Finovate Alumni News

Around the web

  • i-exceed introduces Appzillon 3.1, featuring new widgets, style editors, over-the-air (OTA) support and more.
  • OnDeck unveils mobile app for small business owners.
  • Ripple Labs appoints former Treasury Department official, Michael Barr, as an adviser.
  • Zooz teams up with Bitnet to enable bitcoin payments on its platform.
  • Bendigo and Adelaide Bank to deploy Appian BPM platform.
  • NAMU Systems wins “Most Personalized Banking Experience” award from EPAM at the 2015 Citi Mobile Challenge in EMEA.
  • Coinbase earns a spot in MIT Technology Review’s 50 Smartest Companies in 2015.

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

  • “The Next FinTech Unicorn? Rumored $150 Million Heading to Kabbage
  • “Reparo Loves Mambu: Partnership Brings New Loan Options to UK SMEs”

Around the web

  • Datamonitor looks at how “wealth giants” are responding to the challenge of robo-advisors like Betterment.
  • Atom Bank chooses front-office technology from Intelligent Enviornments and back-office technology from FIS.
  • Fujitsu’s PalmSecure biometric technology comes to Fiserv’s DNA account-processing platform.
  • e27 reviews technologies like LoopPay and the prospects for digital wallet use in Asia.
  • Brian Armstrong, Coinbase CEO, says bitcoin will be the world’s reserve currency within 15 years.
  • The Telegraph highlights Zopa in its look at the safety of peer-to-peer lending.
  • Kony launches the latest version of its mobile backend-as-a-service (MBaaS) solution, Kony MobileFabric 6.5.
  • Fox Business News interviews Realty Mogul founder and CEO Jilliene Helman.
  • itBit hosts Bankchain Discover Summit for financial industry professionals.

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

  • “Dashlane Integrates Samsung Biometric Technology in Android App Upgrade”
  • “Revolut Launches to Public, Announces $2.3 Million in Funding”

Around the web

  • PYMNTS looks at OnDeck’s record-breaking quarter.
  • Red Herring names Kabbage a Top 100 Private Company.
  • Geezeo to power BankMobile’s PFM.
  • Alpha Payments Cloud using Snapcard to enable AlphaHub users to accept Bitcoin payments.
  • PrivatBank to offer remittance services courtesy of TransferWise.
  • StockViews earns a spot in the 2015 Startupbootcamp FinTech London cohort.
  • ING Bank Slaski launches ING Business for Apple Watch app powered by Comarch Mobile Banking.
  • Caltech Letter interviews Financeit CEO Michael Garrity.
  • The Indian Express profiles the biometric authentication technology of EyeVerify.
  • Aragon Research names eSignLive by Silanis Technology as a “Hot Vendor” in digital transaction management (DTM).
  • peerTransfer petitions Chinese government to open office in Shanghai.
  • The Independent looks at the IPO plans of Fenergo in light of the company’s recent funding.
  • Investment News highlights Vanguard, Wealthfront, and Betterment in a look at how much money is being managed by robo-advisors.
  • Spreedly surpasses $1 billion in annual payment volume. Come see Spreedly at FinDEVr, 6/7 October in San Francisco.
  • Expensify integrates with Workato to connect it with more than 50 business apps.
  • CheckPoint’s ZoneAlarm Launches Windows 10 Compatible Antivirus Software for Consumers.
  • The Mifos Initiative joins The Open Source Initiative, a global nonprofit that promotes and protects open source software, development and communities. Check out Mifos at FinDEVr 2015 in San Francisco, 6/7 October.
  • Stuart Frankel of Narrative Science earns a spot on Crain’s Chicago Business Tech 50.
  • USA Today column on personal finance for millennials features Kai Stinchcombe, CEO and co-founder of True Link.
  • Business Insider includes Lending Club and Coinbase in its list of the seven hottest startups in Silicon Valley.
  • Blooom and Future Advisor are profiled in a Forbes column on making the most out of your 401(k).

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

  • “FinovateFall 2015 Presenting Companies Announced

Around the web

  • Pymnts interviews Karmic Labs CEO Ryan Weidenmiller.
  • Kony Announces Asia Pacific and Japan Expansion.
  • Bankless Times features Cloud Lending Solutions.
  • Let’s Talk Payments names multiple FinDEVr alums in its list of 29 APIs to Consider Before Building Any Fintech Product.
  • Betterment, Financial Guard, Personal Capital, Vanguard, and Wealthfront are featured in a Bloomberg Business column on options for new investors.
  • Samsung introduces its Loop-equipped Samsung Pay app in South Korea.
  • Tamebay interviews Peter Plewman, CurrencyTransfer.com director, on the volatility of the euro.
  • Trulioo taps identity and fraud specialist, Jon Jones, as new company president.
  • Business Insider looks at “transformative” fintech leadership at companies like Braintree, Coinbase, PayPal, SamsungPay (with Loop), and Venmo.
  • Forbes highlights Zopa in its review of the growth of P2P lending in the United Kingdom.

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

  • “Realty Mogul Builds $35 Million in New Funding”
  • “Fastacash Secures $15 Million in Series B Investment”
  • “Fenergo Raises $75 Million from Insight Venture Partners”

Around the web

  • InComm adds new brands to its Incentives e-commerce site, including vacation brands.
  • Green Dot opens subsidiary in Shanghai.
  • Citizens 1st National Bank introduces mobile remote deposit capture with integration of Malauzai SmartApp, Ensenta mRDC.
  • Liz Loewy, senior vice president for EverSafe, spoke about elder financial abuse at White House Conference on Aging.
  • Arxan Technologies partners with Sequent to develop new security solution to protect HCE-based payment systems.
  • Five Degrees appoints Peter-Jan van de Venn as new chief commercial officer.
  • BBVA Group inks strategic agreement with the Alliance for Financial Inclusion.
  • Business Insider names executives of Braintree, PayPal, Coinbase, and Venmo as 5 of 10 execs who are transforming the fintech industry.
  • Kotak Securities and Heckyl launch real-time news and market-info apps.
  • Cachet Financial Solutions to deploy Select Mobile Money platform for SOLE Financial’s Visa Paycard.
  • MyOrder teams up with WirecardGroup to issue contactless mobile cards using HCE technology.
  • Algomi wins “FinTech Innovation of the Year” honors at 2015 Euromoney Global Awards for Excellence.
  • Wealthfront lowers its minimum investment to $500.
  • Bank Innovation takes a look at how startups like SizeUp help banks work better with small businesses.
  • Authentication specialist BioCatch earns a pair of patents from the U.S. Patent Office.

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

  • “Redesigning the Value Chain: Q&A with Michiel Schipper of Topicus”

Around the web

  • Trustly appoints CCO from Société Générale and director of sales from Klarna Group.
  • Swiss Re partners with Backbase to develop a new digital platform for selling and servicing life and health products online. Come see Backbase at FinDEVr on 6/7 October in San Francisco.
  • PayItSimple launches in the United Kingdom.
  • Greater Nevada, $550 million in assets, hires Insuritas to launch insurance agency.
  • Paybefore: “How the Ripple Protocol Could Change Payments”
  • PayPal’s Braintree supports Apple Pay in the U.K. with its v.zero SDK. Come see Braintree at FinDEVr this fall.
  • Billhighway adopts SnapApp platform to develop and publish interactive content that increases market engagement.
  • ReadyForZero lists Prosper and Lending Club as 2 of the top 3 debt-consolidation loan companies.
  • Betterment launches SmartDeposit feature.
  • Market Prophit licenses its platform to Nasdaq’s Market Intelligence Desk.
  • The Flying Merchant to use digital eKYC solution from iSignthis to meet AML requirements.
  • The Economic Times India features ArthaYantra, Betterment, FutureAdvisor, and Wealthfront in a review of robo-advisors.

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

  • “Nearex Closes Series B Funding”
  • “Avalara Integrates Automated Sales Tax Solution with Stripe”
  • “Finovate Debuts: itBit’s Regulated Bitcoin Trading Platform”

Around the web

  • American Banker article notes Vouch is bringing social connections back into lending in the 21st century.
  • Xero updates Tracked Inventory feature.
  • Cachet Financial Solutions partners with risk-management software company Advanced Fraud Solutions.
  • Kansas City Business Journal considers how Tradeshift is igniting renewed interest in its new partner, C2FO.
  • TechCrunch: “App Annie Integrates with Google Analytics, Launches Free In-App Analytics for Developers”
  • Insuritas to power multistate insurance agency solution for Enterprise Bank.

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.

Coinbase Announces Strategic Investment from Westpac’s Reinventure

Coinbase Announces Strategic Investment from Westpac’s Reinventure

Coinbase_homepage_June2015

Back at the beginning of the year, Coinbase reported a major investment of $75 million from a crew of investors including BBVA Ventures, USAA Bank and the New York Stock Exchange among several others.

We now know that one of those other investors was Reinventure Group, the venture capital arm of Westpac Banking Corporation.

The Coinbase blog today reported today the bitcoin company had earned a strategic investment from the Australia-based venture-capital firm that specializes in fintech startups. Coinbase says it hopes the partnership will help the company “bring bitcoin to new markets around the world.” No dollar figure was mentioned in the announcement.

A representative from Westpac said that the investment would yield “key insights into the use of digital currencies and associated technologies.” The rep also praised Coinbase’s “heavy” investment in “next generation security” as the best way to fulfill its mission of being “the most trusted bitcoin company in the world.”

Coinbase’s total capital stands at more than $106 million.

Coinbase_FS2014_stage

(Left to right): Business Development Managers Nahid Samsami and Roger Gu demonstrated Coinbase Instant Exchange at FinovateSpring 2014 in San Jose.

Coinbase specializes in enabling merchants to receive bitcoin payments without having to worry about the digital currency’s tendency toward price volatility. Coinbase holds more than one million digital wallets, and helps more than 28,000 merchants in more than 25 countries accept payments in bitcoin.

Recent news and notes from Coinbase include powering the new Bitcoin Index from the NYSE as of May, expanding to the U.K. and winning a spot on the AlwaysOn OnFinance’s Top 100 in April. Coinbase will also be upgrading its iOS and Android apps in February 2016 to support 11 additional languages.

Founded in July 2012 and headquartered in San Francisco, Coinbase made its Finovate debut at FinovateSpring 2014 in San Jose, where it demoed its Instant Exchange platform. Brian Armstrong is CEO.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Coinbase Announces Strategic Investment from Westpac’s Reinventure

Around the web

  • Let’s Talk Payments takes a look at interactive debt repayment tool, ReadyForZero.
  • Money Under 30 features personal finance apps from Personal Capital, Mint, Toshl, Mint Bills, Draft, Level Money, Bill Guard, and Credit Karma.
  • TSYS extends multi-year payment agreement with Mexico’s Banco INVEX S.A.
  • Holvi gives a sneak peek of its business debit card.
  • Cachet Financial Solutions enhances Select Mobile Deposit with geo-fencing unlimited user groups with defined business rules, and date, signature and endorsement detection.
  • Kristo Käärmann of TransferWise is quoted in The Guardian column on the relationship between U.K. fintech startups and banks.
  • Tradeshift teams up with C2FO, expanding access to the world’s largest working capital market.
  • Actiance to Deliver Content from 70-Plus Communication Channels to Office 365.

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

  • Finovate Debuts: SayPay Combines Voice Recognition and Biometric Authentication

Around the web

  • ColoradoBiz talks with Entrepreneur of the Year finalist: Krista Morgan, CEO and co-founder of P2Binvestor.
  • TechCrunch column on bitcoin and the remittance market references Coinbase and TransferWise.
  • PYMNTS.com highlights OnDeck, Lending Club, and Prosper in its look at the changing relationship between banks and alternative lenders.
  • Business Insider: SocietyOne thinks Australia is big enough for a bunch of small players.
  • TradeHero parent partners with the Singapore Exchange (SGX) to launch the SGX StockWhiz 2015 contest.
  • Bitbond, Wealthfront, and TrueAccord listed among six rising fintech startups.
  • Lendio-powered Staples business loans surpasses $1 million in funding for 43 SMBs across the U.S.
  • Quisk short-listed for Red Herring’s Top 100 North America award.
  • Fox Financial Planning Network picks Jemstep’s Advisor Pro as automated investment service platform for its AdvisorTouch Symphony program.
  • The Hanover Insurance Group teams up with Identity Theft 911 to provide businesses with better defense against data breaches.
  • FearlessMen.com reviews small business lender, EZBOB.
  • etcAndroid spotlights Toshl Finance Budget and Expense app 1.7.21.
  • FundSERV to integrate e-SignLive from Silanis into its eDOCS solution.
  • Mitek to acquire IDchecker, a global identity verification solutions provider.
  • Oink featured in USA Today’s list of five financial musts for college grads.
  • Accredited Investor Markets interviews DarcMatter CEO Sang Lee.
  • Kabbage partners with Sage payment solutions to launch Sage small business loan powered by Kabbage.

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.

$680 Million Raised by 29 Alums in Q1 2015

$680 Million Raised by 29 Alums in Q1 2015

cartoonmoneystackThe 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

February: More than $264 million raised by 8 alums

March: More than $136 million raised by 7 alums

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.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Bitcoin-based P2P Lending Platform Bitbond Raises $670,000
  • WePay Closes $40 Million Series D Round Led by FTV Capital
  • Misys Launches FusionBanking Essence Islamic

Around the web

  • SEKUR Me debuts Apple Pay for online purchases featuring universal buy-button and one-click mobile payments.
  • Intuit launches Sync with PayPal to help SMBs simplify tasks with QuickBooks online data-integrations.
  • LifePay announces plans to expand into Southeast Asia in wake of ipoxPro acquisition.
  • The Guardian highlights Azimo as a “well-established” alternative to banks regarding money-transfer overseas.
  • NYSE’s new Bitcoin Index is powered by Coinbase.
  • Anheuser-Busch Employees Credit Union to deploy online- and mobile-banking solutions from Digital Insight.
  • Merck Sharp & Dohme Federal Credit Union adds processing and additional solutions from Fiserv.
  • Community Banks and Credit Unions go live with Touch ID in mobile banking through Malauzai Software.
  • Arxan appoints Sam Rehman as chief technology officer.
  • Nerdwallet features Seattle-based Lighter Capital.
  • Bankless Times talks with Brock Blake, Lendio CEO, about the company’s success.
  • PayNearMe to offer its cash payment service to Telinta’s service-provider customers.

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.