The New Jersey Fintech Accelerator at Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ FAST) concluded its inaugural cohort.

Powered by leading innovation platform Plug and Play, with public and private partners including the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), Prudential Financial and Stevens, NJ FAST is one of the state’s Strategic Innovation Centers, which NJBIZ reported on.

Launched in 2024, the effort aims to offer entrepreneurs a platform to drive innovation across the state. Benefits include mentorship, funding resources, collaboration opportunities and more.

“Over the past seven years, we have transformed New Jersey’s innovation economy, firmly positioning our state as a national leader in this space and cementing our reputation as the best place for entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses,” said Gov. Phil Murphy in a Dec. 31 press release. “Through NJ FAST and our partnerships with Plug and Play, Stevens Institute of Technology, and Prudential, we are empowering emerging leaders in the fintech industry to advance their cutting-edge ideas right here in New Jersey.”

“NJ FAST will have a long-term impact on the entrepreneurial ecosystem of New Jersey, creating a legacy of success and innovation within the financial services industry for years to come,” said Plug and Play founder and CEO Saeed Amidi. “This initiative is about embedding a culture of innovation in New Jersey and beyond – with startups we believe can change the world.”

The first graduating cohort includes:

• DIRO
• Physis Investments
• SPIN
• Balcony Technology Group
• Intergen DATA
• Muse Tax
• Multimodal
• bckers
• Hydronos Labs
• LexFund
• ai
• Mobysign
• CurraPay
• Accern

The startups span a wide range within the fintech sector. Participants offering a slew of services and solutions, such as: an AI tool that finds every tax deduction and credit for you (Muse Tax); the first U.S. marketplace for the multibillion dollar litigation finance industry (LexFund); a mobile application that offers strong authentication for payments, logins, document signatures and any transaction (Mobysign); the first Original Documents capture platform to offer full global coverage (DIRO); and more.

“I look forward to seeing what the inaugural cohort of this program accomplishes in the coming years,” said Murphy.

“Through NJEDA’s Strategic Innovation Centers initiative, centers like NJ FAST are working to empower startups to develop cutting-edge technologies that create jobs, support long-term sustainable economic growth, and attract world-class talent,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “The graduation of NJ FAST’s inaugural cohort serves as a testament to the initiative’s success fostering innovation, and solidifying New Jersey’s role as a leader in fintech and insurtech.”

More information on NJ FAST can be found here.