Today, the Mass Fintech Hub, a public-private partnership dedicated to making the state a global leader in fintech, announced expansion of its membership, adding four new organizations.
With the newest additions, which include MITRE, UMass Boston, the University of Rhode Island (URI) and Loanspark, the collaborative has welcomed more than 50 members to support its mission to advance fintech across Massachusetts since its launch in 2021.
Joining the ranks of organizations in the Mass Fintech Hub are:
• Loanspark, a subscription-based, embedded Business lending as a service solution. It is a leading force in SMB funding and access to capital by utilizing innovative origination systems and supplying expert customer service. It encourages B2B companies to support the aspirations of SMBs through financial support by championing the dedication of SMB owners.
• MITRE, a not-for-profit company founded to serve as objective advisers in systems engineering to government agencies, both military and civilian. MITRE’s mission-driven teams are dedicated to solving problems for a safer world. Through its public-private partnerships and federally funded R&D centers, it works across government and in partnership with industry to tackle challenges to the safety, stability and well-being of the nation.
• UMass Boston, a public research university with a teaching soul. UMass Boston brings diverse people and ideas together to seek knowledge and improve lives, here in Boston, across the nation, and around the world. It is dedicated to promoting the practice of democratic citizenship; preparing a diverse, talented workforce; informing equitable public policy; and strengthening the social and economic resilience of Boston.
• URI is a diverse and dynamic community whose members are connected by a common quest for knowledge. As a major research university defined by innovation and big thinking, URI offers its undergraduate, graduate and professional students distinctive educational opportunities designed to meet the global challenges of today’s world and the rapidly evolving needs of tomorrow.
“Building a more robust fintech ecosystem in this region will require bringing together a diverse set of voices, from the public and private sector, to contribute new knowledge, expertise, and insights that push us to think big.” said Carolyn Kirk, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. “We are excited to welcome these new members to the Mass Fintech Hub community, and work alongside them to grow opportunities and spur innovation in space that will ultimately revolutionize the future of finance.”
“We are a not-for-profit dedicated to public service. Through federally funded R&D centers, labs, independent research, strategic partnerships, and our tech foundation, we work across several domains, from cybersecurity and AI to defense, transportation, health, and more,” said Russ Graves, Bridging Innovation Leader at MITRE. “In the fintech sector, we have technical as well as mission-focused expertise on a wide range of topics, including digital assets, digital identity, fraud schemes and cyber vulnerabilities. We are delighted to partner with another nonprofit devoted to advancing public interest, especially here in Massachusetts. We look forward to collaborating on this shared objective. “
“Fintech is a strategic focus area in the College of Management at UMass Boston, Boston’s only public research business school. In line with the growing demand for professionals trained in quantitative financial models, especially using AI and machine learning, we are investing heavily in the development of undergraduate and graduate programs in fintech. Our faculty are well-trained in this arena and are world-class researchers as well,” said Professor Venky Venkatachalam, dean of the College of Management at UMass Boston. “We look forward to partnering with Boston’s fintech industry to bring cutting-edge curriculum to develop professionals in this arena.”
Since its official launch in June 2021, the Mass Fintech Hub has hosted programming, including student career fairs, fintech career bootcamps, student mentoring, angel investor courses, corporate-startup collaboration events and other panels and networking sessions, for more than 2,000 participants.
Although the partnership is largely focused on Massachusetts-based initiatives, organizations and individuals from outside Massachusetts are encouraged to participate and contribute to the growth and expansion of the evolving fintech ecosystem.