Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • LendKey to Power Online Student Lending at Navy Federal Credit Union. See LendKey at FinovateSpring 2015 in San Jose in May
  • Credit Karma Now Serves Americans with Thin Credit Files

Around the web

  • D3 Banking taps Jeffrey Hale as chief business development officer.
  • Business & Leadership features “Irish success story” Trustev and its CEO and co-founder, Pat Phelan.
  • MarketWatch looks at Betterment, Blooom, FutureAdvisor, Motif Investing, and Wealthfront in its column on the “battle” between human and robo-advisers.
  • Northwest Community Credit Union to deploy Portico from Fiserv.
  • Wallaby Financial launches Wallaby for Apple Watch.
  • TSYS enables full-service payment-processing for American Express OptBlue program.
  • Bazaarvoice hires Sara Spivey as its new chief marketing officer.
  • WSJ mentions StockTwits’ role in social media for investing.
  • Fierce Finance IT: Tradier’s API platform sees explosion of firms looking to build robo-advisers.
  • Linkable Networks launches Omnyverse affiliate network with digital offers, promotions and incentives.
  • InComm enables Budget Mobile to offer Airfair Lifeline Reload services through 90,000 retail stores.

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.

AlwaysOn’s OnFinance Top 100 Features 30 Finovate Alums

AlwaysOn’s OnFinance Top 100 Features 30 Finovate Alums

AlwaysOn_homepage

More than a quarter of the companies recognized in AlwaysOn’s first OnFinance Top 100 roster are Finovate alums.

The OnFinance Top 100 is designed to recognize the Top 100 private companies in fintech. The list was chosen by the AlwaysOn editorial team, along with several venture capital firms and industry experts. The criteria included degree of innovation, market potential, commercialization, stakeholder value, and “media buzz.”

The list is divided into six categories, and Finovate alums are well represented in each. Category winners will be announced at Always On’s event at the NASDAQ OMX in New York City at the end of April 2015.

Banking and corporate finance

Big data and analytics

Capital markets and investing

Digital currencies

Payment platforms

Personal finance management

Headquartered in Menlo Park, California, AlwaysOn was founded in 2003 by Tony Perkins, founder and editor of Red Herring magazine. The company serves as a networking and social media platform for technology professionals in variety of fields, and has a membership of more than 5,000.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Multi-Factor Authentication Specialist Toopher Acquired by Salesforce

Around the web:

  • Moven updates iOS and Android apps for easier views of balance and spending.
  • Concur surpasses 30-million-user milestone.
  • Multi-factor authentication now available for Venmo users on both iOS and Android.
  • Mobile World Live interviews VP of Telenor Financial Services and CEO of Valyou, Viktoria Erngard.
  • FT.com Business & Economy feature on P2P foreign exchange highlights TransferWise, CurrencyFair, Currency Cloud, and Kantox.
  • Misys wins honors in three categories at FStech Awards 2015.
  • HedgeCoVest adds 14 new models to its platform.
  • Business Insider Australia features Xero.
  • Yodlee announces 100% revenue growth in Australia and New Zealand.
  • Check Point to acquire Lacoon Mobile Security for a reported $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

  • Finovate Debuts: mydesq Helps Wealth Managers Save Time and Boost Engagement
  • YapStone Closes $60 Million Debt Financing Deal

Around the Web

  • Xignite recognizes innovative uses of its market data API at Capital One People & Money Hackathon.
  • CashStar teams up with IDT Telecom to expand digital gift card distribution among the underbanked.
  • Ingo Money closes acquisition of Fuze Network.
  • The Guardian Business profiles CurrencyFair co-founder Brett Meyers.
  • CSI globalVCard earns two finalist spots at the 2015 SIIA Software CODiE Awards.
  • Robust Tech House takes a look at the differences and similarities between Quantopian and QuantConnect.
  • Tibco updates Live Data Mart software with embedded predictive analytics and support for the internet of things (IoT) and in-memory data-grid technology.
  • Mozido to use SimplyTapp’s HCE technology to bolster payment platform.
  • Callcredit partners with Trulioo to power AML/KYC verification services. Come see Trulioo’s live demo at FinovateSpring in San Jose.
  • Notre Dame FCU to open full-service insurance agency powered by Insuritas.
  • Forbes talks to Trulioo about solving AML/ KYC for startups. Come see Trulioo at FinovateSpring.
  • Valid Soft deploys voice biometrics solution to a large U.S.-based corporation, its first U.S.-based customer.

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

  • “CardFlight Unveils EMV-Ready Chip Readers for SwipeSimple”

Around the web

  • Sonavation launches its IDKEY biometric security key that uses 3D Surface Scan Ultrasound technology.
  • CMSWire interviews Michael Laurie, co-founder and VO of product strategy at Silanis Technology.
  • iExpats takes a look at Azimo in a column on the costs of foreign currency transfers.
  • Arxan Technologies Security Solutions architect Matt Clemens talks mobile app security on Federal News Radio.
  • PaymentsSource’s look at “strange mobile security methods” features EyeVerify and Bionym.
  • IntelliResponse wins bronze at 9th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.
  • Jack Henry & Associates to be honored at Cedar Falls Business & Industry Association event.
  • Now Digital Network reviews Kashoo in column on ways to streamline small business accounting.
  • Computing U.K. features TransferWise and its use of big data to drive its social media marketing.
  • The CoinFront reports on Klarna’s “experiments” with bitcoin.
  • AMP Credit Technologies wins “Highly Commended Award for Best Initiative in Financial Inclusion” at the 6th Retail Banker International Asia Trailblazer Awards in Singapore.
  • TIO Networks now has 1+ million registered members in its direct-to-consumer user base.
  •  Taulia names Cedric Bru as new CEO.

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

  • Finovate Debuts: PhotoPay’s BlinkOCR Recognizes Data by Context.
  • Finovate Alums Win Gold, Silver, and Bronze at PYMNTS Innovation Awards 2015.

Around the Web:

  • PYMNTS interviews DealStruck CEO & Co-founder about how the startup works with traditional banks. Come see DealStruck demo at FinovateSpring 2015.
  • BBC News features BehavioSec’s behavioral biometrics security.
  • iZettle integrates with Xero to keep business’ sales, VAT, deposits & processing fees updated with accounting.
  • Consumers Credit Union deploys online, mobile, and tablet banking solutions from Digital Insight.
  • Arxan Technologies earns finalist spot in Info Security Product Guide’s Annual 2015 Global Excellence Awards.
  • Gartner’s CRM Vendor Guide 2015 features Comarch.
  • Robb Gaynor, chief product officer for Malauzai Software, talks about plans for an Apple Watch app. See Malauzai demo its technology in San Jose at FinovateSpring 2015.
  • True Potential launches True Potential One to help investors consolidate and simplify their finances.
  • The Economic Times feature on mobile banking quotes BankBazaar.com CEO Adhil Shetty.
  • Dealstruck appoints Ryan Campbell as Vice President of Sales.
  • Quantopian-supported research to be published in Stocks & Commodities magazine.
  • Oink featured on NBC 24 Today’s Money Monday program

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.

Alumni News– December 12, 2014

  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgQuantopian to offer fundamental equity data from Morningstar.
  • MicroStrategy to provide analytics solution to help developers build biometrical secured analytics solutions.
  • Banking Technology takes a look at the relationship between BBVA Compass and Dwolla.
  • Cointelegraph interviews AlphaPoint CEO Vadim Telyatnikov. See AlphaPoint at FinovateEurope 2015 in London.
  • Sedicii wins EY Startup Challenge. Come see them at FinovateEurope in February.
  • Forbes interviews Jacob Hansen, CrowdCurity co-founder.
  • Lifehacker awards Google Cloud with best cloud computing provider of 2014.
  • Check out the Finovate and FinDEVr alums listed in Currency Cloud’s list of hottest fintech companies.
  • FreeAgent selected by Lloyds Banking Group for new SME toolbox.
  • In 2014, VerifyValid eChecks delivered $370+ mil in payments to 100k+ payees, an increase of 20k registered users.
  • Finovate Debuts: TickSmith’s TickVault and FixVault Help FIs Put Their Big Data to Use.
  • Place2Give partners with Give A Mile to help them process cash donations.
  • VentureBeat interviews AppAnnie CEO, Bertrand Schmitt.
  • Apple Store Online Now Accepts PayPal In U.S. And U.K.
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.

Quantopian Raises $15 Million, Launches Crowdsourced Hedge Fund

Quantopian Raises $15 Million, Launches Crowdsourced Hedge Fund

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Two big announcements from algorithmic trading and investing platform Quantopian are reminding us that there is more than one way to “robo-invest.”

First up is the $15 million the company raised in a Series B round led by Bessemer Venture Partners. Existing investors Khosla Ventures, Spark Capital, and Wicklow Capital also participated. CEO and Founder John Fawcett said that the capital will support further product development and potential expansion.

The investment takes Quantopian’s total capital to $23.8 million.
QuantopianHomepage
It’s hard to upstage a $15 million investment. But Quantopian’s second announcement of the week – its decision to launch a hedge fund driven by the investing algorithms of the platform’s best and brightest – may prove to be a more important development for the longer-term future of the company.
The Quantopian Managers Program will provide top-performing quant investors with trading capital. Users of the platform have been able to live trade their algorithms since the beginning of the year, and this latest initiative will give Quantopian’s most talented developer-investors the opportunity to benefit even further from their work.
QuantopianHome_Fund
Those applying for the program will need a six-month minimum track record on the platform. Quantopian hopes to invest up to $1 million in each of the selected algorithms, with the developers earning a share of the investment returns.
Quantopian was named one of America’s Most Promising Companies for 2014 by Forbes, one of five Finovate alums to make this year’s list. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Quantopian demonstrated its Live Trading platform at FinovateSpring 2013 in San Francisco.

Alumni News– October 17, 2014

  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgPatch of Land turns to SeedInvest in public fundraising effort for its seed round.
  • Quantopian raises $15 million in Series B round; launches crowdsourced hedge fund.
  • MasterCard teams up with Zwipe to launch credit card with fingerprint-based authentication.
  • Arroweye Solutions increases payment card security against hacking threats.
  • Emida partners with Defense Mobile to distribute its mobile solutions through Emida’s network of distributors.
  • BlogTO looks inside the offices of Nymi during an open house.
  • Google Cloud Platform launches simpler billing.
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.

Alumni News– October 16, 2014

  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgFidelity to offer Betterment to 3,000 financial advisers who use its institutional wealth services division.
  • Lending Club named winner of The Economist’s annual Innovation Awards in the consumer products category.
  • TechCrunch reports: Sequoia-Backed Behalf Buys Stuff For Small Businesses Looking To Grow.
  • ReadyForZero PLUS Credit now shows credit scoring factors.
  • FT column on technology and banking features PhotoPay.
  • Pando Daily takes a look at Quantopian’s plan to launch a hedge fund.
  • Jumio teams up with Ribbit.me to build ID verification process for RibbitRewards marketplace.
  • Motif Investing iOS app adds account access with Apple TouchID.
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.

Alumni News– June 6, 2014

  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgEverybody into the algos! Quantopian launches open beta program; announces $100 million in trades guided by platform algorithms.
  • CRIF announces acquisition of majority stake in High Mark Credit Information Services.
  • Financeit closes $C35 million renewable purchase facility and a $C5 million warehouse line facility with Pacific & Western Bank of Canada.
  • Wealthfront reaches more than $1 billion assets under 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.

Where the Alums Are: A Remembrance of FinovateSpring Past

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It is hard to believe that it is almost time for FinovateSpring 2014.

There’s still plenty of time for you to get your tickets to our upcoming event in San Jose, California on April 29 and 30. Our final Sneak Peek preview post is up, all the companies who were prepping under the radar are now out of stealth, and we can’t wait for you to see what this year’s spring crop of fintech entrepreneurs and innovators has in store.

Before we do, however, let’s take a moment to take a look back at last year’s FinovateSpring alums. As we scrolled through blog archives, several themes jumped out: the appetite for startups remains as passionate as ever, with three of our Spring 2013 alums being acquired by such financial sector potentates as Intuit and PayPal. And venture capitalists continue to see innovation in this space as a more than worthwhile investment, with 20 separate fundings for Spring 2013 alums

We’ve grouped the achievements into four categories: Exits, Fundings, Awards, and Acquisitions. Enjoy!

EXITS
  • Jack Henry buys Banno for undisclosed sum
  • The rumors are true: eBay’s PayPal acquires Braintree for $800 million in cash
  • Intuit buys tax planning/preparation specialist GoodApril
  • TaxAct acquires Balance Financial
FUNDINGS
  • CardFlight secures $1.6 million in seed funding from ff Venture Capital
  • Encap earns seven-figure investment from ProVenture Seed
  • EyeVerify earns $2.3 million in Series A funding
  • Jemstep raises $4.5 million in Series A round
  • Kabbage brings in $270 million in debt financing to provide small businesses with funding of their own
  • Kabbage brings in $75 MIllion in debt financing
  • Leaf raises $20 million from Heartland Payment Systems
  • Alternative lender LendUp raises $14 million in new funding
  • D3 Banking creator Lodo Software Brings in $3 million
  • Narrative Science secures $11.5 million in Series C funding
  • OpenCoin wins investment from Google Ventures, IDG Capital Partners
  • P2BInvestor raises $1.2 million in Series A round
  • PayNearMe leverages Family Dollar Partnership; raises $20 million
  • PayNearMe raises $10 million in Series D funding, launches Express Merchant Onboarding Option
  • Prestadero raises 5 million pesos ($400,000 USD) in first round of funding
  • Quantopian raises $6.7 million in Series A round
  • Realty Mogul raises $9 million in round led by Canaan Partners
  • SeedInvest raises $2 million in crowdfunded investment campaign
  • SeedInvest Raises $1 million in round Led by Jumpstart New Jersey Angel Network
  • Zooz Closes $2 million Series A round Led by XSeed Capital
AWARDS
ACQUISITONS
  • OpenCoin acquires SimpleHoney
  • Kofax acquires data integration software provider Kapow Technologies
  • NICE to acquire Causata to enhance customer experience management