44 Chicago Fintech Companies Revolutionizing Financial Services

The financial industry and new technology go hand in hand. Innovative tech allows for faster trading, smarter loans and better understanding of where money is moving. And with Chicago's history as a trading and banking city, the biggest institutions have inspired a generation of talented, tech-minded financial professionals to build startups that use tech to solve the industry's biggest problems.

 

 As technology evolves, so does trading. IMC is a technology-focused trading firm who creates and applies trading strategies, providing liquidity in over 100 trading venues across the globe. IMC is headquartered in Amsterdam with offices in Chicago and Sydney. Their Chicago office was established in 2000 with just two people and now boasts a team of over 150. 

 

Founded over fifty years ago, TransUnion is a credit-reporting agency at its core but its services extend way beyond personal credit numbers. TransUnion offers a variety of products and solutions like customer acquisition, portfolio management, fraud detection and data breach services.

 

As the largest credit union in the state of Illinois, Alliant Credit Union offers users the ability to manage their bank accounts and credit cards online. Alliant provides online services that include financial planning tools and educational resources to help their members access loans, make payments, and increase their savings.

 

Ascent Technologies uses cloud software and artificial intelligence to build, automate and manage compliance programs for financial firms. Founded in 2015, Ascent’s cloud solution utilizes machine learning to navigate changes in regulations and protect companies from fines, enforcement actions and other regulatory hazards.

 

Bento for Business offers pre-funded cards for small and mid-sized businesses. Instead of relying on cash and after-the-fact expense reporting, the credit card-like device allows for employees to make easily trackable and financially transparent purchases with one swipe.

 

Paro is a finance outsourcing service, providing a wide variety of finance operations with professionals available hourly. Whether accounting, forecasting, fundraising or reporting, Paro provides expertise for any need or project.

 

Credit cards statements aren’t the only way people interact with companies like Discover any more. Discover has adopted a tech-focused company culture that works on modern mobile apps, streamlined online platforms and e-commerce integrations.

 

DRW is a diversified trading firm that trades their own capital at their own risk across a variety of asset classes. Founded in 1992, DRW has grown substantially over the years, building a team of problem solvers and entering new fields such as their expansion into real estate, launching Convexity Properties.

 

Hedge funds have to take on some risk, but they don’t have to be risky. Enfusion helps manage risk with cloud-based portfolio management software. The company focuses on innovating simpler, more secure ways to make sure your money is working for you.

 

Providing credit and financing is tricky, but finding the right candidates is easier with the right data. Enova uses proprietary technology, analytics and customer service capabilities to rapidly evaluate new data sources, offering consumers and small businesses the right amount of credit or financing when and how they need it.

 

Hudson River Trading is a quantitative trading firm relying on math and data science to research and develop trading algorithms. Each day, the firm uses their proprietary algorithms to trade millions of stocks across the global financial markets.

 

With the option to build out one's own portfolio and relatively low fees, M1 Finance is carving out a niche between passive investment products like Vanguard and actively playing the markets. M1 lowers the barriers to investing so people earn more on their money with little time commitment.

 

With real-time data about stocks, mutual funds, indexes and more, Morningstar provides independent financial research to a variety of financial companies. The financial analytics firm relies on products built in-house to capture the right information and results.

 

Opploans offers a wider variety of loans at a lower industry rate. The company offers loans on everything from car repair to medical expenses. Opploans covers customers up to 36 months and offers the ability to pay in installments.

 

Optiver facilitates trading with online market making, which involves setting prices on financial instruments to increase the liquidity of global markets. Optiver's trading systems lets it react quickly to market changes and get better pricing on products like listed derivatives, cash equities, and bonds.  

 

Pangea Money Transfer offers users the ability to transfer money across 15 countries in Latin America and Asia and many US states. Users are able to easily send money to friends and family with the click of a button. Pangea’s secure app even works out exchange rates and sends the money to a cash pickup location.

 

Investment firms used to run on the intuition of smart traders. But computers crunching numbers can often outperform humans with the right coding. Peak6 Investments manages risk in options trading with proprietary software that lets traders double check their gut feelings with data.  

 

SpotOn helps businesses with their payment processing and customer engagement. Restaurants and retailers that use the company's app receive payment processing, marketing and customer review data from the point of sale software. Chick-fil-A and Exxonmobil are just two of the global brands that utilize SpotOn in their daily business.

 

Borrowing money at the lowest interest rate possible is the ideal scenario for any consumer, but lenders want assurance they'll be paid back. Supernova Companies' cloud-based platform assesses how likely consumers are to repay their loans and lets them use their investment portfolio as collateral, translating into less risk for banks and lower interest rates for borrowers.  

 

Taking your investing into your own hands requires a certain level of knowledge, and Tastytrade helps you attain it. With more content than most people could watch in a day, the site provides visitors of all skill levels in-depth visuals on how to invest and trade.

 

Investors thrive off data. YCharts provides that data, along with intelligent analytics to keep investors informed. The team performs extensive studies of historical factors that tend to predict future returns for growth and value stocks, without a conflict of interest that comes with other data and analysis sources.

 

Big data and machine learning can tackle big problems. Avant is using that tech to provide loans to the right candidates, making sure that customers are able to sustain the payments and access the right amount of capital for their needs.

 

Braviant Holdings uses advanced analytics and big data to solve difficult lending decisions. The company’s patented models provide an insight into a customer’s willingness and ability to repay a loan instead of relying on the traditional credit score method.

 

CardX believes that credit card payments should be more fair for all parties involved, so it created a new payment processing system that passes off the fees and lets merchants keep 100% of credit card transactions. Full compliance is at the forefront of Cardx’s operations, and customers are able to choose lower cost options for daily purchases.

 

Trading requires precision and reliability, meaning that trading tech needs to be rock solid for traders to rely on it. Trading Technologies makes software for professional derivatives traders that enables automated trading, model risk and access trading tools on mobile devices. 

 

Artificial intelligence is bringing change to a lot of industries. Rippleshot is using AI to spot fraud, with the goal of reducing losses for banks and merchants. By monitoring millions of transactions, the company is able to spot breaches before they cause widespread harm to consumers.

 

When paying someone is hard, people are less likely to buy. Braintree removes payment frictions with advanced software that minimizes risk. Businesses can integrate Braintree software into platforms to accept payment. Not only does that reduce the stress of creating a secure payment platform, but it also makes it easy to accept a wide range of payment options like PayPal, Apple Pay and Bitcoin.  

 

While the rise of automated trading has made today’s trading floors a lot quieter, voice is still a vital part of financial markets. Green Key Technologies allows traders to more quickly talk with colleagues thanks to a powerful call dashboard. With automatic transcription and push-to-talk capabilities, traders can easily negotiate big sales or stay informed on which trades are happening around their company.

 

As a generation of digital natives grows older, they’re going to want to use their online savvy in the homebuying process. Guaranteed Rate lets users find home loans from a browser in 30 minutes. Users can bypass paperwork by digitally signing mortgage documents and ordering appraisals on the internet.

 

BRD provides a platform that enables users to purchase, transfer and manage cryptocurrency easily from the palm of their hand. Available for iOS and Android devices, the decentralized app is simple enough for beginners to navigate and allows users to access their Bitcoin wallets securely from anywhere. 

 

 

GTreasury offers a treasury management suite of solutions that help companies with everything from cash management to risk management. Applying a strategic treasury solution allows customers to work more efficiently and responsibly with their financial resources.

 

Ansarada’s AI software manages the flow of confidential information when it comes to mergers and acquisitions, fundraising and IPO’s. Based in Sydney, Australia, but with offices in Chicago, London and Vietnam, Ansarada uses software and data management to track portfolios and easily report on workflow efficiency.

 

Geneva Trading uses proprietary technology to support the entire life cycle of a trade.  The company supports the trade from the research phase all the way through the post-trade analysis stage. Geneva Trading leverages its reliance on technology and risk management background in order to make informed trading decisions.   

 

OneMain focuses on improving the online borrowing experience through transparency and simplicity. The company gives borrowers access to funds for a range of needs like medical expenses, debt consolidation, major purchases or simply for monthly bills.

 

Aquilon Energy Services is the developer of the cloud-based platform that modernizes the wholesale energy settlement process. Energy parties can settle both financial and physical energy transactions all on the platform.

 

Connamara Systems builds customized products for the financial industry. The company creates user end trading applications, provides the components to launch a regulated exchange and can easily integrate different trading systems. Since 1998, Connamara has created expansive financial platforms for over 100 brokerages, software vendors and trading firms.

 

SurePayroll ensures that small businesses across industries have all of their payroll needs covered within one user-friendly platform. Perfect for small teams, SurePayroll features multiple ways to pay employees, manage taxes, expedite processes and more so business owners can focus on other important tasks.

 

Yaro is building a system for consumers to shop and pay for healthcare plans. The platform helps consumers find the right insurance plan, manage their payments and even connect with healthcare professionals.

 

Currently focusing on loans for students in the UK, Future Finance offers loans based on individual circumstances rather than a flat credit score. The company takes into account the university a student is studying at and their career path. Future Finance also allows students flexible payment schedules and three month “holidays” from payments when money is tight.

 

Managing your wealth isn’t a simple process, and it can’t be done with one simple tool. But Envestnet offers a range of options for wealth management professionals. By allowing for cross-tool integrations and functionality, Envestnet delivers flexibility, accuracy and performance improvements over traditional tools.

 

It’s easier than ever to become an expert. From Photoshop to first aid, you can learn many important skills from home. But financial services are often locked behind brokerages. OptionsHouse, which was acquired by E*TRADE in July, brings control to self-directed traders, giving access to the intelligent tools and speed they need to execute trades.

 

Some people need more money for their small business, growing company or fresh startup. Other people have a lot of money and are looking to turn it into more money. Bolstr connects the two, providing loans from accredited investors for consumer, retail and manufacturing businesses.

 

Bridge Financial Technology provides a cloud-based platform that helps investment advisors manage their day-to-day operations, from account management to reporting, trading and billing. With a focus on ease-of-use, the company provides a fast and efficient system for managing clients.

 

Credit cards may seem a little old fashion with the rise of bitcoin, money transfer apps like Venmo and phones that can help you check out. But Capital One's digital team is working behind the scenes to bring advanced technology to the credit card industry, developing an all-digital enrollment systems and managing risk by harnessing big data.

 

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