Tampa Bay Wave, Inc. and the University of South Florida Muma College of Commerce have selected 10 high-growth fintech startups to participate in its third FinTech|X Accelerator program.
Fintech refers to the integration of technology into financial services. Online banking, crypto exchanges, and crowdfunding platforms are all examples of fintech.
The accelerator program represents a multi-year partnership between Tampa Bay Wave and the USF Muma College of Business, with funding provided by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), Encore Bank, Smiley Technologies and Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP. It aims to nurture and propel fintech startups to new heights of success in Tampa Bay and beyond.
“We are very proud of our partnership between Tampa Bay Wave and our Kate Tiedemann School of Business and Finance to enable fintech entrepreneurs to grow and launch their businesses,” said David Blackwell, Lynn Pippenger dean of the Muma College of Business at USF. “I look forward to seeing the fintech innovations that will be developed here in St. Petersburg and how they will transform the future of businesses beyond our region.
Fintech education and programs, such as the Accelerator Program, are growing at USF as quickly as the field is evolving. This growth was spurred by a transformational $14 million gift from Kate Tiedemann and Ellen Cotton in 2022, which supported the university’s vision of becoming a “hub of excellence” in financial technology.
Over 90 days, including two in-person weeks taking place on the USF St. Petersburg campus, each startup will benefit from unprecedented access to resources, mentorship, connections and advice from industry veterans, equipping them with the tools necessary to accelerate their growth and drive sustainable growth. impact.
“This year’s exceptional list of participants for the FinTech|X Accelerator 2024 reflects a significant depth of innovation, expertise and diversity in the fintech sector,” said Richard Munassi, Managing Director of the Accelerator at Tampa Bay Wave. “Through this program, we are committed to providing these startups with the support and resources needed to continue to advance their transformative ideas and shape the future of fintech for consumers and businesses.”
This year’s FinTech|X cohort continues the trend of strong founders solving real problems, adding to the Tampa Bay Wave portfolio of tech startups. This group has founding experience that includes time in finance with companies such as Ernst & Young, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Barclay’s, Morgan Stanley, Capital One, KKR, Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, ADP and Paychex.
The founders include serial entrepreneurs who have already left the business. They have worked with tech giants like Microsoft, Street Shares, Uber, Hims, Amazon and large companies like Nordstrom, IBM, Nortel Networks and McKinsey. Backgrounds include Cornell, the University of Texas and the University of Michigan, with several MBAs from NYU’s Stern School of Business. The cohort includes military representatives from the Navy and a former professional basketball and former NFL player (the second in Wave’s portfolio).
The companies selected for the FinTech|X 2024 Accelerator are:
Finotta (Overland Park, Kansas)
Finotta is a digital banking technology startup that helps banks and credit unions generate revenue by integrating personalized solutions to engage users and improve financial well-being.
Founder(s): Parker Graham
Finvix (Santiago, Chile)
Finvix automates billing and financial processes, providing real-time visibility and key metrics to investors and stakeholders.
Founder(s): Andres Garbarini, Fernando Salas and Jacobo Requena
Identifee is a modular engagement platform for treasury and sales teams that increases revenue and deposits, improves efficiency and reduces risk.
Founders: Vram Ismailyan, Kevin Miyamoto and Vigen Ismailyan
im Financial is a financial services marketplace dedicated to providing tailored solutions to underserved and underbanked U.S. Latinos.
Founders: Rodrigo Acuna Cervantes, Diego Morones and Alfredo Cantu
KuliPay, DBA Client Pay Direct, improves the efficiency and sustainability of payment compliance by automating labor-intensive processes, reducing costs and minimizing risks for clients managing high volumes of B2C and B2B payments.
Founders: Donny Hoye, Peter Ungureanu, Trey Lehman
Muse is a platform that helps individual taxpayers and SMBs increase their take-home pay by optimizing their finances, using AI to uncover missed tax deductions and provide forward-looking financial projections.
Founders: Busayo Ogunsanya and Colin Hors
Avis Ninja (New Smyrna Beach, FL)
Notice Ninja is a cutting-edge platform that automates tax notice compliance, using AI and machine learning to reduce inefficiencies, minimize risks, and manage notices with unrivaled accuracy.
Founders: Amanda Reineke and Rick Pinkerman
Revio is a customer insights platform that transforms banking data into actionable opportunities, enabling community banks to grow their relationships through personalized engagement and smarter investment in adoption, retention and lifetime value .
Founders: Brian Bauer and Sanjay Bhasker
An AI-powered compensation planning platform that helps companies save money and retain top talent with smarter, data-driven decisions.
Founder(s): Amee Parekh and John Xiao
Viva Benefits is an affordable housing network that empowers families by providing access to health, education and financial resources, as well as cash assistance of more than $5,000 to support them on their journey to homeownership and promote equity for all.
Founders: Michael Barnes, Jon Woo and Karina Gutierrez
To learn more about the FinTech|X 2024 Accelerator Program, visit: https://www.tampabaywave.org/fintech/