FIS Launches Network for High Potential Early Stage Fintechs

Key facts

• FIS has launched the FIS HiPo Network, a collection of high potential, early stage fintech companies, including recent graduates from the VC Fintech Accelerator – Empowered by FIS.
• The initial group of HiPo Network firms include Akouba, Bleu, Flutterwave, Fundseeder Hexanika, and LumoXchange
• FIS, The Venture Center^™ and the Governor of Arkansas announce the dates of the 2017 VC Fintech Accelerator powered by FIS; application deadline February 5, 2017; program start May 8, 2017

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., December 8, 2016 – FIS^™ (NYSE: FIS), a global leader in financial services technology, today announced the launch of a network of early-stage fintech companies with direct applicability to the financial services ecosystem served by FIS. The FIS HiPo (short for “high potential”) Network is a collection of firms that have demonstrated substantial promise in the development of new tools and technologies that deliver purposeful innovation for our clients around the world.

“FIS has a responsibility to help our clients stay competitive today, while remaining cognizant of the rapid changes taking place in the financial services industry. The FIS HiPo Network expands the innovation strategy for our firm and has been developed to bring the realization of new innovations to market in an efficient and practical manner,” said Gary Norcross, FIS president and CEO.

The first members of the FIS HiPo network include six participants from the 2016 VC Fintech Accelerator.

• Akouba – an online platform that enables improved processing of small business loans for regional and community banks
• Bleu – a provider of Bluetooth-enabled wireless solutions to bridge the gap between the physical and the digital world, including merchant POS and retail sales management tools
• Flutterwave – an infrastructure provider that enables merchants, payment service providers and Pan-African banks to accept and process payments on any channel
• Fundseeder – a data and performance analytics, risk management, trading verification and investor connectivity platform for both regulated and unregulated traders.
• Hexanika – an end-to-end data management and reporting solution harnessing big-data for tackling compliance and regulatory requirements for banks. The software brings cost savings up to 40% to the regulatory reporting process and improves accuracy and consistency in reporting.
• LumoXchange – creator of the world's first localized currency exchange marketplace for global peer-to-peer payments

The FIS HiPo Network is open to fintech companies that have the opportunity and interest to meet burgeoning needs of the financial institutions that FIS serves and to develop the key integration points between technology platforms to facilitate efficient innovation. The six HiPo Network companies will be participating in FIS’ annual client conference FIS Connect April 10-13, 2017 in Orlando, Fla.

VC Fintech Accelerator 2017

Separately, FIS and the Governor of Arkansas, in collaboration with The Venture Center in Little Rock, AR, announced the dates for the 2017 VC FinTech Accelerator. Entering its second year, the VC Fintech Accelerator – Empowered by FIS, continues its commitment to innovation in the global financial technology industry.

Applications for the 2017 program are open now, and close on February 5, 2017. The program kicks off in Little Rock on May 8, 2017 and concludes on July 28th following a Demo Day to investors and industry on July 27, 2017.

“Arkansas is proud to partner with FIS to continue the VC FinTech Accelerator in 2017. This year’s program brought some of the world’s most exciting financial services startups and promising tech talent to our state and we are excited to see that relationship continue. It is great to see companies like FIS investing in innovation in Arkansas and we are excited to partner with them to increase the tech footprint in our state,” said Asa Hutchinson, Governor of Arkansas.

Norcross ended, “As evidenced by the return of the VC Fintech Accelerator in May of 2017 and our own ongoing R&D, technological innovation for the benefit of our clients remains a top-priority for FIS now and into the future.”

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 & 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 55,000 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.

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For More Information

Kim Snider, +1 904.438.6278 Senior Vice President FIS Global Marketing and Communications kim.snider@fisglobal.com