TD Bank Group (TD) today announced an agreement that makes it the first Canadian bank to join Plug and Play Tech Center, the largest global technology accelerator, as a corporate collaborator in its FinTech program.
"This is a fantastic opportunity that enables TD to work closely with top fintech start-ups from around the world," said Colleen Johnston , Group Head Direct Channels, Technology, Marketing and Real Estate, TD. "The collaborative nature of Plug and Play makes it a great place to learn from each other and an ideal platform for advancing financial innovation."
The Plug and Play FinTech program runs twice a year and connects a select group of start-ups from around the world with financial institutions involved in its program. As part of the current program, TD, along with other financial institutions, will work with 23 start-ups by providing mentorship and business development support to help them develop a working prototype. At the end of the 12 week program, the start-ups pitch their ideas to investors and bank executives at Plug and Play's FinTech EXPO.
"By working with TD, we bring leading entrepreneurs that have a wide range of emerging capabilities to a top 10 North American financial institution," says Scott Robinson , Founder and Vice President of Plug and Play FinTech. "Our start-ups in turn benefit from TD's industry knowledge, broad customer base and go-to-market strategies."