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A web platform for socially-conscious investing
We helped CNote launch a platform that enables investments in women- and minority-led businesses, low-income communities, and affordable housing projects across the US.
About CNote
The wealth gap in the US continues to widen, disproportionately affecting women, immigrants, minorities, and low-income communities. In response, the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) was established in 1994 to support local businesses, finance affordable housing projects, and give economically disadvantaged communities access to capital.
However, impact investing was often limited to large institutions. There was no centralized, digital platform offering a transparent and convenient way for all socially conscious investors—both individuals and corporations—to participate in CDFI Fund programs. That was the reality CNote’s founders set out to change.
Client
CNote
Country
USA
Domain
Financial services
Solution
Web platform
Services
Technology
JavaScript, Node.js, ReactJS
How we started the collaboration
The company started building the platform foundation with another team. But with the product launch approaching, the client needed assistance to accelerate delivery. They were searching for a partner with proven expertise in fintech software engineering who would step in quickly, understand the existing architecture, and get the solution production-ready.
At that stage, they reached out to EffectiveSoft. Our team was asked to complete the development of the product, expand its functionality, and create an admin panel to facilitate platform management.
Revising the foundation
From day one, we worked in close collaboration with the client. Regular syncs, shared priorities, and transparency in decision-making allowed us to move quickly.
We started by reviewing the existing codebase, platform capabilities, and deployment pipelines to understand what worked well and where improvements were needed. The goal was to optimize the solution without breaking down the foundation.
We migrated the application to AWS to ensure stability, performance, and security while keeping the system flexible enough to support future growth. Then, we integrated the Dwolla API—an Automated Clearing House (ACH) facilitator used by businesses worldwide to digitize payments—into the platform to enable users to transfer funds easily and safely.
See also:
Web Application Development Services
Do you need full-cycle web app development services? EffectiveSoft is up to the task. For over two decades, we have been creating custom web apps for clients in various industries, including retail and e-commerce, healthcare, and financial services.
Compliance with industry security regulations
To protect sensitive financial and personal data and meet stringent industry standards, our team implemented the following security measures:
- Data encryption for all personally identifiable information and transaction details
- Multi-factor authentication to strengthen account security
- Strict security policies, including a content security policy
- Advanced firewall configurations for network-level protection
- Full data provenance, including tracking and monitoring any access to user data
User-centric design and core features
With a stable and robust foundation in place, we focused on shaping the user experience. To ensure the platform’s scalability, fast load times, smooth navigation, and responsive design across devices, we rebuilt the front end on React JS and redesigned the interface, enabling users to:
- Create a personal or business account
- Link an investment account to a bank account
- Invest in multiple products with no fees
- Set up one-time or recurring investments
- Withdraw funds
Admin panel
To keep the platform running efficiently, one critical piece was still missing—a tool to control the platform’s core functions. Our team set out to fill that gap by building a solution that allowed administrators to:
- Manage user accounts and track users’ interactions with the platform
- Configure different investment products for platform users
- Verify investments and withdrawal requests
- Transfer investments to a platform-branded Dwolla account in batches
- Synchronize the platform data with the Dwolla account data
- View reports on users’ registration and investments
Result and impact
The platform went live and quickly proved its value, contributing to a more inclusive and equitable economy. Investors and institutions can register online and invest in loans that fund women- and minority-led businesses, affordable housing, schools, and underserved community development projects across the US.
Today, CNote is one of the most trusted impact investment platforms in the country. For CDFIs, the solution opened a steady new flow of capital. For investors, it offered competitive returns and full transparency into where their money goes. And for EffectiveSoft, it was an opportunity to apply our fintech expertise to building a secure, compliant, and intuitive software product.
Testimonial
We want to say big and fat thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your hard work, long hours, stressful moments, patience, creativity, diligence and awesomeness! Because of you, CNote was able to create this innovative financial product and change the way money gets distributed and invested. You are a critical part of our team!
Yuliya Tarasava
COO
CNote