FIS™ (NYSE: FIS), a global leader in financial services technology, and The Venture Center have announced the 10 startup companies selected to participate in the 2017 VC FinTech Accelerator, now in its second year.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, U.S. Rep. J. French Hill, FIS President & CEO Gary Norcross, The Venture Center President and CEO Lee Watson and other community leaders were in attendance to meet this year’s participants at a kickoff event held yesterday at The Venture Center.

The 2017 program received 295 applications from startup financial technology firms across the United States and 39 other countries. The 10 chosen startups are:

  • Alpharank - San Francisco
  • Alto IRA – Nashville, Tenn.
  • Bond.ai – New York City
  • eGiftify – Little Rock, Ark.
  • Hedge Hog – Detroit
  • HTC Mobile Apps – Austin, Texas
  • Omnetrium – Chicago
  • Quotanda – Mexico City
  • WalletFi – Chapel Hill, N.C.
  • Xplanr – New York City

The selected companies will participate in a rigorous 12-week program designed to accelerate the development of their financial innovations. Each company will receive in-depth mentoring and training from FIS and The Venture Center as well as a monetary investment.

“FIS has always been about applying advanced technology to the real-world challenges facing our clients,” said Gary Norcross, FIS president & CEO. “This program is a great example of how we are harnessing the spirit of entrepreneurship with the power of applied innovation to bring breakthrough products and services to our clients. Together with the state of Arkansas and The Venture Center, we are helping to develop and foster innovations that will make a difference for financial institutions around the world.”

The VC FinTech Accelerator, empowered by FIS, is focused on identifying and accelerating the development and growth of early-stage financial technology ventures.

“We are excited to continue this collaboration with FIS to facilitate the development and potential growth of these companies,” said Lee Watson, The Venture Center CEO. “Together, we provide FinTech startups with proven go-to-market training, C-suite level mentorship and access to top financial institutions.”

Following the 2016 program, six companies were selected to join the exclusive FIS HiPo Network, and two companies relocated their headquarters to Little Rock.

The 2017 program will culminate with a Demo Day on July 26 at the Clinton Presidential Library, where leaders from each of the participating firms will showcase their innovations to potential investors, regional and local community leaders and successful entrepreneurs.

About The Venture Center

The Venture Center is Little Rock, Ark.-based entrepreneur support organization that helps startups become viable, high-growth businesses. With the expertise of a world class team of mentors, intensive programming and introductions to the investor community, The Venture Center serves as an engine for economic growth in Central Arkansas and beyond. In the first two and a half years, The Venture Center’s member companies have created more than 280 jobs, generated $12 million in revenue and have raised a combined $19 million in capital. For more information, visit http://www.venturecenter.co.

About FIS

FIS is a global leader in financial services technology, with a focus on retail and institutional banking, payments, asset and wealth management, risk and compliance, consulting, and outsourcing solutions. Through the depth and breadth of our solutions portfolio, global capabilities and domain expertise, FIS serves more than 20,000 clients in over 130 countries. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., FIS employs more than 57,000 people worldwide and holds leadership positions in payment processing, financial software and banking solutions. Providing software, services and outsourcing of the technology that empowers the financial world, FIS is a Fortune 500 company and is a member of Standard & Poor’s 500® Index. For more information about FIS, visit www.fisglobal.com.

To learn more about the program, visit http://www.vcfintech.co or follow us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/vcfintech) or Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/vcfintech).