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Earnest raises $17m Series A, moves into student loan refinancing market

January 28, 2015

Earnest, a loan refinancing platform, has raised $17 million in Series A funding led by Maveron. The company will use the funds to expand across the U.S. and develop additional lending products. Earnest has also announced a new student loan refinancing option which offers personalized payback options. The company offers its loans to “financially responsible people in 21 states”. Dan Levitan, co-founder of Maveron and board member of Earnest, said in a press release: “As an early seed investor and now as lead on the Series A, we view Earnest as providing a better experience for the consumer based on trust and transparency. The financial services industry is ripe for disruption from innovative technologies and market approaches, which is why we think Earnest is one of the winners.”

Tradesy, an online used clothing marketplace, has secured $30 million in funding led by Kleiner Perkins, Re/code reports. The company is now valued at around $100 million, and previous investors such as Richard Branson and Rincon Venture Partners also participated. Tradesy has raised nearly $45 million to date.

UserTesting, a user experience platform, has raised $45.5 million in Series C funding led by Accel partners, with participation from OpenView Venture Partners. UserTesting’s offering allows companies to test user experiences on their website, and the company boasts the likes of Google, Facebook and Amazon among its customers. “Poor user experiences aren’t just frustrating for customers; they’re costing companies millions of dollars per year,” said Kobie Fullerof Accel Partners. “Understanding why users make decisions and what they are thinking is a necessity in creating great customer experiences. UserTesting is transforming the way in which companies are able to understand their end user, resulting in anything from higher Net Promoter Scores to increased conversion rates. Companies simply can’t afford not to conduct user testing.”

ClickTale, an enterprise digital customer experience management company, has raised $35 million in  a round led by KKR with participation from Amadeus Capital Partners, Viola Credit and other previous backers. ClickTale’s offering allows its customers to see how visitors interact with their websites. “The potential of ClickTale’s Digital Experience technology is boundless. We are excited about partnering with the Founders and Amadeus to accelerate ClickTale’s global rollout, similar to what we have done in our recent investments in Fotolia, arago and BMG. We are also thrilled to have more exposure to Tel Aviv, a world-class technology hub for companies with global ambitions,” said Lucian Schönefelder, Director of the European Media & Digital Investment team at KKR in a press release.

 

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Filed Under: Finance, Investment Round Up, Startups

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