FinTech South, the Southeast’s largest event dedicated to financial innovation, announces 12 startups selected for the TAG FinTech Innovation Challenge’s 2019 class. The companies will participate in the four-week Innovation Challenge’s Education and Mentoring program, which aims to accelerate early stage fintech companies in the region through instruction, mentoring and an introduction to Georgia’s fintech ecosystem. At the conclusion of the program, three startups will be selected to present on FinTech South’s main stage on April 23 for a chance to win the largest fintech prize package in America of $50,000.

In its fifth year, the 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. At the conclusion of the program, the companies will present to a panel of expert judges, competing for one of three spots to present at the region’s premier fintech event. Conference attendees will vote for the most impressive startup through the FinTech South mobile app.

Applications were submitted by companies across the region. The 12 finalists include:

Arcanum (Athens, GA) – secure password management with innovative interface that helps financial organizations, banks and online merchants.

Agora Services (Atlanta/New York) – cloud-enabled service that helps community, credit unions and regional banks ramp up their digital experience.

CapWay (Atlanta, GA) – online banking and financial literacy app that aims to help the unbanked and underbanked.

IvyLender (Atlanta, GA) – small business lending platform and marketplace that matches applicants and lenders.

Yellow Card Financial (Atlanta, GA) – alleviates high processing fees associated with cryptocurrency, providing those receiving money with faster access to funds through a gift card or voucher. 

MaxRewards (Atlanta, GA) – mobile app that helps users maximize credit card reward opportunities.

Stackfolio (Atlanta, GA) – online marketplace for loan trading, offering a completely digital transaction process that does not require human brokers.

Ternio (Atlanta, GA) – offers BlockCardÔ, a cryptocurrency debit card, allowing card holders to spend their cryptocurrencies anywhere major credit cards are accepted. 

WorldWatch Plus (Atlanta, GA) – provides a secure and easily-integrated KYC/CDD compliance solution that reduces fraud and reputation risks while lowering operational costs.

QwikCheck (Atlanta, GA) – cloud-based self-checkout system to improve customers’ retail experience and customer loyalty.

Birch Global (Atlanta, GA) – product Dinote helps accredited and institutional investors lend money to digitally native businesses looking for financing to accelerate economic growth.

Esgro (Atlanta, GA) – offers escrow of payments in a mobile app for gig economy workers, helping to protect payment from cancellation.

“We are incredibly impressed by the caliber of the companies that applied for the Innovation Challenge this year,” says Tommy Marshall, head of the FinTech South Innovation Challenge. “This year’s selected participants showcase the remarkable innovation and talent in the space, and we are excited to see them learn and grow through the 4-week program.”