Pinnacle Atlanta Innovation Accelerator has selected five unique businesses for its first 12-week cohort. Each business is receiving $100,000 and access to investors and industry experts — resources valued at a combined $1 million.
Managing Director Keena Pierre said the cohort represents some of the most promising fintech founders in Atlanta’s growing innovation ecosystem.
“We were looking for the brightest and best in the community — founders with grit who will take their company all the way,” Pierre said. “We were looking for founders who have a certain type of grit, with a mindset that they are going to take their company and go all the way with it.”
The Pinnacle Atlanta Innovation Accelerator is a joint effort by Pinnacle Financial Partners, Tarkenton Companies, and gener8tor venture capital firm.
The selected startups are a range of fintech solutions for consumers. Billseye is a mobile billing app that lets service professionals instantly charge clients by adding a blue button to their phone screens.
The business, Blended, is a payment platform that helps divorced and single-parent families automatically track and settle shared expenses, reducing conflict and improving financial transparency.
Guala is a social point-of-sale and merchant wallet helping microsellers who are often influencers accept payments, build customer profiles, and grow their businesses from “hustle to scale,” according to Pinnacle.
“Microsellers may or may not have an LLC but receive an income,” Pierre said.
Lux AI is an artificial intelligence-powered concierge service that helps high-end consumers unlock travel, dining, and lifestyle rewards from their credit cards.
And Pagarva Inc. is a multilingual mobile point-of-sale app that helps immigrant-led micro-businesses accept payments, access instant payouts, and manage taxes all in one place.
Fran Tarkenton, founder and CEO of Pinnacle Financial Partners and an NFL Hall of Famer, said supporting entrepreneurship has been a lifelong calling.
Pinnacle announced the fall cohort last spring and received more than 80 applications.
“Entrepreneurs are the backbone of America,” Tarkenton said. “Supporting them has been a mission of my life, and this is a great opportunity to champion some of the most innovative people and companies right here in our backyard of Atlanta.”
Susan Godby, financial advisor at Pinnacle Financial Partners, said the program is designed to strengthen both innovation and community.
“Pinnacle is proud to support this program as a way to fuel homegrown innovation and uplift the communities we serve,” Godby said. “We’re investing in the people and ideas shaping the future of financial services.”
Over the next months, the selected founders will refine their business models, connect with investors, and prepare to showcase their progress to the public.
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