Twilio to Help Amazon Web Services Deliver SMS Messages

Twilio to Help Amazon Web Services Deliver SMS Messages

Twilio_homepage_July2016

Twilio announced this week that it was partnering with Amazon Web Services to help deliver SMS messages via Amazon’s Simple Notification Service (SNS). And while details remain scant, Twilio told TechCrunch that Amazon’s SNS will “leverage the benefits of Twilio’s Super Network.”

“Amazon Web Services truly embodies the spirit of iteration upon which Twilio was built,” Twilio CEO and co-founder Jeff Lawson said. “With this latest collaboration, we’re strengthening the communications ecosystem with scalable, efficient tools that ensure the best option for delivering a message is available.” AWS VP for Mobile and IoT Marco Argenti pointed to the importance of “efficient, scalable technology solutions” that help developers build great apps instead of simply “managing infrastructure.” He added that the two companies would “continue to work together to help empower developers to communicate with their users seamlessly across devices.”

Twilio_stage_FF2015

Marc Boroditsky, VP and GM of authentication at Twilio, demonstrated Authy OneTouch authentication at FinovateFall 2015 in New York.

This week’s announcement represents a continuation of Twilio’s relationship with Amazon and Amazon Web Services. Twilio has long used AWS to host its platform, and Amazon was one of the investors in Twilio’s $130 million Series E round last summer. Moreover, the news comes just days after Twilio’s successful initial public offering which saw its stock climb by more than 90% on its first day of trading last Thursday. Twilio trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol TWLO and closed at $28.79 on its opening day after being initially priced at $15 per share. Twilio’s market capitalization is $2.8 billion.

A specialist in cloud communications, Twilio’s technology enables developers to add voice, messaging, and video functionality to their mobile apps and web sites. Twilio demonstrated Authy One Touch at FinovateFall 2015, and presented its technology at FinDEVr 2015 in San Francisco later that year. The cloud communications company was founded in 2008, is headquartered in San Francisco, and has offices in New York, London, Hong Kong, Germany, Estonia, and Columbia. Last month, Twilio was named to the CNBC Disruptor 50 list for 2016 for its third consecutive year. Read more about the company’s Authy division in our Finovate Debuts feature from earlier this year.

 

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • MaxMyInterest Celebrates Third Anniversary with Support for TD Bank
  • Twilio to Help Amazon Web Services Deliver SMS Messages

Around the web

  • Trustly processed 14 million transactions in 2015 worth €1.7 billion.
  • efinancialcareers profiles Jonathan Larkin, Quantopian‘s new CIO.
  • Forbes looks at how Intuit QuickBooks is hiring app developers to help it improve the user experience.
  • Tinkoff Bank joins Russian payment-processing companies to form blockchain consortium.
  • Swiss Finance Startups features Qumram as its startup of the month.

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.

FinDEVr APIntelligence

FinDEVrSV16-LogoV2(wdate)Our FinDEVr New York developer showcase was a success! FinDEVr Silicon Valley will be held October 18 & 19 in Santa Clara. Register today and save.

On FinDEVr.com

  • BlockCypher to Developers: Your Ethereum Toolkit is Ready.
  • FICO Launches Falcon Assurance Navigator to Help Universities Monitor Federal Grant Spending.

The latest from FinDEVr New York 2016 presenters

  • Markit to provide fixed-income pricing data and liquidity metrics for the European Commission.
  • Fidor Bank Opens its Doors in Dubai; Ge Drossaert Tapped as Managing Director.
  • FICO launches its Academic Engagement Program, helping business students get hands-on experience with analytic software.
  • Braintree announces new integrations with Demandware and Netsuite.
  • Tokbox launches its video broadcast solution for producers.
  • Banking Technology: Goldman Sachs to use technology from Infosys to power its new digital bank, GS Bank.

Alumni updates

  • PCWorld votes Xero as its top-choice accounting software in 2016.
  • 2016 CNBC Distruptor 50 Features Kabbage and Twilio.
  • CNN features StockTwits in a list of the 10 best investing apps.
  • Business Insider features Currency Cloud in list of potential future U.K. fintech unicorns.

Stay current on daily news from the fintech developer community! Follow FinDEVr on Twitter.

2016 CNBC Disruptor 50 Features Klarna, Kabbage, Twilio, and Motif Investing

2016 CNBC Disruptor 50 Features Klarna, Kabbage, Twilio, and Motif Investing

CNBC_Disruptor2016

What does it take to win a spot on the 2016 CNBC Disruptor 50? Ask alternative online broker Motif Investing. They’ve done it three times in a row.

“We’re very proud to be continuously recognized by CNBC for our hard work and commitment to making smart investing easy,” Motif founder and CEO Hardeep Walia said. “The CNBC Disruptor list is a well-respected industry benchmark and we’re honored to be ranked on the list for the past three years.”

Or ask cloud communications and authentication specialist Twilio, a FinDEVr alum (FinDEVr San Francisco 2015) enjoying its third consecutive year on CNBC’s Disruptors List of companies “whose innovations are revolutionizing the business landscape.”

Sponsored by Nasdaq, the CNBC Disruptor 50 for 2016 was released last week. And among some of the easy-to-call favorites like Uber and SpaceX and Snapchat, there are additional familiar faces, especially to fans of Finovate and financial technology. This year more than 750 companies competed for the 50 spots in CNBC’s Disruptor roster. Combined, the 50 companies in this year’s roster have raised more than $40 billion in venture capital and have an implied market valuation of $242 billion. Joining Motif Investing and Twilio in this year’s roster are alums Klarna at #8 and Kabbage at #35. This marks Klarna’s second year in a row on the list, and Kabbage’s first.

Klarna was featured earlier this month in PYMNTS.com in a look at the tech scene in Stockholm and, in May, the company’s CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski was interviewed in BankNxt. In April, Klarna announced a partnership with U.K. e-commerce provider EKM. CNBC Disruptor 50 newcomer Kabbage just reached $2 billion in loans underwritten last month. Also in May, Kabbage announced a partnership with fellow Finovate alums OnDeck and CAN Capital to launch a pair of new initiatives: the Innovative Lending Platform Association and Smart Box. Both projects are geared toward improving transparency among online lenders and borrowers. In April, Kabbage teamed up with Santander to bring same-day financing to small businesses in the U.K.

Here’s a quick look at Finovate alums that have made the CNBC Disruptor 50 in years past.

  • 2015 CNBC Disruptor 50 featured alums TransferWise, Personal Capital, Motif Investing, Zen Payroll, Coinbase, Klarna, Wealthfront, Betterment, Twilio, Narrative Science
  • 2014 CNBC Disruptor 50 featured alums Motif Investing, TransferWise, Personal Capital, Wealthfront, Lending Club, Coinbase, Bill.com, Nexmo, Betterment, Twilio
  • 2013 CNBC Disruptor 50 featured alums Boku, Lending Club, Twilio, Wealthfront

Motif Investing demoed its Advisor Platform at FinovateSpring 2014. At FinDEVr San Francisco 2014, Twilio discussed the challenges of multifactor authentication in its presentation, “Authy 2FA in 20 Minutes.” Klarna demonstrated its e-commerce solution at FinovateSpring 2012. And Kabbage demoed its small business line of credit, the Kabbage Card, at FinovateSpring 2015.

FinDEVr APIntelligence

FinDEVrSV16-LogoV2(wdate)

Our FinDEVr New York developer showcase was a success! FinDEVr Silicon Valley will be held October 18 & 19 in Santa Clara. Register today and save.

On FinDEVr.com

  • “OakNorth, “The First Cloud-Based Bank in the U.K.” is Powered by Mambu”
  • “Mobeam Barcode Beaming Technology Gains Broader Integration with Samsung Pay”
  • “Up from Down Under: VIX Verify Chooses Atlanta’s Transaction Alley for Americas Headquarters”
  • “Speed of Lightning, Roar of Thunder: Blockchain Unveils Off-Chain Bitcoin Payments Network”

The latest from FinDEVr New York 2016 presenters

  • Version 6.0 of PayPal app discontinues support for Amazon Fire, Windows, and Blackberry phones.

Alumni updates

  • “Twilio Readies for $100 Million IPO”
  • Let’s Talk Payments takes a look at the post-acquisition relationship between Envestnet and Yodlee.
  • Neyber selects Cloud Lending Solutions for loan automation.

Stay current on daily news from the fintech developer community! Follow FinDEVr on Twitter.

Twilio Readies for $100 Million IPO

Twilio Readies for $100 Million IPO

Twilio_homepage_May2016San Francisco-based, cloud-communication specialist Twilio is seeking to raise $100 million in an initial public offering. Twilio will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker, TWLO. Underwriting the offering are:

  • Goldman Sachs
  • J.P. Morgan
  • Allen & Company ,
  • Pacific Crest Securities
  • JMP Securities
  • William Blair
  • Canaccord Genuity

The impending fintech IPO has some wondering whether or not the news marks the end of a relatively quiet period for public offerings. Currently valued at more than $1 billion, Twilio has raised more than $230 million in funding to date. The pricing of the company’s shares has not been disclosed and the company is still not turning a profit. But with revenues of $166 million in 2015, more than 28,000 active customer accounts, and customers ranging from Uber and Coca-Cola to Home Depot and WhatsApp, Twilio hopes to impress investors with a range of solutions ranging from authentication technology to programmable voice, video, SMS, and wireless solutions.

Twilio_Authy_stage_FF2015

Pictured: Twilio VP and General Manager Marc Boroditsky demonstrated Authy OneTouch at FinovateFall 2015.

Twilio’s SEC filing reveals revenues of $166 million for 2015 and $59 million in the three months ending March 31, 2016. The quarterly gain represented a boost of 78% year-over-year, while the annual sales figure represented a gain of 88% over 2014. Net losses also increased, growing 32% from $26.7 million to $35.4 million.

“Our goal is for Twilio to be in the toolkit of every software developer in the world,” the prospectus reads. “As of March 31, 2016, over 900,000 developer accounts had been registered on our platform.” The prospectus also lists the company’s key elements of the Twilio’s growth strategy, which include continued investment in technology, expanded focus on the enterprise, growing their developer community, and “selectively pursue acquisitions and strategic investments.” Note that in February 2015, Twilio purchased Authy, its first major acquisition, for an undisclosed sum.

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in San Francisco, Twilio demonstrated its Authy OneTouch authentication solution at FinovateFall 2015. The company is also a FinDEVr alum, having presented Authy 2FA in 20 Minutes” at FinDEVr 2015, San Francisco.

 

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • “Actiance Brings on Naresh Bansal as New CFO”
  • “Twilio Readies for $100 Million IPO”
  • “PayNearMe Acquires Prism Money to Offer Bill Presentment for Enterprise Clients”
  • “Featurespace Falls on a Fresh $9 Million in Funding”

On FinDEVr

  • “OakNorth, ‘The First Cloud-Based Bank in the U.K.’ is Powered by Mambu”

Around the web

  • Dataconomy interviews Georg Ludviksson, Meniga CEO and co-founder.
  • The WSJ: “Lending Club Talking With Citigroup About Loan Purchases”
  • Cachet Financial Solutions to power Mobile Deposit for LCNB National Bank.
  • American Banker highlights Suresh Ramamurthi, chairman and CTO of CBW Bank.
  • eToro appoints Joe Hall as its new managing director of business in the U.K.
  • Let’s Talk Payments takes a look at the post-acquisition relationship between Envestnet and Yodlee.
  • Ethoca teams up with the Online Payment Exchange (ONPEX) to stop ecommerce fraud using early warning alerts.

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.

FinDEVr APIntelligence

FinDEVrSV16-LogoV2(wdate)Our FinDEVr New York developer showcase last week was a success! FinDEVr Silicon Valley will be held October 18 & 19 in Santa Clara. Register today and save.

Developer news

  • Magic Leap to give 10 Twilio developers early access to its SDK.

On FinDEVr.com

  • “Fintech Developers, Lock in Presale Savings for FinDEVr Silicon Valley”

The latest from FinDEVr New York 2016 presenters

  • OnDeck adds to credit offerings available to Canadian small businesses.
  • Markit unveils compliance solution to help meet new FRTB, market-risk capital requirements.

Alumni updates

  • “Trulioo’s GlobalGateway Available in BRIC Countries”
  • “Kabbage Reaches $2 Billion in Loans in 5 Years”
  • TechCrunch column on APIs features Plaid, and Twilio.
  • “CardFlight Adds Global Payments as EMV Processor”
  • “New Investment for Personal Capital Takes Valuation to $500 Million”

Stay current on daily news from the fintech developer community! Follow FinDEVr on Twitter.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • “Social Trading Company ayondo Appoints New CFO Prior to Reverse Takeover IPO”
  • “Ignite Sales Taps Ex-Fiserv SVP as New CEO”
  • “VoicePIN Launches New SaaS Model for SMEs”
  • “Realty Mogul Reaches $200 Million in Funded Real Estate Transactions”

Around the web

  • Markit adds Federal Republic of Germany to derivatives trade-management service.
  • FIS introduces Banking by Appointment with TimeTrade.
  • Zopa partners with UNSHACKLED.com to offer cell phone financing.
  • RegTech event sponsored by BBVA features presentation by Ayasdi.
  • Infosys wins five-year contract with Commerzbank.
  • Temenos welcomes new core banking client, BMO Asia Pacific.
  • Fiserv adds ten years to its loan processing, private-label credit partnership with John Deere Financial.
  • Buzz Points and Xtend partner to provide new loyalty rewards program to credit unions.
  • Bloomberg features TradeSafe, a distributed ledger from Standard Chartered and DBS Group that uses Ripple.
  • eSignLive unveils new UX featuring responsive design.
  • TechCrunch column on APIs features Signifyd, Plaid, and Twilio.
  • The Law of Startups interviews B.J. Lackland, Lighter Capital CEO.
  • WorkFusion earns recognition from Gartner in its “Cool Vendors in Smart Machines” 2016 report.
  •  Guardian Analytics introduces a certification program to help fraud examiners become familiar with the Guardian Analytics platform.
  • Crowdfund Insider interviews Emmanuel Marot, LendingRobot CEO.
  • Comarch launches prototype of wealth management app for virtual reality.

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

  • “The Way to San Jose: FinovateSpring Has Sprung!”

Around the web

  • CFO interviews Michael Levine, Payoneer‘s Chief Financial Officer.
  • The Ruby Rogues talk with Ruby-developer Greg Baugues of Twilio.
  • Entrust Datacard announces EMV instant-issuance milestone of more than 10 million cards issued in the U.S. in one year.
  • Benzinga interviews Justin Zhen and Gregory Ugwi, Thinknum co-founders.

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 Debuts: Authy’s Password Alternative

Finovate Debuts: Authy’s Password Alternative

AuthyHomepage

The question isn’t whether the password’s dead, but rather, is it enough.

Authy Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) offers a scalable secondary authentication method that provides protection beyond the basic user name plus password. Only 36% of financial websites use a secondary authentication method. Authy seeks to improve that by offering an intuitive user experience that removes login friction while adding security.

Stats

  • 11,000+ applications protected
  • 2 million+ end users served
  • Available globally
  • ~10 million customers between Authy and Twilio combined
  • Access to Twilio’s developer ecosystem of 700k

Products

AuthyX3

The company, owned by Twilio, offers three products:

  1. Authy OneCode sends a one-time verification code via SMS or automated voice call (illustrated far left)
  2. Authy SoftToken is an app that runs on any device and generates a one-time code (illustrated far right)
  3. Authy OneTouch allows the user to approve or deny the authentication with a yes/no response (illustrated middle)

Authy OneTouch is the easiest to use since it requires only the push of a yes button rather than entering a code.

OneTouch has a variety of use cases, including:

  • Account login
  • Large-value transaction validation
  • Multi-approval solution:
    • Escrow model (both parties need to approve)
    • Sequential approval (manager’s manager’s manager approval)
    • Primary user approval (parent approval of child’s request)

Authy OneTouch example

AuthyApproveDenyHere’s how Authy OneTouch works to authenticate a high-value money transfer:

  1. Sender enters the amount to transfer, in this case $5,300
  2. Authy sends an approval request to the sender (pictured right) as well as to the recipient. The approval screen notes the institution, transaction amount, account number, and a request for the user to confirm or deny the transaction.
  3. If both parties accept, funds are transferred

For new or stolen devices, Authy offers the ability to add or replace devices to a trusted circle. This prevents fraudsters from confirming transactions using a stolen phone.

Twilio acquisition

Before it was acquired by messaging API provider Twilio in February 2015, Authy was a Twilio customer.

To preserve Authy’s product after the acquisition, Twilio incorporated Authy’s offerings into its developer portal to complement its own products. As Twilio’s founder and CEO Jeff Lawson states, “This isn’t a typical acquisition where the Authy team members will be absorbed into the borg and the product slowly forgotten. Nope. Just the opposite – we love the Authy product and are investing massively in expanding its footprint with developers of all kinds.”

The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

At its live demo at FinovateFall 2015, Authy was new to the Finovate stage but the technology was not. Alums Coinbase, Knox, Loyal3, and LendUp are all Authy customers. Dan Killmer (Lead Solutions Architect), Marc Boroditsky (VP and General Manager), and John Lindsay (CEO, Bitwage) debuted Authy OneTouch at FinovateFall 2015 in New York:

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • “Gusto, Formerly ZenPayroll, Closes on $50 Million Funding”
  • “U.K.-Based Yoyo Rolls Out Mobile Wallet in U.S.”

Around the web

  • B2B commerce technology company Handshake teams up with Xero.
  • Braintree launches new extension of its v.zero SDK in partnership with Magento Commerce.
  • CRIF Credit Solutions unveils new, fully responsive website geared toward international audiences.
  • Business Insider names Kabbage, Twilio, and Prosper as 3 of 42 startups that grew to be worth billions in 2015.
  • Top Image Systems to deploy eFLOW Digital Mailroom at GED Bulgaria.
  • NerdWallet’s five financial tips from robo-adviser CEOs feature insights from leaders of Betterment, Wealthfront, TradeKing Advisors, FutureAdvisor, and Personal Capital.
  • Nine months after launching, One Touch from PayPal reaches 10 million users in 23 countries.

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