- Location: North America, Arkansas, Little Rock
- Timing of Applications: Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter
- Focus: Financial, Small Business
- Vertical: Financial Services
Meet The Venture Center from Lee Watson on Vimeo.
The Venture Center inspires social and economic change worldwide by focusing on education, collaboration, and acceleration within the startup ecosystem. To fuel innovation, we partner with entrepreneurs, corporations, universities, government agencies, non-profits, venture funds, service providers, program alumni, and other organizations in the community.
The Venture Center‘s FIS Fintech and ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator programs accelerate the growth of early-to-growth-stage companies and help validate their solutions for real-world problems. Our methodology provides a unique opportunity for early to growth stage fintech companies to connect with financial institution executives and community bankers, receive investment, and learn from a comprehensive curriculum aiding in strategically addressing go-to-market, business, and finance challenges.
The Venture Center‘s Spark! Program is a small business pre-accelerator that provides opportunities, exposure, and company growth for local entrepreneurs. Through mentorship, expert-led workshops, and pitch contests, Spark! helps entrepreneurs refine the tools they have and acquire the ones they need.
The FIS Fintech Accelerator
Advance the financial services industry through the FIS Fintech Accelerator, in partnership with The Venture Center. The FIS Fintech Accelerator brings bankers, subject matter experts, and financial service executives together with pre-vetted, market-validated fintech companies to advance the financial services industry.
The ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator
The ICBA (Independent Community Bankers of America) ThinkTech Accelerator is the only community bank focused fintech accelerator in the world.
A Local Small Business Acceleration Program
Spark! is a small business pre-accelerator by The Venture Center and the Little Rock Regional Chamber that puts the right people, opportunities, and access in place for local entrepreneurs in Arkansas to grow their venture to the next level.
