Motif Investing

Finovate Alumni News

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Betterment, Braintree, EyeVerify, Flint Mobile, FutureAdvisor, Hedgeable, Lending Club, LendingRobot, LendUp, Market Prophit, Motif Investing, PayPal, Plaid, planwise, Prosper, Qapital, Top Image Systems, TradeHero, TransferWise, TrueAccord, Trulioo, TSYS, Venmo, Wealthfront, WePay, Xero

On Finovate.com

  • “PayPal’s Braintree Tapped to Turn Pinterest Browsers into Consumers”
  • “EyeVerify’s Partnership with Turkish Reseller Yields Vodafone Contract”
  • “U.K.-based TransferWise: Growth and Metrics Updates“

Around the web

  • TradeHero updates mobile iOS app.
  • WSJ features how Venmo helps users instantly move money more cheaply.
  • Apple lists Xero among group of business apps Apple is using to market the iPad for use in business.
  • Indianapolis Business Journal looks at the rise of robo-advisors Betterment, Wealthfront, Hedgeable, and Motif Investing.
  • TSYS launches its Chip Card on Demand to help issuers make the transition through the October chip-liability shift.
  • Top Image Systems unveils its new mobile account opening and onboarding app, MobiENROLL.
  • Benzinga interviews Igor Gonta, CEO of Market Prophit, on the launch of his Twitter-based, social media, smart beta index.
  • Fox Business features Planwise, LendUp, Trulioo, Plaid, Wealthfront, TrueAccord, WePay, Flint, Lending Club, Prosper, LendingRobot, and FutureAdvisor in its roundup of “30 Hot Fintech Startups to Watch.”
  • New York Business Journal reviews its gamification strategy of PFM solution, Qapital.
  • Financial Times profiles LendUp and the “grubby end of U.S. debt.”

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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Finovate Alumni News

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Akamai, Bitbond, DriveWealth, Klarna, Market Prophit, Motif Investing, Personal Capital, Realty Mogul, Silanis Technology, TickerTags, TransferWise, TrueAccord, Trulioo, TSYS, Wealthfront, Whodini

On Finovate.com

  • “Finovate Debuts: Whodini Takes KYC to the Bluetooth Level”
  • “DriveWealth Hires Harry Temkin as New Chief Information Officer”

Around the web

  • PYMNTS chats with Morgan Beard, strategic marketing director at TSYS about how “Bring Your Own Persona” applies to banking.
  • Akamai Technologies partners with CU Cloud, China Unicom’s cloud business, to offer web performance, media delivery, and cloud security services.
  • TransferWise surpasses £500 million transferred worldwide every month, representing 2% of the U.K.’s global remittance market.
  • Money.com’s column on the secrets of crowdfunding success highlights Realty Mogul.
  • Financial Times profiles European payments innovator, Klarna.
  • GAINSCO Auto Insurance to provide agents with e-signature technology from Silanis Technology.
  • Wealth Management looks at the “new breed” of fintech companies specializing in alternative investments such as HedgeCoVest and Hedgeable.
  • Benzinga’s Jim Probasco interviews Sang Lee, CEO and co-founder of DarcMatter.
  • Edenred Mexico to deploy real-time transaction-monitoring and customer-analytics technology from INETCO Systems.
  • Market Prophit and TickerTags are featured in a Waters Technology column on the changing nature of market data.
  • HuffPo Business interviews TrueAccord COO Sofya Pogreb as part of its series on women in business.
  • Coin Telegraph lists Bitbond, Wealthfront, and TrueAccord in its roundup of “rising fintech startups.”
  • Tech.co looks at how Trulioo defends startups against credit card fraud.
  • How Motif CEO Hardeep Walia and Personal Capital CEO Bill Harris feel about the term “robo-advisor”.

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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$680 Million Raised by 29 Alums in Q1 2015

$680 Million Raised by 29 Alums in Q1 2015
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Advanced Merchant Payments, AdviceGames, Aire, App Annie, Ayasdi, Betterment, Bill.com, BlueVine, Bolstr, Coinbase, CoverHound, Finsphere, Funding, Fundings, Global Debt Registry, Kofax, LendingRobot, Lendio, Linkable Networks, Micronotes, Motif Investing, peerTransfer, Pindrop Security, Q2, Ripple, SimplyTapp, Spreedly, Taulia, TransferWise, TrueLink Financial, Xero

cartoonmoneystackThe biggest surprise in our look at first-quarter funding is that the $677 million amassed by 29 Finovate alums was more than 20% of the $3.2 billion invested in the entire worldwide fintech sector.

The $677 million raised was $85 million (+14%) above the same quarter a year ago, and more than triple the first quarter of 2013.

Q1 2015 was also $133 million above the $544 million mark set in the fourth quarter of 2014.

It will be worth watching to see if this record-setting first quarter for Finovate alum fundraising will be a sign of more great things to come for capital-raising in 2015.

Top 10 Overall Investments

  1. Xero: $111 million in February
  2. Coinbase: $75 million in January
  3. Betterment: $60 million in February
  4. TransferWise: $58 million in January
  5. App Annie: $55 million in January
  6. Ayasdi: $55 million in March
  7. Motif Investing: $40 million in January
  8. Ripple Labs: $30 million in January
  9. Bill.com: $50 million in February
  10. Pindrop Security: $35 in February

Previous Quarterly Comparisons

  • Q1 2015: More than $676 million raised by 29 alums
  • Q4 2014: More than $544 million raised by 25 alums
  • Q1 2014: More than $600 million raised by 8 alums
  • Q1 2013: More than $155 million raised by 14 alums

January: More than $275 million raised by 14 alums

February: More than $264 million raised by 8 alums

March: More than $136 million raised by 7 alums

If you are an alum that raised money in the first quarter of 2015, and do not see your company listed, please drop us a note at research@finovate.com. We would love to share the good news! Funding received prior to becoming an alum not included.

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Finovate Alumni News

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Avoka, BancVue, CashStar, DRAFT, EyeVerify, Fidor Bank, Fuze Network, ID.me, Jwaala, Klarna, Larky, MiiCard, Motif Investing, P2BInvestor, Patch of Land, Prosper, Ripple, Roostify, SocietyOne, Trizic, WattzOn

On Finovate.com

  • DRAFT, Fidor US, Roostify to Present Solutions at Yodlee Ynext Incubator
  • $680 Million Raised by 29 Alums in Q1 2015

Around the web

  • BizJournals lists BancVue as one of Austin’s Best Places to Work in 2015.
  • American Banker interviews James Varga, CEO of miiCard, on sharing identity information.
  • Motif adds new trading alerts.
  • P2Binvestor selected as new network company by Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network Colorado (BENCO).
  • MaineBiz takes a look at CashStar and its new offices in downtown Portland.
  • Mountain America rolls out its new biometrics login technology courtesy of EyeVerify.
  • Fuze Networks acquires LiveMinutes’ online workspace platform.
  • Jwaalla celebrates signing its 100th credit union client, Palisades FCU.
  • Business Insider looks at how Klarna and its one-click payment technology could help save the newspaper business.
  • Reid Hislop tapped as new chief marketing officer at Avoka.
  • Inc. Magazine features ID.me CEO Blake Hall in a column on veteran entrepreneurs.
  • Equities.com talks crowdfunding and real estate with Jason Fritton, Patch of Land CEO.
  • Financial News interviews Ripple CEO, Chris Larsen on the future of the financial infrastructure.
  • SocietyOne has originated more than $30 million on its platform since launching in 2011.
  • Prosper announces record first quarter, with $595 million in loans through the platform, up 200% from Q1 2014.
  • WattzOn to help Montana residents save on energy expenses via the Bozeman Energy Smackdown.
  • Larky selected by the Kentucky Bankers Association to provide mobile local rewards program for member banks.

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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Finovate Alumni News

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: defi Solutions, Feedzai, Financial Guard, Google Cloud Platform, Lending Club, LikeFolio, Motif Investing, Novabase, Taulia, TransferWise, Vouch, Xero

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.

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Finovate Alumni News

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Acculynk, Ayasdi, Betterment, Cortera, FIS, Forte Payment Systems, IDTheft 911, LearnVest, Market Prophit, Motif Investing, PayPal, Place2Give, ProfitStars, QuantConnect, SimplyTapp, Yodlee

Around the web

  • Market Prophit unveils its social market sentiment smart beta index.
  • Silicon India takes a look at Ayasdi’s plans to use the capital raised in its latest $55 million funding.
  • Financial Advisor IQ highlights Betterment and Motif Investing in its discussion of millennials and machines.
  • QuantConnect is now integrated with Interactive Brokers.
  • ProfitStars celebrates surpassing 600 FIs using its Remote Deposit Anywhere technology.
  • FIS wins Best Core Banking, Best Outsourcing Project honors at Asian Banker Technology Implementation Awards.
  • TechCrunch: Yodlee’s Joe Polverari writes about LearnVest and its acquisition by Northwestern Mutual.
  • ABC’s 7 On Your Side quotes IDTheft 911 founder Adam Levin on protecting your driver’s license from identity theft.
  • Connect Financial Software Solutions to provide real-time, P2P payments courtesy of new partnership with Acculynk.
  • Cortera announces new releases of eCredit Software.
  • Zoho partners with Forte Payment Systems to offer electronic payments directly with Zoho Finance apps.
  • Dexterity Ventures’ Place2Give releases GIVE_api v. 2.0.
  • Pymnts interviews SimplyTapp president and co-founder Ted Fifelski.
  • PayPal to be publicly traded on NASDAQ in Q2 2015 with its original stock ticker symbol PYPL.

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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Finovate Alumni News

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: ACI Worldwide, AlphaClone, Bright Funds, Fastacash, itBit, Kreditech, Lending Club, Motif Investing, Prosper, Silanis Technology, Toshl, Zopa

On Finovate.com

Around the web

  • Forbes column on a “$30 trillion customer service experience” features insights from Motif Investing CEO Hardeep Walia.
  • Wells Fargo funding authorizes ApproveIt Web Server from Silanis Technology as part of their approved e-signature solutions program.
  • Sun Sentinel article highlights Toshl Finance in a discussion on the eight things you should know before going to college.
  • Column on RIAs and the active ETF market quotes AlphaClone CEO Mazin Jadallah.
  • Bright Funds establishes six disaster-response funds to support Nepal disaster relief.
  • The Economist features Lending Club, Prosper, Zopa, and Kreditech in its look at P2P lending and “financial democracy.”
  • Axis Bank launches Ping Pay, a multisocial payment app, in partnership with Fastcash.
  • PYMNTS.com considers what itBit’s New York banking license and $25M funding means for the broader bitcoin community. See itBit at FinovateSpring 2015 in San Jose this week.
  • ACI Worldwide signs Letter of Commitment to support U.K. Faster Payments Scheme’s New Access Model.

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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Finovate Alumni News

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Betterment, CAN Capital, Check Point, FutureAdvisor, itBit, LearnVest, Lending Club, MiiCard, Motif Investing, Personal Capital, Prosper, Seergate, SigFig, Wallaby Financial, Wealthfront, Yodlee

On Finovate.com

  • itBit Raises $25 Million, Earns New York State Trust Charter Ahead of Finovate Debut Next Week in San Jose

Around the web

  • The Fiscal Times features Wealthfront, Betterment, Personal Capital, FutureAdvisor, SigFig, and Motif Investing in a column on the rise of the robo-adviser.
  • FierceFinanceIT highlights Lending Club and Prosper in its look at growing investment in P2P lenders by Wall Street.
  • Version 3.5 of Wallaby Financial’s new Android app provides ambient alerts to help consumers save on gasoline.
  • MiiCard CEO James Varga quoted in a column on Edinburgh’s tech pioneers.
  • CAN Capital reaches milestone of $5 billion in working capital facilitated through its platform.
  • Report on fintech in The Economist references Lending Club among key disruptors.
  • Nokia partners with Checkpoint for telco cloud security.
  • MyECheck completes acquisition and integration of Seergate.
  • Yodlee adds LearnVest acquirer, Northwestern Mutual, as client.
  • Javelin Strategy & Research lists 4 trends to watch at Finovate next week. Come see them unfold live at FinovateSpring 12/13 May.

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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Finovate Alumni News

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Actiance, CSI globalVCard, DeviceFidelity, ebankIT, EyeVerify, Motif Investing, Striata, Top Image Systems, TransferWise

On Finovate.com

  • Last Call for FinovateSpring 2015 Tickets! Join us in San Jose next week!

Around the web

  • Venture Scanner Insights features Motif Investing and TransferWise.
  • Top Image Systems names Carsten Nelk as chief technology officer.
  • DeviceFidelity picks up patent for its implementation of NFC.
  • CSI globalV Card wins multiple honors at the 2015 Communicator Awards.
  • Alcatel launches smartphone with EyeVerify biometric technology.
  • Striata partners with e-signature provider, CIC, to enable document execution via email.
  • Actiance now supports Skype for Business and Yammer.
  • ebankIT launches Watch Bank, an app that allows you to perform banking transactions on the Apple Watch.

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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Finovate Alumni News

By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Arxan Technologies, Betterment, FutureAdvisor, iSignthis, MasterCard, MaxMyInterest, Motif Investing, PaySimple, Place2Give, Taulia, Vanguard, Wealthfront, Xero

Around the web

  • Xero’s new feature helps businesses manage their data with a new dashboard that displays a variety of benchmarking metrics.
  • Pymnts talks with Eric Remer, founder and CEO of PaySimple, about its holistic payments solution.
  • Taulia launches mentorship program for women.
  • iSignthis inks agreement with SolidTrustPay to provide identity and authentication services.
  • MasterCard acquires Applied Predictive Technologies (APT) for $600 million.
  • Business Solutions profiles security specialist, Arxan Technologies.
  • The Economist features MaxMyInterest, a solution for “yield-hungry savers.”
  • Nasdaq’s Street Authority contrasts Vanguard with “robo-advisers” including Betterment, FutureAdvisor, Motif Investing, and Wealthfront. Join Vanguard in San Jose in May for FinovateSpring 2015.
  • Place2Give launches Nepal Relief Fund.

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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Finovate Alumni News

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: CSI globalVCard, EZBOB, FIS, GMC Software Technology, Infosys, Kapitall, Motif Investing, Personal Capital, ReadyForZero, Revolut, Sedicii, SigFig, SmartAsset, TransferWise

On Finovate.com

  • SigFig Brings on New Advisory Board Members and $1 Million in Funding
  • Alt-Lender EZBOB Deepens Pockets by $46 Million

Around the web

  • InvestorCentral looks at market simulators and trading with Kapitall.
  • Alaska Air picks FIS as its partner for upcoming strategic payment initiatives including EMV.
  • Delicious Nutritious chooses globalVCard Spend Secure for its business payments.
  • Kiplinger highlights Motif Investing among “brokers that pay you to open an account.”
  • GMC Software Technology to provide GMC Inspire to Mail Handling Services.
  • Personal Capital launches app for the Apple Watch.
  • ReadyForZero interviews Michael Carvin, CEO of SmartAsset. Check out SmartAsset’s new technology at FinovateSpring.
  • Revolut and Sedicii win finalist spots in the Innotribe Startup Challenge.
  • American Banker features bitcoin exchange itBit. Watch itBit’s live demo at FinovateSpring.
  • TechCrunch: Infosys to acquire Kallidus for $120 million.
  • A look at “billion dollar” British startups at Forbes.com features TransferWise.

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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Finovate Alumni News

By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Bluefin Payment Systems, Financial Guard, Global Debt Registry, Jemstep, LendingTree, Malauzai Software, Motif Investing, Nymi, PayNearMe, Rippleshot, ThreatMetrix, TickSmith

On Finovate.com

Around the web

  • Financial-Planning provides an in-depth profile of Motif Investing.
  • Rippleshot to join SixThirty accelerator’s Spring 2015 cohort.
  • The Globe and Mail highlights Nymi’s take on wearable security.
  • Bluefin Payment Systems partners with Paydunk to offer an all-in-one mobile security and integrated e-commerce payment solution.
  • ThreatMetrix wins Best Anti-Malware Product and Hot Company in MFA at 2015 Cyber Defense Magazine Awards.
  • Orion Advisor Services partners with Jemstep to bring independent advisers who use Orion’s platform the benefits of robo-adviser automation.
  • PayNearMe enables Philadelphia bike-share program-members to pay their fees using cash.
  • TickSmith adds Book Replay Module to Its TickVault Platform.
  • Barron’s feature on robo-advisers quotes Kevin Pohmer, president of Financial Guard.
  • Global Debt Registry names Kathy Simmermon as EVP of business development.
  • Fox Business interviews Lending Tree CEO Doug Lebda.
  • Feature on card controls highlights solutions developed by Malauzai Software. See Malauzai at FinovateSpring 2015 in May.

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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