Asa connects financial institutions with customer-facing fintechs in a secure, compliant and easy-to-implement marketplace. The company today announced its acceptance into a fintech incubator hosted by BECU and CoMotion, the innovation arm of the University of Washington. The year-long program kicks off with a welcome event on July 6.

BECU, the largest not-for-profit credit union in Washington, partnered with CoMotion at the University of Washington (UW) to launch the FinTech Incubator in 2018. The collaboration combines CoMotion's strengths in incubation, partnership, innovation, company formation and technology commercialization with BECU’s expertise in financial services, data analysis and member experience. The purpose of the incubator is to support rising fintech startups, providing mentorship and partnership opportunities to its members.

“At BECU, we aim to provide our members with the right tools and resources they need to reach their financial goals and meet their growing financial needs,” said Mike Zell, BECU’s senior vice president of Digital. “By partnering with UW CoMotion, we support startups who will help foster innovation in the financial services industry and increase the financial well-being of our communities for the long-term.”

Asa is paving a new path forward in financial services, introducing the collaborative banking model. This framework powers growth and opportunity for financial institutions and fintechs while also accelerating financial empowerment by putting the customer in control of their data and finances. With Asa, customers can have the modern technology they crave and the local financial institution they know and trust.  

"The industry continues to grapple with how to keep up with skyrocketing demand for innovation in a safe, secure and affordable way," said Landon Glenn, CEO and founder of Asa. "With Asa’s collaborative banking model, financial institutions and fintechs are finally able to join forces, connecting customers with a marketplace of fintechs without ever having to share sensitive data or credentials. Such a model is a win for the bank, fintech and end customer. We are proud to be accepted into the BECU FinTech Incubator, and we look forward to continuing this momentum and growth."