Startups to Watch: Finch, Grin, Zuper, ShoppingGives

Investing in the stock market or in mutual funds can be difficult for someone who has never invested before.

This week, Finch, a New York-based fintech startup that integrates the benefits of investing and the flexibility of checking into an all-in-one account, announced a $1.8 million seed round to launch its platform. The round was led by Mendoza Ventures with participation from Barclays, Techstars Investors and Draper Frontier.

Finch is targeting millennials, of whom not even 1 out of 5 have an investment account. As a result, they are losing out, founder Neel Ganu told Crunchbase News. Finch is helping users earn returns by automatically investing their checking balance into a portfolio designed to match their unique risk profile.

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Ex-N26 employee lands $1.8m to launch ETF-linked checking account

Finch, a US-based fintech founded by a former N26 employee, has landed $1.8 million in a seed round to launch its checking and investing account in the US.

The round was led by Boston-based Mendoza Ventures, with additional participation from Barclays, Techstars Investors, and Draper Frontier.

Finch is currently in beta. Once known as Trio, the firm hopes to launch its all-in-one account in the US by October.

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DailyPay's CEO Jason Lee Named "Innovator of the Year"

DailyPay, the gold standard of the on-demand pay ecosystem, today announced that Chief Executive Officer, Jason Lee, has been named the Gold Winner for "Innovator of the Year" for this year's CEO World Awards.

The CEO World Awards celebrate the accomplishments of leaders and their most outstanding initiatives and achievements. Chief Executive Officers lead the development of the organization's short- and long-term strategy. This annual awards program recognizes individuals who set industry benchmarks for excellence.

A financial engineer by training, Lee spent nearly two decades on Wall Street creating numerous new products and markets to manage areas of risk. In 2015, he disrupted the calcified world of payroll processing by launching a start-up, which grew into a premiere enterprise software company that promotes financial wellness.

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Looking For Something New In Space? Sci-Fi Sandbox MMO CSC Launches Today

Today, CSC — a free-to-play, “casual-friendly sandbox MMO set in space” — leaves early access on Steam. The game, developed by Lucid Sight, offers players a full space exploration experience, complete with combat, a deep crafting system, and a player-driven economy. It’s designed to be easy to get into, while offering long-time MMO fans a deep experience in an ever-growing universe.

At launch, CSC will offer players over 50 star systems to explore. And, according to the developers, at least 300 more are on the way. As for crafting, the game features an uncapped system that will allow players to specialize. The economy is based on blockchain technology that allows players to own in-game items and trade them via public blockchain or the game market place.

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‘Pokémon Go’ Maker Niantic Wants to Turn AR Into 5G’s First Killer App

Next-generation AR could get consumers excited about 5G. So AR pioneer Niantic is working with carriers to spur the creation of compelling experiences.

Niantic, the maker of the hit augmented reality game Pokémon Go, today announced it’s teaming up with a group of 5G carriers from across North America, Europe, and Asia to help high-quality AR experiences proliferate to millions of new users, as 5G technology capable of handling rich AR is deployed on wireless networks around the world.

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