Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • NPM Capital Now Owns 35% of Ohpen.
  • Visa to Help Wave Solve Small Business Cash Flow.

Around the web

  • Gusto unveils Talk Shop for small business clients.
  • defi SOLUTIONS delivers loan origination system to First Investors Financial Services.
  • Trusha Patel joins CrediVia as Chief Business Development Officer.
  • Onfido welcomes Kevin Goldsmith as Chief Technology Officer and Thomas Ammirati as Chief Revenue Officer .

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.

Highlights of This Year’s Inc. 5000

Highlights of This Year’s Inc. 5000

Inc. has once again released its lists of the fastest-growing 5,000 private companies in the U.S. and Europe this week. A total of 13 Finovate alums made the U.S. list and 14 earned spots on the Europe list. To qualify*, companies were required to be privately-owned and independent.

Inc. 5,000 U.S.

The 5,000 companies on this year’s list collectively generated more than $206 billion in revenue. Here are the 13 Finovate alums that made the cut this year:

SeedInvest

  • Rank: 117
  • 2017 revenue: $4.7 million
  • 3-year growth: 33.8x
  • Founded: 2013
  • Employees: 30
  • Ranked number 4 in top financial services companies

SeedInvest demoed at FinovateSpring 2013.

Cardflight

  • Rank: 139
  • 2017 revenue: $5.1 million
  • 3-year growth: 29x
  • Founded: 2009
  • Employees: 192
  • Ranked number 5 in top financial services companies

CardFlight demoed at FinovateSpring 2013.

Alkami technology

  • Rank: 284
  • 2017 revenue: $26.8 million
  • 3-year growth: 17x
  • Founded: 2009
  • Employees: 299
  • Ranked number 10 in top Dallas companies

Alkami debuted under the name iThryv at FinovateSpring 2009.

Passport

  • Rank: 389
  • 2017 revenue: $12.3 million
  • 3-year growth: 12.6x
  • Founded: 2010
  • Employees: 96
  • Ranked number 4 in top Charlotte companies

Passport demoed at FinovateEurope 2016.

Emailage

  • Rank: 625
  • 2017 revenue: $16.6 million
  • 3-year growth: 8x
  • Founded: 2012
  • Employees: 79
  • Ranked number 6 in top security companies

Emailage demoed at FinovateSpring 2015.

Lighter Capital

  • Rank: 776
  • 2017 revenue: $11.9 million
  • 3-year growth: 6.5x
  • Founded: 2010
  • Employees: 39
  • Ranked number 11 in top Seattle companies

Lighter Capital demoed at FinovateFall 2013.

Tango Card

  • Rank: 912
  • 2017 revenue: $17 million
  • 3-year growth: 5.4x
  • Founded: 2009
  • Employees: 80
  • Ranked number 14 in top Seattle companies

Tango Card demoed at FinovateFall 2016.

WealthForge

  • Rank: 932
  • 2017 revenue: $8.9 million
  • 3-year growth: 5.3x
  • Founded: 2009
  • Employees: 29
  • Ranked number 6 in top Richmond, VA companies

WealthForge demoed at FinovateSpring 2016.

Unison

  • Rank: 1048
  • 2017 revenue: $2.3 million
  • 3-year growth: 4.7x
  • Founded: 2014
  • Employees: 10
  • Ranked number 4 in top Detroit companies

Unison demoed at FinovateFall 2017.

Acuity Systems

  • Rank: 1107
  • 2017 revenue: $12.6 million
  • 3-year growth: 4.5x
  • Founded: 2010
  • Employees: 26

Acuity Systems demoed at FinovateEurope 2013.

defi SOLUTIONS

  • Rank: 1176
  • 2017 revenue: $14.6 million
  • 3-year growth: 4.1x
  • Founded: 2012
  • Employees: 80

defi SOLUTIONS demoed at FinovateSpring 2014.

Interactions

  • Rank: 1550
  • 2017 revenue: $92.9 million
  • 3-year growth: 3x
  • Founded: 2004
  • Employees: 413

Interactions demoed at FinovateSpring 2014.

Cardlytics

  • Rank: 2886
  • 2017 revenue: $130.4 million
  • 3-year growth: 1.4x
  • Founded: 2008
  • Employees: 342

Cardlytics demoed at FinovateFall 2014. The company went public early this year.

Inc. 5,000 Europe

This is the fourth year in a row Inc. has ranked European countries. The rankings are based on three-year revenue growth. Here are the 14 Finovate alums that earned a spot on the list, including SumUp, which took the number one slot:

SumUp

  • Rank: 1
  • 2016 revenue: $63.7 million (€56 million)
  • 3-year growth: 143.7x
  • Founded 2011
  • Employees: 500

SumUp demoed at FinovateEurope 2013.

VATBox 

  • Rank: 91
  • 2016 revenue: $6.9 million (€6.1 million)
  • 3-year growth: 25x
  • Founded 2012
  • Employees: 140

VATBox demoed at FinovateEurope 2015.

Kantox 

  • Rank: 390
  • 2016 revenue: $4.9 million (€4.3 million)
  • 3-year growth: 12x
  • Founded 2011
  • Employees: 73

Kantox demoed at FinovateEurope 2013

HelpMyCash

  • Rank: 699
  • 2016 revenue: $2.96 million (€2.6 million)
  • 3-year growth: 8.3x
  • Founded 2007
  • Employees: 16

HelpMyCash demoed at FinovateEurope 2011.

Featurespace 

  • Rank: 901
  • 2016 revenue: $3.41 million (€3 million)
  • 3-year growth: 7x
  • Founded 2005
  • Employees: 62

Featurespace demoed at FinovateFall 2016.

Kalixa Payments 

  • Rank: 918
  • 2016 revenue: $42.3 million (€37.2 million)
  • 3-year growth: 7x
  • Founded 2008
  • Employees: 112

Kalixa demoed at FinovateEurope 2013.

Zopa

  • Rank: 1314
  • 2016 revenue: $46.3 million (€40.7 million)
  • 3-year growth: 5.4x
  • Founded 2004
  • Employees: 188

Zopa demoed at FinovateSpring 2008.

Feedzai

  • Rank: 1330
  • 2016 revenue: $13.8 million (€12.1 million)
  • 3-year growth: 5.4x
  • Founded 2008
  • Employees: 68

Feedzai demoed at FinovateEurope 2014.

Trustly

  • Rank: 1344
  • 2016 revenue: $36.7 million ( €32.3 million)
  • 3-year growth: 5.4x
  • Founded 2008
  • Employees: 83

Trustly demoed at FinovateEurope 2017.

Fenergo

  • Rank: 1882
  • 2016 revenue: $33.8 million ( €29.7 million)
  • 3-year growth: 3.8x
  • Founded 2012
  • Employees: 183

Fenergo demoed at FinovateEurope 2012.

Innofis

  • Rank: 2452
  • 2016 revenue: $8.2 million (€7.2 million)
  • 3-year growth: 2.6x
  • Founded 2012
  • Employees: 69

Innofis demoed at FinovateEurope 2016.

Quadient France 

  • Rank: 2966
  • 2016 revenue: $8.9 million (€7.8 million)
  • 3-year growth: 1.8x
  • Founded 2007
  • Employees: 21

Quadient demoed at FinovateEurope 2018.

True Potential

  • Rank: 3233
  • 2016 revenue: $88.5 million (€77.8 million)
  • 3-year growth: 1.5x
  • Founded 2007
  • Employees: 234

True Potential demoed at FinovateFall 2014.

Comarch

  • Rank: 4954
  • 2016 revenue: $35.6 million (€31.3 million)
  • 3-year growth: 59%
  • Founded 1978
  • Employees: 148

Comarch demoed at FinovateEurope 2017.


*Companies on the 2018 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2014 to 2017. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2014. They must be privately held, for-profit, and independent–not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies–as of December 31, 2017. (Since then, some on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2014 is $100,000; the minimum for 2017 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons.

defi SOLUTIONS Lands $55 Million

defi SOLUTIONS Lands $55 Million

Loan origination solutions company defi SOLUTIONS just closed on $55 million in funding. The Series C round comes from Bain Capital Ventures, offering social proof along with a stamp of approval for defi’s suite of loan services. This is the Texas-based company’s first round of financing.

The primary capital portion of the investment will be used to accelerate product development, expand resources and facilities, and grow the number of employees by nearly 50% this year.

This comes at a time when there has been significant rise in auto lending, especially to sub-prime borrowers. Simultaneously, however, loan defaults are soaring as a result of hastily made loans. defi helps lenders take advantage of the opportunity while mitigating risk. Additionally, senior principal at Bain Capital Ventures, Brian Goldsmith explained, “defi delivers competitive advantages that enable forward-thinking lenders to own their processes and exceed their business objectives through one holistic platform.” Goldsmith added, “Our team is thrilled to support defi SOLUTIONS’ growth trajectory in a space that is primed to expand and remain competitive with the increased use of new technology.”

Founded in 2012, defi originally offered a flagship auto financing service. Since then, the company has broadened its offerings to include a full suite of configurable Software-as-a-Service loan origination solutions and has experienced a 70+% compounded annual growth rate. Most recently, defi has added a loan management and servicing system, an analytics and reporting system with dashboards for real-time reporting, a direct lending application portal, a digital loan document service with e-signature, and an online auto loan portfolio marketplace.

At FinovateSpring 2014, defi CEO and founder Stephanie Alsbrooks showcased the company’s loan origination solution for auto lenders. Last month, the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship at the SMU Cox School of Business ranked the company number 37 on the top 100 fastest-growing privately-held businesses in the Dallas area.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Tinkoff Brings Stories to Mobile Banking
  • Meed Leverages ID Verification Solutions from Jumio to Serve the Underbanked

Around the web

  • The 61-member Japan Bank Consortium launches Ripple pilot with South Korean banks Woori Bank and Shinhan Bank.
  • Thomson Reuters adds compliance training courses to help ensure MiFID II compliance.
  • PayPal makes undisclosed investment in Berlin-based deposit marketplace Raisin.
  • ACI Worldwide partners with HyperPay to bring real-time fraud prevention solutions to ecommerce merchants in the MENA region.
  • SME Finance Forum honors Strands with Best Partnership award at its First Membership Engagement Awards event.
  • nCino EVP of Product Development Trisha Price joins Jim Marous’ fintech roundtable to discuss the future of digital banking disruption.
  • Stash Invest presents its Auto-Stash feature to help investors make automatic, recurring investment contributions.
  • SuiteBox introduces its VideoSign Proof of Signature technology.
  • defi SOLUTIONS earns recognition as one of the top 100 fastest-growing privately-held businesses in Dallas, Texas area.

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.

12 Alums Earn Their Place on Inc. 5000 List

12 Alums Earn Their Place on Inc. 5000 List

Inc. released its lists of the fastest-growing 5,000 private companies in the U.S. and Europe this week. Eight Finovate alums made the U.S. list and four earned spots on the Europe list. To qualify*, companies were required to be privately-owned and independent.

Inc. 5,000 U.S.

Overall in the U.S., financial services companies saw a 151% growth rate, while IT services experienced 112% growth, security 171% growth, and software grew 134%. Out of the 5,000 companies listed in 28 industries, here are the eight Finovate alums that earned their place on the list:

Alkami Technology

  • Rank: 176
  • 2016 revenue: $11.9 million
  • 3-year growth: 24x
  • Founded: 2009
  • Employees: 192
  • Ranked number 11 in top software companies, number 8 in top Dallas companies, and number 13 in top Texas companies.

Alkami debuted under the name iThryv at FinovateSpring 2009 in San Francisco.

nCino

  • Rank: 361
  • 2016 revenue: $26.1 million
  • 3-year growth: 12.2x
  • Founded: 2012
  • Employees: 273
  • Ranked number 24 in top software companies and number 10 in top North Carolina companies.

nCino debuted its bank operating system at FinovateEurope 2017 in London.

Tango Card

  • Rank: 373
  • 2016 revenue: $10.6 million
  • 3-year growth: 11.6x
  • Founded: 2009
  • Employees: 57
  • Ranked number six in top Seattle companies and number six in top Washington companies.

Tango Card debuted its Rewards as a Service API at FinovateFall 2016 in New York.

Kabbage

  • Rank: 449
  • 2016 revenue: $172 million
  • 3-year growth: 9.8x
  • Founded: 2009
  • Employees: 325
  • Ranked number 24 in top financial services companies, number 14 in top Atlanta companies, and number 16 in top Georgia companies.

At FinovateSpring 2015, Kabbage debuted the Kabbage Card. Kathryn Petralia, the company’s President, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder, will be featured on our Digital Lending Summit panel on September 13. Register today to save your spot.

Lighter Capital

  • Rank: 634
  • 2016 revenue: $6.4 million
  • 3-year growth: 7.1x
  • Founded: 2010
  • Employees: 36
  • Ranked number 10 in top Seattle companies and number 11 in top Washington companies.

Lighter Capital debuted its Next-Generation Loan Analysis & Monitoring at FinovateFall 2013 in New York.

defi SOLUTIONS

  • Rank: 771
  • 2016 revenue: $11.4 million
  • 3-year growth: 5.9x
  • Founded: 2012
  • Employees: 59

defi SOLUTIONS showcased its loan origination solution at FinovateSpring 2014.

Cardlytics

  • Rank: 1069
  • 2016 revenue: $112.8 million
  • 3-year growth: 4x
  • Founded: 2008
  • Employees: 325

At FinovateFall 2013, Cardlytics showcased its geolocation application.

Payoneer

  • Rank: 1912
  • 2016 revenue: $100 million to $500 million
  • 3-year growth: 2x
  • Founded: 2005
  • Employees: 100 to 249
  • Is a five-time Inc. 5,000 honoree
  • Awarded as a Best Place to Work

Payoneer showcased its Commercial Account at FinovateAsia 2013.

Inc. 5,000 Europe

This is Inc’s third annual ranking of private companies in Europe, based on three-year revenue growth. In its analysis, Inc. ranked Paris, Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, and London as the top five regions with the highest number of fastest growing companies in Europe. Four Finovate alums landed on Inc.’s Europe list this year:

True Potential

  • Rank: 900
  • 2015 revenue: $52.6 million (€44.9 million)
  • 3-year growth: 6.9x
  • Founded 2010
  • Employees: 29

True Potential demonstrated impulseSave at FinovateFall 2014

Zopa

  • Rank: 909
  • 2015 revenue: $32.9 million (€28.1 million)
  • 3-year growth: 6.9x
  • Founded: 2004
  • Employees: 111

Zopa showcased its P2P lending platform at FinovateSpring 2008.

Fidor Bank AG

  • Rank: 4413
  • 2015 revenue: $35.5 million (€30.3 million)
  • 3-year growth: 2x
  • Employees: 148

At FinovateEurope 2011, Fidor Bank demonstrated its Fidor Pay account.

Truphone

  • Rank: 4183
  • 2015 revenue: $42.9 million (€36.6 million)
  • 3-year growth: 2.9x
  • Founded: 2001
  • Employees: 522

Truphone showed off Truphone Mobile Recording at FinovateEurope 2014.


*Other qualifying criteria include

  • Have started earning revenue by March 31st, 2013
  • Had revenue no less than $100,000 in 2013
  • Had revenue no less than $2,000,000 in 2016
  • Revenue in 2016 exceeds revenue in 2013

defiSOLUTIONS Hires Keven Sticher as Chief Information Officer

defiSOLUTIONS Hires Keven Sticher as Chief Information Officer

defiSOLUTIONS has appointed Keven Sticher as its new Chief Information Officer. Sticher comes to the company after stints as SVP of Technology and Security for Monogram Residential Trust and VP of IT for Exeter Finance Corporation. At defiSOLUTIONS, Sticher will be responsible for “business alignment, vision, strategy, and execution of information technology and security.”

Chief Operating Officer Georgine Muntz praised Sticher’s “solid track record of deploying scalable technology.” In addition to his work with Monogram Residential Trust and Exeter Financial, Sticher is a board member of computer and network security consultancy, Fox Three, and an official member of the Forbes Technology Council. “His leadership will strengthen the defi core as we continue to expand and provide even greater value to our lenders,” Muntz said.

“I love this company,” Sticher (pictured) said. “I believe in it and what the defi team has been accomplishing. And I look forward to making certain we successfully get to the next level.”

defiSOLUTIONS made a name for itself by delivering the auto lending industry’s first fully-configurable Loan Origination Solution (LOS). Demonstrated at FinovateSpring 2014, the technology has enabled the company’s clients – ranging from established auto finance companies to startup lenders –  to process up to 30,000 applications and fund up to 1,500 deals a month. Now the company provides a wide range of services including loan management and servicing, analytics and reporting, digital loan document handling, direct loan application services, and an auto loan portfolio marketplace, defiEXCHANGE introduced in May.

defiSOLUTIONS was founded in 2012 and is based in Grapevine, Texas. Stephanie Alsbrooks is founder and CEO. Earlier this month, she was named the Southwest Region EY Entrepreneur of the Year in Emerging Technology .

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • defiSOLUTIONS Hires Keven Sticher as Chief Information Officer.
  • NCR at Center of Swiss ATM Harmonization Initiative

Around the web

  • CREALOGIX wins The Goodacre Systems in the City Award for 2017.
  • Business Insider profiles Brian Barnes, founder of M1 Finance.
  • Fujitsu begins selling SaaS lending and leasing technology developed by Cloud Lending Solutions.
  • TSYS extends commercial payments agreement with Germany’s Degussa Bank.
  • The Entrust Group announces new integration with eMoney Advisor.
  • Global Debt Registry finishes trial of secure, permissioned blockchain proof of concept.

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

  • Avadian CU Chooses Jwaala’s Ignite Platform for Online and Mobile Banking

Around the web

  • Prosper sets up the Prosper Capital Consumer Credit Fund to invest in loans originated on its platform.
  • Kris Finsoftware and CustomerXPs Launch Clari5 for banks in AsiaPacific.
  • Excelian, Luxoft and Calypso Technology Sign New Partnership
  • Entrust Datacard teams up with Harman to safeguard IoT data.
  • Kabbage turns to Marketo for new marketing solutions.
  • Nomis Solutions upgrades its Deal Manager platform to give retail bankers greater insight into real-time sales and competitive data.
  • A look at fintech in Berlin and London highlights Mambu.
  • defiSOLUTIONS announces new partnership with eOriginal, a digital transaction specialist.
  • Investor’s Business Daily profiles Stockpile.
  • American Banker names SigFig as leader in robo-advisory revolution.

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.

defi SOLUTIONS to Launch Full-Service Analytics and Reporting Platform by Year’s End

defi SOLUTIONS to Launch Full-Service Analytics and Reporting Platform by Year’s End

defisolutions_homepage_July2016

When the going gets tough, the tough get analytics (and reporting).

Auto-lending loan-origination service (LOS) provider defi SOLUTIONS will soon offer lenders a full-service analytics and reporting platform. Pointing to the difficulties lenders have in gaining meaningful insights from increasingly sizable and diverse customer data, defi SOLUTIONS’ ANALYTICS platform promises lenders “big company analytics and strategic insight at an affordable price.”

defi SOLUTIONS’ founder and CEO Stephanie Alsbrooks said the new analytics platform will help lenders manage data in the same way her company’s signature solution helps lenders improve their loan-origination system-process. The reporting feature of ANALYTICS will enable lenders to track loan originations, as well as credit-risk performance and profitability. And courtesy of a partnership with Integrated Fintech, defi ANALYTICS will provide lenders with risk management and strategic consulting, as well. The solution, with a base reporting module, is expected to be available at the end of 2016, with additional modules added in 2017.

defiSolutions_stage_FS2014

Left to right: CEO Stephanie Alsbrooks, founder, and Senior Engineer Chris Holt demonstrated defi SOLUTIONS at FinovateSpring 2014 in San Jose.

In the meanwhile, defi SOLUTIONS has already had a very busy start to its summer. In June alone, the company promoted its director of quality, Robert Dufalo, to chief technology officer; announced that Heritage Acceptance Corporation would go live with its LOS technology; and helped Jet Capital launch the latest version of its loan application-processing solution, which included core evaluation software from defi SOLUTIONS. In May, the company announced a partnership with First Access Funding Corporation, bringing its automated LOS technology to the Canadian non-prime automotive finance company.

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, defi SOLUTIONS demonstrated its technology at FinovateSpring 2014.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Ping Identity Unveils Security, Usability Upgrades to IDaaS Platform.
  • defi SOLUTIONS to Launch Full-Service Analytics and Reporting Platform by Year’s End
  • Coinbase Lands $10.5 Million in Strategic Investment from Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ

Around the web

  • Misys honored by Celent Model Bank Awards for its work with Russia’s Alfa-Bank.
  • Holvi launches new debit card, Holvi Business MasterCard.
  • Risk Ident CEO Roberto Valerio writes about fighting account-takeover fraud.
  • Ixaris helps Amadeus build prepaid B2B wallet.
  • WattzOn unveils three new web and mobile tools for monitoring and managing utility bills.
  • The Street: Lending Club ‘Platform Investors’ Are Slowly Returning Despite Recent Hiccups
  • Buzz Points joins Jack Henry’s Symitar Vendor Integration Program.
  • iSignthis integrates with XM.COM to deliver due diligence Digital KYC service.
  • ProfitStars Ranked Among Top-50 Providers in MSPmentor 501 Global Edition.

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

  • Stock Gifting Platform Stockpile Acquires SparkGift.
  • Corezoid Goes AWS with its Platform-as-a-Service Core Banking Technology.
  • Cachet Financial Solutions to Power Mobile Deposit for Malauzai Software.
  • Personal Capital Brings on Former Yodlee CFO.

Around the web

  • Gartner names Cognitive Technology a 2016 Cool Vendor in Analytics for myInvenio.
  • Times Realty news looks at why Patch of Land is choosing not to adopt Title III Crowdfunding rules.
  • defi Solutions announces new Chief Technology Officer.

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

  • Feedzai Announces More than $17 Million in New Funding
  • Friction is Good: Social Network for Credit Innovator, Vouch Raises $6 Million

Around the web

  • Financial Guard launches its enhanced, fee-transparency service.
  • defi SOLUTIONS acquires OpenRule Systems APM.
  • Benzinga interviews Andy Swan, LikeFolio co-founder.
  • Wizzio by Novabase featured at IBM World of Watson event.
  • CNBC talks about P2P currency transfer with TransferWise CEO Kristo Kaarmann.
  • Motif Investing earns spot on CNBC’s Disruptor list.
  • Xero ranked #1 Forbes Most Innovative Growth Company 2015.
  • Lending Club receives Entrepreneurial Company of the Year Award from Harvard Business School Association of Northern California.
  • Xero scoops Company of the Year at annual Hi-Tech Awards.
  • Payments Source looks at how Taulia speeds up payments for businesses.
  • Google drops cloud computing prices by up to 30%.

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.