Washington, DC (March 11th, 2022) —Village Capital, with support from Freddie Mac, PayPal and TIAA, today announced that LoanSense, OneEleven, Challenger, Repaytient and College Cash were peer-selected to receive equity-free investment as a part of FinHealth US 2021; an accelerator program for early-stage startups in the United States contributing to the financial health and economic opportunity of everyday people and small business owners.
More than 60 entrepreneurs from 22 states applied to be a part of the accelerator. The top 12 companies were selected to be part of the cohort, 58% of the cohort is headquartered outside of US tech hubs (NY, CA, MA) and 50% have a BIPOC founder and CEO.
LoanSense, OneEleven, Challenger, Repaytient and College Cash were selected for investment by their peers on the final day of the program in New York City. LoanSense and OneEleven will receive $25K each; Challenger, Repaytient and College Cash will receive $10K each; and the rest of the participant startups will receive $3K each.
The 12 participant startups evaluated each other through an investor lens, using eight specific investment criteria that leverage Village Capital’s venture investment levels. Five startups were ranked “most investment ready” and are focused on the following:
- LoanSense (Ypsilanti, MI) helps student loan borrowers reduce their monthly student loan payments and increase their home buying power.
- OneEleven (New York City, NY) empowers people to live happier lives by reducing money stress and building healthy habits throughout their financial wellness app.
- Challenger (Denver, CO) powers employer-sponsored financial products for America's workforce, starting with emergency savings.
- Repaytient (Louisville, KY) equips hospitals with payment plans and billing tools that enable their patients to affordably manage the cost of receiving quality care.
- College Cash (Fort Worth, TX) uses everyday behavior to reduce student loan debt in key ways.
For more information, reach out to Sofía Cándano at Village Capital.