Back to BlogIt’s April! Which means Spring is here and the fintech accelerator season is in full bloom!
While the Financial Solutions Lab team has been focused on talking to companies and nonprofits about the opportunity to improve financial health in the United States, we’ve also had the opportunity of forging some exciting partnerships with a number of accelerators from across the country. We hope that if you’re looking at the Financial Solutions Lab that you also consider applying to a number of these other exciting programs. This year the Financial Health Network has been working closely with Village Capital Fintech US, Barclays Accelerator powered by Techstars, 500 Startups, Startupbootcamp Fintech New York and FastFwd to identify promising entrepreneurs and connect organizations to the resources they need.
Fintech is hard–the more help we can bring the better. While our selection processes are independent, we will be working with our partners to identify opportunities for as many of our applicants as possible. And, don’t worry about getting into Financial Solutions Lab and another program. We’ll work with you to make sure you’re able to take full advantage of both.
500 Startups, a leading global venture capital seed fund and startup accelerator, is accepting applications for their next cohort, Batch 17. The four-month program will take place in Mountain View, CA and will provide entrepreneurs with mentorship, access to the 500 family, help with distribution, brand and PR, killer coworking spaces and a fun #500STRONG culture. 500 invests $125k in exchange for 5% and charges a $25k fee for participation in the Accelerator Program. The application deadline is April 8, 2016 and the program starts in May.
The Barclays Accelerator powered by Techstars is a three month intensive startup accelerator focused on financial technology innovation and disruptive solutions. Successful applicants will not only receive unprecedented access to the Techstars network and knowledge base, but also invaluable insights from some of the smartest minds in the start-up and FinTech worlds. Successful applicants will also receive up to $120,000 in investment as well as other corporate partner perks. The application deadline is April 20th and the program starts in June.
Fast Forward is an accelerator for tech nonprofits and is currently accepting applicants for their 2016 summer program in San Francisco. All organizations receive a $25,000 grant, 13 weeks of training, and connections to 100 high-caliber mentors. All organizations must be nonprofits leveraging technology to address problems in arts/culture, education, environment, food/agriculture, health/healthcare, human rights, poverty alleviation/economic development, or public service/civic engagement. The application deadline is April 4th and the program starts in July.
Village Capital, a seed stage impact investor and entrepreneur support organization, is excited to announce the launch of the Village Capital: FinTech US 2016 business training program, in partnership with PayPal and AccessVentures. This 3-month program will help 12 financial technology startups grow their businesses, connect with mentors and advisors, and gain exposure to investors. Applications for the program are now open (accepted on a rolling basis through April 3, 2016). The program is focused specifically on financial technology companies across the US that increase access to financial services.
— And, of course … The Financial Solutions Lab application is due April 7 at 11:59 p.m., PT. Don’t forget!