CO-WESTERN-UNION-COMPANY
Western Union (NYSE: WU), a leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement, and Techstars, the global platform for investment and innovation, today announced the launch of its second class of the Techstars & Western Union Accelerator . From machine learning and artificial intelligence, to cloud services, digital banking and advanced analytics, the common thread across the portfolio of 10 companies is their commitment to leveraging technology and innovation to create greater access to global and local economies, through inclusive finance.
The 2020 Accelerator companies are led by founders originating from across the world, including the Philippines, Egypt, Gambia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Israel, Nigeria, Singapore, Spain, South Africa and the United States. They share Western Union’s commitment to inclusive innovation by developing products and services that accelerate access for a more equitable global financial system.
The concept of financial access served as the North Star throughout the 2020 Accelerator selection process, as program leaders contemplated the question: In the face of a global health crisis, which companies are best positioned to accelerate and expand financial access in a post-COVID world?
The startup founders will participate in an intensive 13-week virtual program during which they will focus on growing and evolving their companies with the mentorship, entrepreneurial expertise, business strategy and marketing guidance of fintech subject matter experts in a range of areas, including compliance, mobile wallets and settlement.
“The Western Union team is tremendously impressed with this diverse group of founders and entrepreneurs who are actively addressing challenges across the financial services ecosystem,” said Western Union President of Product and Platform, Shelly Swanback. “I am confident that the breadth of perspective, experience and technologies represented in this year’s portfolio will drive us to be even more disruptive as we endeavor to develop more inclusive financial services and payment technologies in a rapidly changing global economy.”
Swanback added, “I am especially proud of the fact that many of the companies in the accelerator are led by founders from many different countries, which nicely reflects the global diversity of our employee, customer and partner base. A global lens is critical as we look to create opportunities for billions of people to access the latest innovations in finance, innovate opportunities for businesses and customers, and help close the growing inequality gap.”
According to the New American Economy, a U.S.-based bipartisan research and advocacy organization focused on federal, state, and local immigration policies, in 2019 approximately 45% of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children.
“We are proud to announce the companies selected to participate in the 2020 Techstars & Western Union Accelerator,” said Ethan Austin , Managing Director of the Techstars Western Union Accelerator. “Each of these companies is tackling systemic industry obstacles with innovative and original solutions using leading edge technologies. We are excited to support their continued growth over the next 13 weeks of our program and beyond.”
The 2020 Techstars & Western Union Accelerator will culminate with a Demo Day on Oct. 8, where startup founders will pitch their products and services to potential investors. This year, the program has shifted from an in-person to virtual program due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since 2006, Techstars has worked with more than 2,000 startups, forging deep and meaningful relationships between young startup companies and global corporations. The competitive selection process for the Techstars & Western Union Accelerator began in early 2020 with hundreds of entrepreneurs vying for one of 10 coveted spots.
Techstars and Western Union extend a hearty congratulations and a warm welcome to the 2020 Techstars & Western Union Accelerator companies.
2020 Techstars Western Union Accelerator Roster
|
||||
AidBanc Little Rock, AR | USA and LA
AidBanc empowers NGOs with digital banking and spend management tools to seamlessly disburse aid in an increasingly cashless world.
|
Plentina San Francisco, CA | USA Cloud services provide alternative credit scoring and lending for global financial inclusion. |
|||
Gig Wage Dallas, TX | USA Gig Wage is a payments platform specializing in independent contractors. Their technology makes it simple, fast and easy to pay, manage, and support contractors. |
Rise Capital Lagos, Nigeria A technology-driven finance company connecting everyday Africans with the best dollar-denominated investment opportunities around the world. |
|||
Heights Labs New York, NY | USA AI and network analytics platform for risk, fraud, compliance, and AML/CFT to mitigate risks and threats across the compliance, intelligence, and national security landscape. |
Robbie AI Boston, MA | USA Facial recognition technology through real-time streaming in natural settings. |
|||
Line San Francisco, CA | USA
AI-powered technology helps qualified and banked individuals establish credit and access to affordable financial services.
|
Vested Finance Berkeley, CA | USA Investment advisory platform promoting sustainable wealth creation by empowering local Indian investors to go global. |
|||
Logicluster San Francisco, CA | USA An Artificial Intelligence powered pricing engine to enable businesses to grow revenue through optimized pricing. |
Yunit Oakland, CA | USA Allows users to save money with their friends. |
|||
WU-G
About Techstars
Techstars is a global platform for investment and innovation. Techstars founders connect with other entrepreneurs, experts, mentors, alumni, investors, community leaders, and corporations to grow their companies. Techstars operates three divisions: Techstars Mentorship-Driven Accelerator Programs, Techstars Corporate Innovation Partnerships, and Techstars Community. Techstars accelerator portfolio includes more than 2,200 companies with a market cap of more than $26 billion. www.techstars.com
About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments. Our omnichannel platform connects the digital and physical worlds and makes it possible for consumers and businesses to send and receive money and make payments with speed, ease, and reliability. As of March 31, 2020, our network included over 550,000 retail agent locations offering our branded services in more than 200 countries and territories, with the capability to send money to billions of accounts.
Additionally, westernunion.com , our fastest growing channel in 2019, is available in over 75 countries, plus additional territories, to move money around the world. With our global reach, Western Union moves money for better, connecting family, friends, and businesses to enable financial inclusion and support economic growth. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com .
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200714005456/en/
Link:
Social Media:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Frontgrade’s Next-Generation SADA-10 Enhances Satellite Power System Efficiency for LEO and MEO Missions19.11.2025 13:30:00 CET | Press release
Frontgrade™ Technologies, a leading provider of high-reliability electronic solutions for space and national security missions,today announced the SADA-10, a compact Solar Array Drive Assembly (SADA) engineered to deliver precise, reliable solar array positioning for Low and Medium Earth Orbit missions. Designed with the latest technology for New Space and leveraging Frontgrade learnings from heritage systems, the SADA-10 combines flight-proven reliability with optimized size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) to give customers greater efficiency and mission assurance in a smaller footprint. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251119865921/en/ The SADA-10’s hybrid stepper motor and harmonic gear drive provide high torque output, zero backlash, and accuracy of 0.015°, ensuring precise solar tracking and maximum power generation in orbit. Dual potentiometers enable redundant position sensing for reliable performance,
Frontgrade Unveils RT-SADE: Precision Motor Control for Next-Gen Space Missions19.11.2025 13:00:00 CET | Press release
Frontgrade™ Technologies, a leading provider of high-reliability electronic solutions for space and national security missions, today announced the release of the RT-SADE (Radiation-Tolerant Solar Array Drive Electronics), a next-generation microprocessor-based stepper motor controller engineered to deliver precision, reliability, and versatility for demanding spacecraft and defense applications. Designed for mission-critical motion control systems such as solar array drives, RT-SADE combines radiation-tolerant electronics, advanced fault management, and flexible configuration options to give customers superior performance and confidence in the harshest environments. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251119546361/en/ Built around a microprocessor and advanced circuitry rated to 30 krad total ionizing dose, RT-SADE ensures long-term durability and mission assurance for Low- to Medium-Earth Orbit (LEO/MEO) operati
Murata Named Top Innovator for UltraSonic Clearing Device Technology Advancing All-Weather ADAS19.11.2025 13:00:00 CET | Press release
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TOKYO: 6981) (ISIN: JP3914400001) has been selected as a Top Innovator in the Digital category of the CLEPA Innovation Awards. The award recognizes Murata’s UltraSonic Clearing Device (USCD) technology, which is currently in development to augment the effectiveness of cameras and sensors used in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving applications, regardless of weather conditions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251119372516/en/ [Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.] CLEPA While current camera and sensor technologies often rely on ideal operating conditions, their performance can be negatively impacted by rain, fog, dust, ice, and snow. Murata’s USCD technology is addressing this challenge by using ultrasonic vibrations to disperse water and remove debris from the camera lens and sensor, maintaining visibility. The ultrasonic vibrations also heat the outer le
CMOs Face a ‘Reputation and Results’ Reckoning, According to NIQ’s 2026 Outlook19.11.2025 12:00:00 CET | Press release
Despite economic volatility, 83% of marketing leaders remain confident in their brands but cite ROI proof and data connectivity as top challenges, NIQ finds. NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a global leader in consumer intelligence, today released its CMO Outlook: Guide to 2026 report, revealing how chief marketing officers (CMOs) are navigating a critical inflection point between brand building and revenue accountability. According to the report, 83% of CMOs remain confident in their brand’s equity, even as they face tightening budgets and heightened scrutiny over ROI. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251118947080/en/ NIQ CMO Outlook: Guide to 2026 “Every marketing dollar is now under the microscope,” said Marta Cyhan-Bowles, Chief Communications Officer & Head of Global Marketing COE, NIQ. “With organizations prioritizing cost reductions, CMOs are being challenged not just to spend wisely, but to prove how marketing di
Data Space Technology Leaders Advance Data Interoperability in Construction and Real Estate at the Gaia-X Summit19.11.2025 11:03:00 CET | Press release
Leaders in data space technology are converging at the Gaia-X Summit, in Porto November 20-21, to address the imperative of interoperability within and across data spaces in the construction and real estate sectors. The main objective is to assess how data spaces can leverage the world’s estimated $393 trillion in real estate assets. Achieving this involves exploring numerous use cases among the entire building lifecycle, from design to demolition, including construction, renovation and facility management operations, which creates a win-win situation for both industry and technology stakeholders. In France, the construction and renovation market alone is estimated at €200 billion annually. Designed to address the sector’s challenges, Digital TER-X is a technology demonstrator serving the construction and real estate use cases. Its relevance has been recognized, notably by being named in November 2025 Gaia-X Lighthouse Project, just one year after its Gaia-X Endorsed Project status, an
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom