FinMkt

FinMkt
Industry Market Data Solutions
Founded 2011
Headquarters New York City, New York, United States
Key people
 Srikanth Goteti (Co-founder, CTO)
Luan Cox (Co-founder, CEO)
Website www.finmkt.io

FinMkt is a New York City-based crowdfinancing firm founded in 2011[1][2] under the name Crowdnetic and rebranded in 2016.[3] It operates the Marketplace Lending Gateway, a computing platform that connects loan applicants to potential alternative funding sources, and also runs Lending Gateway, Lendvious.com, and CrowdWatch.co.

Founders and officers

FinMkt was founded in 2011 by Srikanth Goteti and Luan Cox, both of whom previously worked for Fintech. Cox is the firm's CEO, Goteti is its CTO, and Nathan Barber is its CFO/COO. Cox is a sales and marketing specialists who was involved in establishing such firms as Quote.com, Stockpoint, ScreamingMedia and Interactive Data. Goteti, a former Senior Director of Technology at Interactive Data Managed Solutions, is an expert in data modeling, derivatives, transformation, and normalization of securities market data.[4][5][6]

Foreign officers

In November 2014, FinMkt established a London office and at the same time partnered with the British financial media site Digital Look to launch a new crowdfunding portal.[7] The portal was intended to aggregate data from various crowdfunding platforms in the UK to establish a “one stop shop” for users looking to examine open deals, review firms' financials, and monitor firm funding. Seedrs was its main contributor.[8]

As of September 2015, FinMkt still identified itself as having offices in New York City and London, but in September 2016, FinMkt described itself on its website as having offices in New York City and Hyderabad, with no mention of a London office. Adam Braggs, who was the firm's Business Development Director – Europe from August 2014 and its Managing Director – Europe beginning in January 2015, ceased doing both jobs in May 2016, when he began working at Exundis.[4][9]

Crowdnetic Technologies Private Limited was incorporated in India on January 18, 2016, and registered in Hyderabad as a subsidiary of a foreign company.[10][11]

Funding

FinMkt announced in June 2014 that Perot Jain, LP, provided it with seed funding. “Crowdfunding has rapidly grown from simple peer-to-peer lending to become a complex global phenomenon, and FinMkt brings essential transparency and stability to the marketplace,” said Ross Perot Jr., co-founder of Perot Jain. Anurag Jain, Perot Jain's other co-founder, said that FinMkt had “revolutionized this sector."[12]

Clients

In September 2013, FinMkt began tracking fundraising from 16 major portals, which publish anonymized data to FinMkt. As of February 2015, FinMkt had 8 million accredited investors and had tracked over 5,000 companies that have sought to raise money online. At any given time, 3,500 companies are active on the portals tracked by FinMkt.[13]

Partnerships

In 2013, FinMkt began collaborating on UC Berkeley's Program for Innovation in Entrepreneurial and Social Finance to promote the university's role as a resource for investors, platforms, and policy makers. FinMkt then shared the data collected under the program on companies seeking funding via the 506(c) exemption of the JOBS Act.[14] FinMkt also joined Springboard Accelerator, thereby acquiring access to “hundreds of other innovators, investors and industry experts that are the human capital in this powerhouse network.”[15]

In 2014, EarlyShares, a funding platform that connects investors with investment opportunities, entered into a partnership with FinMkt whereby EarlyShares's 506(c) private offerings would be published via FinMkt's private offerings dashboards on Dow Jones' MarketWatch and CrowdWatch.[16][17] The company also entered into a partnership with Equities.com, an online financial publication and social community for investors, “to make available certain features and functionalities on their respective sites to achieve the goal of creating a more transparent market for investors."[18]

In 2015, Wired reported that CNBC and FinMkt were teaming up on a new crowdfinance index, which Steve Lewis of CNBC called a “seas [sic] change.”[13][19] FinMkt and City AM announced a new joint website, CityAmCrowdwatch, devoted to UK crowd finance data culled from such funding platforms as Property Moose, Angels Den, Crowd for Angels, Fireflock, Funding Tree, Property Seed, Seedrs, Crowdcube, and The House Crowd.[20][21] FinMkt also partnered with the crowdfunding platform InvestDen, to “make the sector morally accountable for the deals it offers to investors,”[22][23] and Thomson Reuters.[24]

In 2016, Crowdfund Capital Advisors (CCA) launched CCA Regulation Crowdfunding Indices in conjunction with FinMkt. Under the deal, CCA's data would be updated daily “to depict a snapshot of growth in this new market.”[25] FinMkt has also partnered with the private investment platform 99Funding, which “Coming from the traditional securities market,” Cox said, “they were quick to recognize the value that Crowdnetic brings to the emerging crowdfunding Luan Coxmarket.”[26]

Marketplace Lending Gateway

In September 2015, FinMkt launched Marketplace Lending Gateway, a “centralized technology platform that connects loan applicants from banks and retailers to alternative funding sources through a real-time matching and allocation engine.” The platform allows consumers and small businesses, previously turned down for loans, to receive multiple loan offers in minutes. “There is a tremendous supply-demand imbalance between borrowers and lenders,” Luan Cox said on announcing the launch. “Gateway provides the much-needed connection between those needing capital and those looking to invest. Through the platform, banks can provide an added service to their clients by connecting those seeking capital through alternate routes to lenders and institutional investors."[27] The Marketplace Lending Gateway also permits brands to offer loan alternatives to their constituencies. Partners may refer customer loan applications into the system and utilize selection parameters to match prospective borrowers with alternative lenders.[28] At the time of the launch, FinMkt also announced related partnerships with several marketplace-lending platforms and several hundred banks.[27]

CNBC Crowdfinance Indexes

The CNBC Crowdfinance Indexes provide an overview of the crowdfunding market. The main CNBC Crowdfinance 50 Index, updated daily, lists the 50 highest capital commitments received by private U.S. firms listed on FinMkt's data platform. Other CNBC Crowdfinance Indexes track real estate, services, and technology.[29][30][31]

Other tools and applications

LendviousPro enables users to upload custom default and prepayment curves, Lendvious Institutional hosts third-party models to test institutional investors' custom requirements with contracted leverage terms and provides access to an Excel add-in, and LendviousMetrics permits total control over internal risk reporting.[32] YieldMaster and YieldMasterPro, which run on Lendvious, are cash-flow engines that offer custom control and permit investors to model periodic cash flows. YieldMaster is designed to help investors manage their liquidity in marketplace lending, run analytics on portfolios, and allow customers to upload custom default and prepayment curves on a monthly basis.[32][33]

Conferences and webinars

In August 2013, together with Traklight and Indiegogo, FinMkt agreed to host a series of educational webinars for entrepreneurs and startups interested in crowdfunding and IP education. The first webinar took place in September 2013.[34]

FinMkt held its first Crowdfinance Conference in Manhattan, New York in December 2013. Its second conference took place in October 2014 and its third in September 2015.[35][36]

In April 2015, FinMkt took part in the FinTech Startups Conference, which brought together Silicon Alley's top FinTech founders, innovators, and investors for panel sessions, live demos from FinTech startups, and a sponsored networking reception.[37]

Dara Albright and NowStreet

In July 2013, FinMkt arranged to acquire NowStreet Journal, a crowdfinancing educational platform. NowStreet’s founder, Dara Albright, became FinMkt's Chief Strategy Officer. In June 2014, FinMkt filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York alleging a breach of agreement by former partner Dara Albright. FinMkt claimed that Albright regretted having sold NowStreet for only $5,000, and that as a result of the deal FinMkt owned a third of Lendit. Albright filed a countersuit denying FinMkt's ownership of NowStreet and claiming she had been “fraudulently induced” to sell. “It is unfortunate that we were forced to file this action,” said Cox. “We intend to let the facts speak for themselves, and we have the utmost confidence the courts will rule in our favor."[38]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "ABOUT CROWDNETIC". Crowdnetic. Crowdnetic. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  2. ↑ Rossi, Ben (May 5, 2016). "It’s not just for startups: the enterprise case for open data". Information Age. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  3. ↑ "Brief: Crowdnetic Rebrands to FinMkt". Crowdfund Insider. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Advanced Technology and Data Solutions for the Global Alternative Finance Industry". Crowdnetic. Crowdnetic. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  5. ↑ Stengel, Geri (May 4, 2016). "Support Entrepreneur Mothers Who Make The Economy Stronger". Forbes. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  6. ↑ Desai, Falguni (February 27, 2016). "An Inside Look At Fintech Marketplace Lenders". Forbes. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  7. ↑ Alois, JD (November 24, 2014). "Crowdnetic Opens London Office, Targets UK Data". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  8. ↑ Finberg, Ron (November 26, 2014). "FM HomeFinTechCrowd FundingCrowdnetic Partners with Digital Look to Create Aggregated UK Equity Crowdfunding Portal Crowdnetic Partners with Digital Look to Create Aggregated UK Equity Crowdfunding Portal". Finance Magnates. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  9. ↑ "Industry's first multichannel, automated loan referral and allocation engine". Loan Logics. September 28, 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  10. ↑ "Crowdnetic Technologies Private Limited Company". India Filings. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  11. ↑ "CROWDNETIC TECHNOLOGIES PRIVATE LIMITED". Zauba Corp. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  12. ↑ Alois, JD (June 17, 2014). "Ross Perot, Jr, Anurag Jain Invest in Crowdnetic". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  13. 1 2 Hurst, Samantha (February 4, 2015). "CNBC & Crowdnetic Reveal New Index For Tracking Equity Crowdfunding". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  14. ↑ Alois, JD (July 29, 2014). "Crowdnetic and UC Berkeley to partner on Crowdfunding Research". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  15. ↑ Luzar, Charles (August 20, 2013). "Crowdnetic Accepted To Springboard Accelerator Program". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  16. ↑ Alois, JD (February 27, 2014). "EarlyShares Partners with Crowdnetic". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  17. ↑ Blattberg, Eric (February 25, 2014). "CrowdWatch brings all crowdfund investing deals under one roof". Venture Beat. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  18. ↑ Hurst, Samantha (June 25, 2015). "Brief: Equities.com Announces Partnership with Crowdnetic". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  19. ↑ Alba, Davey (February 4, 2015). "CNBC Unveils Index for Tracking Equity Crowdfunding Revolution". Wired. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  20. ↑ Hurst, Samantha (March 5, 2015). "Brief: City A.M. Teams Up With Crowdnetic to Launch a Website Dedicated to UK Crowdfinance data". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  21. ↑ "City A.M. partners with Crowdnetic to launch crowdfunding site CityAMCrowdwatch.com". City AM. March 5, 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  22. ↑ Alois, JD (August 25, 2015). "Recently Launched Crowdfunding Platform InvestDen Partners with Crowdnetic". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  23. ↑ Stylers, Kirsty (August 25, 2015). "InvestDen partners with Crowdnetic to provide crowdfunding data to investors". Tech City News. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  24. ↑ Hobey, Erin (September 29, 2015). "Thomson Reuters Partners with Crowdnetic, Uses Eikon to Track UK Crowdfunding and Alternative Finance Market Data". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  25. ↑ Alois, JD (July 28, 2016). "CCA Launches Reg CF Indices with Crowdnetic". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  26. ↑ Alois, JD (March 20, 2013). "99Funding Launches Equity Crowdfunding Platform". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  27. 1 2 Hurst, Samantha (September 28, 2015). "Crowdnetic Launches Automated Loan Platform "Marketplace Lending Gateway"". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  28. ↑ "Benzinga Fintech Awards 2016". Benzinga. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  29. ↑ "Advanced Technology and Data Solutions for the Global Alternative Finance Industry". Crowdnetic. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  30. ↑ "Digitzs Hits #1 Spot On CNBC's Top 50 Crowdfinance Index And Shatters Glass Ceiling - Round Closes Soon On Crowdfunder". Baystreet. September 13, 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  31. ↑ Zaleski, Andrew (April 16, 2015). "Equity crowdfunding hits $662 million in 2015". CNBC. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  32. 1 2 Alois, JD. "Crowdnetic Announces New Tools on Lendvious". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  33. ↑ "Crowdnetic: Bringing crowdfunding and marketplace lending data analytics to your fingertips". HedgeWeek. January 1, 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  34. ↑ Luzar, Charles (August 29, 2013). "Indiegogo, Traklight & Crowdnetic To Provide Crowdfunding Webinar Series". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  35. ↑ Renton, Peter (July 2, 2014). "Many Conference Options for P2P Investors This Fall". Lend Academy. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  36. ↑ Renton, Peter (August 25, 2015). "A Slew of P2P Lending Conferences to Consider this Fall". Lend Academy. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  37. ↑ "The 2015 FinTech Startups Conference Coming To NYC April 7". Reuters. March 12, 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  38. ↑ Alois, JD (July 22, 2014). "Gloves Come Off: Two Prominent Crowdfunding Industry Leaders File Opposing Lawsuits". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
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