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
IBMI SNQ and ICHOM Forms Strategic Partnership in Asia, Advancing Patient-centered Healthcare in the Region8.12.2025 12:00:00 CET | Press release
The Symbol of National Quality (SNQ), initiated by Taiwan’s Institute for Biotechnology and Medicine Industry (IBMI), has partnered with the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) to set a new benchmark for healthcare standards across the Asia-Pacific region. The partnership agreement, signed by Chen Wei-Jao, Chief Convener, SNQ Committee, and Jennifer L. Bright, President and CEO of ICHOM, marked a significant collaboration between IBMI SNQ and ICHOM. IBMI SNQ has implemented a rigorous three-stage review system that emphasizes structure, process, and outcomes in recognizing medical teams with world-class achievements. These include liver transplantation, pancreatic cancer surgery, craniofacial reconstruction, atrial fibrillation care, critical care, and gene therapies for rare diseases. Such accomplishments have positioned Taiwan as a global benchmark for healthcare quality, with several treatment protocols adopted into textbooks and incorporated into revisi
Helical Fusion Signs Japan’s First Power Purchase Agreement for Fusion Energy with Aoki Super8.12.2025 10:00:00 CET | Press release
Agreement signals growing market demand for stable, continuous, net-electricity fusion power based on the Helical Stellarator Helical Fusion Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; “Helical Fusion”), a company developing a commercially viable Helical Stellarator power plant under its “Helix Program”, has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Aoki Super Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Aichi, Japan; “Aoki Super”), a major regional supermarket chain in central Japan. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251207372064/en/ Takaya Taguchi (left), CEO of Helical Fusion Co., Ltd. , and Masayuki Kono (right) Managing Director and Head of Administration Division of Aoki Super Co., Ltd. at the press conference held on December 8, 2025 This marks the first fusion-energy PPA ever signed in Japan, representing a concrete step forward in the real-world adoption of fusion energy and signaling growing demand-side engagement in the em
Tecnotree Mentioned in Various 2025 Gartner® Research8.12.2025 09:41:00 CET | Press release
Tecnotree is a 5G-ready digital Business Support System (BSS) provider with advanced AI/ML capabilities and multi-cloud extensibility. The company has been listed across thirteen 2025 Gartner research spanning Digital BSS, AI-driven monetization, digital marketplace enablement, and customer experience transformation. We believe these mentions reflects the continued relevance and strong applicability of Tecnotree’s solutions within the technology domains evaluated by Gartner. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251208688494/en/ Tecnotree Mentioned in Various 2025 Gartner® Research The research span Market Guides, Hype Cycles, Magic Quadrants, Critical Capabilities, and Competitive Landscape reports, which we think collectively provides an overview of how various technologies are evolving across the communications ecosystem. We believe that Tecnotree’s appearance across these research categories underscores what we
AI Won't Transform Mobility Without Unprecedented Collaboration, Study Reveals8.12.2025 09:25:00 CET | Press release
First comprehensive analysis of real-world AI applications exposes critical gap between technology's promise and scaled deployment, according to the MIT Mobility Initiative and Kearney Advanced Mobility Institute Artificial intelligence is quietly reshaping global transportation systems, but most deployments remain isolated pilots that haven't achieved scale – and the gap between AI's promise and its execution is widening, according to a landmark study launched today at CoMotion GLOBAL in Riyadh. The Envisioning the Future of Mobility Powered by AI report, developed by the MIT Mobility Initiative and Kearney Advanced Mobility Institute, analyzed input from 55 leading global organizations, including Google, Lyft, Uber Freight, Deutsche Bahn, and NEOM. The study mapped real-world AI applications across mobility systems in Europe, the Americas, APAC, and the Middle East – revealing both breakthrough potential and fundamental challenges in bringing AI-powered mobility to scale. The report
ATEC2025·Real-World Extreme Challenge Concludes with Zhejiang University Team Claiming $150,000 Prize for Breakthrough in Fully Autonomous Robotics8.12.2025 09:25:00 CET | Press release
Thirteen global teams push the boundaries of “no remote control” robotics, driving the evolution from teleoperated tools to autonomous agents The ATEC2025·Real-World Extreme Challenge successfully concluded on December 7 on the campus of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. A team from Zhejiang University emerged victorious from a field of 13 talented international squads by demonstrating exceptional fully autonomous embodied intelligence, securing the top prize of $150,000 USD. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251207877880/en/ A Zhejiang University team wins ATEC2025·Real-World Extreme Challenge Organized by the Chinese University of Hong Kong and co-hosted by Advanced Technology Exploration Community (ATEC), Peking University, Beijing Normal University, and Ant Group, ATEC2025·Real-World Extreme Challenge was the world’s first intelligent robotics challenge held entirely outdoors on natural terrain—featuring
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