As Ilya Prigogine once said, “The future is uncertain… but this uncertainty is at the very heart of human creativity.”
In the middle of a very uncertain year, Ted Serbinksi and I, backed by Techstars, are investing in ten promising startups. The ten startups we chose are a reflection of the priorities of our time: financial literacy, wellness, student debt, childcare, and racial equity. In addition to capital, community, and content, we’re helping them gain a competitive advantage by partnering with MetLife for scale and reach.
The realities of 2020 have forced our program to go virtual, but we’ve taken this challenge and turned it into an opportunity to get the most qualified individuals from around the country. Now, looking at the group we’ve assembled, I believe we’ve put together the best program in accelerator history.
“Every Situation, properly perceived, becomes an opportunity.” -- Helen Schucman
So, without further ado, I present the Class of 2020 at the MetLife Digital Accelerator powered by Techstars.
Class of 2020
ChangEd — Chicago, IL — A mobile-first platform that accelerates debt repayment at every stage of life (e.g., student loans, mortgages) to get borrowers out of debt sooner. ChangEd automates savings, payments, and develops an intelligent debt repayment journey.
Dot — New York, NY — Mobile-first robot financial advisor delivering personalized recommendations helping people increase savings, optimize spending, and plan for retirement.
FinGoal — Boulder, CO — White-labeled API & SDKs that use AI to analyze consumer behavior providing personalized, less expensive alternatives (from a cup of coffee to insurance and everything in between).
Holisticly — New York, NY — Benefits platform that allows employers to provide employees with a monthly wellness stipend and access to a curated range of personal wellness solutions for fitness and mental health, plus team experiences (e.g., team workouts, workshops, and seminars).
InterGen Data — Plano, TX — AI platform that predicts the likelihood of life-changing events so people can prepare for the moments that matter.
Kinside — Los Angeles, CA — Connects employees to a network of 1M daycare and preschool spots,with pre-negotiated spaces and exclusive savings. Payments are made pre-tax via an API integration with FSAs and TPAs.
LivNao — Sunnyvale, CA — Deep learning wellness platform that passively measures mental health for the delivery of behavioral nudges to improve wellbeing.
Mellow -— Hong Kong — A mobile platform for parents to teach kids, ages 6-18, how to build money habits and use digital payments across savings, spending, and earnings.
OfColor — Maplewood, NJ — An enterprise financial wellness platform that provides content, banking tools, and AI advice built around how people of color save, spend, and build wealth.
Village Plan — Boston, MA — Telehealth platform with on-demand experts and technology tools to help families care for aging loved ones.
Program Team
Operations Team:
Jonathan Smith - Lead Operations Associate
Keenan Heyward - Operations Associate
Business Team:
Lee Busino - Lead Business Associate
Nick Robinson - Business Associate
Mentor In Residence:
Chris Bergman - Founder/CEO of Gylee Games
Marc Hudson - Co-Founder/CEO of Rocket Fiber
Zarin Singh - Chief of Staff of OYO
Mehrshad Mansouri - Director of Corporate Development at Techstars
Heidi Hysell - CEO of Alpha Drive