Tampa Bay Wave and the University of South Florida announced 15 fintech startups will take part in its second annual FinTech-X Accelerator Program.
The program seeks to support and develop startups while building a reputation and tech ecosystem in the area. The program is funded by a partnership between Tampa Bay Wave, USF Muma College of Business, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, Encore Bank and Smiley Technologies.
The program is a 90-day experience of classes, mentorship and seminars. The event culminates in a Pitch Night event where the startups present to others in the Tampa Bay community.
This year's cohort is comprised of individuals from all over the world with backgrounds at companies like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft and Wells Fargo. The companies are:
- Saturation from Brandon
- Jisell from Tampa
- Tech & Flow from St. Petersburg
- Propaga from Miami
- KashIO Inc. from Miami
- Kiddie Kredit from Miami
- Ascent from New York
- Bringo Net from Albany, New York
- Monark Markets from New York
- Fitbux from Pflugerville, Texas
- Hadley from West Hollywood, California
- OUTFYT from Los Angeles
- REITIUM from Vancouver, British Columbia
- Visbanking from Yukon, Oklahoma
- Andeno Co from Puerto Rico
More members are from Florida in this year's cohort, said Michael Wiemer, director of the Fintech Center within the Kate Tiedemann School of Business and Finance. It's likely a sign of Florida's continually growing tech scene and engagement, he said.
"We had a very successful first year, our inaugural cohort last year," Weimer said. "But this year's program is looking even more dynamic. We're going to raise the bar in impact and in innovation."
The fintech program is attempting to bring diversity and sustainability by adding a new section of tech to the Tampa Bay area tech ecosystem that did not exist five years ago, said Linda Olson, CEO of the Tampa Bay Wave.
"Looking at the success of our first year, looking at this year, looking into year three, we've helped prove the case that Tampa Bay has a vibrant fintech scene," Olson said.
