The FIS FinTech Accelerator in Partnership with The Venture Center

Name

The FIS FinTech Accelerator in Partnership with The Venture Center

Legal name

The Venture Center

Website

https://venturecenter.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Accelerator Services

NAICS

Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)

Keywords

• Fintech accelerator program
• Startup mentorship services
• Venture capital access
• Growth-stage investment
• Entrepreneur support organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Accelerator Program Support: The FIS Fintech Accelerator is operated as a partnership between FIS (a Fortune 500 financial technology company) and The Venture Center. The program provides investment ($75,000 per company) to selected fintech startups. Revenue is generated through FIS's broader fintech investment and partnership strategy rather than from the accelerator itself.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The FIS FinTech Accelerator is a 12-week cohort-based accelerator program that selects 10 growth-stage fintech startups per year and awards each selected company a $75,000 investment from FIS upon completion. The program combines a four-week incubator with a 12-week intensive bootcamp focused on go-to-market, business, and finance challenges, mentorship from industry experts, and concludes with a Demo Day where companies present to more than 100 financial institutions, venture capital firms, and industry participants.

Product overview

The Venture Center is a globally recognized Entrepreneurial Support Organization (ESO) based in Arkansas that offers a portfolio of accelerator programs, mentorship initiatives, and entrepreneurial support services. The flagship FIS Fintech Accelerator, operated in partnership with Fortune 500 company FIS, selects growth-stage fintech companies for intensive 12-week programs connecting them with financial institutions and investors. The center operates multiple specialized accelerators including the Arkansas Banking Solutions Accelerator (ABSA), Arkansas Lithium Technology Accelerator (ALTA), Veteran-Owned Small Business Accelerator (VOSBA), and ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator. Beyond accelerators, the organization provides pre-accelerator programs (Spark!), pitch competitions (Pitch 'N Pint), cybersecurity events (JOLT), mentorship programs, a women's entrepreneurship initiative (VCWoman Achieve), and a membership community. The portfolio functions as a comprehensive entrepreneurial ecosystem rather than a unified software product, with each program designed to support founders at different stages and industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FIS Fintech Accelerator: Award-winning fintech accelerator program run in partnership with FIS, selecting 10 growth-stage fintech companies for a 12-week program with $75,000 investment and connections to financial institutions
• Arkansas Banking Solutions Accelerator (ABSA)
• Arkansas Lithium Technology Accelerator (ALTA)
• ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator
• Veteran-Owned Small Business Accelerator (VOSB)
• Spark!
• JOLT
• VCWoman Achieve
• Pitch 'N Pint
• VCInnovate

Products and services

• FIS Fintech Accelerator Award-winning 12-week cohort-based accelerator program, run in partnership with FIS (a Fortune 500 financial technology company), that selects growth-stage fintech companies for intensive programming, mentorship, training, and connections to leading financial institutions and investors; each cohort company receives a $75,000 investment from FIS upon completion. Designed for growth-stage fintech startups with established customers and recurring revenue.

Quantifiable outcome

• Past participants have raised over $2.5 billion in capital
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• FIScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIS (NYSE: FIS), a Fortune 500 financial technology company headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, partners with The Venture Center to operate the FIS Fintech Accelerator. FIS provides the $75,000 investment per selected company, access to their extensive network of financial institution clients, and industry expertise. The partnership leverages FIS's position as the largest global fintech to identify and nurture innovative startup technologies that advance the way the world pays, banks and invests.
• Arkansas Bankers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Venture Center partners with the Arkansas Bankers Association for the Arkansas Banking Solutions Accelerator (ABSA), a separate fintech accelerator program focused on connecting fintech startups with Arkansas banks to address specific technology challenges faced by the state's financial institutions.
• Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Venture Center partners with ICBA for the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator, a program that brings high-tech, high-touch solutions to community banks and focuses on community bank innovation through collaboration between fintech companies and community bank executives.
• Standard LithiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Venture Center partners with Standard Lithium, a near-commercial lithium development company, to operate the Arkansas Lithium Technology Accelerator (ALTA) - the nation's first accelerator dedicated to lithium and battery supply chain innovation. The partnership connects energy-technology startups with Arkansas-based lithium producers.
• University of ArkansasmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Venture Center partners with the University of Arkansas for the Arkansas Lithium Technology Accelerator (ALTA). The university provides research expertise through its Stable Isotope Laboratory and other academic resources to support the development of Arkansas's lithium economy.
• Little Rock Regional ChamberminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Venture Center partners with the Little Rock Regional Chamber for programs like Spark! small business accelerator and Pitch 'N Pint pitch competition, collaborating on initiatives that support Arkansas entrepreneurs.
• Little Rock Technology ParkcoreOthersThe Venture Center is located in the Little Rock Technology Park and serves as an anchor tenant in this innovation hub that brings together science, knowledge, data, research, technology and investment in Central Arkansas.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Techstars: Techstars operates multiple fintech-focused accelerator programs worldwide with corporate partnerships (similar to FIS model), 13-week cohort structure, and Demo Day presentations to investors — directly comparable to The Venture Center's accelerator mechanics.
• Village Capital: Village Capital runs industry-specific (including fintech) cohort-based accelerator programs with peer-selected investment, comparable to The Venture Center's vertical accelerator approach and nonprofit mission orientation.
• Y Combinator: Y Combinator runs the world's largest startup accelerator with a dedicated fintech vertical and is the most direct comparable to the FIS FinTech Accelerator in cohort-based mentorship, demo day format, and investor introductions, though at much larger scale.
• Plug and Play Tech Center: Plug and Play runs corporate-partnered vertical accelerators (including fintech) in Silicon Valley, with Fortune 500 sponsors embedding startups into their networks — highly comparable to the FIS FinTech Accelerator's corporate-anchored vertical model.
• SixThirty FinTech Accelerator: SixThirty runs fintech-specific accelerator programs with corporate partners (including banks and financial institutions) and connects cohort companies to FI decision-makers — closely comparable to FIS FinTech Accelerator's financial-institution network access model.
• Startupbootcamp FinTech: Startupbootcamp FinTech (now part of Rainmaking) operates dedicated fintech accelerator programs in multiple cities with corporate sponsors and investor demo days — directly comparable cohort format and fintech focus.
• gener8tor: gener8tor runs multi-vertical accelerator programs (including fintech) with corporate sponsors, structured 12-week cohorts, and investment per company — comparable accelerator mechanics and corporate-anchored model.
• MassChallenge: MassChallenge is a global nonprofit accelerator supporting early-stage startups across verticals including fintech — directly comparable nonprofit structure, cohort-based programming, and corporate partner engagement model.

Others

• Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA): ICBA is a core partner running the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator with The Venture Center — comparable as a banking-industry trade association that sponsors accelerator programming for community bank innovation, similar to FIS's role in the fintech accelerator.

Broad incumbents

• FIS (Fidelity National Information Services): FIS is the core corporate partner and the largest global fintech; while it operates the accelerator in partnership rather than as a peer, FIS's broader corporate venture and innovation strategy frames the accelerator's mandate and limits its competitive independence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/venturecenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/theventurecenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arkansas-venture-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/venturecenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments59 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The FIS FinTech Accelerator in Partnership with The Venture Center