  • American Banker interviews James Varga, CEO of miiCard, on sharing identity information.
  • Motif adds new trading alerts.
  • P2Binvestor selected as new network company by Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network Colorado (BENCO).
  • MaineBiz takes a look at CashStar and its new offices in downtown Portland.
  • Mountain America rolls out its new biometrics login technology courtesy of EyeVerify.
  • Fuze Networks acquires LiveMinutes’ online workspace platform.
  • Jwaalla celebrates signing its 100th credit union client, Palisades FCU.
  • Business Insider looks at how Klarna and its one-click payment technology could help save the newspaper business.
  • Reid Hislop tapped as new chief marketing officer at Avoka.
  • Inc. Magazine features ID.me CEO Blake Hall in a column on veteran entrepreneurs.
  • Equities.com talks crowdfunding and real estate with Jason Fritton, Patch of Land CEO.
  • Financial News interviews Ripple CEO, Chris Larsen on the future of the financial infrastructure.
  • SocietyOne has originated more than $30 million on its platform since launching in 2011.
  • Prosper announces record first quarter, with $595 million in loans through the platform, up 200% from Q1 2014.
  • WattzOn to help Montana residents save on energy expenses via the Bozeman Energy Smackdown.
  • Larky selected by the Kentucky Bankers Association to provide mobile local rewards program for member banks.

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.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com:

  • Lendio Raises $20 Million in New Funding to Help Finance Small Businesses
  • Motif Investing Partners with Pacific Life to Offer Cause-Based Investing.
  • Bank Innovation’s Coolest Brands of 2015 Features Finovate Alums.
  • Printer Giant Lexmark to Acquire Kofax for $1 Billion.

Around the Web:

  • ShopKeep POS acquires payment processing startup, Payment Revolution.
  • Financial Guard and FutureAdvisor are featured as alternatives in a Bloomberg column on “breaking up with your expensive adviser.”
  • Bank Innovation column on “InsuranceTech” and Fintech 1,000 lists Insuritas.
  • Opentabs integrates with PayPal to power its mobile app order-ahead services.
  • PYMNTS: Monitise takes itself off the market. CEO steps down.
  • Billhighway awarded Silver Stevie Award for Innovation in Customer Service in the Financial Services Industry category. It is the second win for Billhighway since 2013.
  • Dexterity Ventures (Place2Give) bolsters team with new CMO, Product Manager, Developer, and Office Assistant.
  • The FinTech Blog interviews Eli Broverman, Co-Founder and COO of Betterment.
  • Fiserv, TD Bank Group, Intuit, and PayPal rank among Forbes’ list of Americas’ Best employers.
  • SocietyOne appoints former Investec Group chief lending officer, Simon Schwarz, as new COO.
  • Ad Age highlights how BancVue seeks to level the playing field for community banks.
  • Rippleshot joined fellow winners of the Chicago Innovation Awards in ringing the closing bell at the Nasdaq on Monday.
  • BankNXT looks at the rise of marketplace lending platforms including Finovate alums Lending Club and OnDeck.

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.

Verde Corona, Aurora to Drive Loan Decisioning at Seasons FCU

Verde Corona, Aurora to Drive Loan Decisioning at Seasons FCU
Verde_International_hi_res_FS2014

Seasons Federal Credit Union announced late last week that it would adopt loan decisioning technology from Verde Advisor.

Howard Brady, Chief Lending Officer for Seasons FCU highlighted the way the technology would help the credit union improve its lending strategy by being able to provide credit to a greater percentage of its membership.

“Specifically, Verde’s model enables us to responsibly serve the entire credit spectrum while increasing our net credit margin,” he said.

Verde_International_homepage_2
The announcement means that Seasons FCU will run Verde’s Aurora and Corona solutions in tandem. Aurora is Verde’s automated, decisioning optimization engine. Corona is the company’s loan origination technology. Verde Advisor demoed Aurora at the company’s Finovate debut earlier this year at FinovateSpring in San Jose.
Patrick Reily, Verde Advisor co-founder and CEO, said, “As one of the first credit unions to deploy Verde Aurora, we look forward to helping them better serve their members through more effective pricing and instant, optimized underwriting.”
Seasons_FCU_homepage
Based in Middletown, Connecticut, Seasons FCU has more than 18,000 members and more than $140 million in assets. Seasons FCU offers a number of services (namely, Kasasa) courtesy of another Finovate alum, BancVue
Verde Advisor was founded in 2006, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Read our Behind the Scenes conversation with the company here.

Finovate Alumni News– April 3, 2014

  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgTop Image Systems wins awards for innovations in crowdsourcing and mobile imaging.
  • Insuritas E-InsuranceAISLE Platform generated more than 2 million product impressions in March. The technology is deployed in more than 50 banks and credit unions, supporting more than $1.5 million in product sales. See them demo at FinvoateSpring.
  • Misys trade and supply chain finance processing platform embraced by National Australia Bank (NAB).
  • Nostrum Group announces opening of new office in London.
  • Kantox integrates AU10TIX B.O.S solution to auto-classify, authenticate and extract data from of images of customers ID documents.
  • Compliance Week looks at how Actiance helps banks stay compliant with social media.
  • The Australian looks at PayPal’s Braintree.
  • BancVue launches new youth spending app, PiggyBot.
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.

Finovate Alumni News– January 7, 2014

  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgState of Iowa expands government payment partnership with Dwolla; Iowa DOT begins using service for IFTA and IRP.
  • Urban Partnership Bank introduces upbAnywhere, the New Virtual Banking Platform from Q2 (Q2ebanking).
  • ABL Advisor looks at BancVue’s BancAssets advising partnership with UHaul.
  • Zopa wins “Best Peer to Peer Lender” award from Moneynet Personal Finance.
  • TSYS announces partnership with Womply to provide TSYS Merchant Insights business analytics dashboard.
  • Jack Henry Banking to provide its clients with access to American Express’ FX International Payments service.
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.