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ICBA announces latest ThinkTECH Accelerator cohort

Monday, May 05, 2025 — 17:14:12 (UTC)

Washington, DC (May 5, 2025)— The Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA) today announced the selected companies for its ninth ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator program (AP9). In market May 19 - July 25, the solutions represented in the second cohort of 2025 cover a broad range of key areas critical in helping community bankers meet a wide range of customer needs.

“By fostering the vital connections and partnerships between community banks and innovative fintechs through our Accelerator program, we are empowering these institutions to adapt, flourish and deliver exceptional products and services in an ever-evolving market,” ICBA Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer Charles Potts said. “We're proud to introduce this latest cohort, vetted by our ThinkTECH Selection Committee, which represents ICBA’s commitment to continuing to drive the forward-thinking solutions that enhance and redefine the future of community banking.”

After a rigorous selection process which evaluated applicants for overall team strength, sustainability, product maturity, and product-market fit, the following companies chosen for AP9 include:

Beta Financial Services – Offering BetaScore, an AI-powered credit scoring platform designed for community banks to make faster, more accurate data-driven SMB lending decisions.

Clockout – A white-labeled Earned Wage Access (EWA) infrastructure provider for community banks to offer on-demand pay through their digital banking apps.

DeepSee – Offers a flexible AI operating system that integrates with bank systems to streamline operations across the front, middle, and back office.

Overwatch Data – An AI-powered threat intelligence platform designed to extract personalized insights from the open, social, deep and dark web and deliver actionable insights for financial institutions.

Sardine – An AI-driven risk platform helping banks, fintechs and retailers prevent fraud, detect money laundering and improve credit decisioning.

Vertice AI – A provider of AI-powered predictive analytics helping community financial institutions drive customer growth and optimize marketing strategies.

Community banks can register to join in either open or private bank visit sessions. During the upcoming 10-week program, these companies will collaborate with a network of community bankers and industry leaders to refine their solutions to better meet the unique needs and demands for community bank adoption.

Since its inception, the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator has connected the most innovative fintech companies with more than 1,400 community bankers and industry leaders — identifying and designing workable solutions that solve modern banking needs.

ICBA would like to thank its sponsors Mastercard, Fiserv, Ncontracts, TrueNorth and Wipfli. These partnerships are vital for supporting the ThinkTECH Accelerator and ICBA’s innovation programming, which helps foster an environment where community banks flourish.

“In today's fast-paced and continuously shifting banking landscape, it's essential community banks have access to solutions that address their unique challenges and opportunities,” ICBA Senior Vice President of Innovation Programming Wayne Miller said. “This latest cohort brings together cutting-edge companies that are developing solutions with timely, real-world relevance in several key areas, critical for helping community banks enhance their operational efficiency, improve customer experiences, and stay competitive. We are excited to welcome this new cohort and look forward to supporting their journey as they work to further empower community banking innovation.”

For more information about the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator program, or to apply or nominate a fintech for future accelerators, visit www.icba.org/accelerator.

About ICBA

The Independent Community Bankers of America® has one mission: to create and promote an environment where community banks flourish. We power the potential of the nation’s community banks through effective advocacy, education, and innovation. As local and trusted sources of credit, America’s community banks leverage their relationship-based business model and innovative offerings to channel deposits into the neighborhoods they serve, creating jobs, fostering economic prosperity, and fueling their customers’ financial goals and dreams. For more information, visit ICBA’s website at icba.org.

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Source: Company press release.

Categories: Announcement