Category

Press Release

Jul 27
0

BankLabs’ Loan Participation Platform Secures Investment from FINTOP Capital & JAM FINTOP Banktech, and Launches New Spin-Out Company ‘Participate’

By | Insights, Press Release

BankLabs’ Loan Participation Platform Secures Investment from FINTOP Capital & JAM FINTOP Banktech, and Launches New Spin-Out Company ‘Participate’

Little Rock, July 26, 2023 — BankLabs, an innovation lab for banking technology, announces its strategic spin-out and significant investment from FINTOP Capital & JAM FINTOP Banktech, the preeminent FinTech venture capital firms led by fintech and banking veterans and supported by America’s leading banks. This partnership endorses BankLabs’ mission to democratize loan trading for all financial institutions, irrespective of size.

Participate is built to reduce friction in the loan participation process through cloud-native technology and curated buy-side clubs. This transformational platform is rapidly expanding, already patented, and promises to change the dynamics of the banking landscape forever. Participate automates the process of selling a portion of a new or existing loan. Once a loan is closed, Participate automates the back-office workflow including principal and interest splitting, collaboration on balances, notifications to the buy-side, variable interest rate management, secure document management and much more.

“We are delighted to partner with FINTOP & JAM FINTOP,” said Matt Johnner, President of BankLabs and Participate. “This is more than an investment, it is the creation of a new organization focused on helping America’s lenders improve and manage liquidity, reduce concentration risk and boost net income. JAM FINTOP’s involvement goes well beyond financial resources; they are essentially an R&D unit for the approximately 100 banks in their network. The FINTOP Capital team also brings impressive relationships beyond traditional banks as well. The infusion of their resources and strategic insights will vault Participate to new heights.”

Mike Montgomery, CEO of BankLabs and Participate shared, “we intend to create an environment where increasing the amount of participation loans creates a form of ‘backup liquidity’ that strengthens a bank’s ability to make necessary or strategic balance sheet adjustments more quickly and efficiently.”

“We see first-hand the struggles of community banks to balance liquidity and easily manage their loan portfolios, and the timing could not be better for a tool like Participate,” adds John Philpott, Partner at FINTOP Capital. It is a privilege to be able to work with professionals like Mike, Matt, and the entire BankLabs Participate team, and we are grateful to be partnering with them.”

For more information, please visit ParticipateLoan.com.

About BankLabs

BankLabs is an innovation lab committed to redefining banking products for the future to help community oriented financial institutions succeed. With its groundbreaking Participate platform, BankLabs is at the forefront of transforming the loan trading process, reducing friction, and democratizing loan trading for financial institutions of all sizes. The spin-out of Participate follows the successful creation, growth and sale of Construct to Abrigo, a leading financial technology company with over 2,400 financial institutions as clients. Construct is the #1 construction loan automation and payments product in the country. Follow BankLabs for more innovations to come.

About FINTOP Capital FINTOP Capital is a venture capital firm focused on early-stage FinTech companies. With over $700 million in committed capital across five funds, FINTOP brings decades of FinTech founding and operating experience to the boardroom, partnering with innovative entrepreneurs to push the frontiers of the financial services sector. For more information, visit fintopcapital.com.

About JAM FINTOP

JAM FINTOP is a joint venture between JAM Special Opportunity Ventures and FINTOP Capital. The partnership brings together bank experts and seasoned fintech entrepreneurs to invest in companies changing the way financial institutions and their customers move, track, and interact with money. For more information, visit https://www.jamfintop.com.

Participate Contact

Matt Johnner, President Participate & BankLabs

matt.johnner@banklabs.com

214.208.0436

JAM FINTOP Contact

Brittani Roberts, Principal FINTOP Capital

brittani@fintopcapital.com

630.726.2748

Apr 26
0
Matt Johnner

Banklabs President & Co-founder Matt Johnner accepted into Forbes Finance Council

By | Insights, Press Release

Forbes Finance Council is an Invitation-Only Community for Executives in Accounting, Financial Planning, Wealth and Asset Management, and Investment Firms

April 19, 2023 —Matt Johnner, the President & Co-founder of BankLabs, a provider of innovative banking technology solutions, has been accepted into Forbes Finance Council, an invitation-only community for executives in accounting, financial planning, wealth and asset management, and investment firms.

 

Matt Johnner

Matt Johnner was vetted and selected by a review committee based on the depth and diversity of His experience. Criteria for acceptance include a track record of successfully impacting business growth metrics, as well as personal and professional achievements and honors. 

 

“We are honored to welcome Matt Johnner into the community,” said Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, the collective that includes Forbes Finance Council. “Our mission with Forbes Councils is to bring together proven leaders from every industry, creating a curated, social capital-driven network that helps every member grow professionally and make an even greater impact on the business world.”

 

As an accepted member of the Council, Matt has access to a variety of exclusive opportunities designed to help him reach peak professional influence. He will connect and collaborate with other respected local leaders in a private forum. Matt will also be invited to work with a professional editorial team to share his expert insights in original business articles on Forbes.com, and to contribute to published Q&A panels alongside other experts. 

 

Finally, Matt will benefit from exclusive access to vetted business service partners, membership-branded marketing collateral, and the high-touch support of the Forbes Councils member concierge team. 

 

ABOUT FORBES COUNCILS

Forbes Councils is a collective of invitation-only communities created in partnership with Forbes and the expert community builders who founded Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). In Forbes Councils, exceptional business owners and leaders come together with the people and resources that can help them thrive.

 

For more information about Forbes Finance Council, visit forbesfinancecouncil.com. To learn more about Forbes Councils, visit forbescouncils.com.

His Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjohnner/

Banklabs Webiste: Banklabs.com

 

Contact Details:

sales@banklabs.com

Sep 25
0
waves

CenterState Bank & BankLabs Win Innovation Award – Mobile Construction Loan Automation

By | Award, Insights, Press Release | No Comments

Little Rock, Ark., September 25, 2018 – BankLabs, a national provider of innovative mobile technology products for financial institutions, today announced that Fla.-based CenterState Bank has signed on for BankLabs’ cloud-based construction loan management product, Construct.

Construct is a banker-centric, web-based service that automates the post-close administration of construction loans for lenders. Accessible from any phone, tablet or computer, it eliminates the need for paper files and spreadsheets, increases bank productivity, mitigates the risk of overfunding projects and improves the experience for both the builder and borrower.

“We were in need of a modern and mobile approach to improve efficiency and consistency, while simultaneously improving the borrower experience and reducing risk with real-time reporting,” said Frances Mansour-Bergin, vice president and construction loan administration manager at CenterState Bank. “Construct has completely automated our loan administration, inspection and draw process, making a highly complex practice very quick and efficient. It has made processing construction loans easy for everyone involved, including the builders and borrowers.”

Construct has proven to reduce loan administration time by 50 percent, lower inspection costs, identify and mitigate potential risks and enhance the borrower/builder relationship through mobile access. Financial institutions using Construct have already seen an eight to 12 percent draw interest improvement, as well as a decrease in cycle time from days or weeks to minutes.

CenterState was recently recognized as a winner of the second annual Impact Awards through its usage of BankLabs’ solution. The awards, independently judged by Celent, identify organizations that are using technology or services in innovative ways to better serve their customers and drive tangible results. CenterState was acknowledged for its innovative construction lending solution.

“We are thrilled that CenterState is not only seeing improvements since implementing Construct, but that they are being recognized for those improvements,” said Matt Johnner, president and co-founder of BankLabs. “We are proud to partner with innovative financial institutions, like CenterState, that are ready to embrace change and mobility in the construction finance industry.”

About BankLabs

The mission of BankLabs is to reimagine banking products of the future through community-oriented technologies that create new fee income, attract deposits, expand loan opportunities and differentiate the financial institution from competitors. BankLabs believes that community banking is a way of doing business, not a size, location or traditional definition. For more information, visit banklabs.com.

Apr 05
0
Banklabs logo

BankLabs Expands Operations in Arkansas

By | Insights, Press Release

BankLabs Expands Operations in Arkansas with Support from Arkansas Economic Development Commission

BankLabs, a national provider of innovative mobile technology products for financial institutions, today announced that it is creating up to 19 full-time professional FinTech positions at its operations in Little Rock and is seeking highly qualified employees.

“Our goal is to differentiate the financial institutions that are not happy with the status quo from those that are resistant to change,” said Matt Johnner, president and co-founder of BankLabs. “Our clients want new ways to do things that leverage their strengths. BankLabs Chairman and CEO Mike Montgomery, has a rich history as a leader with Arkansas-based Systematics and Alltel Information Services. We both look forward to the next wave of innovation that BankLabs can help create.”

BankLabs seeks to grow the Arkansas economy into one that is focused on hi-tech, high-paying jobs, he said, and is pleased with the support from the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce and Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) including tax credits and introductions to identify talented candidates.

“BankLabs is directly contributing to the resurgence of Arkansas as a FinTech leader,” said AEDC Executive Director Mike Preston. “The company is not only helping banks, but also creating FinTech marketplace options that expand business opportunities for everyone in the industry and across the globe. We are hopeful that the state’s support will not only help BankLabs grow its Little Rock team, but also help to improve the state’s economy.”

BankLabs recently added +Pay to its product offerings, automating the payment stream to sub-contractors from banks, general contractors, builders, title companies or disbursing agents. +Pay integrates seamlessly with BankLabs’ Construct product, which automates the residential and commercial construction loan process for banks and non-bank lenders. Together, they make the world’s first cloud-based vertically integrated construction finance platform.

“The expansion of BankLabs is another example of Little Rock’s growing FinTech industry,” said Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola. “With our large banking presence and the 3rd VC FinTech Accelerator Powered by FIS occurring this summer at the Tech Park, the growing cluster of FinTech companies in Little Rock is now stronger than ever.”

Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce Board Chair Cathy Tuggle said, “We are excited to have an innovative company like BankLabs decide to continue its growth in the capital city. The Little Rock Technology Park and Venture Center have helped create a start-up environment where companies like BankLabs can flourish. This project is another wonderful example of our community’s entrepreneurial investment already succeeding.”

BankLabs is currently looking to fill highly paid professional product development and customer success positions in Arkansas. To apply, visit banklabsstaging.mystagingwebsite.com.

About BankLabs

The mission of BankLabs is to reimagine banking products of the future through community-oriented technologies that create new fee income, attract deposits, expand loan opportunities and differentiate the financial institution from competitors. BankLabs believes that community banking is a way of doing business, not a size, location or traditional definition. For more information, visit banklabsstaging.mystagingwebsite.com.

Feb 20
0
Construction landscape

BankLabs Unveils +Pay to Automate Construction Payment Streams

By | Insights, Press Release

BankLabs, a national provider of innovative mobile technology products for community banks, today announced the addition of +Pay to its product offerings. +Pay integrates with Construct, the company’s construction loan automation product, to automate the payment stream between builders and sub-contractors. It speeds the payment process and eliminates the need for paper with electronic lien waivers and invoices, as well as automated 1099 tax reporting. 

With new payment options including Same Day ACH, +Pay enables sub-contractors to be paid efficiently and, in turn, efficiently pay their employees. This mobile and web-based service increases transparency in the payment stream process, which greatly reduces unnecessary friction between builders and subcontractors.

“Our software for cutting checks and making payouts was outdated, and we needed a product that could interface with our core system,” said David Veurink, chief credit officer and head of commercial banking at Countryside Bank. “+Pay does just that, and the team at BankLabs has been extremely responsive and customer-oriented in their approach.”

“Countryside Bank was our first customer on +Pay last year,” said Matt Johnner, president and co-founder of BankLabs. “They have been very helpful in working out any kinks and we are thrilled that they are seeing process improvements with our technology.”

Banks can leverage +Pay to increase both fee income and attract deposits. The two initial financial institutions using +Pay have already processed more than $126 million in construction payments combined, and more banks are already under contract.  In addition to financial institutions, builders and sub-contractors can also use +Pay.

About BankLabs

The mission of BankLabs is to reimagine banking through community-oriented technologies that create new fee income, attract deposits, expand loan opportunities and differentiate the financial institution from competitors. BankLabs believes that community banking is a way of doing business, not a size or location. For more information, visit banklabsstaging.mystagingwebsite.com.

Media Contact

For BankLabs
Catherine Mootz, 678-781-7227
cmootz@williammills.com

Dec 19
0
Banklabs logo

BankLabs Chooses William Mills Agency for Public Relations Services

By | Insights, Press Release

William Mills Agency, the largest independent public relations and content marketing firm specializing in the financial industry, announced today that it will provide PR services to BankLabs. BankLabs is a national provider of innovative mobile technology products helping community banks improve efficiency, increase time for relationships with customers and create marketplace options that expand business opportunities.

With offices in both Dallas and Little Rock, Ark., BankLabs has bank customers in 28 states and two countries, as well as development consortiums to facilitate development with bank partners. BankLabs’ CEO and Co-Founder Mike Montgomery uses 40 years of banking experience to cultivate innovative banking technology products.

BankLabs’ latest product, Construct®, is a web-based product that automates the construction loan management process for community banks. It’s paperless, accessible from any mobile device or computer, drives productivity and modernizes the experience for all parties involved.

The company also offers OREO (Other Real Estate Owned) Automation®, enabling community banks to quickly sell OREO properties by automating and tracking property details, inspection history, appraisals and payments. These transactions are secure, fully automated and provide examiners with an easily reviewable, paperless audit trail.

“WMA’s public relations strategy will support BankLabs in solidifying our position as a leader in providing community bankers with the tools they need to compete in today’s market,” said Matt Johnner, president and co-founder of BankLabs. “With our deep understanding of community banking and the agency’s overall industry knowledge and relationships, we’re enthusiastic about working with them to promote our mission.”

“William Mills Agency has built our reputation by helping our clients improve brand awareness and establish themselves as industry thought leaders through strategic, balanced public relations programs,” said William Mills III, CEO of William Mills Agency. “It’s a privilege to be selected as BankLabs’ agency of record (AOR), and we look forward to helping them communicate to community banks that can benefit from their services.”

About BankLabs
BankLabs was created by community bankers, for community bankers. The company designs innovative mobile technology products that help community banks improve efficiency, increase time for relationships and create fintech marketplace options that expand business opportunities outside their traditional local market. BankLabs couples the fundamental banking experience with modern, mobile-first, banker-first approaches to product design. The company is committed to the pursuit of creating web-based mobile apps to deliver competitive advantages to community banks. For more information, please visit banklabsstaging.mystagingwebsite.com.

About William Mills Agency
Founded in 1977, the Atlanta-based company has established its reputation in the industry through successful execution of media relations, marketing services and crisis communication campaigns for hundreds of companies ranging in size from entrepreneurial start-ups to large, publicly traded corporations throughout North America, Europe, Africa and India. For more information, please visit www.williammills.com.

Oct 12
0
laptops and working team

BankLabs Signs 50th Bank to Utilize Construct

By | Insights, Press Release

BankLabs, a national provider of innovative mobile technology products for community banks, today announced the 50th bank to go-live with Construct, the cloud-based construction loan management product for lenders and their borrowers, builders and inspectors.

“In today’s technology-driven world, we wanted to provide an easy-to-use, web-based service to take the place of cumbersome spreadsheets and paper files. The importance of mobility continues to grow to differentiate the financial institution.”

Construct is a banker-centric, web-based service that automates the post-close administration of construction loans for lenders. Accessible from any phone, tablet or computer, it eliminates the need for paper files and spreadsheets, increases bank productivity, mitigates the risk of overfunding projects and improves the experience for both the builder and borrower.

Using Construct, a builder is able to view available funds via computer or mobile device and submit a draw request. Notifications are then sent via text or email to the inspector, borrower and bank personnel. The inspector takes pictures, enters notes and updates the percent complete via phone or tablet. Without the need for spreadsheets, the correct draw amount is automatically calculated and can be instantly viewed by the banker, borrower and builder along with inspection details, documents and photos. Reports are then automatically generated based on real-time data.

Construct has proven to reduce loan administration time by 50 percent, lower inspection costs, identify and mitigate potential risks and enhance the borrower/builder relationship through mobile access. Financial institutions using Construct have already seen an eight to 12 percent draw interest improvement, as well as a decrease in cycle time from days or weeks to minutes.

“Construct completely automates the traditionally manual loan administration, inspection and draw process, making life easier for the bank, builder and borrower using real-time workflow and proactive next step tracking,” said Matt Johnner, president and co-founder of BankLabs. “In today’s technology-driven world, we wanted to provide an easy-to-use, web-based service to take the place of cumbersome spreadsheets and paper files. The importance of mobility continues to grow to differentiate the financial institution.”

About BankLabs

BankLabs is a national provider of innovative mobile technology products that help community banks improve efficiency, increase time for relationships with customers and create marketplace options that expand business opportunities. BankLabs believes that community banking is a way of doing business, not a size. For more information, visit banklabsstaging.mystagingwebsite.com.

 

Media Contact

For BankLabs
Catherine Mootz, 678-781-7227
cmootz@williammills.com