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Finovate Alums and the History of Bitcoin Innovation

Finovate Alums and the History of Bitcoin Innovation
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: AlphaPoint, Alumni profile, Amber Labs, ArcBit, Bitbond, BlockCypher, Blockstack.io, Coinalytics, Coinbase, CoinJar, Gem, itBit, KlickEx, Ledger, OpenCoin, Plutus Software, Ripple, Stratumn

With bitcoin and cryptocurrencies enjoying renewed interest, it’s worth noting that many fintech fans encountered their first bitcoin-related businesses through Finovate conferences.

Here’s a look at some of the companies that have brought their bitcoin and crypto-powered innovations to the Finovate stage.

OpenCoin – FinovateSpring 2013 – The company now well-known as Ripple was introduced to Finovate audiences back in 2013. At FinovateSpring that year, Chris Larsen – CEO of a startup called OpenCoin – introduced its virtual currency and distributed open source payment network. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Ripple currently has more than 300 financial institutions who leverage its RippleNet blockchain network to power real-time payments.

KlickEx – FinovateAsia 2013 – New Zealand-based KlickEx unveiled its asset-backed and algorithmic cryptocurrency for institutional and retail users at FinovateAsia in 2013. The company, founded in 2009, recently announced a partnership with the National Reserve Bank of Tonga to launch a new national payment system.

Coinbase – FinovateSpring 2014 – Among the bigger names in bitcoin and cryptocurrency to have demonstrated their technology at Finovate conferences is San Francisco, California-based Coinbase. Debuting at Finovate with its Instant Exchange in 2014, Coinbase has grown into one of the biggest players in the cryptocurrency market with more than 35 million verified users and more than $320 billion in total volume traded on its platform.

AlphaPoint – FinovateEurope 2015 – With more than $350 million in monthly trading volume and 20 digital currency exchanges operating in 15 countries, AlphaPoint is a leading fintech exchange platform provider for digital currencies. The company demoed version two of its digital currency exchange platform at FinovateEurope in 2015.

CoinJar – FinovateEurope 2015 – Australia’s largest and longest-operating bitcoin company, CoinJar demonstrated its platform at FinovateEurope 2015. The Best of Show-winning firm was the first in its market to offer a bitcoin debit card that enabled cardholders to use the cryptocurrency for everyday purchases.

Bitbond – FinovateEurope 2015 – Berlin, Germany’s Bitbond offers a global P2P bitcoin lending platform that enables anyone with an Internet connection to both get loans as well as invest their savings for interest. The company demonstrated its AutoInvest functionality, which facilitates and automates fund allocation in a portfolio, at FinovateEurope 2015.

itBit – FinovateSpring 2015 – New York-based itBit demonstrated its bitcoin trading platform at FinovateSpring in 2015. The company’s technology enables both institutional and retail investors to buy and sell bitcoin. Rebranded as Paxos in the fall of 2016, the company has since highlighted its work in private blockchains and distributed ledger technology.

Blockstack.io – FinovateFall 2015 – Best of Show winning Blockstack.io offers a hosted and licensed enterprise blockchain platform that enables financial services companies and others to build applications on their own private blockchain. The San Francisco, California-based company, founded in 2015, was acquired by Digital Asset Holdings for an undisclosed sum before the end of the year.

ArcBit – FinovateFall 2015 – With a pledge to leverage bitcoin and blockchain technology to bring banking to the underbanked, ArcBit, which made its Finovate debut at FinovateFall in 2015, offers a mobile wallet specifically designed to give bitcoin owners full control over their cryptoholdings.

Coinalytics – FinDEVr San Francisco 2015 – Our developers conference, FinDEVr is one way that many bitcoin and crytocurrency innovators were able to bring their innovations to the public. Coinanalytics, which offers an end-to-end intelligence platform for the bitcoin industry, is an example of the kind of company developing solutions to make bitcoin a better opportunity for payments, financial services, and IoT.

BlockCypher – FinDEVr Silicon Valley 2015 – Another alum of our developer’s conference, BlockCypher offers companies a cloud-optimized, enterprise-grade blockchain platform that enables them to build reliable blockchain apps. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, the company was founded in 2014.

Gem – FinDEVr Silicon Valley 2015 – Founded in 2014 and based in Venice, California, Gem demonstrated its API which provides a comprehensive security solution for bitcoin apps – without taking control over funds. With a few lines of code, Gem enables developers to provide an interface to their bitcoin apps that gives users better funding options.

Ledger – FinovateEurope 2016 – Headquartered in Paris, France and founded in 2015, Ledger designs trusted hardware solutions for bitcoin and blockchain apps. The company’s solutions, including the Nano X and Nano S, provide cryptocurrency owners with a secure, portable way to take and manage their digital assets wherever they are.

Stratumn – FinDEVr New York 2016 – Enterprise blockchain technology company Stratumn provides firms with the infrastructure and tools they need to to build, deploy, and run blockchain. The company presented the high performance, proof-of-existence engine of its development platform at our developer’s conference in 2016. Jerome Lefebvre took over as CEO of the company from co-founder Richard Caetano in the fall of 2019.

Plutus.it – FinovateEurope 2018 – London-based Plutus demonstrated its Tap & Pay and Debit Card solutions that enable consumers to pay with bitcoin or Ethereum at any contactless point of sale. Founded in 2016, the company currently supports more than 26,000 Plutus accounts and credits its users for acquiring more than $100,000 in rewards via its Pluton Rewards program.

Amber Labs – Finovate MiddleEast 2019 – Best of Show winner Amber Labs is a bitcoin exchange, wallet, and micro-investment app in one. Headquartered in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and founded in 2017, Amber Labs offers a mobile first, automated investment platform for retail customers looking to buy and sell bitcoin.

Photo by Thought Catalog from Pexels

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Finovate’s 2015 Best of Show Winners Give Something to Tweet About

Finovate’s 2015 Best of Show Winners Give Something to Tweet About
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alpha Payments Cloud, Avoka, Blockstack.io, CoinJar, Dyme, Dynamics, ebankIT, eToro, Finanteq, Hedgeable, HelloWallet, Jumio, mBank & i3D, Meniga, Money Amigo, Moven, NAMU Systems, SaleMove, Shoeboxed, Soundpays, Stratos

BestofShowIMG

2015 was quite a year for the 800+ Finovate alumni. From acquisitions to IPOs, and everything in between, there was plenty to tweet about. Here are the highlights from the 2015 Best of Show winners:

FinovateEurope 2015

Avoka demoed a three-minute loan application that delivers a fast onboarding experience.

CoinJar showed a technology that enables consumers to buy, sell, and use digital and traditional forms of currency any way they choose, from dollars to bitcoins.

ebankIT demoed its omnichannel and social banking solution that maximizes interaction between FIs and clients.

eToro showed its innovations in social trading and investing for generation Y.

Jumio demoed credentials-management technology Netverify that turns mobile devices into ID document-scanning terminals.

mBank & i3D demoed their interactive, digital retail-branch concept.

Meniga showed off Market Match, its transaction-data analytics and enrichment engine.

FinovateSpring 2015

Alpha Payments Cloud demoed AlphaHub, its omnichannel access platform that helps banks, merchants, MSPs, and ISOs gain access to any solution provider in the world.

Avoka (see above)

Money Amigo showed technology that brings financial services to the underbanked and underserved, delivering traditional banking products in an innovative way.

Moven launched Moven Financial Health Platform that provides real-time contextualized notifications and interactions that create “gamified money moments.”

NAMU Systems demoed “Joyful Banking” which uses new and intelligent behavior modeling to focus on customer behavior and digital experiences to create a new standard in mobile banking.

Shoeboxed.com showcased its Receipt Capture for Banks, a solution that boosts functionality of online and mobile banking apps while providing fraud protection.

Stratos demonstrated its dynamic Stratos Bluetooth-connected card and digital card issuance platform that analyzes card-usage trends and interactively engages card members.


FinovateFall 2015

Blockstack.io launched technology that enables financial services and other enterprises to set up and build applications on a private, hosted blockchain.

Dyme showcased its innovative method for helping people start a savings habit and fund their lifestyle using text messaging.

Dynamics demoed fully programmable interfaces (stripe, EMV, NFC) for use in next-generation payment cards.

Finanteq launched its SuperWallet that helps banks take full advantage of their potential by integrating m-commerce and remote services with mobile banking.

Hedgeable: demoed its private banking platform for millennials.

HelloWallet showed its Retirement Explorer solution, an approachable and actionable online planning tool that helps employees model and work toward specific retirement outcomes.

SaleMove demoed its Engagement Platform and Omnicall technologies that enable online consumers to engage live with businesses as if they were face-to-face.

Soundpays showed its app that recognizes ultrasonic and sonic waveforms even in extremely noisy environments.

Want to see more award-winning demos of the newest fintech ideas? Pick up your ticket FinovateEurope 2016 and we’ll see you in London.

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Finovate Alumni News: March 4, 2015

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Bionym, Braintree, CoinJar, CRIF, Finsphere, Fiserv, Flint Mobile, iQuantifi, On Deck Capital, PayNearMe, Ripple, Silanis Technology, Xero, Yodlee
  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgSecureIDNews takes a look at the partnership between FinSphere and Visa.
  • Fiserv launches four new modules for its Financial Crime Risk Management platform.
  • iQuantifi wins “Best in Show” at Bank Innovation 2015 DEMOvation Challenge.
  • Silanis earns spot on KMWorld’s “100 Companies that Matter in Knowledge Management” list for 2015.
  • IT Business Edge interviews Flint Mobile CEO Greg Goldfarb.
  • American Banker considers the benefits of banks using Ripple.
  • Innovation in Finance interviews CoinJar at FinovateEurope in London.
  • Capital Bank’s OpenSky Puts CRIF’s CreditFlow & StrategyOne to the Test.
  • Inc: How OnDeck Plans to Make Alternative Lending a Blue Chip Business.
  • Inc. lists Bionym as one of 8 Canadian startups to watch out for in 2015.
  • Yodlee now provides data APIs to nearly 50 fintech applications and services in the personal wealth-management space.
  • Braintree expands its Asia-Pac operations into Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.
  • PandoDaily: PayNearMe partners with Grameen America to help lift women out of poverty.
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.

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Your Daily Distraction: FinovateEurope 2015 Demo Videos Now Available

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Avoka, CoinJar, ebankIT, eToro, FinovateEurope 2015, Jumio, mBank & i3D, Meniga

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If you’re in need of a little distraction, we have good news. The demo videos from FinovateEurope 2015 have been released. All 72 videos from last month’s conference, along with the full history of Finovate demos, are publicly available on the Finovate video archives page. 

 
To get started, here are the seven Best of Show winners, in alphabetical order:

Avoka

Avoka

 

 

CoinJar

CoinJar

 

 

ebankIT

ebankIT

 

 

eToro

eToro

 

Jumio

Jumio

 

mBank & i3D

mBank & i3D

 

Meniga

Meniga

Feel free to download, embed, and tweet the videos to share your favorites from the conference, whether you were in attendance or not.

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FinovateEurope 2015 Best of Show Winners Announced

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Avoka, CoinJar, ebankIT, eToro, FinovateEurope 2015, Jumio, mBank & i3D, Meniga

FEU2015_BoS_Badge.jpg

If there is anything more exciting than the first Finovate conference of the year, it’s seeing who will be the year’s first Best of Show award-winning companies.

After two days of fintech presentations and demonstrations, our audience of more than 1,100 has shared its opinion on which technologies at FinovateEurope 2015 stood out from the rest of a truly impressive pack.

Here are this year’s winners, in alphabetical order:

Thumbnail image for Avoka_hires_logo_box.jpg

Avoka for its three-minute loan application that promises to deliver the fastest onboarding experience in the world.

Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for CoinJarLogo.jpg

CoinJar for its technology that enables consumers to buy, sell, and use digital and traditional forms of currency any way they choose—from dollars to bitcoins.

Thumbnail image for ebankITLogo.jpg

ebankIT for its omnichannel and social banking solution that maximizes interaction between FIs and their clients.

Thumbnail image for eToroLogo2015.jpg

eToro for its innovations in social trading and investing for Generation Y.

Thumbnail image for JumioLogo.jpg

Jumio for its credentials-management technology, Netverify, that turns mobile devices into ID document-scanning terminals.

Thumbnail image for mBank_i3D_logo_high-res.jpg

mBank and i3D for their interactive, digital retail-branch concept.

Thumbnail image for MenigaLogo.jpg

Meniga for Market Match, its transaction-data analytics and enrichment engine.
As always, thanks to everyone who attended and participated in FinovateEurope 2015. We’ll see you next year!

Notes on methodology:  

1. Only audience members NOT associated with demoing companies were eligible to vote. Finovate employees did not vote.
2. Attendees were encouraged to note their favorites during each day. At the end of the last demo, they chose their three favorites.    
3. The exact written instructions given to attendees: “Please rate (the companies) on the basis of demo quality and potential impact of the innovation demoed.”  
4. The seven companies appearing on the highest percentage of submitted ballots were named Best of Show.  
5. Go here for a list of previous Best of Show winners. 

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CoinJar Leverages BlockChain Technology to Provide a Wide Range of Digital Payment Options

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: CoinJar, FinovateEurope 2015

Thumbnail image for CoinJarLogo.jpgThis post is part of our live coverage of FinovateEurope 2015.

CoinJar is the eminent digital finance platform in the Australian market. The company’s co-founders are making their way to the stage.

CoinJar lets users buy, sell, send, receive, and spend digital and traditional forms of currency using the blockchain technology that underlies bitcoin. With a simple user interface designed for the average consumer, CoinJar bridges legacy payment systems and new digital platforms. It opens the potential for bitcoin to become the future of global remittance payments, automated escrow, smart contracts, digitized asset ledgers, and secured and signed user cryptography.

CoinJar also has an open API, allowing developers to innovate on top of the CoinJar platform to adopt the best of blockchain technology for uses other than currency.

Presenters: Co-founders Asher Tan and Ryan Zhou
 
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Product launch: December 2014
Product distribution strategy: Direct to Consumer (B2C), Direct to Business (B2B)
HQ: London, United Kingdom
Metrics: AU$450,000 raised in venture capital and angel investment; more than 40,000 users; more than $50 million in exchange transactions in Australia; 285,000 BTC sent between CoinJars worth $150 million; 13 employees
Website: coinjar.com
Twitter: @GetCoinJar

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Alumni News—February 5, 2015

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Coinbase, CoinJar, Feedzai, Insuritas, Lendio, Quisk
  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgQuisk electronic payment system to launch in Jamaica. Come see Quisk at FinovateEurope next week.
  • AM560 interviews Lendio CEO Brock Blake on alternative lending.
  • On Finovate.com: “Funding for E.U.-based Finovate Alums Totals $377 Million in 2014″
  • European Commission’s Promoting Enterprise blog spotlights Nuno Da Cruz Sebastiao of Feedzai.
  • Argent Credit Union hires Insuritas to open and manage turnkey insurance agency.
  • Coinbase to support Google Now notifications.
  • CoinJar launches iOS bitcoin payments app, CoinJar Touch, ahead of its FinovateEurope 2015 debut next week.
  • SixThirty Accelerator deadline extended to February 6.
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.

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FinovateEurope 2015 Sneak Peek: Part 3

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: CoinJar, EVRY, FinovateEurope 2015, FinovateEurope 2015 Sneak Peek, FOBISS, Strands, Trunomi, VATBox

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We’ll be in London three weeks from today, where drinks will be served, networking will be in full force, and we’ll be wrapping up the first day of FinovateEurope 2015 (get your ticket here).

FEUNetworkingCropped.jpg

To help you prepare for the onslaught of 70+ live demos full of new technology, some of the presenters provided us a summary of what to expect from them on stage. This week, we’re featuring CoinJar, EVRY, FOBISS, Strands, Trunomi, and VATBox:

Don’t miss previous posts:

CoinJarLogo.jpg

CoinJar is a digital finance platform that gives customers a way to manage and spend both traditional and digital currencies when and how they want.

Features

    • Store bitcoin without volatility 
    • End-to-end solutions to make bitcoin adoption easy 
    • Buy bitcoin reliably with a simple interface

Why it’s greatCoinJarPresenters.jpg
CoinJar provides end-to-end solutions to unlock Bitcoin’s potential.

Presenters

Asher Tan, CEO and Co-Founder
Economic Analyst. Researcher. Bitcoiner.
LinkedIn

Ryan Zhou, COO and Co-Founder
Rubyist. Student at University of Melbourne. Bitcoiner.
LinkedIn

EVRYlogo.jpg

EVRY is the Nordics’ leading financial service provider and is presenting Spendific, a concept designed to make personal finance simple.

Features

    • Automatically generates personalized budget based on previous spending
    • Gives users feedback on their finances in real-time
    • Motivates users to reach their goals

Why it’s great
In Spendific there are no complicated graphs or charts to tell you whether you’re on track with your finances. Just one number. No worries.

EVRYPresenter1.jpg

Presenters

Anne Moa, Product developer
Moa has previously worked as a youth economist in a large Norwegian bank, with responsibility for the bank’s main channel of communication towards young people.
LinkedIn

EVRYPresenter2.jpg

Magne Meldal, Business developer
Combining two decades of technology and marketing experience with an open mind, Meldal is passionate about bringing better financial services to consumers.
LinkedIn

FOBISSLogo.jpg

FOBISS is a first modern tool enabling retail banks to manage their entire cash supply chains with one button click.

Features

    • Automates optimization and decision-making
    • Based on Artificial Intelligence technologies
    • Can be flexibly adapted to existing processes

Why it’s great
The industry’s first and only cash management system empowered by Artificial Intelligence and driving best decisions on time.

FOBISSPresenter1.jpg

Presenters

Mindaugas Leonavicius, Managing Director
Leonavicius has more than 10 years of experience in management consulting. Led multiple businesses through start-up phases from establishment to breakeven.
LinkedIn

FOBISSPresenter2.jpg

Andrius Ojeras, Global Sales Director
Ojeras is an IT Sales professional with more than 10 years of experience within multinational IT organizations.
LinkedIn

StrandsLogo.jpg

Strands designs and creates next-generation digital banking experiences to help individuals and SMEs manage their finances.

Features

    • Help SMEs analyze and forecast future financial needs
    • Empower SMEs to deliver targeted marketing campaigns on mobile devices
    • Help banks address the digital banking needs of business owners

Why it’s great
With Strands Loop, financial institutions can create a more seamless and personal banking experience and build better relationships with their SME clients

StrandsPresenter1.jpg

Presenters

Dario Lombardi, General Manager, Strands Finance
Lombardi leads the Finance BU. He joined Strands in 2011 as Business Development Director and has been responsible for managing sales in EMEA. Prior to Strands, he worked for Bloomberg LP
LinkedIn

StrandsPresenter2.jpg

Cesar Jimenez Richardson, Director, Business Development
Richardson joined Strands in 2014 and is managing Strands Finance in the Americas. Previously he founded and managed tech startup companies in travel and education tech arena and worked for Bloomberg LP
LinkedIn

TrunomiLogo.jpg

Trunomi offers an innovative technology platform that streamlines Know Your Customer and mobile verification using a revolutionary consent-based data sharing platform.

Features

    • TruMobile securely connects customers with banks.
    • Monetises and personalises your customer’s data experience.
    • Streamlines verification KYC using a revolutionary consent-based data sharing platform.

Why it’s great
A customer-focused mobile solution that eliminates their most significant pain-points; making their account opening and data management experience simple, secure and easy.

TrunomiPresenter1.jpg

Presenters

Stuart Lacey, Founder & CEO
Lacey is an innovator, team-builder and thought leader. Sometimes mistaken for the Energizer Bunny – he is relentless in his drive to find better ways to learn, build, nurture and share great ideas.
LinkedIn

TrunomiPresenter2.jpg

Chia Brewin, Customer Development Executive
Brewin is a multi-tasking, Trunomian super-star. She attended University in the UK, helped run campaigns for major political parties then earned a black belt in the “Art of Customer Development”.
LinkedIn

VATBoxLogo.jpg

VATBox is the first, cloud-based automated solution for Foreign/Domestic VAT recovery, providing data-driven visibility and insights while maximizing VAT returns.

Features

    • Eliminate human-error and resources with automated VAT technology
    • Gain complete visibility, compliance and control of VAT spend
    • Benefit from VAT recovery optimization, maximizing refunds

Why its great
VATBox’s Automated VAT recovery solution enables customers to have one global process that tracks and manages VAT spend with ease, and to maximize VAT refunds.

Presenters

VATBoxPresenter.jpg

Isaac Saft, Co-Founder & CEO

    • 2012 – 2013 – President and Global Business Development, KCS Ltd
    • 2004 – 2012 – Founder and Chief Executive Officer, KCS Ltd
    • 1994 – 2003 – Commanding Officer, Israel Defense Forces

LinkedIn

Stephen Coleclough, Advisory Board Member
Coleclough is a Tax Consultant in Mishcon de Reya’s Tax Group with over 30 years’ experience in tax and law. He was formerly a Partner and Global Leader of Indirect Taxes at pwc.

FinovateEurope will be held February 10 & 11 in London. Pick up your ticket today to save your seat at the hottest fintech event of the year.

Questions? Check out our FAQ for some answers.

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