Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • “Banking Suite Provider Urban FT Acquires Wipit” Come see Urban FT at FinovateFall September 16 & 17.

Around the web

  • Niklas Adalberth steps down as Klarna’s deputy CEO.
  • ShopKeep to offer discounts to members of the MasterCard Easy Savings program.
  • Yodlee partners with Salesforce to offer advisers a comprehensive view of their clients’ financial accounts. Come see Yodlee’s presentation at FinDEVr, 6/7 October.
  • Monex to incorporate corporate-actions data from Markit. See Markit at FinDEVr 2015 in San Francisco.
  • Bank Innovation takes note of the Moven approach to displaying transaction histories.
  • Tech Vibes features Trulioo in a look at Vancouver, British Columbia, as a home for fintech innovation. See Trulioo at FinovateFall 2015 in New York.
  • Investment News looks for the next robo-adviser acquisition in the wake of BlackRock’s deal with FutureAdvisor.
  • Waters Technology highlights Nous, StockViews, AnalytixInsight, and Xignite in a review of how innovators are using market data. See Xignite at FinDEVr 2015 in San Francisco.
  • Flint enhances Android app to include immediate electronic receipts via SMS.

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

  • “SumUp Raises €10 Million in Round Led by BBVA Ventures, Groupon, American Express”

Around the web

  • In its fiscal year 2015, Avoka signs record number of clients and experiences 70% year-on-year bookings growth.
  • Yodlee is accepting applicants for its upcoming Ynext Incubator class.
  • Markit acquires FX trade-processing specialist DealHug. See Markit at FinDEVr 2015 in San Francisco in October.
  • Emailage opens European data center.
  • After BlackRock’s acquisition of FutureAdvisor, ThinkAdvisor considers the fate of Wealthfront and Betterment.
  • Forbes looks at Mint, MaxMyInterest, Moven, and Venom in a discussion on the connection between mobile, messaging, and financial services.
  • Mainstream features a quote from founder of DoubleNet Pay, CEO Brian Cosgray, on the impact of debt on new retirees.

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.

BlackRock Acquires Online Investment Adviser, FutureAdvisor

BlackRock Acquires Online Investment Adviser, FutureAdvisor

FutureAdvisor_homepage_Aug2015

When the going gets tough in today’s wealth-management business, the tough acquire robo-advisers.

International risk- and investment-management titan BlackRock has agreed to acquire FutureAdvisor, the San Francisco-based online investment adviser founded in May 2010, for an undisclosed sum.

In an email to clients and customers Wednesday morning, FutureAdvisor co-founder and CEO Bo Lu singled out BlackRock’s retirement-planning tools, specifically BlackRock’s CoRI retirement indexes. Lu added that the merger will allow the company to “build out new features at an even faster clip,” and assured clients there would be no change in the relationship between clients and FutureAdvisor.

“Our brand, our culture, and our people will work to serve you and improve your digital experience every day, just as we did before the acquisition,” Lu said.

FutureAdvisor_stage_FF2013

From left: CEO Bo Lu, founder, and Joe Cianciolo, VP of business development, demonstrated FutureAdvisor’s technology at FinovateFall 2013 in New York.

FutureAdvisor provides a few services, such as a basic portfolio review, for free. For investors who want the full suite of services, FutureAdvisor Premium charges a flat 0.5% of funds managed to handle everything from fund selection, based on criteria and goals set by the investor, to periodic portfolio rebalancing. And rather than being a solely automated solution, FutureAdvisor also provides licensed advisers to answer questions and explain concepts, as well as service personnel to help investors navigate the platform.

The merger comes as robo-advisers in general, and FutureAdvisor in specific, have been making headlines. FutureAdvisor reached the $600 million-under-management milestone in June, and took its total capital to more than $20 million in May, courtesy of a $15 million investment led by Canvas Venture Fund’s Rebecca Lynn. Earlier this summer, FutureAdvisor launched its online investment library, and was named a 2015 Technology Pioneer by World Economic Forum.

Interestingly, FutureAdvisor came under takeover speculation in July, when an analyst at Seeking Alpha suggested that a merger between FutureAdvisor and market-data aggregator Yodlee (a fellow Finovate alum) was a good idea. Citing the company’s strategy of combining robo-advisory with human specialists, FutureAdvisor’s rapid growth, and the size of the average FutureAdvisor account of more than $150,000: “Can you say farm system?” the analyst wrote, “Are you seeing the fit potential?”

Headquartered in San Francisco, FutureAdvisor last appeared on the Finovate stage at FinovateFall 2013 in New York.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • “BlackRock Acquires Online Investment Adviser, FutureAdvisor.
  • “Finovate debuts: WealthForge is a Private Placement Compliance Engine Wrapped in Technology”
  • “Finovate debuts: INETCO Analytics Helps FIs Leverage Transaction Data to Boost Customer Engagement”

Around the web

  • HedgeCoVest adds two models to its platform.
  • Zumigo launches Assure Radius in India to protect consumers and merchants in the credit, debit and mobile payments market.
  • bobsguide ranks the $9-billion acquisition of SunGard by FIS as the #1 fintech M&A deal of 2015.
  • PayPal’s One Touch Instant Checkout platform now available in 13 new markets.

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

  • “More than 30 Alums Earn Spots on the Hot Topics 100 Most Influential People in Fintech Roster”
  • “Finovate Debuts: How DRAFT Offers Transparency into Investment Performance”

Around the web

  • Patch of Land to directly secure all existing and future loans with underlying collateral.
  • The College Investor reviews FutureAdvisor.
  • The Denver Post profiles Broomfield-based Avoka Technologies. See Avoka at FinovateFall 2015 in New York City in September.
  • Matchi launches new insurance category.
  • Pymnts interviews Flint Mobile’s CEO Greg Goldfarb on how its solution will adapt to the upcoming liability shift.
  • Larky to power CoastHills Credit Union’s privi, a mobile app that delivers instant member savings and loyalty.
  • Let’s Talk Payments looks at Venmo and its new group-payments feature.
  • Payoneer partners with freelance jobs platform, Nebbish.com.
  • Expensify launches real-time expense reports.
  • Royal Bank of Scotland hosts hackathon in partnership with Open Bank Project.

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.

 

Five Finovate Alums Named 2015 Technology Pioneers by World Economic Forum

Five Finovate Alums Named 2015 Technology Pioneers by World Economic Forum

WorldEconomicForum_homepage

According to the World Economic Forum, whatever it takes to be a Technology Pioneer in 2015, a quintet of Finovate alums has got it.

Ayasdi, FutureAdvisor, Ripple Labs, Sedicii Innovations, and TransferWise were named as 2015 Technology Pioneers in the World Economic Forum’s Information Technology category.

AyasdiLogo_FF2014The Technology Pioneers program was launched in 2000 to give recognition to early stage companies developing new technologies that will have a “significant impact on business and society.” Previous winners have included AirBnB, Google, Next, SoundCloud, and Twitter.

futureadvisorlogoThe World Economic Forum chooses approximately 30 companies each year out of a pool of “hundreds” of applicants. The field is winnowed by a selection committee consisting of top technology experts, academics, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists who review the applications and submit a recommendation to the World Economic Forum. Since the program began, 600 companies from five continents have been represented in the Technology Pioneer program.

RippleLabs_logoCompanies interested in the 2016 program should apply before February 5, 2016. Applicants will be notified by mid-July 2016. More information about the program is available here.

Sedicii_logo_high-resAyasdi made its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2014 in New York. The company raised $55 million in funding this spring, taking its total to more than $100 million. FutureAdvisor recently unveiled its FutureGift solution, to make it easier for friends and family to make contributions to a child’s college savings plan. The San Francisco-based company demoed its platform at FinovateFall 2013, and has total capital of more than $20 million.

Transferwise_logo_newRipple Labs picked up a $28 million investment and hired former Yahoo exec Brad Garlinghouse as its new chief operating officer in April. Irish startup Sedicii demoed its authentication solution at FinovateEurope 2015, and TransferWise, making its Finovate appearance at FinovateEurope 2013, began 2015 with a $58 million fundraising led by Andreessen Horowitz that boosted the company’s total capital to more than $90 million.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • “Socure Secures $2.5 Million in Debt Financing”
  • “Five Finovate Alums Named 2015 Technology Pioneers by World Economic Forum”

Around the web

  • Let’s Talk Payments interviews Stephane Dubois, Xignite CEO and founder. See Xignite at FinDEVr 2015 in San Francisco in October.
  • Flint Mobile upgrades its iOS mobile app to improve compatibility with Apple Wallet.
  • Cloud OS Corezoid is now available via the Amazon Marketplace (in Russian).
  • Forbes notes MaxMyInterest, Dragon Wealth, and EverSafe in a feature on the global growth of fintech accelerators.
  • Market Visual integrates with the Tradier API to enable investors to manage stock portfolios and trade on a single platform.
  • Q2 Holdings acquires Centrix Solutions for $20 million.
  • Ayasdi named a 2015 Technology Pioneer by World Economic Forum.
  • Delaware Business Times profiles Global Debt Registry.
  • RateFuel asks if Qapital represents the “future of banking.”
  • PayNearMe partners with The California Department of Child Support Services to offer a new payment option for cash-paying customers.
  • FutureAdvisor launches FutureGift to help friends and family easily contribute to kids’ college funds.

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

  • “T. Rowe Price, Fidelity Lead $130 Million Investment in Twilio
  • “i-exceed Unveils Appzillon 3.1 with Enhanced Security, UX”
  • “Radius Raises $50 Million in Round Led by Founders Fund”

Around the web

  • Daily Fintech profiles financial analysis platform, Thinknum.
  • Patch of Land adds commercial real estate to its crowdfunding platform.
  • CR2 appoints Tammo van Leeuwen as market strategy director.
  • NerdWallet looks at Wealthfront, Betterment, FutureAdvisor, Personal Capital, and Vanguard in feature on how automation disrupts investing.
  • Dough Roller features FutureAdvisor as a free service to manage your child’s college fund.
  • Battery Ventures, a tech-focused investment firm, has agreed to acquire Physical Security Business Unit, part of the security division of NICE Systems in a deal valued up to $100 million.

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

  • “Platform-as-a-Service Specialist Apprenda Raises $24 Million”
  • “Azimo Launches New Service in 10 Countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific”

Around the web

  • Irish Tech News interviews Neil Costigan, BehavioSec CEO.
  • InComm partners with Gemalto to offer a secure, prepaid mobile NFC-payment option.
  • Zooz partners with Cardinal Commerce to offer Cardinal Consumer Authentication (CCA) to the Zooz merchant base.
  • CNBC highlights how Northwestern Mutual’s LearnVest attracts millennials.
  • Denver Community Credit Union to install Insuritas’ insurance-agency solution for its 25,000+ members.
  • Daily Life Tips highlights Ayondo as the best online trading platform for beginners.
  • “Tradeshift Partners with EcoVadis to Bring Reliable Supplier Sustainability Ratings to Global Platform”
  • “Cachet Financial Solutions and Access Development Partner to Enhance Mobile Commerce for Financial Institutions Across America”
  • Trulioo appoints former Experian GM as president.
  • FutureAdvisor launches its online investment library.
  • eMerchantPay teams up with iSignthis to offer AML and KYC compliance to its merchants.
  • PYMNTS.com interviews David Disque, managing director of CSI globalVCard.

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

Around the web

  • Seeking Alpha explains why a merger between Yodlee and FutureAdvisor makes sense.
  • Xconomy features Vince Turner’s Planwise.
  • American Banker features how Seattle-based Lighter Capital loans money to tech startups.
  • Cardlytics Wins 2 Silver Stevie Awards at 2015 American Business Awards.
  • Tradeshift to partner with C2FO to expand dynamic discounting solutions to a broader network of suppliers and buyers.
  • Financial Conduct Authority mentions how Nutmeg explains its fees and charges graphically.
  • Jack Henry acquires Bayside Business Solutions.
  • Fox News features Trulioo, Bionym, TransferWise, Kofax, and Numbrs in its column on “10 CEOs who are disrupting finance with technology.”
  • ProfitStars introduces Call Report Pro CU, a solution for meeting regulatory reporting requirements.
  • Hedgeweek takes a look at how QuantConnect enables quantitative traders to operate at a low cost.
  • PayPal acquires money-transfer provider Xoom.

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

Around the web

  • Let’s Talk Payments features Feedzai, Swipely, BillGuard, Wealthfront, Jemstep, SigFig, and Vouch in its review of companies “pushing the envelope” in payment analytics.
  • Zooz partners with Avalara to bring tax-compliance tools to its payment platform.
  • Daily Fintech profiles DarcMatter and its plan to bring access to alternative investments to the accredited masses.
  • TransferWise sets world record for largest human currency symbol.
  • Bank Investment Consultant takes a look at Betterment, Personal Capital, Motif Investing, FutureAdvisor, Blooom, Wealthfront, and Vanguard in its look at how traditional advisers can compete against robo-advisers.
  • BlinkMobile Interactive wins best enterprise mobility solution at Cloud World Series Awards in London.

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.