Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Barclaycard Brings the Ka-Ching to Bling in New Wearables Payment Partnerships. See Barclaycard at FinDEVr in New York this month.
  • Excited to see Finicity at FinDEVr New York on March 21 and 22. Check out our interview with Co-Founder & EVP Nick Thomas.
  • Excited to see NuCypher at FinDEVr New York on March 21 and 22. Check out our interview with CEO & Co-Founder MacLane Wilkison.

On FinDEVr.com

  • Check out this week’s FinDEVr APIntelligence.

Around the web

  • Arxan Technologies completes the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 validation process from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
  • Credit Sesame launches new service that pre-qualifies members for credit cards.
  • Sisense and Narrative Science partner to Merge BI and AI.

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.

Why PropTech and MortgageTech Are the Future of Fintech

Why PropTech and MortgageTech Are the Future of Fintech

If this is the first time you’ve heard the term proptech, it won’t be the last. Proptech (also known as real estate tech or REtech) and its subset mortgagetech have been around since 2014. Here’s why 2017 is poised to place proptech among the ranks of wealthtech, insurtech, regtech.

This year has already been favorable to mortgagetech and proptech companies. SoFi, for example, is about to close a massive, $500 million round, its competitor LendingHome topped $1 billion in mortgage loan originations last year, and RealtyShares has seen over $300 million raised on its platform. According to CB Insights, since 2012 the real estate technology sector has closed 817 deals worth $6.4 billion. Of that amount, $2.6 billion closed in 2016 alone, which represents a 40% increase from that sector’s funding in 2015.

In the U.S., there are a handful of reasons 2017 will be favorable to real estate. Interest rates are projected to rise for the second time, millennials are starting to buy their first homes, and investors are looking to diversify out of the volatile stock market. On top of all of this, regulations are slated to loosen under the Trump administration, and changing in regulation brings opportunities for innovation.

Players

The broader category of proptech can be broken down into four basic segments.

1- Mortgagetech
These are mostly B2B companies specifically focused on facilitating part of all of the mortgage application process. They do not lend or service the loan.

2- Digital mortgage lending companies
These online lenders facilitate the mortgage application process and service the loan.

3- Real estate investment tech
Companies in this category are focused on the investment aspect of commercial and residential real estate.

4- Pure property plays
These don’t have a fintech angle but play a role in the broader proptech industry. Since this category is out of scope for this blog, this list only encompasses a fraction of companies in this category. Check out CB Insights’ coverage of commercial real estate technology for more.

What’s ahead in 2017

  • Expect to see more mortgagetech-bank partnerships along the lines of Roostify’s recent deal with JP Morgan Chase. As banks try to gain a competitive edge for market share, more established banks will need to leverage mortgagetech offerings.
  • We’ll see more niche alt-lending solutions such as SoFi that facilitate the application process and save borrowers on closing costs.
  • Expect to see more players offering real estate investment technology, coupled with some consolidation in real estate crowdfunding companies.
  • Outside of fintech, we’ll see more platforms aimed at cutting out the middle person, the realtor; and more business models such as Knock and GoldenKey that make the selling process easier.

You don’t have to take my word for it

We posed the question, How do you see proptech/ mortgagetech growing in 2017? to these Finovate alums working in the space. Here’s how they responded:

BhatRajesh Bhat, CEO and cofounder of Roostify:

“We expect to see further widescale adoption of digital mortgage solutions – to the point where one should expect it to be table stakes in 2018. We should also expect to see more players emerge in the space as investors see larger market adoption and validation.”

 

Screen Shot 2017-02-23 at 9.52.53 AMLinda Schicktanz, Chief Advisor of CK Mack*:

“If there is one area ripe for fintech innovation, it’s real estate investing. Why put 30% down just to gain massive management headaches when you can now invest in rental cashflow online with very similar returns? Fintech and Real Estate are like peanut butter and jelly, they just go together!”

Screen Shot 2017-02-23 at 8.30.31 AMNima Ghamsari, cofounder and CEO at Blend:

“There is going to be an explosion in the use of data driving the mortgage process in 2017. Both Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have announced their data initiatives toward the end of 2016, and lenders are starting to push consumer financial data aggregation into the core components of their customer experiences. This ties in nicely to the industry-wide push forward to a more digital, end-to-end process that started in 2016.”

Screen Shot 2017-02-24 at 4.07.54 PMJilliene Helman, CEO at RealtyMogul

“The impact of digital technology on the real estate industry and mortgage technology is still in its infancy, but I see both less experienced and more sophisticated investors, alike, moving toward a process that takes place entirely online. With over $250 million of capital invested and 100,000 registered investors on the platform, RealtyMogul.com is a testament to this change. The more that technology can offer real estate borrowers and lenders transparency, as well as the efficiency of process and convenience, the faster both sides will adapt.”


*Full disclosure: I’m related to Linda Schicktanz. Yup– she’s my mom.

Where Are They Now? FinovateSpring Alums Raise More than $326 Million in a Year

Where Are They Now? FinovateSpring Alums Raise More than $326 Million in a Year

FS2015_overheadview

Last week we took a look at what the alums of FinovateSpring 2015 have been up to in the year since they demoed on the Finovate stage. Today, we’re focusing on the funding.

All $326 million of it.

Of the 72 companies that demoed at FinovateSpring 2015 in San Jose last year, 21 of them had raised capital within a year. Kabbage’s raise of $135 million certainly stands out. But the $25 million investment picked up by itBit in May of last year, as well as the $15 million raised by Trulioo and the $12 million raised by Moven were also major contributors to a strong fundraising performance from the Class of FinovateSpring 2015. And this doesn’t even include companies such as Yodlee, which was acquired by Envestnet for $660 million, or Aurora Financial Systems, bought by fellow Finovate alum, Finicity, for an undisclosed sum.

March 2016

January 2016

Dec 2015

October 2015

September 2015

August 2015

  • [M&A] Holy Yodlee! Envestnet to Buy Yodlee for $660 Million – video

July 2015

June 2015

May 2015

——-

FinovateSpring 2016 is less than a month away. Pick up your tickets today and save your spot at our upcoming spring conference in San Jose, California.

 

Credit Sesame Launches SnapLoan, The Amazon One-Click for Consumer Loans

Credit Sesame Launches SnapLoan, The Amazon One-Click for Consumer Loans

CreditSesameHomepage

Credit and loan management tool site Credit Sesame has introduced SnapLoan, a platform that helps qualified consumers quickly obtain a loan. The California-based company is comparing the new offering to Amazon’s One-Click purchase option.

SnapLoan ties into qualified users’ credit and financial profiles in real time to streamline the loan application process for potential borrowers. Founder and CEO Adrian Nazari says, “We are making it easy for our users to get the most relevant and accurate loan offers and approvals from marketplace lenders in a snap, with the click of a few buttons.”

CreditSesameSnapLoanapp

Credit Sesame is piloting SnapLoan via a partnership with BorrowersFirst, an online lender powered by Cross River Bank that offers personal loans ranging from $2,500 to $35,000. The product launches in beta today, and there is no word yet when it will be available to Credit Sesame’s 8 million users.

Founded in 2010, Credit Sesame debuted its newest PFM features at FinovateSpring 2015.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • “Aire Receives Funding from Accion Venture Lab”
  • “Refund.me Brings its Air Travel Compensation Service to Business”
  • “Credit Sesame Launches SnapLoan, The Amazon One-Click for Consumer Loans”

On FinDEVr.com

  • “Envestnet | Yodlee Unveils its Risk Insight API”

Around the web

  • Global Debt Registry announces plans to bring loan-validation technology to marketplace lending industry.
  • CryptoCoinNews takes a look at recent funding for Stratumn, a blockchain development platform.
  • P2Binvestor teams up with independent adviser, MW Eaglewood Americas.
  • Locavesting profiles StreetShares, which in mid-May will begin lending to small businesses.
  • Crowdfund Insider interviews Cloud Lending CEO Snehal Fulzele.
  • Cachet Financial and Ingo Money renew partnership.
  • Ripple adds former HSBC payments executive and SWIFT board member, Marcus Treacher, as its new global head of strategic accounts.
  • LendKey announces it has underwritten, originated, and deployed more than $1 billion in capital to borrowers.

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

  • Check out this week’s “FinDEVr APIntelligence”
  • “Finovate Debuts: ArcBit Introduces its Secure, Easy-to-Use Bitcoin Wallet”
  • “FIS Closes SunGuard Acquisition to the Tune of $5.1 Billion”

Around the web

  • CSI globalVCard launches partnership program for banks for its electronic payments program.
  • SavingAdvice.com highlights how Personal Capital can help you gain control of your finances.
  • Credit Sesame features millennial-friendly robo-adviser investment-platforms: Betterment, FutureAdvisor, SigFig, Blooom.
  • Quisk selected as a 2015 Red Herring 100 Global Winner.
  • TSYS signs payments agreement with Atlanticus to continue support of loan-origination platform, Fortiva.
  • Digital Insight unveils Business Banking, an SaaS solution to enable FIs to offer personalized banking experiences to business customers.
  • Q2 opens new offices in Lincoln, Nebraska, to accommodate growth, acquisition of Centrix Solutions.
  • Xignite Market Data APIs now available on SoundHound’s Houndify sound recognition and search-technology platform.
  • Let’s Talk Payments features Trustev, Trulioo, and Trunomi in its look at “RegTech” startups in Europe and the U.S.
  • Temenos wins “Best Provider of Front-to-Back Wealth Suite Solutions” at Asian Private Banker’s Technology Awards 2015.
  • Avalara partners with open-source billing and payments platform, Kill Bill.
  • Silicon Prairie News interviews Daniel Carnes, CSO at Prairie Cloudware, on the future of cybersecurity.

This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • “PayPal’s Early Valuation Tops $44 Billion”
  • “Monitise to Emphasize API, On-Site Solutions in Strategy Shift”

Around the web

  • Xero to offer foreign invoice payments via new partnership with Midpoint Holdings.
  • Loop featured in profile of Samsung Pay.
  • PYMNTS.com takes a look at PayPal CEO Dan Schulman’s conversation with the Financial Times.
  • Gulf News Banking highlights Zopa in its review of the rise of P2P business lending.
  • Ferratum Group selects Mambu to Power SME Lending.
  • Top Image Systems to deploy an automated multichannel and mobile data-capture project for online financing company that provides funds to India-based SMBs.
  • Lighter Capital closes 100 deals.
  • CDApress recommends FamZoo to help kids understand personal finance skills.
  • Credit.com blog lists Global Debt Registry as a tool to help get rid of an old debt.
  • Better ATM Services CEO Todd Nuttall quoted in Australian Times column on how technology delivers a growing share of bank services.
  • The Bitcoin News interviews the new online marketing manager for Bitbond, Chris Grundy.
  • Wall Street Journal features PsychSignal in a review of stock market sentiment and social media.
  • Inc. feature on Silicon Prairie highlights Blooom, Hip Pocket, and Dwolla.
  • Rise in tech investment in the United Kingdom credited to companies like Azimo and Currency Cloud in London’s fintech sector.
  • Forbes column on investing for millennials features Hedgeable.
  • Realty Mogul adds two new vice presidents of commercial real estate.

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.

Credit Sesame Raises $16 Million in New Funding

Credit Sesame Raises $16 Million in New Funding

CreditSesame_homepage_May2015

Q. What’s one of the few things more exciting than demoing your technology at Finovate this spring?

A. Having a $16 million investment waiting for you when you return home.

That’s the story of Credit Sesame, which combined its latest appearance at Finovate with news of $16 million in new funding.

The Series D round was led by Syncora Alternative Investments, and featured participation from IA Capital, Inventus Capital, Globespan Capital, Menlo Ventures, and other investors. IA Capital Partners served as an adviser to Syncora. The additional funding will help the company expand its credit and loan-management services; “ramp up” marketing; and open offices in San Francisco. Credit Sesame’s total capital stands at more than $35 million.

Credit Sesame specializes in helping consumers get access to and track their credit and loan data. The service provides free credit scores and monitoring, including daily alerts, identity-theft protection, and analytics tools to help consumers better manage their personal credit, or choose the right mortgage or auto loan. Credit Sesame has more than five million registered users, and monitors more than $128 billion in loans.

A five-time Finovate alum, Credit Sesame was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California. The company launched its co-branded service with Siri integration at FinovateSpring 2015, featuring partner, Iontuition. The video of the demonstration will be available in our Video Archives section by the end of the week.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • PayItSimple Pulls in $10 Million Line of Credit
  • Ripple Labs Reels in $28 Million, Eyes Asia Expansion
  • P2P Lending Meets High Street Banking as Metro Bank Partners to Lend via Zopa
  • Credit Sesame Raises $16 Million in New Funding
  • Planwise Raises $750,000, Nearly Doubling Total Capital

Around the web

  • Fox Small Business News names 11 Finovate alums in list of Hot Fintech Startups to watch.
  • Edenred México S.A. incorporates INETCO’s Insight software platform.
  • D3 Banking taps Jeffrey Walker as chief information security officer.
  • MasterCard launches P2P payments service, MasterCard Send, to help businesses reimburse rebate consumers without checks.
  • nTrust to deploy ID verification technology from Trulioo.
  • North American Savings Bank (NASB) partners with ACI Worldwide for online, mobile banking and billpay.
  • Avoka, Bill.com, BillGuard, CoinBase, Credit Karma, Jumio, Kabbage, Kreditech, OnDeck, Prosper, TransferWise, Trulioo, Venmo and WePay earn spots on Inc.com’s “20 Financial Technology Startups You Need to Know.”
  • ImageWare selects ValidSoft’s voice biometrics solution.
  • Kony teams with Citrix, to offer customers a mobile app solution from mobile design and development to enterprise mobility operations.
  • Altifi.com features Cloud Lending Solutions’ Cloud Lending Exchange.
  • ZD net: Intuit tightens PayPal integration with data synchronization app.

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.

Credit Sesame Launches Co-branded Service

Credit Sesame Launches Co-branded Service

FS15_CreditSesame_logo_reduced

This post is part of our live coverage of FinovateSpring 2015.

Credit Sesame launched its Siri integration and co-branded offering:

Credit Sesame makes it easier than ever for consumers to access, monitor, and manage their credit and loans, and to protect their identity. Our latest innovation fully integrates our mobile technology with our award-winning web service, to bring the convenience of tracking finances and higher security to an increasing number of mobile users on the go. Through the first of its kind Siri integration in the financial services industry, mobile app users can simply ask Siri about their credit score and more, to check on the status of their credit and financial information with the tap of a thumbprint. It’s that easy.

Presenters: CEO Adrian Nazari and Jesse Levey, head of product

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IMG_9358

Product Launch: Mobile app: 22 Jan 2015; co-branded service: May 2015

Metrics: Money Raised: $44M; registered users: 5.5M; loans under management: $128B; employees: 50+
Product distribution strategy: Direct to Consumer (B2C), through financial institutions, through other fintech companies and platforms

HQ: Mountain View, CA
Founded: January 2010
Website: creditsesame.com
Twitter: @CreditSesame

 

FinovateSpring 2015 Sneak Peek: Part 6

FinovateSpring 2015 Sneak Peek: Part 6

FS2014_image_networking_women

FinovateSpring 2015 is right around the corner. And with news this morning that attendance has already topped 1,000, now is a great time to register and save your spot at our annual spring event on May 12 and 13.

A total of 72 companies will be on stage at the City National Civic in San Jose, California, to demonstrate the latest in financial technology live in front of our audience of industry professionals, venture capitalists, bankers, media, and more. And along with more than 500 minutes of live demos, we make sure you’ve got plenty of time to meet, greet, and network with presenters, sponsors, and fellow attendees alike.

Today in our Sneak Peek Preview series, we’re featuring another seven companies to help you get to know a little more about the companies that will be presenting next month at FinovateSpring 2015.

Check out the previous installments of our Sneak Peek series below. And stayed tuned for more introductions to our FinovateSpring 2015 presenters next week.


FS15_CreditSesame_logo_reducedCredit Sesame helps millions of consumers access, monitor, and manage their credit, improve their finances and protect their credit and identity for free.

Features:

  • Mobile integration combined with the power of voice control and TouchID
  • Manage, monitor, and protect your credit and identity anytime, anywhere
  • White label / turn-key solution

Why it’s great
Credit Sesame makes it easier than ever for mobile users to access, monitor, and manage their credit, improve their finances, and protect their identity on the go.

Presenters

CreditSesame_ANazari_cropAdrian Nazari, CEO
Nazari is a serial entrepreneur, an acknowledged industry expert, and founder of Credit Sesame Inc.
LinkedIn

 

 

CreditSesame_JLevey_cropJesse Levey, Head of Product
Levey is a product innovator and growth expert with more than 12 years experience in technology and financial services.
LinkedIn

 

 


HipPocket_logo_FS15

Hip Pocket engages your mobile and website visitors by using social influence and personalized consultation to generate new, qualified mortgage leads.

Features:

  • Unique peer-group comparisons
  • Real-time integration and personalization savings estimates
  • Results and call-to-action are customized to each user’s situation

Why it’s great
Hip Pocket allows your institution to provide an engaging, intuitive user experience that marries the emotional and logical decision-making processes.

Presenters

HipPocket_MZmarzly_cropMark Zmarzly, CEO, Founder
Zmarzly is a passionate innovator and thought leader in the financial industry. He has delivered multiple TEDx talks and presented for the ABA, BAI, and JD Power & Associates.
LinkedIn

 

HipPocket_TCramer_cropTodd Cramer, Head of Digital Experience & Design
Cramer is a MBA with more than five years of experience in branding, user experience and eCommerce for a $5B bank enterprise.
LinkedIn

 


FS15_itBit_logoitBit is a global bitcoin exchange offering institutional and retail investors a powerful platform to buy and sell bitcoin.

Features:

  • Trusted, institutional-grade exchange
  • Available around the clock
  • Offers the best security, privacy, and asset protection

Why it’s great
itBit is the most trusted and secure platform for trading bitcoin.

Presenters

itBit_CCascarilla_cropCharles Cascarilla, CEO, Co-founder
As a bitcoin early adopter with more than 15 years’ experience in financial services, Cascarilla has a unique perspective and interest in integrating bitcoin with traditional systems.
LinkedIn

 

itBit_BCho_cropBobby Cho, Director of Institutional Client Group (ICG)
As the head of itBit’s ICG team, Cho provides tailored client relationships trading services to itBit’s global network of institutional clients.
LinkedIn

 


FS15_Kofax_logoAnyone can hit a baseball thrown straight down the middle, but Kofax’s robust mobile new account opening platform can accommodate curveballs, screwballs, and the off-speed pitches in life.

Features:

  • Mobile capture of IDs and supporting documents
  • Intelligent decisioning allows complex exception and compliance management
  • Seamless multichannel customer experience

Why it’s great
Paramount to mobile onboarding is giving customers the right product at the right time with the right risk-assessment profile in a completely automated fashion.

Presenters

Kofax_DHyatt_cropDrew Hyatt, Senior Vice President, Mobile Applications
Hyatt is a leading domain expert in mobile image-capture and is responsible for Kofax’s mobile product roadmaps, go-to-market strategies, and product positioning.
LinkedIn

 

 

Kofax_DMorgan_cropDiane Morgan, Senior Business Development Manager
As Senior Mobile Business Development Manager at Kofax, Morgan partners with financial institutions to identify, develop, and execute their mobile capture and imaging strategies.
LinkedIn

 


FS15_Mitek_logoMitek, the leading innovator of mobile imaging for financial transactions and identification, will demonstrate how to optimize mobile for secure customer acquisition.

Features:

  • Increase mobile form completion by 30-50%
  • Double number of accounts booked via mobile
  • Meet KYC requirements and complete ID check in mobile channel

Why it’s great
Mobile account opening starts are dramatically increasing while desktop is declining. Mitek’s next innovations will do for account opening what it did for check deposits.

Presenters

Mitek_MNelson_cropMichael Nelson, Vice President for Business Development
Nelson leads the business-development team focused on expanding mobile-imaging usage within banking and beyond.
LinkedIn

 

 

Mitek_SClark_cropSarah Clark, Vice President Product Owner
Clark directs product strategy and the roadmap for our mobile-imaging platform and suite of products including mobile deposit, our market leading MiSnap SDK and Mobile Identity product line.
LinkedIn

 


FS15_NAMU_logoWith the growing importance of the user experience and customer intelligence in digital channels, NAMU Systems sets a new standard in mobile banking.

Features:

  • Highly visual user experience—connecting money with memories
  • Targeted advertising based on social spending patterns
  • Google-like search in banking

Why it’s great
NAMU helps your customer to have joyful banking experiences with relevant connection to memories and a beautiful user interface backed by NAMU’s patent-pending platform.

Presenters

NAMU_TKo_cropThomas Ko, President, Co-founder
Ko is ex-global head of mobile banking at Citibank, developing the most successful corporate mobile banking solution worldwide.
LinkedIn

 

 

NAMU_PBudzinski_cropPiotr Budzinski, CEO, Co-founder
Prior to NAMU, he led strategic technology projects for European banks and U.S. asset managers, including UniCredit and Franklin Templeton.
LinkedIn

 


FS15_Persistent_logoBuddyPay from Persistent Systems is a real-time payment-switching mechanism. The control of payment is shifted from buyer to payer for online/in-store purchases of products and services in real-time.

Features:

  • The Payment Switching Mechanism can be used while selling/fulfilling literally anything
  • Sell physical goods, insurance, billpay, flight and hotel booking
  • Intuitive mobile app

Why it’s great
You can “sell” products/services to people who don’t have money to “buy” it!

Presenters

Persistent_AModak_cropAbhiram Modak, Principal Business Analyst & Industry Expert
Modak has multiple years of diverse experience and is an innovator at heart. He can come up with solutions to most complex business problem with his domain knowledge and technology understanding.
LinkedIn