Intuit’s $7 Billion Bid for Credit Karma; FinovateEurope Salutes its Best of Show

Intuit’s $7 Billion Bid for Credit Karma; FinovateEurope Salutes its Best of Show
Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom from Pexels

How’s $7 billion for good karma? One of Finovate’s earliest alums Credit Karma is reportedly the target of what would be Intuit’s biggest acquisition to date. According to The Wall Street Journal, the cash and stock deal could be announced as early as Monday.

Credit Karma will continue to function as an independent company with founder and CEO Kenneth Lin at the helm. The acquisition gives Intuit, maker of online tax filing service TurboTax, another contact point with the online personal finance world. Credit Karma provides its members with access to their credit scores and borrowing histories, helps them monitor their accounts for security breaches and, perhaps most relevantly, has offered a free online tax preparation service since 2017.

If the deal holds up, Intuit will be paying a significant premium for Credit Karma. The personal financial wellness company was last valued at $4 billion, based on a 2018 private market transaction.


With another Finovate conference in the books, our Finovate Best of Show ranks has a new set of members. Congratulations to Dorsum, Glia, Horizn, iProov, Sonect, and W.UP for taking home top honors earlier this month at FinovateEurope!

The victory may have been especially sweet for Sonect, whose Best of Show award-winning demo was also the company’s Finovate debut. The Switzerland-based start-up offers what it calls “the world’s first social cash network” that enables consumers to access cash without having to visit a bank branch or ATM. Sonect offers merchants the ability to grow their business via increased traffic and gives financial institutions a way to extend their ATM networks without the cost of additional hardware.

The Best of Show win was also a first for Horizn. The company, which made its Finovate debut three years ago at FinovateEurope, offers a platform that helps employees and customers maximize the opportunities of digitized financial services. Horizn uses simulator microlearning, as well as gamification and advanced analytics, to promote digital adoption across channels.

And last but not least, a special tip of the hat to Dorsum, Glia, iProov, and W.UP, all of whom won Best of Show honors at FinovateEurope for a second year in a row.


Here’s a round up of recent news from our Finovate alumni.

  • Larky enters reseller agreement with Access Softek.
  • Bison Bank in Lisbon, Portugal selects PSD2-ready software from ndigit.
  • Techround interviews Tradeshift co-founder Mikkel Hippe Brun.
  • Bremer Bank leverages Backbase’s digital-first banking platform to fuel digital transformation.
  • Paysend’s multi-currency global account launches in Europe.
  • Kinetica launches Kinetica Cloud.
  • Futurex taps ISARA to bring quantum-safe cryptography and crypto-agility into its Key Management Enterprise Server (KMES) Series 3.
  • With new FCA license, Meniga seeks to expand product offering.
  • StrategyCorps and Digital Onboarding partner to help banks grow checking account relationships.
  • Baker Hill renews partnership with Washington Trust Bank to streamline loan origination and portfolio risk management.
  • Aire launches Credit Insight Suite to improve access to credit.
  • Coinbase becomes Visa principal to offer more feature for Coinbase Card customers.
  • InComm partners with Eezi to launch Poundland’s gift card program.
  • Enveil secures $10 million in Series A funding for secure data collaboration.
  • Trulioo adds image capture SDK to Trulioo GlobalGateway.
  • Amaiz taps ValidSoft for voice authentication.
  • OurCrowd expands focus on growing early stage tech companies.

Finovate Alum Features and Profiles

eToro’s Evolution – Social trading and investment platform eToro has never been one to stand still for very long. The company’s development cycle is fast enough to make even the most sprightly fintech jealous.

Lending Club Snaps Up Radius Bank for $185 Million – When Lending Club was founded in 2007, the startup aimed to serve as a place to help borrowers avoid dealing with banks. In a somewhat ironic move today, that same startup is becoming a bank itself.

Breach Clarity’s New Offering Provides Consumers Personalized Protection – Fraud detection and prevention company Breach Clarity announced this week it has developed a new platform to help financial service providers offer personalized protection for their customers.

New SumUp Card Empowers SMEs as Business Payment Makers and Takers – The company that has helped bring fintech innovation to e-commerce with its mobile point-of-sale (mPOS), card reading solutions now offers merchants a card of their own.

Persistent Systems and ValidSoft Team Up to Enhance Voice Authentication

Persistent Systems and ValidSoft Team Up to Enhance Voice Authentication

Software delivery company Persistent Systems and cybersecurity firm ValidSoft joined forces this week. The two are working together to develop a digital voice authentication solution that integrates into Persistent Systems’ banking solutions. The integration is built on ValidSoft’s Precision Voice Biometrics which continuously verifies a user’s identity.

“As always, the consumer experience is paramount and guaranteeing the integrity of the transaction is vital,” said ValidSoft CEO Pat Carroll. “Identity assurance provides users confidence in the fidelity of their transactions as speech becomes the new user interface of choice for the initiation of sensitive of high value transactions.”

Persistent Systems will use the new authentication technology to help its credit union and small and medium-sized bank clients engage with their customers.

Persistent Systems was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in India. At FinovateFall last year, the company demoed a chatbot functionality built into its Digital Bank in a Box. Along with AI technologies, Persistent Systems offers cloud services, identity products, and security tools.

ValidSoft offers a host of telecommunications security solutions suited for mobile devices. The company’s SMART platform provides voice and mobile network‐based security technologies to protect mobile payment and mobile banking transactions.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • CallVU Teams Up with Banca Transilvania to Boost Mobile Banking.
  • Finovate Global: Fintechs Merge and Rebrand in Vietnam; Tinkoff Launches New Voice Assistant Oleg.
  • Hi Oleg! Tinkoff Launches Virtual Assistant.

Around the web

  • Jscrambler introduces self-healing JavaScript to fight code tampering.
  • AlphaPoint sets up shop in Switzerland to access the growing market for tokenization in the country.
  • BlueRush announces that its Best of Show winning IndiVideo platform has topped $100,000 in committed monthly recurring revenue.
  • AiThority interviews founder and CEO of Arkose Labs, Kevin Gosschalk.
  • Global alternative asset manager EJF Capital joins the Artivest platform.
  • INTELid Digital ID blockchain platform integrates ValidSoft’s voice recognition technology.
  • Choosemycompany.com recognizes YSEOP on itsAtWork and HappyIndex.
  • Ayondo’s COO and CFO resign.
  • NDGIT receives Finance IT Innovation Award 2019.
  • Fenergo enters the Taiwanese market through a partnership with TUNG-I Information Services (TUNG-I).

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

  • Bento Unveils Venmo Style Digital Payments Solution for SMEs.
  • Cybercrime Fighter ThetaRay Announces Strategic Investment from ABN AMRO.

Around the web

  • Identitii wins award for Best Workplace Diversity at The Finnies 2019.
  • InComm launches barcode payment solutions at DFS Duty-Free stores in Japan.
  • Klarna expands its UK operations with a new office in Manchester.
  • INTELid.io to integrate ValidSoft’s voice biometrics into its private digital identity blockchain.

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

  • “Malauzai Launches New Version of Banking Software”

Around the web

  • Aurionpro integrates ValidSoft voice biometrics as an authentication layer.
  • Arroweye Solutions to provide digital on-demand prepaid cards for Marqeta.
  • Blackhawk Network acquires Extrameasures, a prepaid consumer promotions and incentives company.
  • PayPal’s Braintree Authorization launches to bring its payments platform to more merchants, service providers.
  • The Financial Brand looks at the breakdown of Simple’s customer numbers.
  • Avoka and eSignLive partner to enable 100% digital customer acquisition.
  • Wealthfront 3.0 features a new dashboard; software and API integrations with Coinbase, Venmo, and Lending Club.
  • Texas Dow Employees CU, Thrivent FCU, and Neighbors FCU go live with core processing platform from Fiserv.
  • FIS gains accreditation to provide access to faster payments.
  • Markit unveils new Common Reporting Standard (CRS) solution for tax residency identification and due diligence.

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

  • TipRanks Takes Top Prize at IBM Watson Hackathon in Israel

Around the web

  • Greg Smith and Chris Costello of Blooom discuss simplifying 401(k) management with Fox Business News.
  • Nilesh Dusane, Ripple Labs VP for global sales and client relations, talks about distributed ledgers and the future of payments.
  • EZBOB announces Everline as the sole channel for intermediary businesses.
  • Nomis Solutions teams up with Oliver Wyman to help FIs boost profitability in their retail deposit portfolios.
  • Temenos opens new office in Helsinki, Finland.
  • The Financial Brand highlights the need for banks to compete with Mint, MX, D3, Yodlee, Meniga, Geezeo, and Strands.
  • Investopedia features FutureAdvisor’s use for college savings.
  • Ping Identity enhances partner program with new options, benefits and requirements for partners in three programs.
  • BCSG appoints Deutsche Telekom’s Simon Lunn as COO.
  • Strategic News Service FiRe tech conference names ValidSoft a 2015 FiReStarter Company.
  • ProfitStars Banno Mobile named a leader in the IDC MarketScape: North American Mobile Banking Software Solutions 2015 Vendor Assessment.
  • Huffington Post considers advice from Scott Cook, Intuit co-founder.
  • Remember, the application deadline for the Fall 2015 cohort for the SixThirty accelerator is Friday, 10 July 2015.

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

  • PayItSimple Pulls in $10 Million Line of Credit
  • Ripple Labs Reels in $28 Million, Eyes Asia Expansion
  • P2P Lending Meets High Street Banking as Metro Bank Partners to Lend via Zopa
  • Credit Sesame Raises $16 Million in New Funding
  • Planwise Raises $750,000, Nearly Doubling Total Capital

Around the web

  • Fox Small Business News names 11 Finovate alums in list of Hot Fintech Startups to watch.
  • Edenred México S.A. incorporates INETCO’s Insight software platform.
  • D3 Banking taps Jeffrey Walker as chief information security officer.
  • MasterCard launches P2P payments service, MasterCard Send, to help businesses reimburse rebate consumers without checks.
  • nTrust to deploy ID verification technology from Trulioo.
  • North American Savings Bank (NASB) partners with ACI Worldwide for online, mobile banking and billpay.
  • Avoka, Bill.com, BillGuard, CoinBase, Credit Karma, Jumio, Kabbage, Kreditech, OnDeck, Prosper, TransferWise, Trulioo, Venmo and WePay earn spots on Inc.com’s “20 Financial Technology Startups You Need to Know.”
  • ImageWare selects ValidSoft’s voice biometrics solution.
  • Kony teams with Citrix, to offer customers a mobile app solution from mobile design and development to enterprise mobility operations.
  • Altifi.com features Cloud Lending Solutions’ Cloud Lending Exchange.
  • ZD net: Intuit tightens PayPal integration with data synchronization 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.

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.

Alumni News– February 25, 2015

  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgFinovate Debuts: How Trunomi Shares Customers’ Personal Info while Maintaining Their Privacy.
  • LendingRobot adds Automated Secondary Market Trading.
  • Digital River wins the 2015 Merchant Payment Ecosystem Award.
  • PYMNTS looks at Credit Karma’s funding history and future plans.
  • Lincoln Savings Bank to Deploy CorePro from Social Money.
  • Verde International and Lending Club featured in PYMNTS column on banks and non-traditional loan decision-making.
  • Xero Raises $110 Million from Accel Partners, Matrix Capital.
  • CAN Capital and Worldpay partner to improve access to capital for SMEs.
  • Crain’s Chicago Business looks at Rippleshot and its plans for winning bigger clients.
  • ValidSoft launches its Device Trust solution with a second major UK bank.
  • Yelp Senior Vice President of Revenue Jed Nachman joins PaySimple Board of Directors.
  • Bluefin Payments partners with Infinite Peripherals, an mPOS device provider.
  • ProfitStars launches its Commercial Lending Center, a small business lending portal.
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– September 3, 2014

  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgCortera announces Caine & Weiner as the Latest Open Receivables’ Partner to Join Network.
  • Personal Capital launches Private Client Service. Come see Personal Capital’s presentation at FinDEVr in San Francisco Sept 30 and Oct 1.
  • Blackhawk Network announces integration with Google Wallet.
  • Nutmeg, TransferWise featured in Growth Business’ look at the top 10 technology venture capital investments of Q2.
  • ValidSoft wins 4th European Privacy Seal award for its Zero Latency Correlation process.
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 5, 2014

  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgNetbanker looks at the effect Apple’s TouchID will have on fintech companies, including Mint and CardFlight.
  • ValidSoft featured in Speech and Voice Recognition White Paper and recognized as a global leaders in voice biometrics.
  • Bolstr co-founders Larry Baker and Charlie Tribbett named to Techweek 100.
  • Arroweye Solutions partners with Caledonian Global Financial Services to provide digital on-demand debit card production.
  • Former Visa executive Elizabeth Buse joins Monitise as co-CEO.
  • New $4 Million Investment for fastacash to help drive growth, product development.
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– February 19, 2014

  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgLinkable Networks inks deal with Evan Anthony and Masterpiece USA to enhance shopper marketing and loyalty offering.
  • ValidSoft appoints Adrian Kelly chief product officer.
  • Actiance receives Microsoft certification to manage and record Lync 2013 Enterprise Voice.
  • American Banker takes a look at Jumio and its mobile commerce solution, Fastfill.
  • MasterCard to use Host Card Eumulation to enable secure NFC payments.
  • CaixaBank is developing Google Glass and smart watch apps.
  • Temenos announces multi-solution deployment with Banesco Grupo Financiero Internacional, Venezuela’s largest bank.
  • Open Eco Source features fastacash in a column on sending money via Facebook.
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.