Illuminate Financial is a venture capital firm backing companies that solve problems in financial services. Building an enterprise software company and selling solutions into financial institutions is hard. We have deep domain expertise, the right industry network and are a trusted partner to our portfolio companies as we help guide them through the early stages of their journey.
NextRNA Therapeutics creates targeted therapeutics with the aim of discovering novel ncRNAs that cause disease. The company was founded in 2020 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Superpedestrian is a venture-backed robotics company that develops lightweight electric vehicles with integrated online platforms. It provides a wealth of data to enhance cycling, from physical wellness to safety. The Copenhagen Wheel is now in mass production and shipping in volume. It was founded in 2012 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Entrinsic Health Solutions leverages gold standard science and game-changing amino acid technology to address critical digestive and hydration-related health concerns for individuals and animals around the world. The seed was planted for Entrinsic Health Solutions when Dr. Sadasivan Vidyasagar realized the seriousness and extent of dehydration on a global scale. He committed himself to researching and supporting healthy digestive function and hydration: the cornerstone of Entrinsic Health Solutions.
Advent Technologies is an innovation-driven company in the fuel cell and hydrogen technology space. It allows the conversion of methanol, natural gas, DME, biomass, and others to electricity bypassing the need for hydrogen infrastructure.
Petal is a credit card company that is built to help people financially succeed. It aims to make credit honest, simple, and accessible. The company uses machine learning to analyze a customer’s full digital financial record—not just their credit score. Petal has pioneered cash flow underwriting, as an alternative to credit scores, to make credit more accessible, and offers a simple, modern digital experience that encourages members to build credit, avoid debt, and spend responsibly. Petal is based in New York, New York, and Richmond, Virginia. The Petal credit card is issued by WebBank, Member FDIC.
Figure provides consumer financial solutions intended for home improvement, debt consolidation, and retirement planning. Its financial services include provide home equity release services such as home equity lines of credit, home improvement loans, and home buy-lease back offerings for retirement leveraging through blockchain, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics, enabling customers to access capital in as few as five days.
dv01 is the world’s first end-to-end data management, reporting and analytics platform offering loan level transparency and insight into lending markets, making them more efficient for institutional investors and safer for the world. In a nutshell, we’re doing our part to prevent a repeat of 2008. As the technological hub between lenders and capital markets, dv01 provides all parties with unprecedented data transparency, insight, and analytics. dv01 has integrated data from 16 marketplace lending platforms, including LendingClub, Prosper and SoFi and multiple mortgage servicers. To date, dv01 has provided reporting and analytics on $105 billion of online lending and mortgage loans and $35 billion of securitization coverage.
Ualá is a financial technology company providing a comprehensive financial ecosystem that allows users to manage payments, request loans, and invest in various financial products. With services including a prepaid Mastercard, savings accounts, and investment options, Ualá aims to enhance financial inclusion.
Petal is a credit card company that is built to help people financially succeed. It aims to make credit honest, simple, and accessible. The company uses machine learning to analyze a customer’s full digital financial record—not just their credit score. Petal has pioneered cash flow underwriting, as an alternative to credit scores, to make credit more accessible, and offers a simple, modern digital experience that encourages members to build credit, avoid debt, and spend responsibly. Petal is based in New York, New York, and Richmond, Virginia. The Petal credit card is issued by WebBank, Member FDIC.
CloudMargin was formed in 2014 by a team of professionals with several decades’ combined experience in collateral management, OTC derivatives, technology and capital markets. Inspired by the power of new technology and driven by the belief that existing collateral management solutions were over-priced, inefficient, and inaccessible, they decided to change things for the better. CloudMargin exists to bring effective collateral management to all market participants, regardless of size or status. They’re trusted by clients for our industry knowledge, honesty and unwavering commitment to innovation.
Ualá is a financial technology company providing a comprehensive financial ecosystem that allows users to manage payments, request loans, and invest in various financial products. With services including a prepaid Mastercard, savings accounts, and investment options, Ualá aims to enhance financial inclusion.
Visible Alpha is developing a proprietary new dataset and suite of tools to enhance institutional investors' ability to generate quantifiable insight into the future fundamentals of companies. By unlocking the intelligence and perspectives that have always been hidden behind analysts’ models, Visible Alpha is providing a new level of visibility and granularity into analysts' forecasts, assumptions and opinions to help investors generate alpha.
Abeona Therapeutics is developing gene therapy-based potential cures for the deadly childhood diseases Sanfilippo (SF) Syndrome Type A and Type B. Its multi-platform expertise across the manufacture, delivery, development, and discovery of the novel gene and cell therapies has it uniquely positioned for success. Underpinning the Company’s robust pipeline is its fully-operational manufacturing facility producing therapies and vectors for preclinical and clinical studies. Abeona is also developing the AIM Vector Platform: 100+ next-generation AAV capsids for delivering gene therapies targeting a wide range of organs and multiple routes of delivery.
Ualá is a financial technology company providing a comprehensive financial ecosystem that allows users to manage payments, request loans, and invest in various financial products. With services including a prepaid Mastercard, savings accounts, and investment options, Ualá aims to enhance financial inclusion.
Bond Street is a startup focused on transforming small business lending through technology, data, and design. Small business owners are the foundation for growth in the economy, and yet today’s banking system has left them behind. It is building a better future where access to financing is simple, transparent, and fair. The company was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Ualá is a financial technology company providing a comprehensive financial ecosystem that allows users to manage payments, request loans, and invest in various financial products. With services including a prepaid Mastercard, savings accounts, and investment options, Ualá aims to enhance financial inclusion.
Advaxis is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing the next generation of immunotherapies for cancer and infectious diseases. Advaxis immunotherapies are based on a novel platform technology using live, attenuated bacteria that are bio-engineered to secrete antigen/adjuvant fusion protein(s) designed to redirect the powerful immune response all human beings have to the bacterium to the cancer itself. ADXS-HPV is being evaluated in four clinical trials for HPV-associated diseases: recurrent/refractory cervical cancer (India), locally advanced cervical cancer (GOG/NCI US study), head and neck cancer (CRUK study), and anal cancer (BrUOG). Over fifteen (15) distinct constructs are in various stages of development, developed directly by the Company and through strategic collaborations with recognized centers of excellence.
dv01 is the world’s first end-to-end data management, reporting and analytics platform offering loan level transparency and insight into lending markets, making them more efficient for institutional investors and safer for the world. In a nutshell, we’re doing our part to prevent a repeat of 2008. As the technological hub between lenders and capital markets, dv01 provides all parties with unprecedented data transparency, insight, and analytics. dv01 has integrated data from 16 marketplace lending platforms, including LendingClub, Prosper and SoFi and multiple mortgage servicers. To date, dv01 has provided reporting and analytics on $105 billion of online lending and mortgage loans and $35 billion of securitization coverage.
Affirm is a financial technology services company providing installment loans to consumers at the point of sale. The company was founded with the goal to create honest financial products and services that empower consumers and improve lives. It aims to revolutionize the banking industry to be more accountable and accessible to consumers. Today, Affirm provides shoppers with an alternative to traditional credit cards at the point of sale, giving them the flexibility to buy now and make simple monthly payments for their purchases. Unlike payment options that have compounding interest and unexpected costs, Affirm shows customers upfront exactly what they’ll pay each month—with no hidden fees and no surprises. Affirm partners with over 2,000 merchants to give shoppers the option to pay with Affirm at checkout, including well-known brands across retail, including home furnishings, travel, personal fitness, electronics, apparel and beauty, and more.
Liminal BioSciences is a biopharmaceutical corporation supplying state-of-the-art technologies for bio-separations as well as therapeutic products. It specializes in discovering, developing, and commercializing novel small molecule compounds for respiratory, liver, and renal diseases. The company focuses specifically on developing solutions for rare and orphan diseases. Liminal BioSciences was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Laval, Quebec.
Bond Street is a startup focused on transforming small business lending through technology, data, and design. Small business owners are the foundation for growth in the economy, and yet today’s banking system has left them behind. It is building a better future where access to financing is simple, transparent, and fair. The company was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Affirm is a financial technology services company providing installment loans to consumers at the point of sale. The company was founded with the goal to create honest financial products and services that empower consumers and improve lives. It aims to revolutionize the banking industry to be more accountable and accessible to consumers. Today, Affirm provides shoppers with an alternative to traditional credit cards at the point of sale, giving them the flexibility to buy now and make simple monthly payments for their purchases. Unlike payment options that have compounding interest and unexpected costs, Affirm shows customers upfront exactly what they’ll pay each month—with no hidden fees and no surprises. Affirm partners with over 2,000 merchants to give shoppers the option to pay with Affirm at checkout, including well-known brands across retail, including home furnishings, travel, personal fitness, electronics, apparel and beauty, and more.
Avant operates an online marketplace that provides users with access to personal loans to consolidate debt, pay unexpected medical expenses, and for family vacations. Through the use of big data and machine-learning algorithms, the company offers a customized approach to streamline credit options. The company caters to consumers in the United States and the United Kingdom. The company was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Symphony Communication Services, LLC develops a secure collaboration platform tailored for financial institutions, enabling traders and portfolio managers to communicate effectively through messaging, screen sharing, and audio/video conferencing. The platform consolidates digital communications into a single application, allowing users to integrate various applications and bots into their workflows while ensuring data security and regulatory compliance. Symphony offers a range of solutions for enterprise collaboration, including tools for internal and external communication, document sharing, and application integration. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Symphony has additional offices in major global financial centers such as New York, London, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. The company, previously known as Perzo Inc., was rebranded in 2014 and operates as a subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
Avant operates an online marketplace that provides users with access to personal loans to consolidate debt, pay unexpected medical expenses, and for family vacations. Through the use of big data and machine-learning algorithms, the company offers a customized approach to streamline credit options. The company caters to consumers in the United States and the United Kingdom. The company was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Insikt is a technology-driven Community Development Financial Institution that focuses on providing fair and affordable loans to working families in the United States. Founded in 2014 and based in San Francisco, Insikt aims to enhance the financial health of low-income communities by offering empowering financial services tailored for the underbanked and unbanked populations. The organization utilizes proprietary scoring algorithms to streamline the review and approval process for credit applications, ensuring that borrowers can access loans efficiently. Additionally, Insikt provides free credit scores and personalized expense management guidance to assist individuals in making informed financial decisions. Through its services, Insikt addresses the financial needs of working families and promotes economic stability within underserved communities.
Ablynx is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of Nanobodies®, a novel class of therapeutic proteins based on single-domain antibody fragments, for a range of serious human diseases, including inflammation, haematology, oncology and pulmonary disease. Today, the Company has approximately 25 projects in the pipeline and five Nanobodies in clinical development.
Hoare Govett
Acquisition in 2012
Hoare Govett provides corporate broking, corporate finance, and investor relations services in the United Kingdom. The company focuses on listed onshore and offshore funds with significant resources devoted to alternative investment strategies, such as hedge funds, private equity, infrastructure, credit funds, and real estate. The company executes various transactions, including equity fund raisings, mergers and acquisitions, MBOs, disposals, and IPOs.
MTS Markets International (MMI) is a comprehensive, subscription-free online trading platform serving institutional fixed-income investors. MTS Markets International (MMI) is a wholly owned subsidiary of MTS S.p.A.
1-800-WEDDING is the premier wedding referral service that matches a bride's individual location and budget needs with 5-Bride Certified™ Wedding Specialists. Referrals to high-quality Wedding Specialists are always complimentary, and you can request referrals in more than 35 categories, from florists to photographers and everything in between.
THINQ Learning Solutions is the number one business to business e-commerce marketplace for skills training and professional education, with the most comprehensive selection of all brands and forms of training, including classroom, on-site, and online training, books, videos and CD-ROMs. Through a partnership-oriented strategy, THINQ Learning Solutions is making its marketplace accessible where professionals already go for career development: corporate intranets; the career sections of high-traffic Web sites; business and professional-oriented Web sites, and THINQ Learning Solutions own public Web site.
Enterworks® Enable The EnterWorks Multi-Domain Master Data Management (MDM) and Product Information Management (PIM) solutions enable companies to acquire, master, manage, govern, and transform master data and content across their value chain into a competitive advantage for organizations of all sizes – from SMBs to global enterprises. EnterWorks was acquired in 2015 by Black Dragon Capital.