Jeff Bezos-backed Remitly announces free money transfers to the Philippines

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Seattle startup Remitly just announced pricing for its new international money-transfer service to the Philippines, and customers are probably going to like the price. Money transfers of more than $100 are free — if you’re willing to wait three business days. If the money needs to be wired immediately, Remitly plans to charge a flat… Read More…

Sequoia sinks $5M in FutureAdvisor to transform how people manage money

FutureAdvisor co-founder Bo Lu

Sequoia Capital is investing $5 million in FutureAdvisor, a two-year-old Seattle startup that’s looking to transform the way people choose their investments and eliminate those pesky fees along the way. Total funding in the company, a graduate of the startup incubator Y Combinator, now stands at $6 million. In addition to the funding, the company is rolling… Read More…

Balance Financial lands cash, names new board members

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It’s tax day, and that means millions of Americans are scrambling to get their financial houses in order. If you’re like me, managing personal finance information is a tedious chore, often placed behind yard work and bathroom cleaning. Luckily, some companies want to help. One of those is Balance Financial, a Bellevue startup that’s trying… Read More…

Startup Spotlight: This upstart thinks it can help you make money in the stock market

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Can geeky algorithms beat the pros on Wall Street? Scott Juds, the founder of SumGrowth Strategies, which is developing a new automated stock picker called SectorSurfer, thinks so. Juds previously worked as a software engineer developing infrared photoelectric sensors — using those skills to optically encode tokens in casinos. Now, he’s combining his technology skills with… Read More…

Groupon IPO: Is this the next Amazon.com or Pets.com?

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Group discount buying service Groupon, the granddaddy of the daily deals startups, debuted on the stock market this morning with its highly anticipated IPO, trading on the Nasdaq exchange as GRPN. This will be a fascinating one to watch as a litmus test for other startups and a gauge of the tech economy. It’s hard… Read More…

Paul Allen’s Vulcan Capital backs small business lender, but don’t call it a bank

Paul Allen

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is tossing his financial support behind a new Texas-based lending institution called Ascentium Capital. The idea behind the new entity — capitalized with $75 million of equity and a $250 million warehouse facility — is to support small businesses with the capital they need to grow their businesses. It is not… Read More…