For the past seven years Motif has offered investors a platform for building portfolios around customized themes personalized to their investment interests and objectives; to extend the platform's offerings and provide investors with a chance to express their personal values through investing, the firm now offers Motif Impact portfolios; the firm's CEO Hardeep Walia provides details on the platform's new investment initiative and explains how the firm's offerings have evolved with economic and social movements in the US. Source
Kabbage's chief technology officer Amala Duggirala has taken a new role with Regions as the bank's chief investment officer; Amala Duggirala has been with Kabbage since November 2016 leading the firm's technology platform efforts; prior to Kabbage she worked as executive vice president of application development at payments technology company ACI Worldwide; her technology experience in lending and payments will help to support and enhance product development and innovation in her new chief investment officer role at Regions. Source
CredifX will add to the firm's data services which provide data on over two million US commercial properties and $13 trillion in loans; the CredifX platform will offer a marketplace for commercial loans, providing access to financing and investing for commercial real estate borrowers, brokers and lenders; the new commercial real estate loan platform is expected to increase market competition and pricing for loans. Source
Experienced credit market executive Kathryn Petralia talks with Crowdfund Insider about fintech and the business growth of Kabbage; the firm has originated approximately $3 billion in loans to 100,000 US small businesses since 2011; it has developed lending partnerships with global banks Santander and Scotiabank; it has also been active in promoting small business lending through its development of the SMART Box in collaboration with the Innovative Lending Platform Association; other highlights from the interview include insight on fintech predictions and regulations, Kabbage's involvement with the Consumer Financial Data Rights group, initiatives within the Innovative Lending Platform Association and Petralia's career advice. Source
Scott Sanborn took over as chief executive officer at Lending Club, facing the challenge of rebuilding confidence in an innovative business model that helped to introduce the concept of P2P lending to the US in 2006; bringing unique experiences from a career that began in advertising, Sanborn has been with Lending Club since 2010, beginning in a role as chief marketing officer for the firm; in the Q&A he provides details about the firm's strategy for evolving through challenging times and what the firm is doing to meet new goals for the future. Source
The app is available only for the platform's investors; Lend Academy provides screenshots from the app and more details in their article; investors can now invest through the mobile app and also open a new account; the app provides much of the same functionality available through the desktop application allowing investors to monitor their account and make investments from any iOS mobile device. Source
David Kimball became Prosper's CEO in 2016 after serving as CFO for the firm; in February the firm signed a deal with a consortium of investors committing a potential $5 billion in loan investments for the platform over the next two years; Kimball talks about the firm's business, his perspective on fintech and his experiences as CFO and CEO. Source
In a letter to the board at OnDeck, Marathon Partners has outlined changes they want to see enacted; Marathon believes OnDeck has put a premium on growing their originations instead of getting costs under control and growing shareholder value; additionally they have been disappointed with OnDeck's corporate governance and executive compensation practices; the private equity firm recommends the lender cut costs to get them under control and seek the sale of the company to a stable partner. Source
US online lender Affirm has announced its 1 millionth consumer installment loan; the platform works with Cross River Bank for loan originations and partners with retailers to offer its credit financing solution; the firm is managed by Pay Pal co-founder Max Levchin and has also announced it will be moving its San Francisco headquarters to 650 California Street with 86,225 square feet of office space for the growing company. Source
Fifth Third Bank will expand its partnership with Accion US Network which provides access to a network of small businesses; the initiative will focus on increased lending for underserved small businesses in Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio; the effort is also an extension of the bank's five-year, $30 billion Community Commitment and will utilize $10 billion allocated to small business lending, product innovation and enhanced underwriting and fulfillment for this alternative lending channel. Source