Another player has joined the rush to nurture fintech startups in New York.
On Wednesday, Startupbootcamp, a network of accelerators, introduced its Startupbootcamp FinTech Accelerator in New York with the backing of Thomson Reuters, MasterCard, Santander, and Rabobank. Startupbootcamp, founded in 2010 and based in London with operations around the world, also runs fintech accelerators in London and Singapore.
Heading up the new three-month program in New York as managing director will be Jesse Podell (pictured above), co-founder of NY Tech Day, an annual showcase of startups held in this city. Keeping in line with Startupbootcamp’s other programs, he says, the new fintech accelerator will bring new blood to town. “Seventy percent of our companies typically don’t come from the host city,” Podell says. “We’re going to scour the Earth for really cool companies. I want that awesome company from São Paolo. I want that really sick company from Mexico City.”
There are already a few programs in New York, such as the Barclays/Techstars Accelerator and the NY Fintech Innovation Lab, that help fintech startups find their footing to grow. Still, Podell says there is plenty of room for the Startupbootcamp FinTech Accelerator to fit into the New York scene.
Along with mentorship, free office space, and introductions to potential investors, each team accepted into the program will get $20,000. Each annual class will have up to 10 startups, Podell says, and the deadline to apply for the first go-round is February 1, 2016.
