American Express links with Twitter: Will security risks sink this buy-by-Tweet experiment?

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Social commerce is about ease. And what’s easier than using a hashtag to make a purchase? Today American Express, in conjunction with Twitter, is launching a program built on that premise. The idea is simple. American Express partners with a retailer and assigns a hashtag to a physical product. Cardholders who have opted-in and synced… Read More…

Banks behaving badly: Dealing with a divisive digital divide

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When a company providing financial services emphasizes digital convenience, you’d think that also applies to its customer service. After all, nearly every major bank and credit union pushes online banking, mobile banking, text and email alerts and electronic bill payment. But there seems to be a digital divide between financial institutions promoting digital and thinking… Read More…

Ex-Microsoftie looks to transform banking with new startup Booyami

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Booyami, a Seattle area startup that’s looking to streamline aspects of the banking process, has raised $905,000 in startup capital, according to a SEC filing. The company, which operates under the brand BBC Easy, was founded by James Walter and Corey Ross in August 2010. Walter spent seven years at Microsoft working on Xbox and… Read More…

Lighter Capital’s Andy Sack has $500,000 burning a hole in his pocket

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Ready, set, invest. By August 31, Lighter Capital will pump $500,000 into a new business no matter how awful the investment opportunity. The Seattle firm, formerly known as RevenueLoan and operated by Seattle angel investor Andy Sack, just kicked off an unusual competition in which it promises to provide $500,000 to the best company that… Read More…

Commerce Bridge raises $8M to fill lending gap for growth companies

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It’s always been exceptionally tough for high-growth companies to attract traditional bank financing. But it became next to impossible after the financial meltdown. The tight lending climate is creating an opportunity for Commerce Bridge, a Bellevue commercial lender which just landed $8 million to bankroll fast-growing, mid-stage companies that are growing by 20 percent or… Read More…