The nonprofit organization, Tampa Bay Wave, partnered with the USF Muma College of Business to create the FinTech program.
Courtesy of USF
By Sophia George
The University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg campus will help make the Tampa Bay region a hub for financial technology (fintech) with the FinTech | X Accelerator program’s inaugural cohort.
The 2022 cohort consists of 16 fintech startups from around the world –– 15 headquartered outside of Florida, five of which are internationally-based, according to a press release.
Besides being geographically diverse, the startups also provide significant representation with three of them led by female entrepreneurs, as well as military veterans, LGBTQ+ individuals and minorities.
Among the cohort are startups that are still in the early stages of development, while others are further along –– generating over $1 million in annual recurring revenue.
The program is made possible due to a multi-year partnership between Tampa Bay Wave –– a nonprofit organization that utilizes financial technology and software to develop financial services such as online banking and crypto exchanges –– and the USF Muma College of Business.
“Tampa Bay Wave is proud to launch this new Accelerator program that will not only provide support to innovative fintech startups throughout the U.S. and beyond, but also showcase the talent and growing network of innovators and capital resources already in the Tampa Bay region,” president and founder of Tampa Bay Wave, Linda Olson, said.
The three-month program offers startup companies access to valuable resources such as a dedicated managing director, mentoring from renowned tech founders and industry giants, sales training, pitch coaching and investor coaching.
On June 29, the startups will have the chance to pitch their companies to fintech industry leaders, such as accredited investors and venture capitalists, during Wave’s Demo Day.
Continued support and resources will be available to the startups beyond their completion of the program through Tampa Bay Wave’s virtual CORE membership –– providing year-round mentorship as well as introductions to investors, customers and other valuable services.
The 16 companies in the FinTech | X Accelerator 2022 program cohort include:
- Aquablocks –– Tel Aviv, Israel: An asset portfolio management company that helps financial institutions purchase, trade and secure digital assets.
- CashQ –– CEO Alex Voronovich, Miami, Fla.: Embed a cross-border payment platform for both fintech and non-fintech companies.
- College Cash –– CEO Demetrius Curry, Ft. Worth, Texas: Utilizes tools such as user generated content campaigns to reduce student loan debt.
- DUKAPAQ –– CEO Mbaluka Michael Mutinda, Tulsa, Okla.: Community-wide rewards program and digital marketplace for merchants in Africa.
- Element DeFi –– CEO Ezhilarasan (Hari) Irulappan, Cary, N.C.: The first multidimensional all-in-one coin hub for decentralized finance.
- FINBOA –– CEO Dheeraj (Raj) Singal, Houston, Texas: Provides banks and credit unions with a process automation SaaS platform to aid with compliance, staffing challenges and customer service.
- Homey Technology LTD –– CEO Sayinthen (Say) Vivekanantham, London, U.K.: Provides a digital platform for home buyers and sellers to complete conveyancing faster.
- Inbanx –– CEO Rob Kaczmarek, Austin, Texas: A spend management solution for small and middle market businesses.
- MyEGO –– CEO Tanja Ludwig, Berlin, Germany: Delivers self-sovereign and decentralized digital identity.
- OnlineApplication –– CEO Karl Deeter, Austin, Texas: A mortgage and insurance fintech platform that delivers products faster for lenders and advisors.
- Paperstack –– CEO Assel Beglinova, New York, N.Y.: Provides e-commerce sellers with micro-loans and financial insights.
- RABEH –– CEO Mohammed Alsolami, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A crowdfunding platform and virtual accelerator with built-in features such as a share equity marketplace.
- RickSmith –– CEO Dr. Richard Smith, Tampa, Fla.: Uses modern portfolio theory and behavioral analytics to help retail investors create market-beating portfolios.
- Sole Capital: CEO Trevor Nelson, Raleigh, N.C.: Provides liquidity to culture at scale starting with sneakers.
- SueApp –– CEO Tom Lavi, Tel Aviv, Israel: Intuitive legal tech solution for small claims filing.
- VIVA Finance –– CEO Jack Markwalter, Atlanta, Ga.: Offers loans based on employment information rather than credit history.
To learn more about the 2022 FinTech | X Accelerator Program, visit tampabaywave.org/fintech.
