BMO Harris Bank partner with 1871 to offer fintech mentorship program

Chicago-based BMO Harris Bank announced its partnership with a leading technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem ‘1871’, to provide a select group of fintech startups the opportunity to participate in a three-month mentorship program.

According to the announcement, the program called ‘BMO Harris/1871 FinTech Partnership’ will offer selected fintech firms with a three-month mentorship program with access to mentors and resources from BMO Harris Bank. The selected startups will have access to a working space at 1871, a 140,000 square-foot pure innovation space as well as the potential opportunity to pilot their innovative technology with BMO Harris Bank.

“Innovation is crucial for any business to succeed in today's business environment," Alexandra Dousmanis-Curtis, Group Head, U.S. Retail and Business Banking, BMO Harris Bank said. "We're partnering with 1871 to present new enhancements to our industry with the opportunity to refine our capabilities for our current and prospective customers of tomorrow and beyond.”

The program invites fintech companies across Chicago to apply before 15th May, 2017. Six startups will be selected that will present their product to a panel of judges consisting of bank executives for a chance to share in the total cash prize of $50,000.

“1871's partnership with BMO Harris further enhances our offerings for FinTech startups in Chicago. We look forward to welcoming the mentors and the startups to our space, and are excited to see the results of the program. The partnership is yet another example of 1871 connecting entrepreneurs to large corporations to accelerate innovation,” Howard A. Tullman, CEO of 1871, said.