Atlanta is known for creating fintech success stories. Now, there’s a new accelerator in town to find more local “hidden fintech gems” ready to grow and scale.
The Pinnacle Atlanta Innovation Accelerator, created in partnership with Pinnacle Financial Partners, Tarkenton Companies, and the nation-wide startup program gener8tor, is kicking off its first cohort.
The inaugural accelerator received 80 applicants.
The five startups selected for the program will work out of The PEER Center. The Center is a community-focused space in Atlanta designed to improve economic equity and expand access to opportunity. It will offer financial education, coaching, personal financial planning, affordable homeownership support, and small business development resources for underserved individuals and families.
“Entrepreneurs are the backbone of America,” said Fran Tarkenton, founder and CEO of Tarkenton. “Supporting them has been the 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.”
From consumer-focused apps to new payment processing options, founders selected for this cohort represent new opportunities at the intersection of financial services and technology.
Inside The New Fintech Accelerator
The first Pinnacle Atlanta Innovation Accelerator cohort, made up of five selected companies, will go through the 12-week program with a fresh $100,000 investment each.
Alongside the capital, the selected Metro Atlanta founders will receive mentorship and access to gener8tor’s “national network of investors and advisors.”
The five Atlanta startups selected for the cohort include:
Billseye (CEO Alcide Honore)
Billseye transforms the way service professionals bill for their time by embedding a third “blue button” on the phone screen that instantly activates billing for client calls. Instead of manually tracking time, users tap blue to bill, green for personal, and Billseye handles the rest.
The platform powers fast, frictionless payments through a companion app that gives clients visibility and control. Professionals eliminate billing disputes, accelerate revenue collection, and monetize mobile expertise with zero administrative overhead. With over 30,000 organic downloads, 5,000 active users, two issued patents, and backing from Google, Billseye redefines how service-based businesses earn on the go.
Blended (CEO Arnab Khan)
Blended simplifies co-parenting finances by automating how divorced and single-parent families manage shared finances. Parents itemize costs per their divorce agreement, send invoices, track reimbursements in real time, and resolve disputes with on-demand mediation all in one intuitive app.
The platform reduces legal bills, stress, and miscommunication, while building a community of support. With a scalable subscription model and access to a $20B+ market, Blended aims to set the new standard for modern family finance.
LUXE AI (CEO Nyah Chapman)
LUXE transforms how affluent consumers engage with their credit card rewards by delivering hyper-personalized recommendations across travel, dining, and experiences — showing not just where to go, but the smartest way to unlock value. Users link their credit cards and loyalty programs, and LUXE AI’s conversational concierge turns fragmented benefits into seamless lifestyle upgrades.
The platform blends AI-powered personalization with deep rewards intelligence to turn everyday decisions into curated lifestyle upgrades. With 100,000+ newsletter subscribers, a growing waitlist, and $29K in pre-sold subscriptions, LuxeAI is redefining lifestyle intelligence for the next generation of affluent consumers.
Guala (CEO Austin Evans)
Guala helps micro-sellers turn conversations into commerce with a social point-of-sale platform built for the informal economy. Sellers accept payments through a single QR code, instantly generate receipts, and use AI to convert transactions into repeatable customer insights.
The platform monetizes via a recurring subscription model, payment fees, and optional add-ons like instant payouts and capital access. Backed by strong early demand and a defensible merchant–buyer data graph, Guala is building the financial OS for 100M+ overlooked micro-sellers across the U.S. and beyond.
Pagarva (CEO Caetano Nobre)
Pagarva builds the operating system every micro-business can run on. Its mobile-first platform enables merchants to accept cards, Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, PIX, and more from a single app with no hardware or extra setup, in person or remotely, delivering instant bank payouts in a fully multilingual interface. By consolidating all transactions into one hub powered by an AI-native assistant, Pagarva delivers real-time visibility owners have never had. Initially targeting the $600B generated by 6.6M immigrant-owned businesses in America, the company grew processed volume 5x during its pilot program with zero churn. With 95% of U.S. businesses falling into this category, Pagarva is set to become the unified financial infrastructure for this massive underserved market
Meet The Accelerator Leader
Keena Pierre has been tapped as the accelerator’s managing director. A nurse turned investor, Pierre previously served as a venture partner at Erez Capital and fund manager at financial innovation firm RUNWAY. She said she was drawn to the fintech space because it provides “financial empowerment” to the wider community.
Pierre said she is impressed with the accelerator’s first cohort due to the founding team’s “lived experiences” and their “level of understanding” when it comes to their target market and audiences.
She told Hypepotamus that the program is the first-of-its-kind fintech accelerator in Georgia that is backed by a bank.
“We’re building more than an accelerator; we’re building a pipeline for fintech innovation in Atlanta and beyond. The South has something to say, and this cohort proves it!” Pierre added.