Goal setting is one of the most powerful processes to build your future. When it comes to your finances, adding in expert advice accelerates achieving those goals in a sustainable and measurable way. Albert is the personal financial advice platform that leverages technology and access to financial experts to address any aspect of your financial situation. At its core, the platform provides mobile banking complete with automated savings, equity investing, tracking, budgeting, and access to cash advances if necessary. LA TechWatch caught up with CEO Yinon Ravid to learn more about the gap that Albert fills in the consumer finance space, the company’s future plans, and latest round of funding from investors that include General Atlantic, CapitalG, Portag3, and QED Investors.
Finance
How High Can Bitcoin Go? A $1 Million 10-Year Price Target (Or $1 per dSAT) Actually Looks Reasonable
I know many will laugh at me. And maybe they’re right. But I’m not writing this to convince the naysayers. This is for the growing community of people (including Michael Saylor, Paul Tudor Jones, Stanley Druckenmiller, Bill Miller….) who have seen the crypto light. And I’ve been laughed at before for making seemingly outlandish predictions and been proven right.
10 Predictions for the Tech Industry in 2021
Chris Cunningham of C2 Ventures offers some predictions for what 2021 will bring to tech, covering AR, privacy, insurtech, and much, much more…
Sunbit is the Buy Now Pay Later Solution Helping Thousands of Local Businesses Increase Revenue
4,500+ merchants have already signed up to use Sunbit, the omnichannel financial solution helping local businesses generate revenue while giving consumers flexible payment plans for everyday essentials. In 30 seconds, consumers can sign up for a 3, 6, or 12-month payment plan that will finance total purchases ranging anywhere from $60 – $8K. Merchants such as auto shops, eye doctors, dentists, and veterinary clinics can provide omnichannel payment experiences to make payment as seamless as possible. LA TechWatch caught up with Cofounder and CTO Ornit Maizel to learn more about Sunbit’s plan to Buy Now Pay Later solutions more accessible and applicable to everyday purchases
Finli Raises Another $1M to be the Payment Solution for Neighborhood Schools and Studios
Small businesses have been devastated by the pandemic and neighborhood schools and studios are no different. There has been a wave of innovation that empowers these small businesses to rapidly digitize to address changing customer preferences. Finli is the small business management platform and payment solution for these family-centric businesses that have been traditionally reliant on paper and pencil models. On the platform, parents and caretakers connect their bank accounts or credits to schedule and process payments for their children’s education, while schools and studios can invoice, streamline payments, and service their customer bases. LA TechWatch caught up with CEO and Founder Lori Shao to learn more about the critical service the platform provides to family businesses, the company’s future plans, and recent seed extension round from investors that include MaC Venture Capital, TechStars Los Angeles, Core Innovation Capital, and Muse Capital.
SUMA Wealth Helps Millennial Latinos Take Control of their Financial Futures
Latinos are one of the fastest-growing demographic groups in the United States, representing approximately 20% of the US population. However, 50% of Latinos are underbanked. SUMA Wealth is the fintech platform designed specifically for the Latino community to engage, educate, and empower young millennial/ Gen Z Latinos to manage their finances and take control of their financial futures. LA TechWatch caught up with CEO and Cofounder Beatríz Acevedo to learn more about the importance of financial inclusion for Latinos, the company’s goal to help create generational wealth, and future plans.
The Next Stage in the Financial Revolution: AR and VR Solutions
The next step in the financial evolution has welcomed the applications of immersive Augmented and virtual realities. AR and VR can transform traditional banking and financial services into staggering, visual experiences by developing a personalized, face-to-face virtual environment.
Why Bitcoin $100,000 is Inevitable
My market cap target for bitcoin is $2 Trillion, or $100,000 per bitcoin ever to be mined. This target is predicated on bitcoin growing its market share of store of value from 2% today to 17% by 2024 (assuming gold holds its current market cap of $12.5 trillion).
Incentify Raises $4.25M for its SaaS Platform to Manage Tax Credits and Incentives
The average Fortune 500 company has a portfolio of over $212M in Tax Credits and Incentives. As large as this sounds, nearly 50% of available credits and incentives (C&I) go unclaimed each year. Companies may be dissuaded by the process of applying, reporting, and maintaining these credits. Incentify is the enterprise SaaS platform that lets companies manage all aspects of tax credits and incentives.CEO Laurence Sotsky shares more on how Incentify is changing the narrative around C&I by providing analytics, reporting, and compliance in a centralized platform.
Buckle Your Seat Belt – DeFi Is Crypto’s Netscape
I know DeFi is our Netscape moment because it’s scaling, rapidly. Just like Netscape’s browser did. The market is screaming that DeFi has found product-market fit. Total value locked in DeFi is up more than 4X in two months.a
Pipe Raises $10M to Give SaaS Startups What They Need Most – Cash Flow
Investors love SaaS companies because of the recurring revenue. But SaaS companies often have to give up growth when faced with monthly and quarterly subscriptions that cause less signup friction versus annual upfront fees. Pipe is the non-dilutive financing solution for these to normalize their cash flows. Pipe is a marketplace that connects SaaS companies to investors that are looking to invest in these types of factoring arrangements. Investors receive reliable cash flows and companies receive the cash they need quickly to fuel their growth. Win/Win. We caught up with CEO and Cofounder Harry Hurst to learn more about Pipe, the Saas landscape, and the company’s recent Seed extension round.