CO-WESTERN-UNION-COMPANY
14.7.2020 14:32:11 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
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
LMR by IFF Inaugurates New Experimental Field in Grasse28.5.2026 11:00:00 CEST | Press release
Furthering IFF’s leadership in natural ingredients for perfumery. LMR Naturals by IFF—a global leader in natural ingredients for perfumery, cosmetics and flavors—today inaugurated its new experimental field, Domaine des Naturels LMR. The field is dedicated to advancing research in natural ingredients, preserving Grasse’s agricultural heritage and expanding education in naturals. The inauguration, attended by Grasse Mayor Jérôme Viaud, a long-standing supporter of the perfume industry, underscores IFF and LMR’s ongoing commitment to the region. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260527694524/en/ At Domaine des Naturels LMR, R&D experts research new natural species, variety breeding, cultivation methods and production techniques. “This inauguration reflects over two decades of continuous investment in Grasse and in naturals,” said Ana Paula Mendonça, president, Scent, IFF. “With Domaine des Naturels LMR, we are bri
Reply Expands Prebuilt AI Apps With New Production-Ready Applications to Accelerate Enterprise AI Adoption28.5.2026 10:00:00 CEST | Press release
Reply[EXM, STAR: REY] today released a new set of Prebuilt AI Apps: ready-to-use agentic applications designed to drive efficiency and business growth by accelerating the integration of AI into enterprise processes. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260528283268/en/ Prebuilt AI Apps are ready-to-use agentic applications designed to accelerate the integration of AI into enterprise processes, driving efficiency and supporting business growth. In developing the Prebuilt AI Apps, Reply has identified key areas within enterprise processes where AI can create tangible operational value and turned them intoreusable assets, combining deep process knowledge, curated datasets, domain ontologies and reusable agentic flows in robust, secure and production-ready solutions. Each application can be further customised and extended through integration with enterprise systems, internal data and knowledge bases, while maintaining
Klarna Partners With Arrive for Parking in 15 Markets28.5.2026 09:56:00 CEST | Press release
Klarna, the global digital bank and flexible payments provider, has partnered with Arrive, a leading global mobility platform, to bring seamless and flexible payment options to millions of consumers across 15 markets. Through the partnership, drivers will be able to pay for parking using Klarna’s Pay in Full, which will be available directly in Arrive’s EasyPark app, ensuring payments can be made instantly. This provides consumers with more flexibility and control over their everyday spending, and builds on Klarna's growing presence in everyday spending and saving, where consumers increasingly use Klarna for recurring, low-friction purchases alongside savings products like Klarna Balance. Arrive, formerly EasyPark Group, operates one of the world’s largest digital parking networks, facilitating high frequency payments across millions of spots in more than 20,000 cities and 90 countries. By providing the digital infrastructure that helps individuals and decision-makers make smarter urba
Navan Unlocks Savings for Travelers with First SAS NDC Direct Connect28.5.2026 09:01:00 CEST | Press release
Direct connection gives travelers access to lower fares and streamlined post-booking services Navan (NASDAQ: NAVN), the global AI-powered business travel and expense platform, today announced a New Distribution Capability (NDC) integration with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS). By allowing the airline to share its fares, availability, and offers directly in real time, the integration provides an expanded portfolio of SAS fares and services to Navan customers. This makes Navan the first Travel Management Company (TMC) to access SAS NDC content via a direct connection, leveraging version 21.3 of the NDC API. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260528812727/en/ Direct connection gives travelers access to lower fares and streamlined post-booking services “Our Modern Airline Retailing journey is centered on delivering more relevant offers, greater transparency, and better value for travelers,” said Edward Fotheringham, VP S
KKR to Open New Office in Milan, Strengthening Long-Term Commitment to Italy28.5.2026 09:00:00 CEST | Press release
New office reflects KKR’s localisation strategy and opportunity in Italy’s evolving investment landscape KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced plans to open an office in Milan, further strengthening its long-term commitment to Italy and expanding its local presence in one of Europe’s largest economies. The office will support the firm’s investment activity across Private Equity, Real Assets, Credit and Insurance, while deepening client partnerships and advancing the continued development of KKR’s private wealth business in Italy. Italy has been an important market for KKR for over two decades, with over €10 billion of capital deployed since 2005 across Private Equity, Real Assets and Credit. The firm’s investments include FiberCop, Europe’s first wholesale-only, open-access fibre network, Enilive, a key player in advancing Italy’s energy transition, and CMC, a sustainable packaging leader using robotics to drive innovation. These investments reflect KKR’s focus on part
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