blooom Provides Investors with a New Way to Build Your 401(k)

blooom Provides Investors with a New Way to Build Your 401(k)
blooomLogo_FF2014

This post is part of our live coverage of FinovateFall 2014.

Making its way to the stage is the team from blooom. Blooom has developed a revolutionary way to open 401k investors’ eyes and outsource the management of their 401k – regardless of where it is held.

“The blooom app collects basic user data (name, email, age) and asks the user to select where their 401(k) is currently held. Once selected, the user’s credentials are entered and blooom goes to work to analyze their current investment allocation across 25,000+ different funds to generate a comparative analysis without a bunch of financial mumbo jumbo. Blooom displays how their 401(k) should be allocated and gives the user some latitude to adjust the recommended allocation. In a few more steps, the user can then hire blooom to make these changes and, more importantly, rebalance and adjust the allocation for the user going forward. It is a new and intelligent way to get help with your 401(k) … all for just $10 per month.”
Presenting: Chris Costello (Co-Founder & CFP) & Randy AufDerHeide (CTO & Co-Founder)
blooomHomepage
Product Launch: September 2014
Metrics: $200,000 in funding from founders; 6 employees, 30 clients
Product distribution strategy: Direct to Consumer (B2C), Direct to Business (B2B), through financial institutions
HQ: Overland Park, Kansas
Founded: February 2013
Website: blooom.com
Twitter: @blooominc

Alumni News– September 2, 2014

  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgMobile payments app from BBVA earns more than 250,000 downloads since launch last December in Spain.
  • Knox Payments picks up $625,000 in venture round funding. See them demo at FinovateFall 2014 in New York this month.
  • Issuer Direct chooses Top Image Systems to drive incoming document automation.
  • P2P lender, SocietyOne, to offer free credit scores to customers.
  • MicronotesCross-Sell interview marketing platform now automatically reports Net Promoter Score.
  • Advanced Merchant Payments 1 of 8 fintech startups to enter the FinTech Innovation Lab in Asia-Pacific.
  • Jumio and IDology announce partnership to enable verification via government-issued ID in card-not-present situations.
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.

Alumni News– August 28, 2014

  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgPymnts features PayPal’s OneTouch mobile payments app.
  • American Banker considers how banks are looking closely at how BillGuard uses geolocation to prevent fraud.
  • Taulia launches SupplierPay.org to help corporations support the White House’s SupplierPay initiative.
  • IBM and Monitise expand partnership to combine IBM’s sales and specialist resources with Monitise’s Mobile Money services.
  • Pymnts.com feature on lending shares observations on consumer credit from Lending Club.
  • Forbes column on natural language processing features Narrative Science and Yseop.
  • Wired.co.uk profiles BehavioSec in its Stockholm category of “Europe’s hottest startups” in 2014. See BehavioSec at FinDEVr this fall.
  • CopSonic joins the FIDO Alliance.
  • Markets Media features interview with Avoka CEO Phil Copeland.
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 2

FinovateFall 2014 Sneak Peek: Part 2
FinovateFallWithDateLogo

If you missed the first installment of our FinovateFall 2014 Sneak Peek series, click here for Part 1.

A few days ago we introduced you to BizEquity, Gremln, Hoyos Labs, Knox Payments, NopSec, and Rippleshot. Today we present another six companies that will be demoing on stage in New York in September.
FinovateFall 2014 is live in New York City on September 23 and 24. And with last year’s show a sell-out, we’re expecting even bigger things in 2014. So save your spot at this year’s show; click here to register today.


Thumbnail image for BackbaseLogo.jpg

Backbase is a software company helping banks in the digital era.
Features:
    • Beautiful digital banking experience for end customers
    • Full control over the digital strategy by the bank
    • Backbase Marketplace to unite vendors and banks looking for fintech innovation
Why it’s great: 
Backbase Engage helps banks regain control over their digital strategy.
Presenters:

PeteChapman_Backbase_FF2014

Peter Chapman, Principal FinTech Strategist

Before joining Backbase, Chapman worked as VP emerging technologies at First Trade Union Bank. Frustrated by the lack of control of the banks to own their digital future, he joined Backbase to fix this.
JelmerdeJong_Backbase_FF@104

Jelmer de Jong, Global Head of Marketing

De Jong focused his career on helping companies get the most out of new technologies. He has a strong focus on startups, B2B, product management and marketing.


biocatch_logo

BioCatch provides innovative online fraud-prevention solutions that dramatically reduce friction and fraud, giving customers confidence to expand their business.

Features:

The Cognitive Biometrics technology enables BioCatch to detect intruders, bots, and fraudsters.
Why it’s great:

BioCatch: Less friction. Less fraud.
Presenters:

BioCatch_UriRivner

Uri Rivner, Co-Founder and VP Business Development & Cyber Strategy

Rivner is recognized globally as an industry expert on Cybercrime and advanced threats. He is a regular speaker in the leading Security and Cyber conferences, and writes a cyber-security blog.


blooom-low-res

blooom has developed a revolutionary way to open the eyes of 401(k) investors, by outsourcing the management of their 401(k) accounts, regardless of where custodied.

Features:

  • We don’t use complicated charts or line graphs with a gazillion indecipherable colors
  • We make it easy to operate (no Ph.D in Finance required)
  • We rebalance the account, rather than just make recommendations
Why it’s great:

Blooom allows investors to ditch their current strategy of ignoring-it, meaning-to-get-around-to-it, and hoping-for-the-best!
Presenters:

ChrisCostello_blooom_FF2014

Chris Costello, Co-Founder and Certified Financial Planner

Costello has 20 years experience and builds the model used to generate 401(k) recommendations, allowing blooom users to tap into advice traditionally only available to investors with a gazillion dollars.
RandyAufDerHeide_blooom_FF2014

Randy AufDerHeide, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer

AufDerHeide handles all the fancy, schmancy IT stuff. If it involves computers, code, Internet stuff, he’s the guy. He also makes everythin
g work smoothly, helping deliver a great experience to bloom users.


ibillionaire-logo-hd

iBillionaire taps into the investment strategies of Wall Street billionaires and provides unique and exclusive data on investment activity and trends.

Features:

  • Provides insights into billionaire investment portfolios and stock picks
  • Sends real-time alerts on buys, sells, and prices
  • Allows users to track their own portfolios and the iBillionaire Index
Why it’s great:

With iBillionaire, anyone can invest like a billionaire.
Presenters:

RaulMoreno_iBillionaire_FF2014

Raul Moreno, Co-Founder and CEO

Moreno is a serial entrepreneur with a background in finance and tech. His previous ventures include social app discovery platform, Kinetik, and he previously worked as an analyst at GFG Capital.


patch-of-land-new-logo

Patch of Land is a peer real estate (P2RE) lending marketplace presenting its real-time, due-diligence engine.

Features:

  • Proprietary risk and credit-modeling system increases accuracy of risk profiling
  • Full-stack integration with existing platform and processes
  • Significant scale and velocity of underwriting
Why it’s great:

We are creating an efficient, scalable system for underwriting and complex real estate lending transactions and pricing risk appropriately.
Presenters:

BrianFrittonPatchofLand_FF2014

Brian Fritton, CTO

Fritton is a seasoned eCommerce expert who oversees the development of Patch of Land’s in-house platform and leads the research and implementation of our technology initiatives.


Settlelogo

Settle is a mobile-payment platform built to create greater customer loyalty by hastening the checkout process while improving the overall customer experience.

Features:

  • Bridge mobile payments and loyalty
  • Target marketing to consumers based on their paying behavior
  • Transfer P2P cash easily
Why it’s great:

Settle brings easy mobile payments to customers and allows merchants to make the most of customer data.
Presenters:

StasMativiyenkoSettleFF2014

Stas Matviyenko, CEO

Matviyenko studied in Austria, worked for the Ukranian government (banking research). Founder at Advice Wallet (the biggest mobile loyalty program in CIS countries), believes in mobile payments, geek.
AnnaPolishchukSettleFF2014

Anna Polishchuk, COO

Polishchuk has a Masters degree in international business and is passionate about design and technology. She worked as Market Research Analyst at an international company and co-founded Advice Wallet.


Our Sneak Peek series continues on Tuesday with another six companies that will demo their fintech innovations at FinovateFall 2014 next month.

FinovateFall 2014 Sneak Peek: Part 2

FinovateFall 2014 Sneak Peek: Part 2
FinovateFallWithDateLogo

If you missed the first installment of our FinovateFall 2014 Sneak Peek series, click here for Part 1.

A few days ago we introduced you to BizEquity, Gremln, Hoyos Labs, Knox Payments, NopSec, and Rippleshot. Today we present another six companies that will be demoing on stage in New York in September.
FinovateFall 2014 is live in New York City on September 23 and 24. And with last year’s show a sell-out, we’re expecting even bigger things in 2014. So save your spot at this year’s show; click here to register today.


Thumbnail image for BackbaseLogo.jpg

Backbase is a software company helping banks in the digital era.
Features:
    • Beautiful digital banking experience for end customers
    • Full control over the digital strategy by the bank
    • Backbase Marketplace to unite vendors and banks looking for fintech innovation
Why it’s great: 
Backbase Engage helps banks regain control over their digital strategy.
Presenters:

PeteChapman_Backbase_FF2014

Peter Chapman, Principal FinTech Strategist

Before joining Backbase, Chapman worked as VP emerging technologies at First Trade Union Bank. Frustrated by the lack of control of the banks to own their digital future, he joined Backbase to fix this.
JelmerdeJong_Backbase_FF@104

Jelmer de Jong, Global Head of Marketing

De Jong focused his career on helping companies get the most out of new technologies. He has a strong focus on startups, B2B, product management and marketing.


biocatch_logo

BioCatch provides innovative online fraud-prevention solutions that dramatically reduce friction and fraud, giving customers confidence to expand their business.

Features:

The Cognitive Biometrics technology enables BioCatch to detect intruders, bots, and fraudsters.
Why it’s great:

BioCatch: Less friction. Less fraud.
Presenters:

BioCatch_UriRivner

Uri Rivner, Co-Founder and VP Business Development & Cyber Strategy

Rivner is recognized globally as an industry expert on Cybercrime and advanced threats. He is a regular speaker in the leading Security and Cyber conferences, and writes a cyber-security blog.


blooom-low-res

blooom has developed a revolutionary way to open the eyes of 401(k) investors, by outsourcing the management of their 401(k) accounts, regardless of where custodied.

Features:

  • We don’t use complicated charts or line graphs with a gazillion indecipherable colors
  • We make it easy to operate (no Ph.D in Finance required)
  • We rebalance the account, rather than just make recommendations
Why it’s great:

Blooom allows investors to ditch their current strategy of ignoring-it, meaning-to-get-around-to-it, and hoping-for-the-best!
Presenters:

ChrisCostello_blooom_FF2014

Chris Costello, Co-Founder and Certified Financial Planner

Costello has 20 years experience and builds the model used to generate 401(k) recommendations, allowing blooom users to tap into advice traditionally only available to investors with a gazillion dollars.
RandyAufDerHeide_blooom_FF2014

Randy AufDerHeide, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer

AufDerHeide handles all the fancy, schmancy IT stuff. If it involves computers, code, Internet stuff, he’s the guy. He also makes everythin
g work smoothly, helping deliver a great experience to bloom users.


ibillionaire-logo-hd

iBillionaire taps into the investment strategies of Wall Street billionaires and provides unique and exclusive data on investment activity and trends.

Features:

  • Provides insights into billionaire investment portfolios and stock picks
  • Sends real-time alerts on buys, sells, and prices
  • Allows users to track their own portfolios and the iBillionaire Index
Why it’s great:

With iBillionaire, anyone can invest like a billionaire.
Presenters:

RaulMoreno_iBillionaire_FF2014

Raul Moreno, Co-Founder and CEO

Moreno is a serial entrepreneur with a background in finance and tech. His previous ventures include social app discovery platform, Kinetik, and he previously worked as an analyst at GFG Capital.


patch-of-land-new-logo

Patch of Land is a peer real estate (P2RE) lending marketplace presenting its real-time, due-diligence engine.

Features:

  • Proprietary risk and credit-modeling system increases accuracy of risk profiling
  • Full-stack integration with existing platform and processes
  • Significant scale and velocity of underwriting
Why it’s great:

We are creating an efficient, scalable system for underwriting and complex real estate lending transactions and pricing risk appropriately.
Presenters:

BrianFrittonPatchofLand_FF2014

Brian Fritton, CTO

Fritton is a seasoned eCommerce expert who oversees the development of Patch of Land’s in-house platform and leads the research and implementation of our technology initiatives.


Settlelogo

Settle is a mobile-payment platform built to create greater customer loyalty by hastening the checkout process while improving the overall customer experience.

Features:

  • Bridge mobile payments and loyalty
  • Target marketing to consumers based on their paying behavior
  • Transfer P2P cash easily
Why it’s great:

Settle brings easy mobile payments to customers and allows merchants to make the most of customer data.
Presenters:

StasMativiyenkoSettleFF2014

Stas Matviyenko, CEO

Matviyenko studied in Austria, worked for the Ukranian government (banking research). Founder at Advice Wallet (the biggest mobile loyalty program in CIS countries), believes in mobile payments, geek.
AnnaPolishchukSettleFF2014

Anna Polishchuk, COO

Polishchuk has a Masters degree in international business and is passionate about design and technology. She worked as Market Research Analyst at an international company and co-founded Advice Wallet.


Our Sneak Peek series continues on Tuesday with another six companies that will demo their fintech innovations at FinovateFall 2014 next month.