Pub. 12 2023 Issue 4

ansas has a rich history of entrepreneurship, and our strong community of Kansas banks has supported and shared that entrepreneurial spirit over the years. This year, the Kansas Bankers Association was invited to participate in a program that connects financial technology entrepreneurs to financial institutions in Kansas looking for innovations to help better serve customers. This program, the NXTSTAGE FinTech Pilot Competition, is facilitated by NXTUS, Inc., a non-profit entrepreneurship support organization based in Wichita, KS. “We are very excited about the potential for NXTSTAGE to bring cutting-edge financial technology solutions to community banks across Kansas,” said KBA CEO Doug Wareham. “KBA’s partnership with NXTUS reinforces the desire of Kansas banks to provide their customers with the safest, most efficient and user-friendly technology tools available to meet the needs of Kansas consumers.” The mission of NXTUS is to help entrepreneurs grow companies of significance. The organization works to support startup founders with community resources, capital and customers. NXTUS manages Accelerate Venture Partners, a fast-growing angel-investor syndicate, and the NXTSTAGE programs, which aim to accelerate the pace of innovation and startup growth in the region by helping high-potential entrepreneurs engage with Kansas organizations looking to become early customers for their startups. The NXTSTAGE FinTech Pilot Competition, first held in 2020, provides Kansas banks early access to a curated group of startups offering tomorrow’s technology tools and digital services. With input from its community bank partners, NXTUS recruits early-stage companies offering technology solutions most relevant to Kansas banks, which seek to make their processes more efficient, reduce fraud, better assess the creditworthiness of potential customers and serve consumers and small businesses more effectively. K Kansas Banks Leaning in as Proving Ground for Digital Innovations By NXTUS, Inc. 30

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