Credit/AdobeStock
The Des Moines, Iowa-based Curql Collective revealed the names of five fintech startups that will engage with credit unions as part of the second Curql Accelerate cohort, a collaborative initiative launched by the CUSO earlier this year.
Curql first announced plans for Curql Accelerate in February 2024, bringing together five fintech companies that have developed solutions for the financial services industry: Casap (dispute automation), Peacefully (estate planning), Privacy Lock (data privacy compliance), Ranqx (small business lending) and Spiral (financial wellness and community impact). Those fintechs each received a $100,000 investment as well as access to networking opportunities with mentors, technologists and credit union professionals, and onsite and virtual programming with several credit unions.
Recommended For You
The fintech companies selected for the second Curql Accelerate cohort are: Coverbase (vendor management), Gestalt (data management), IDgo (user authentication), Penny Finance (personal financial management) and Traduality (language translation).
The Curql Accelerate program is powered by gener8tor, a global venture firm and accelerator network, according to Curql's announcement Tuesday.
The five fintechs taking part in the new Curql Accelerate cohort participated in an initial onsite event Sept. 16-19 at Coastal Credit Union ($5.2 billion, Raleigh, N.C.) and will attend two more in the coming weeks: One at Affinity Plus Credit Union ($4.2 billion, St. Paul, Minn.) Oct. 7-10 and another at Desert Financial Credit Union ($8.7 billion, Phoenix) Oct. 28-31.
Curql said during each onsite event, the fintech leaders and credit union executives come together for networking happy hours, interactive Q&A sessions, mentor swarms and more. The events are designed to "build strong, lasting relationships by allowing credit union teams to step away from their daily routines and collaboratively explore new ways to enhance their technology," according to Curql, and "in turn, fintech founders gain invaluable insights into credit unions' specific needs, helping shape their product direction to better address those requirements."
The fintechs will also receive 12 weeks of structured, mentorship-style programming and extensive networking resources, Curql said.
"This second Curql Accelerate cohort is positioned to energize the industry, bringing everything from risk management, authentication and data organization to financial planning and language tools," Curql Collective CEO Nick Evens said. "But what's really exciting is the collaboration among these startups, investor credit unions and our team at Curql. Together, we are amplifying innovation, and we are so excited to see how this cohort will help these startups and our industry move forward."
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Natasha Chilingerian
Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.
