Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Revolut makes use of Open Banking with new Quickbooks integration.
  • Check out a sneak peek of Flybits‘ upcoming demo at FinovateMiddleEast.
  • SparkPost to Acquire eDataSource for Undisclosed Amount.

Around the web

  • Ondot Systems launches new Card App to deliver an “Apple Card-like experience” for end clients.
  • Temenos leverages Kony acquisition to launch Temenos Infinity for ominchannel digital banking.
  • Walmart expands relationship with Green Dot for seven more years. 
  • Experian launches a new Open Data solution: Experian Commercial Acumen.
  • Mambu’s composable banking solution to help new SME bank Recognise enhance the customer experience.

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.

Temenos Buys Kony to Boost its Digital Front Office Technology for Banks

Temenos Buys Kony to Boost its Digital Front Office Technology for Banks

Less than a month after securing a $37 million debt financing from BMO’s Technology and Innovation Banking Group, mobile application development platform Kony is back in the fintech headlines with even bigger news: the company has agreed to be acquired by digital banking technology giant and fellow Finovate alum Temenos for $559 million and an earn-out of $21 million.

The acquisition will bolster Temenos’ ability to compete in the digital front office solutions market, specifically strengthening the company’s Infinity offering – which currently has more than 500 banking customers and is widely recognized as a leading technology by industry analysts from Forrester and Gartner. Kony Chairman and CEO Thomas Hogan will serve as President of Temenos North America, post-acquisition, and will join the company’s Executive Committee.

“The power of the Temenos portfolio, combined with Kony’s digital banking applications and multi-experience development platform, will bring the industry’s most robust suite of applications for delivering service, value, and efficiencies from the digital edge to the modern core,” Hogan said. “The strength, scale, and commitment of Temenos will also help protect and extend our market-leading innovation.”

The acquisition is expected to be completed by Q4 2019, and is subject to standard regulatory approvals.

Calling Kony the #1 SaaS digital banking company in the U.S., Temenos CEO Max Chuard highlighted the synergies between Kony and his company. “We are acquiring a digital front office product that has already been successful in the U.S. market and is connected to most third party cores,” Chuard said. “We are also adding a significant amount of exciting functionality and ease of generating customer journeys and experiences that will accelerate Temenos Infinity, providing banks in both North America and internationally with an unrivaled customer experience and omnichannel banking product.”

A long-time Finovate alum, Kony first demonstrated its technology at FinovateFall 2010, and returned to the Finovate stage two years ago for FinovateFall 2017 to present its retail banking solution. Founded in 2007 and based in Austin, Texas, Kony launched its Conversational AI DevKit earlier this month to enable businesses to deploy new technologies to improve customer engagement. In May, Kony announced that its Quantum digital experience development platform would power the new CareLogic mobile app from Qualifacts, and unveiled a new partnership with multiple Finovate Best of Show winner and fellow alum, MX.

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, Temenos demonstrated its Connect Mobile Banking solution at FinovateEurope 2015. The company is also an alum of our developers conference, having presented its B2B Financial Marketplace at FinDEVr Silicon Valley – also in 2015. More than 3,000 banks in 150+ countries – including 41 of the top 50 banks – rely on Temenos’ banking technology to process the daily transactions and interactions of more than 500 million banking customers.

Kony is the second major acquisition by Temenos this year. In July, the company announced its purchase of explainable AI innovator Logical Glue and plans to integrate the company’s machine-learning-as-a-service technology into its cloud-native banking solution. Aside from acquisitions, Temenos has been on an energetic partner-making pace, working with IIG Bank, who agreed to use the company’s Infinity digital front office platform earlier this month; as well as teaming up with FIs like Israeli bank Mizrahi-Tefahot, New Zealand’s TSB Bank, and Pakistan’s Bank of Khyber.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Trends at FinovateFall: The Big, the Small, and the Surprises
  • DefenseStorm Launches New Fraud Monitoring Solution
  • From Start-up to Scale-up: Token Introduces New CEO Todd Clyde
  • Temenos Buys Kony to Boost its Front Office Technology for Banks

Around the web

  • PayActiv partners with Fiserv to streamline access to earned wages.
  • ABN Amro teams up with open banking solution provider Tink to bring multi-banking functionality to the bank’s Grip app.
  • Avaloq appoints Imad Abou Haidar as its new Head of Asia.
  • BeSmartee launches its new Mortgage Loan Officer (MLO) Command Center for loan originators.
  • Marqeta to create 175 new jobs in 2019, growing its workforce beyond 400 people.
  • SparkPost unveils new SparkPost Recipient Validation service, a sender reputation protection service that helps eliminate harmful bounces.
  • Azimo’s Richard Ambrose moves from COO to CEO, replacing Michael Kent.

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

  • Analyst All Stars: Top Takes on Fintech’s Hottest Trends.
  • Artivest Inks Deal with WM Partners.

Around the web

  • Schmidt List podcast hosts ClickSWITCH CEO and Cofounder Cale Johnston.
  • LoanScorecard partners with LoanStream Mortgage to power QualONE.
  • Avaloq onboards Banque Morval onto Intesa Sanpaolo’s BPaaS solution.
  • Jumio joins NICE Actimize’s financial crime, risk management based ecosystem, X-Sight Marketplace.
  • CashFlows partners with Akamai to defend against cybercrime, including Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
  • Bpm’online wins Best CRM Solution for Enterprises at MarTech Breakthrough Awards.
  • Kony launches Conversational AI DevKit to enhance the customer experience.
  • Trustly appoints Louise Nylén as Chief Marketing Officer.
  • Expensify adds CPE credits to its accountant training and certification course.

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.

Kony Secures $37 Million in Financing from BMO

Kony Secures $37 Million in Financing from BMO

An infusion of $37 million in debt financing from BMO will help cloud-based digital banking and low-code platform company Kony “accelerate growth” in its two signature solutions: Kony DBX, the company’s digital banking technology, and Kony Quantum, its low-code development platform. The financing, courtesy of BMO’s Technology and Innovation Banking Group, adds to the more than $115 million in funding Kony has raised to date.

“Finding a strong and committed capital partner who understands digital is an important complement to our market-leading IP and aggressive growth agenda in both digital banking and multi-channel low-code development,” said Kony chairman and CEO Thomas E. Hogan.

BMO Bank of Montreal managing director of technology and innovation banking Devon Dayton underscored the critical role of “leveraging digital as a strategic function” for all businesses regardless of size. “Kony’s solution has enabled their clients to accelerate their digital transformations,” Dayton said. “We look forward to continuing this relationship and working alongside them to help them accelerate their growth.”

Kony’s financing news comes just a few weeks after the company was named a Leader by Gartner in its 2019 Magic Quadrant for Multiexperience Development Platforms (MXDP) report. This marked the expansion of the category from its previous mobile app development platform (MADP) designation to reflect what Gartner called “the evolution of MADPs to serve expanding app use cases and development requirements.”

Kony is well positioned to take advantage of this broader way of looking at development platforms. In addition to this year’s recognition from Gartner, the company was named a Leader in The Forrester Wave digital report on development platforms last year, as well as a Leader in the firm’s report on low-code development platforms for this year.

Kony demonstrated its retail banking solution at FinovateFall 2017. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, the company has been on a strong, partner-making pace in recent months. Kony teamed up with Qualifacts in May to power the behavioral healthcare solution provider’s mobile app, CareLogic. In April, Kony partnered with Micronotes, a firm that leverages AI to provide marketing automation for digital banking. That same month, the company announced a collaboration with fellow Finovate alum, IDology, to integrate new authentication services into Kony DBX digital banking solutions.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Xignite to Power WealthSimple’s New Stock Trading App.
  • Kony Secures $37 Million in Financing from BMO.
  • Sezzle Raises $30 Million in IPO.
  • Vymo Reels in $18 Million for its Intelligent Sales Assistant.

Around the web

  • Deal sealed: Fiserv completes acquisition of First Data.
  • Visa announces strategic partnership with SME banking service Open.
  • eToro enables retail customers to invest in drone technology via its latest portfolio.
  • iGTB to enhance trade finance operations for two Raiffeisen banks, Niederosterreich-Wien and Landesbank Steiermark.
  • CREALOGIX to power new consumer digital investment platform from MeDirect Group.
  • JP Morgan Chase ends loan origination partnership with OnDeck.
  • ThetaRay brings on Idan Keret as Chief Customer Success Officer.
  • GreenDot offers customers 3% cash back on online and in-app purchases and a savings account paying 3% APY.
  • Fintech Finance interviews Olga Feldmeier, Smart Valor CEO.
  • Redrock Biometrics secures a perfect score in Level 1 Presentation Attack Detection confirmation testing by iBeta.
  • SpyCloud expands into Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

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

  • Q2 and ALTR Leverage the Blockchain to Boost Data Security.
  • Neustar Helps TELUS Fight Caller ID Spoofing.
  • Fintech OS Raises $1.2 Million.
  • Personetics Unveils AI-Enabled Small Banking Solution.
  • SparkPost Launches Predictive Email Intelligence Platform.

Around the web

  • Meniga opens an office in Barcelona, Spain.
  • Coinbase extends support for USD Coin (USDC) trading in 85 countries.
  • Finastra hires Mark Miller as new Chief Financial Officer.
  • Fenergo announces API integration with global financial markets data provider Refinitiv.
  • Hastings Direct extends deal with Equifax by signing a multi-year deal.
  • SDC and Tink partner to give 120 Nordic banks access to account aggregation and payment initiation services.
  • Kony Quantum powers Qualifacts’ new CareLogic mobile app.
  • WireBarley partners with Currencycloud to boost its operations in the U.S.
  • Lendio named to Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Financial Services & Insurance.
  • BlueVine taps Herman Man as new Chief Product 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.

Kony Taps MX for PFM Tech

Kony Taps MX for PFM Tech

Everyone, including fintechs, gets by with a little help from their friends. That must be what digital banking solutions provider Kony and financial data expert MX were thinking when they joined forces this week.

Under the agreement, Kony will leverage MX’s PFM expertise to bolster Kony DBX, its digital banking experience product. Specifically, Kony will use MX’s data services for PFM and tap into the company’s solutions for spending categorization and classification.

Explaining the decision to partner, Kony DBX SVP and GM Jeffery Kendall described access to clean, actionable financial data as “critical” for banks and credit unions to meet customer expectations. “We are excited to collaborate with MX to deliver valued-added data services for Personal Financial Management and spending categorization and classification solutions that will give consumers a clear view of their financial health. In addition, banks and credit unions can also gain insight so they can better tailor their digital banking offerings to their customers and members,” said Kendall.

Don Parker, EVP of partnerships at MX added, “Together, and through Kony’s expansive partner network, we will help more banks, credit unions and fintech developers grow faster, reduce costs, and deliver exceptional experiences to their customers.”

The first client of the joint solution is CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union, a 33,000 member credit union with branches in Northern Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and Harrisonburg, VA. “By having access to clean, relevant and categorized data, we will be able to better serve and meet our members’ financial needs, and our members will also be able to aggregate and see all of their accounts in one place, said Larry Flory, CIO of CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union. “Having improved insight into their finances will enable our members to make better financial decisions.”

This is Kony’s second major enhancement this month to the Kony DBX platform. A little over a week ago the company partnered with Micronotes to bring Micronotes’ personalized conversation solution to Kony DBX’s bank customers.

Kony’s CTO Bill Bodin and Product Marketing Manager Antonio Sanchez showcased the company’s digital banking platform at FinovateFall 2017. Kony was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Austin, TX.

MX was founded in 2010 and is partnered with more than 1,800 financial institutions and 43 of the top 50 digital banking providers. Headquartered in Lehi, Utah, MX is a six-time Finovate Best of Show winner, having most recently presented at FinovateFall 2017, where it demoed Discovered Accounts.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Refundo to Return Tax Refunds in Bitcoin.
  • Klarna Brings its Alt Payment Options to Brick and Mortar Retail Shoppers.

Around the web

  • Kony and Micronotes team up to bring Micronotes’ personalized conversation solution to banks using Kony DBX.
  • SecureKey’s Verified.Me identity verification solution is now available for consumers of CIBC, Desjardins, RBC, Scotiabank and TD across Canada.
  • Fenergo working with Bahrain’s Electronic Network for Financial Transactions to design and implement a KYC solution that incorporates blockchain technology.
  • NIIT Technologies’ AdvantageGo launches Underwriting, a solution that consolidates and provides all underwriting functions into a single platform.
  • GreatHorn awarded U.S. patent for new email impersonation detection method.
  • Onfido, Alphapoint earn spots in the inaugural cohort of cross-border regulatory sandbox, Global Financial Innovation Network (GFIN).
  • Envestnet unveils new suite of analytical tools for financial advisors, Envestnet Advisor Analytics.

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

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Realty Mogul Surpasses 300 Properties Funded.
  • Ixaris Partners with Banking Circle on Cross-Border Payments.
  • Finovate Global: Indian Fintechs Raise Capital; Expensify Partners with Asian RideShare Startups.
  • Marqeta Inks Deals with Four European Partners.

Around the web

  • Hypepotamus highlights Featurespace CEO Martina King, and her thoughts on a diverse workforce.
  • The WSJ features AI Foundry in its look at integrating AI into mortgagetech.
  • Kony DBX and IDology partner to offer authentication and ID verification services.

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

  • Kazakh Eurasian Bank Upgrades Cash Tech with Fiserv.
  • Token.io Teams Up with Omnio Group to Boost Open Banking.
  • Financeit to Power Mobile POS Financing for ServiceTitan.
  • Expensify Integrates with Southeast Asia Ridesharing Company Grab.

Around the web

  • The Five Minute Founder podcast interviews Jake Tyler, Finn AI CEO.
  • STRANDS and adorsys expand their partnership for digital transformation for global financial services.
  • Signifyd to power fraud protection for Solupay’s NetSuite SuitePayments.
  • Kony ships Kony Quantum for Microsoft Azure and Kony DBX digital banking suite on Kony Quantum for Azure.
  • Connect Financial Software Solutions partners with CuneXus to offer the CuneXus perpetual loan automation platform to its credit union clients.
  • Georg von Brevern joins Ixaris as Chief Legal and Compliance Officer.
  • Telenor to acquire majority stake in the Finnish telecom operator DNA.
  • Crypterium launches Crypterium SX, an AI-based system that ensures all transactions get the best exchange rates available.
  • Omnio Group and Token.io partner to deliver open banking and PSD2 compliance to Omnio’s financial institution customers.
  • Raiffeisen Bank International partners with Feedzai to bring advanced ML to European banking to fight fraud.
  • Jack Henry’s ProfitStars unveils Gladiator Total Protect, a suite of managed IT, network security, and compliance services to enhance banks’ cybersecurity and compliance management.

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

  • Kantox Closes $5.7 Million to Bring More Tech to FX.
  • Payfone Raises $24 Million in Round Led by TransUnion.

Around the web

  • Kony helps Amway drive digital innovation for business owners across 100 countries and territories.
  • Revolut adds 5 new currencies to the app including: MXN, SAR, RUB, HRK, and BGN.
  • Entersekt expands operations, opening second office in Cape Town.

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.