Recently in BancVue Category

  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgReady Receipts officially launches paperless receipt technology.
  • nFinanSe seeks to halt new debit card network by InComm, alleges price-fixing conspiracy.
  • VentureBeat discusses the IPO market with SecondMarket CEO Barry Silbert.
  • On Deck partners with the National Association for Small Business.
  • SignatureLink to integrate ThreatMetrix's Cybercrime Defender Platform with its technology
  • Intuit hires former Apple executive to lead Canada division.
  • Fox Business News interviews LearnVest founder and CEO, Alexa von Tobel.
  • The Next Web compares and contrasts PayPal and Dwolla with other payment methods.
  • Plastyc's UPside cardholders can now load cash onto cards at 7-Eleven stores.
  • Oregon-based Credit Union launches BancVue's Kasasa.
  • BrightScope partners with social media expert Arkovi.
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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  • Netbanker: Is BancVue's Kasasa to Checking What "Intel Inside" was to PCs?
  • The Financial Brand reports Segmint's Lifestyle Indicators target financial institutions' online ads.
  • Ping Identity exceeds $100 million in total sales. Come see its live demo at FinovateEurope Feb. 7.
  • Actiance partners with EarthIntegrate to enable advisors to personalize content via social media channels.
  • ARS Technica describes how Dynamics technology can hinder on-and-offline fraud.
  • VentureBeat reports PayPal reaches $4 billion in mobile payments in 2011, a jump from $750 million in 2010.
  • ZoneAlarm publishes infographic on security concerns with online banking.
  • The Bancorp Bank to issue Suze Orman's new prepaid debit card.
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.
ContinuityControlLogo2.jpg

Compliance management company, Continuity Control, recently announced that it doubled revenue in the third quarter of 2011:

"As it did in the first two quarters of 2011, the company doubled its revenue again in the third quarter with growth in markets across the country."

Along with this pattern of growth, it also announced a partnership with BancVue, a company that provides marketing and consulting solutions to community financial institutions. 

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To learn more about Continuity Control and BancVue, watch Continuity's FinovateSpring 2010 demo and BancVue's Finovate 2009 demo.

IMG_1080.JPGThe FinTech 100, a list of the top revenue-grossing fintech firms, was announced Wednesday at BAI Retail Delivery

Nine Finovate alumni made the cut, including BancVue, debuting at number 95. Pictured to the right are James Ladas and Gabe Krarcek from BancVue. 

Here are the Finovate alumni, listed according to rank:

2011 Rank: 1
2010 Rank: 3

Fiserv
2011 Rank: 2 
2010 Rank: 1

2011 Rank: 10
2010 Rank: 11

2011 Rank: 18
2010 Rank: 18

2011 Rank: 19
2010 Rank: 20

2011 Rank: 24
2010 Rank: 15

2011 Rank: 34
2010 Rank: 34

2011 Rank: 62
2010 Rank: 76

2011 Rank: 95
2010 Rank: NR

See the full list here. To learn how the rankings are calculated, see the American Banker article
Thumbnail image for PayPalLogo.jpgThis morning at the BAI Retail Delivery conference, I met with Dan Schatt from PayPal to get the inside scoop on its financial innovations. Here's what I found out:

1) It is introducing P2P payment capability with financial institutions. It is now live with USAA and will soon be developed for BancVue's network of nearly 1300 community banks.

2) It has reached an agreement with mFoundry to bring mobile solutions that bring a native app experience to customers located all over the globe. 

3) It has teamed with NCR and S1 to allow customers to send real-time P2P payments directly from ATMs to another individual with a PayPal account.

4) It is partnering with MeridianLink to allow new bank customers to fund their online bank accounts by transferring funds directly from their PayPal account.

5) It has formed a relationship with ezRez Software that, starting next year, will allow consumers to use rewards points and travel miles as a "fluid currency" and deposit that money into their PayPal account. United Airlines customers will be the first to have access to this service through the MileagePlus program.

PayPal will be publishing the details about these exciting developments tomorrow, Thursday, October 13, and I will link to it here

To learn more about PayPal, BancVue, and mFoundry, check out PayPal's FinovateSpring 2011 demo here, BancVue's FinovateSpring 2011 demo here, and mFoundry's FinovateFall 2010 demo here.
  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgNY Times reports how BancVue works with community FIs to offer checking accounts.
  • Prosper looks at its growth and returns over time.
  • Cnet reviews the BankOns iPhone app.
  • CTV News recommends Wall Street Survivor as a learning tool.
  • BizNews looks at how Kabbage provides capital to online businesses.
  • SF Gate reports how PayNearMe makes paying bills easy for the underbanked.
  • CU Insight reports GCS Federal Credit Union signs with Geezeo.
  • Payments Journal examines CashStar's plan for a mobile app.
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.
Last week, Inc. Magazine released its list of the 5000 fastest-growing, private U.S. companies. Five* Finovate alumni made the list, all in the top 1000. Three made the top 500 and one was in the top 50. 


BraintreeLogo.jpgBraintree
Rank: 47
Description: Assists businesses in processing payments by providing a merchant account, payment gateway, recurring billing service, and helping with PCI compliance. 
3-year revenue growth: 40x
2010 revenue: $4.6 million
2007 revenue: $100,000
Employees: 27
Employee growth: 25
Founded: 2007


LendioLogo8.31.11.png
Rank: 309 
Description: Helps business owners find capital by matching them with banks, lenders, or other funding sources.
3-year revenue growth: 11x
2010 revenue: $8.6 million
2007 revenue: $740,000
Employees: 45
Employee growth: 24
Founded: 2005


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Rank: 377
Description: Offers secure online banking, payment, and security solutions. 
3-year growth: 10x
2010 revenue: $18.5 million
2007 revenue: $1.8 million
Employees: 118
Employee growth: 73
Founded: 2004


BancVueLogo8.31.11.png
Rank: 597
Description: Consults with community banks and credit unions to offer them innovative products and marketing. 
3-year growth: 6.4x
2010 revenue: $57.1 million
2007 revenue: $8.9 million
Employees: 305
Employee growth: 193
Founded: 2005


BilleoLogo29.9.11.jpg
Rank: 760
Description: Provides a secure and easy method of populating payments and checkout forms.
3-year growth: 5.2x
2010 revenue: $3.1 million
2007 revenue: $580,000
Employees: 15
Employee growth: 3
Founded: 2006

_______________________________________________________________________
*Methodology: 
"Companies are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2007 through 2010. To qualify, companies must have been founded by, and be generating revenue by, March 31, 2007. Additionally, they had to be based in the United States, privately held, for profit, and independent--not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies--as of December 31, 2010. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.)

The minimum revenue required for 2007 is $100,000; the minimum for 2010 is $2 million. Revenue figures given in the company profiles are for calendar years, as are employee counts. Full-time and part-time employees are included in the employee counts; independent contractors are not."
Each month we survey the Web-traffic performance of Finovate alums using data from Web-analytics company Compete

Out of 255 alumni, 59 (23%) had more than 10,000 unique U.S. visitors in July 2011 (see tables below). Of those, 19 (32%) had more visitors than in the previous month and 25 (42%) were flat. Year-over-year, 26 (44%) had an increase, 10 (17%) were flat, and 23 (39%) were down. 

Private Companies
Notable successes:
  • Seeking Alpha had the most traffic in July with more than 2 million unique visitors.
  • eToro saw the highest monthly growth percentage with 3 times the number of unique visitors in July compared to June.
  • Bundle had the highest increase in number of unique month-over-month visits, with 450,000 more visitors in July than in June.
  • eRollover had the highest percent year-over-year traffic increase, with 260,000 more visitors from last July. 
JulyWebTrafficPrivate6.jpg
Source: Compete.com retrieved week of August 15, 2011
1. The previous month recorded was May 2011
2. Sears Credit Score is powered by CreditKarma.com
3. Kasasa is powered by BancVue

Public Companies
Notable successes:
  • PayPal had the highest number of U.S. visitors in July, with more than 30 million visitors.
  • Jack Henry & Associates saw the highest monthly growth with twice as many visitors in July than June.
  • Wipro Technologies had the highest year-over-year growth, with 3 times as many visitors this year compared to last year.
  • FIS Global and Online Resources also doubled their traffic compared to last year. 

JulyWebTrafficPublic4.jpg
Source: Compete.com retrieved the week of August 15, 2011
1. The previous month recorded was May 2011.
_______________________________________________________
Notes:
1. We reviewed 255 Finovate alumni. Only those with at least 10,000 unique visitors in July are listed. 
3. NM = Not measurable
4. Compete estimates online visitors based on the activity of a panel of more than 2 million U.S. Internet users. It is only an estimate of traffic and may undercount at-work usage.

Each month we survey the Web-traffic performance of our alums, using data from Web-analytics company Compete to review the sites they operate. 

Out of 255 alumni, 62 (24%) had more than 10,000 unique U.S. visitors in May 2011 (see tables below). Of the 62 reviewed, 25 (40%) had fewer visitors than in the previous month and 28 (45%) saw a decline year-over-year.

Private Companies
The 44 private companies are as follows:

Notable successes:

  • Cortera saw the highest number of unique U.S. visitors in May, with almost 2 million hits.
  • HelloWallet experienced the greatest month-over-month growth, with more than four times as many visitors.
  • Betterment saw its traffic increase an impressive 38 times from May of last year.

Private Finovate Alumni With More Than 10,000 Unique Visitors in May 2011

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Source: Compete.com retrieved June 29, 2011

Public Companies
The 18 public companies are as follows:

Notable successes:

  • PayPal experienced the highest number of U.S. visitors in May, with over 32 million visitors.
  • TransUnion Interactive saw the highest month-over-month growth with more than two times the number of visitors in May than in April.
  • Sybase 365 experienced the highest year-over-year growth, with its traffic up almost 80% from last year.

Public Finovate Alumni With More Than 10,000 Unique Visitors in May 2011 

May2011PublicWebTraffic.jpg

Source: Compete.com retrieved June 29, 2011

_____________________________________________________________________________

Notes:

1. We reviewed 255 unique sites. Data was unavailable or irrelevant for 201 sites because: 

  • They had been acquired.
  • They were no longer available online.
  • They were not covered by Compete for various reasons (including some that were not U.S. domestic companies).
  • The number of unique visits was too small to be considered accurate.
  • They were subdomains of larger websites.

2. Numbers have been rounded to three significant digits.

3. The charts include companies that did not have measurable traffic in May 2011, indicated by "N/A."

4. Compete draws its information from the online activity of a panel of more than 2 million U.S. Internet users. It is only an estimate of traffic, and may undercount at-work usage.

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AcceptEmail
AcceptEmail partnered with WorldPay to launch an e-billing and online payment service. Link

Balance
GeekWire interviewed Balance Financial CEO, Devin Miller. Link

BancVue
BancVue executives won Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Link

BankOns
Examiner.com referred to BankOns as the new GroupOn. Link
billshrinkLOGO.jpg

BillShrink
BillShrink was featured in The New York Times. Link

BrightScope
Forbes reported on BrightScope's list of exchange-traded funds held in America's 401k plans. Link

CheckFree
CheckFree expanded its functionality to support account-to-account and peer-to-peer transfers. Link

Clairmail
ClairMail.jpg
Clairmail joined the RSA Secured Partner Program to provide secure access to mobile banking. Link

doxo
  • doxo CEO explained paperless billing in a video interview, highlighting the mobile app. Link

  • doxo was featured on the Top Productivity Apps website. Link

  • Northwest Innovation reviewed doxo's mobile app. Link
Dwolla
TechCrunch reported that Dwolla hit a milestone of $1M in transactions per week. Link

Enloop
  • Business News Daily interviewed Enloop CEO, Cynthia McCahon, about creating a "living business plan". Link

  • Huffington Post spotlighted Enloop. Link
eRollover
eRollover launched an online solution for financial advisors to grow practices. Link

eWiseThumbnail image for eWise.jpg
eWise announced its partnership with Affirmative Technologies to speed the adoption of alternative payment methods. Link

Kiboo
Kiboo launched a public site called "Know Your Money".  Link

Lending Club
  • Lending Club posted a video of their five-word acceptance speech at the Webby Awards. Link

  • The Wall Street Journal noted Lending Club as leading the way in P2P lending. Link
mFoundry
  • mFoundry helped Starbucks build an app for Android. Link

  • mFoundry passed the 400 customer milestone. Link
Mitek
Mitek's mobile check deposit was cited as the number one feature that would cause you to switch banks. Link

Monitise
  • ComputerWeekly discussed the survey Monitise conducted on mobile banking. Link

  • Forbes discussed Monitises' deal with Visa. Link
peerTransfer
  • peerTransfer is hosting a free webinar on international student payment processing this Wednesday, June 22. Link

  • peerTransfer won the Innovation Award from Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange. Link
ProsperThumbnail image for Prosper.jpg
  • Prosper announced that it is giving away an iPad2 to new investors. Link

  • The Wall Street Journal noted Prosper as leading the way in P2P lending. Link
SafetyPay
SafetyPay was selected by BorderJump as its preferred payment solution for cross border transactions. Link

SmartyPig
Fox Business News suggested using SmartyPig.com as a tool to help "pump up" savings. Link

Tagit 
Tagit helped Commonwealth Bank launch its first mobile app. Link

ThreatMetrix
  • ThreatMetrix announced its cloud-based fraud prevention platform. Link

  • ThreatMetrix launched "ThreatMetrix Fraud Facts," a free downloadable report. Link
Tyfone
  • Tyfone was awarded an NFC over-the-air and over-the-wire seminal patent. Link

  • American Banker reviewed Tyfone's mobile payment patent. Link

  • NFC Rumors looked at how Tyfone uses SD cards to enable NFC transactions. Link

To follow updates from Finovate alumni companies in real time, be sure to follow us on Twitter.
 
Backbase extends content services offerings. Backbase CMS is available as an add-on module. http://bit.ly/finovate420112

BancVue launched "Money Island," an educational game for children to be offered by banks and financial institutions. https://demo.moneyisland.com/

BillFloat partners with Online Resources to offer small-dollar loans to biller clients. Online Resources will now offer BillFloat as a payment option. http://bit.ly/finovate418112

Doxo signs Oregon Federal Employees Credit Union (OFECU). Members will be able to receive statements and banking documents via the service. http://bit.ly/finovate421111

Dwolla will provide an online payments option at Tikly, an online ticketing startup  expected to launch within the next thirty days. http://bit.ly/finovate418113

eToro surpasses 1.5 million users. The company cites the growth of thousands of members joining per day since the launch of eToro's social platform, OpenBook. http://prn.to/finovate421113

PayPal and Discover partner on person-to-person payments. Rollout begins this week for Discover's person-to-person payments system. http://bit.ly/finovate42112

Several Finovate Alumni firms have been nominated for Webby awards. Good luck to Lending Club, Mint, Billeo and Kashoo. http://bit.ly/finovate420116

SmartyPig eliminates redemption fees. Transferring SmartyPig savings account funds to a retailer gift card is now free. http://bit.ly/finovate418111

Yodlee partners with Boursorama to provide Money Center service. Boursorama customers will receive the Money Center PFM service free of charge. http://bit.ly/finovate420115

PopMoney (from CashEdge) wins award for excellence in Web design from the Interactive Media Council. http://bit.ly/finovate11301

Speculation from MarketWatch: Could ClairMail be headed for an IPO? http://bit.ly/finovate11306

ClairMail and Cardlytics partner to provide transaction marketing opportunities. http://bit.ly/finovate1281 

Expensify continues to grow its currency support base -- Expensify is now supporting 159 currencies. http://bit.ly/finovate1232

Robert Scoble uses Expensify for expense reports. http://scoble.it/finovate11305

FIS launches innovative new mobile banking product. -- Users can establish mobile account management with their debit card, no online banking signup needed. http://bit.ly/finovate1291

GoalMine hosting cash contest via Facebook to spread the word. http://bit.ly/finovate1292

This week's Jem 5 at Jemstep explores diversified fixed income funds. http://bit.ly/finovate1294

Generations FCU goes live with Jwaala's "Better Online Banking." http://bit.ly/finovate1237

Just for fun: Kasasa releases banks' playlists. See this week's from Jeff Davis Bank. http://bit.ly/finovate1236

Lending Club enjoyed a flurry of news coverage. Read the summaries  here: http://bit.ly/finovate1224 

Lending Club mentioned in PBS nightly business report. http://to.pbs.org/finovate1297

Mint.com now available in Canada. http://tcrn.ch/finovate1234

Congratulations to Mint founder, Aaron Patzer; winner of a TechFellow Award for General Management. http://tcrn.ch/finovate1296

Monitise to bring mobile payments to Nigeria. http://bit.ly/finovate1231

Mozo powering new "Compare, Ditch and Switch" campaign to allow Australians to shop around for better banking services.  http://bit.ly/finovate1283

Just in time for the Holidays, PopMoney gift cards at www.giftcardmall.com

The new SmartyPig rewards MasterCard provides up to 10% cash back at select retailers. http://bit.ly/finovate11303

Tyfone receives additional patent for electronic wallet technology. http://bit.ly/finovate11304

Wikinvest is even more mobile with Blackberry and Android Apps. http://bit.ly/finovate1235

Y Combinator and Yodlee cooperate to provide financial data services to startups. 

Alumni News -- Week of August 30, 2010

Here are the news updates for the week of August 30, 2010. To view in real-time, follow us here.

BancVue is acquiring a large credit card portfolio from the FDIC. http://bit.ly/finovate933

BancVue was #117 on the Inc. Magazine list of 500 fastest-growing private companies. See the report here: http://bit.ly/finovate8312

Betterment speeds deposit and withdrawal times. Transfers between Betterment and bank accounts are now accomplished within the standard ACH window (2-3 days). http://bit.ly/finovate923  

Bank of the West Selects ClairMail as mobile banking partner. Bank of the West has assets of $61 million and is the California-based subsidiary of BNP Paribas.  http://bit.ly/finovate8301

Former SEC commissioner Roel Campos joins Gratio Capital as an advisor. Gratio Capital launched its service GoalMine service at FinovateSpring 2010. http://bit.ly/finovate921

Kasasa joins with celebrities such as Zach Efron and Dakota Fanning for "Stand Up To Cancer." Watch for the TV ads and telethon featuring Kasasa Giving. http://bit.ly/finovate8315

Kashoo is hiring! See tips on how to get hired and what to expect (including work from home flexibility) here: http://bit.ly/finovate924

SafetyPay releases white paper entitled "Banking on Online Banking." The report highlights the importance of monetizing online banking. http://bit.ly/finovate8314

SapientNitro and Geezeo argue the merits of "engagement banking" in a unique interactive report authored by Bank2.0 author Brett King. http://bit.ly/finovate932

SecondMarket honored as a "technology pioneer" by the World Economic Forum. http://bit.ly/finovate922

SecondMarket was #270 on Inc. Magazine's list of 500 fastest-growing private companies. http://bit.ly/finovate8313 

WorkLight announces support for Blackberry. Version 3.3.1 is available as a free download from the WorkLight developer zone. http://bit.ly/finovate08311

ZimpleMoney releases white paper "Lending With A Purpose." http://bit.ly/finovate931

Alumni News – Week of April 5

Here are the news headlines we posted this week on Twitter (follow it here).

Acculynk Introduces Program for Independent Sales Organizations - Acculynk, which provides online PIN debit payment services, introduced PaySecure Plus, a new program that expands the company's services to include Independent Sales Organizations. http://bit.ly/bV5xgA

BancVue Launches MoneyIsland.com - BancVue launched MoneyIsland.com, a teaser site for its financial literacy game that becomes available to community financial institutions in September 2010. MoneyIsland 1.0 is an expansion of the beta CentsCity game, which BancVue picked up in its recent acquisition of Skill-Life. http://bit.ly/bY7WFf

Boulevard R Partners with Financial Planning Association - Boulevard R has partnered with Financial Planning Association to offer its finance management software to consumers on FPA's website. http://bit.ly/aSCwKS

CashEdge Appoints Global Head of Product & Marketing - CashEdge appointed Catherine Palmieri to Global Head of Product and Marketing. Prior to joining CashEdge, she served as Executive Vice President, General Manager, for Citibank, overseeing Citibank.com, Citibank Direct, and CitiMobile. http://bit.ly/azYw56

Centrro Launches Mortgage Product Beta - Centrro launched the beta version of its new product, Centrro Leads, which helps connect mortgage brokers to consumers based on credit profiles. http://bit.ly/bGgZBE

iPay Technologies Joins High Impact Portfolio - iPay Technologies joined the High Impact Portfolio, a public/private partnership of between Louisville Metro Government and Greater Louisville Inc.'s ENTERPRISECORP designed to support Louisville, KY businesses. iPay was named as one leading top-growth companies in the Louisville metro area. http://bit.ly/bpW2GC

Kasasa Signs its First Virginia Member - Kasasa signed its first financial institution in Virginia, Northern Star Credit Union. The credit union will offer three new products, Kasasa Cash, Kasasa Saver, and Kasasa Giving. http://bit.ly/dmLGKV

Lending Club Offers Cash Bonus to Members - In an email to its members, Lending Club offered its members cash bonuses on new deposits in an invitation-only rewards program. Lending Club will provide a bonus of 1% to funds over $2,500 and 1.5% to funds of $15,000 or more. www.lendingclub.com

Monitise Enters Joint Venture in Asia - Monitise has signed a 50/50 joint venture agreement with First Eastern Investment Group to develop services in the Asia Pacific region. First Eastern is based in Hong Kong. http://bit.ly/9TcpCF

Monitise Americas Publishes White Paper - Monitise Americas has published a white paper examining the adoption of mobile services as a strategic option for financial institutions. The paper includes a case study following H&R Block. http://bit.ly/9llGRW

Zecco Releases New Web Tools - Zecco launched two new browser-based tools, Zecco Streamer and Zecco Streamer Lite, which provide traders with real-time market data. The Lite version is free, while the standard version, which covers more stock exchanges and offers email alerts, has a monthly fee. http://bit.ly/bt9wb4

And news from our soon-to-be alumni presenting at FinovateSpring 2010:

Bill.com wins Monarch Innovation Award -- Bill.com has been recognized with a 2010 Monarch Innovation Award from Barlow Research Associates. The company received an honorable mention in the Industry Partner category. Bill.com was one of only six companies awarded this year. http://bit.ly/bCCati

Kabbage Loans to eBay Users - Kabbage is offering short-term business loans to eBay sellers. The company will evaluate sellers based on eBay ratings, whether they have an eBay Store, and funds flowing through their PayPal and merchant credit card accounts. http://bit.ly/bcOd9c

Alumni News – Week of March 15

BancVue announces results for Kasasa - Since its launch in May 2009, Kasasa has produced 71% lift in new account acquisition at its member banks and credit unions, says parent company BancVue. Of these new accounts, 53% represented new customers to the financial institutions. http://bit.ly/9zbvae

CashEdge cuts fraud by $140 Million - CashEdge announced that it has prevented an estimated $140 million in client fraud losses in 2009 through its risk-management services. The dollar amount is derived from the total value of potentially fraudulent transactions detected and prevented by CashEdge's risk-monitoring services. http://bit.ly/aoyaaZ

ClairMail announces new Mobile Connectivity Architecture platform - ClairMail's new platform for financial institutions will allow institutions to offer mobile banking services including real-time transactions and account management. http://bit.ly/9SjpK7

Digital Insight changes name - Digital Insight has rebranded as Intuit Financial Services. The company was acquired by Intuit in 2007. http://bit.ly/9jM4QB

Expensify celebrates first anniversary - During Expensify's first year, it raised $1 million, came out of beta, launched in the Google Apps Marketplace, and integrated with Outright.com, Salesforce, and Intuit. http://bit.ly/asZr1z

Kapitall demos at Apple Store - Kapitall will preview the beta version of its online investing platform on March 24, in the San Francisco Apple Store. CEO Gaspard de Dreuzy will present the product. http://bit.ly/a4i4Oh

Kasasa adds SMW Federal Credit Union - SMW Federal Credit Union is the first financial institution in Minnesota to offer Kasasa brand checking accounts. SMWFCU offers three of Kasasa's four products - Kasasa Cash, Kasasa Tunes, and Kasasa Giving. http://bit.ly/bKvXFC

Lending Club reaches milestones - Lending Club issued its 10,000th loan, surpassing $95 million in loans issued. The company also exceeded $1 billion in loan applications. http://bit.ly/dmC9VK

Mint.com wins Web award at SXSW Conference 2010 - Mint won the "Classic" category at the SXSW Conference Web Awards. While the SXSW awards generally note the best new Internet destinations, the Classic Award honors sites that have been in operation for more than a year. http://bit.ly/dDyP5t

ThreatMetrix launches Fraud Network - ThreatMetrix launched Fraud Network, a suite of tools for e-commerce, financial services, and information-technology companies. Fraud Network provides tools for verifying new accounts, authorizing payments and transactions, and authorizing user logins. http://bit.ly/b26pLo

ThreatMetrix partners with Verifi - ThreatMetrix is partnering with Verifi to deliver its fraud detection and risk-assessment tools to merchants through Verifi's payment risk-management system. Verifi provides global electronic payment solutions for card-not-present retailers. http://bit.ly/bGcqW3

TradeKing earns 4-star rating from Barron's - Online broker TradeKing was awarded a four-star rating in Barron's 15th annual Best Online Brokers survey. TradeKing ranked sixth overall out of 22 firms evaluated. This is the fourth consecutive year that TradeKing has received four stars (out of a possible five) from the survey. http://bit.ly/9Zz1cF

TradeKing launches trading-info site - TradeKing launched OptionsPlaybook.com, a free online resource for beginning and advanced options traders. The site includes jargon definitions, a brief history of the options market, and more than 40 options strategies. http://bit.ly/9Gxda7

Tyfone partners with First Data - Tyfone is partnering with First Data to provide SideTap micro secure digital (MicroSD) memory cards. The cards can contain financial information and secure identification from multiple sources such as retailers and financial institutions, creating a virtual wallet. http://bit.ly/byoHJH

Yodlee to host webinar - Yodlee is hosting a free webinar on conversion strategies for bill payment systems on March 23. The webinar will focus on changing bill payment systems without disrupting users. http://bit.ly/aslHQG

ZimpleMoney offers Starbucks card - ZimpleMoney sent a promotional message to its members, offering a $25 Starbucks card if a loan is initiated. The loan must be accepted by March 31 to qualify. www.zimplemoney.com

Alumni News – Week of March 1

Here are the news headlines we posted recently on our Finovate Twitter feed (follow it here).

Acculynk Provides Debit Payment System for Ritz Interactive -- Acculynk will provide its PaySecure debit payment service to Ritz Interactive. The service, which allows consumers to make PIN-based debit transactions online, is being deployed on 16 Ritz e-commerce sites. http://bit.ly/aE5DlD

FIRST ROI Joins BancVue -- FIRST ROI, which develops interactive products for financial institutions, is joining its parent company BancVue and changing its name to BancVue Interactive. http://bit.ly/auuovg

NFCNews Covers Bling Nation's Mobile Payments Pilot Program - Bling Nation is testing its mobile payments program in Colorado. According to the NFCNews report, about 500 customers of The State Bank of La Junta use Bling Tags - tiny chips attached to their cell phones - in order to make debit purchases at more than 50 participating businesses in the Colorado town. Bling Nation authenticates the transactions over cell phone networks. About half the bank's customers have signed up for the service. http://bit.ly/bqHhMa

Financial Institutions Adopting POPMoney -- CashEdge announced that more than 100 financial institutions will add its POPMoney person-to-person payment service to their customer options by the end of the second quarter of 2010. POPMoney allows payment transactions over e-mail and mobile services. http://bit.ly/aNNazq

Fiserv Introduces Boardroom Series -- Fiserv announced a new information service for its clients. Called the Fiserv Boardroom Series, the service provides clients with research data and business advice from a series of subject matter experts. The Series will include videos, webinars, and white papers. http://bit.ly/9hEA8J

Fiserv Study on Gen Y Banking Habits -- Research conducted by Fiserv shows that members of Generation Y are frequent users of online and mobile financial services. Gen Y also favors debit cards over credit cards and is more comfortable with Internet-based services than previous generations. http://bit.ly/cLbHBu

Firethorn Expands its Mobile Offering to More Banks -- Firethorn has updated its mobile banking app to allow consumers to access their accounts at more than 3,700 US financial institutions. Previously, Firethorn's mobile banking solution only worked with institutions that were integrated Firethorn providers. http://bit.ly/apbePC (Finovate blog entry here.)

Geezeo to Provide PFM & Social Tools to Vantage Credit Union -- Vantage Credit Union selected Geezeo to provide additional online tools to its Internet banking services. Vantage members now have access to Geezeo's customizable online personal finance management and social networking platform. http://bit.ly/9tHqWH

iPay Technologies Announces Invoicing System -- iPay Technologies announced Billpayperless, a new electronic invoicing and receivables management product for small businesses. The system allows small business owners to receive electronic payments through credit cards or PayPal accounts. http://bit.ly/9C9hUb

iThryv Rebrands to Alkami Technology -- iThryv announced on March 2 that it has completed the transition to its new corporate identity, Alkami Technology. Under the new name, the company will focus on providing online banking solutions for the financial services industry. http://bit.ly/domtAa

Mint Giving Away Apple iPad -- Mint.com is encouraging people to follow the company on Facebook by giving away a free Apple iPad. The winner will be selected on March 17. http://bit.ly/cvRsPi

Prosper Launches Talk Taboo Website -- On March 3, Prosper launched its new Talk Taboo website. The site allows users to share personal finance stories. The site offers a debt consolidation guide and is running an introductory sweepstakes to encourage users. http://bit.ly/9SuG02

TradeKing Launches Mobile Trading Site -- Online broker TradeKing announced a new mobile trading site. After activating the mobile features, clients can access TradeKing from any mobile at http://m.tradeking.com to get stock quotes, check account balances, and place trades. http://bit.ly/b4GRrP

Tyfone Announces MicroSD Secure Digital Memory Cards -- Tyfone announced the completion of its SideTap micro secure digital (MicroSD) memory cards, which will become available to consumers in the second half of 2010. The memory cards, which carry financial information, can be used in mobile phones and accessed at contactless payment terminals, creating an electronic wallet. http://bit.ly/9wi5aR

WorkLight to Host Widget Webinar -- On March 16, 2010, WorkLight will host a webinar entitled, "5 Questions You Should Answer Before Launching Widget Banking." The webinar will cover widget technology and its impact on the banking world, as well as providing discussion on implementation. http://bit.ly/d7LhDz

Zecco Updates Website with New Tools -- Online broker Zecco has rebuilt its website to offer new data tools for investors. New additions to the site include real-time quotes, charting tools, and real-time portfolio monitoring. http://bit.ly/aYghMi

BancVueLogo.pngOn February 9, BancVue announced the acquisition of Skill-Life, a provider of interactive games designed to promote financial literacy. The CEOs met at our FinovateFall in October. The purchase marks the company's first acquisition. BancVue anticipates further acquisitions and strategic partnerships in the future, according to John Waupsh, the CEO of BancVue subsidiary FirstROI. The purchase price of the deal was not disclosed.

BancVue powers high-yield checking and other products for more than 650 U.S. community financial institutions. The company debuted its Kasasa branded checking/saving accounts at FinovateFall 2009 (video here).

Sill-LifeLogo.pngSkill-Life develops platforms that allow children to earn real-world rewards as incentives in games that teach financial skills. The company's first game, CentsCity, launched its beta version at FinovateFall 2009 (video here).

CentsCity presents an interactive online environment developed for children between eight and 12 years old. (See screenshot #1, below.) Players visit different locations in the game world to play mini-games using ducats, the in-game currency. The game requires players to monitor their in-game cash and expenses in order to continue participating and eventually save enough ducats to earn rewards (screenshot #2).

The game also includes an interface for parents, allowing them to insert personal incentives, such as extra TV time or an extended curfew, to encourage their children to play and learn. Skill-Life hopes to entice parents into setting up game rewards, such as savings accounts that must be unlocked in the game before the children can access the funds.

Financial companies can add their own branding into the game environment.

Skill-Life's current business model primarily depends on licensing to financial institutions and groups like school districts and community organizations. Players can also access the game at Skill-Life's website, choosing between free and a more advanced pay-version of the game, which charges a one-time fee of $4.95.

#1. CentsCity Presents a World to Explore

Skill-LifeEnvironment.png

#2 CentsCity Players Learn to Save for Rewards

Skill-LifeRewardGoal.png

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Six new community financial institutions have agreed to carry Kasasa branded products, joining the 13 banks and one credit union already supporting the program across 11 states. The new additions bring the number of states in which Kasasa products are available to 15.

Kasasa is the first nationally branded checking account supported by individual community banks and credit unions. The idea, created by bank marketing company BancVue, is simple: By combining together under a single brand, smaller banks can pool their marketing resources, creating a unified advertising strategy that can compete against the banking giants that dominate the industry. BancVue launched Kasasa in May 2009. (Finovate video here, Netbanker blog post here.)

Joining the Kasasa program are six financial institutions:

  • The Farmers & Merchants State Bank in Archibold, OH, the third Kasasa bank in Indiana and the second in Ohio ($640 million in deposits)
  • First Bank in Clewiston, FL, the second Kasasa bank in Florida ($220 million in deposits)
  • InCommons Bank in Mexia, TX, the second Kasasa bank in Texas ($74 million in deposits)
  • Murphy-Wall State Bank & Trust Company in Pinckneyville, IL, the fifth Kasasa bank in Illinois ($69 million in deposits)
  • Aspire FCU in Clark, NJ, the first Kasasa financial institution in New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia (21,000 members)
  • Double 11 Credit Union in Indianapolis, IN, the first Kasasa credit union in Indiana (5,000 members)

Adding new banks and credit unions is important to Kasasa because each new addition expands the service area covered by the program, strengthening the brand nationally and benefiting all the financial institutions participating in it.

Kasasa enables participating financial institutions to offer customers their choice of four products:

  1. High-interest checking
  2. Savings accounts
  3. Reward account giving debit-card users iTunes downloads
  4. Charitable program allowing users to allocate interest payments to established charities.

Of the six newcomers, only The Farmers & Merchants State Bank elected to offer all four of Kasasa's products.

Kasasa's four products

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Finovate is a unique conference series that showcases financial and banking technology innovation. This blog tracks the companies that have demoed at Finovate. Register now for FinovateEurope 2012 (London, February 7) and FinovateSpring 2012 (San Francisco, May 8 & 9).
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