10 Companies Selected for Education and Mentoring Program, Concluding with Fintech South Pitch Off for $25,000 Prize
ATLANTA (May 14, 2021) – Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) announces its 2021 Fintech South Innovation Challenge class. Beginning May 24, the 10 startups will participate in a four-week virtual Education and Mentoring program aimed to accelerate early stage fintech companies. At the conclusion of the program, the finalists will present to a panel of investors during Fintech South’s Innovation Challenge Showcase. The top three companies will have a chance to compete on conference’s main stage on June 24 for a chance to win a $25,000 cash prize and one-year admission to the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC). Past winners of this challenge include EnrichHER (2020), Stackfolio (2019) and Qoins (2018).
The TAG Fintech South Innovation Challenge’s Education and Mentoring program brings startups and industry veterans together to bolster Georgia’s fintech ecosystem and showcase them at Fintech South. Conference participants will get to engage with the founders in a live Q&A session and vote for the most impressive startup through Fintech South’s virtual platform.
Applications were submitted by companies across the region. The 10 finalists include:
- Arkagai – a platform for purpose-aligned tools and content. Its product, Go Beyond, empowers financial advisory firms to reduce turnover of their advisors and client, while increasing wallet share resulting in higher revenue per client.
- Defynance – the first fintech to refinance existing student loans using a smart income share agreement (ISA) that is debt-free, always has affordable payments and provides a cash return.
- FinSiteful, Inc – a new-age financial wellness platform that empowers students to look at their money confidently. Its app ensures students graduate with savings, investments and a strong credit score.
- TmrO App by Flux Media – an online platform that connects creative freelancers and clients to allow for instant booking, faster payment and lower commission rates than its competitors.
- SpenDebt – a mobile app that assists people with paying off debt with a simple credit card swipe, leveraging micropayment through everyday transactions.
- Giga Technologies – allows self-employed independent gig workers and freelance professionals to accept any form of payment and provides instant access to their income through an FDIC insured bank account and a debit card.
- Harness – brings Swipes to Life by adding a philanthropic layer to payment cards, making giving simple, impactful and more human.
- knnct Markets Corp. – a technology lending solution that connects mortgage sellers with potential purchasers. Its two-way marketplace platform removes friction from the lending process making lending faster, easier and more convenient.
- SpareChange – a platform that allows consumers to get paid directly by companies that share their data.
- Yunit – a mobile app that makes saving money together safe and easy.
“The TAG Fintech South’s Innovation Challenge is a great way to showcase to a global audience the exceptional talent and innovation coming out of Georgia’s fintech startup community,” says Lucas Timberlake, co-chair of the TAG Fintech South Innovation Challenge.
“For the seventh year, we’re excited to offer these entrepreneurs the mentoring opportunity and exposure to present their company’s, products and strategy to potential investors, partners and even customers,” adds Chris Stanley, co-chair of the TAG Fintech South Innovation Challenge.
Fintech South is taking place virtually June 22 – 24, 2021. The conference will join the industry in an exchange of insights, innovations and trends fueling tomorrow’s financial tech industry. The TAG Innovation Challenge is held annually in part of the event, and is open to early-stage companies based in Georgia. The finalists will participate in educational sessions including, Pitch Deck Do’s and Don’ts, Raising Capital and Legal and Compliance. For more information on Fintech South, visit www.fintechsouth.com.
About the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)
TAG’s mission is to Connect, Promote, Influence and Educate Georgia’s technology ecosystem to advance the innovation economy. Through those four foundational strategies TAG serves the technology community, helping to support, grow and ignite tech leaders, companies and the overall Georgia economy.
TAG serves more than 31,000 members statewide through regional chapters in Metro Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon/Middle Georgia, and Savannah. TAG hosts more than 150 events each year and serves as an umbrella organization for 20+ professional societies.
TAG provides networking and educational programs; celebrates Georgia’s technology leaders and companies, and advocates for legislative action that enhances the state’s economic climate for technology.
Additionally, the TAG Education Collaborative (TAG-Ed) focuses on helping science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives thrive.
For more information visit the TAG website at www.tagonline.org. To learn about the TAG-Ed Collaborative visit www.tagedonline.org.
