Two new startups join Seattle fintech incubator run by BECU and University of Washington’s CoMotion

By TAYLOR SOPER from GeekWire on May 31, 2019 (extracts)

Two additional startups are set to join a Seattle financial technology incubator operated by BECU and based at CoMotion, the innovation arm of the University of Washington.

The BECU Fintech Incubator launched last year, when it announced its initial two participating companies, Noonum and Routable (formerly Warren).

Now another two startups, Attunely and Fincluziv, will round out the first cohort.

• Attunely, based in Seattle, sells machine learning-fueled software that helps debt collection agencies improve their recovery strategies. Led by former Starbucks and aQuantive executive Scott Ferris, the company spun out of Seattle-based startup studio Pioneer Square Labs and raised a $3.7 million seed round in February.

• Fincluziv, based in Dubai, works with banks to automate the lending process for corporate customers. The company is self-funded by its co-founders, Bruno Gremez and Samir Kasmi, who have a combined 30 years of banking industry experience. Fincluziv will relocate to Seattle to join the incubator.

Participating companies at the incubator are housed inside Startup Hall near the UW campus in Seattle. They get support from BECU leadership and its financial services expertise, which includes anonymized data and connections to the credit union network nationally. The UW provides office space via CoMotion Labs, with membership sponsored by BECU, and access to the university’s own resources and networks. Companies do not give up equity as part of the program.

The incubator is one of several in the Seattle region but the first to focus specifically on fintech. It’s part of a broader effort by Seattle and Pacific Northwest tech leaders to make the region a hub for financial technology startups and innovation, a topic we’ll explore in an upcoming piece. In the meantime, here’s our new list of fintech startups currently based in the region.