Comerica launches a fintech startup challenge to identify disruptive wearable fintech startups

Written By Ana Martinez

The Client

Comerica Bank is an American regional commercial bank with 413 branches in the U.S. states of Texas, Michigan, California, Florida and Arizona.

The Objective

Comerica Bank's Technology and Life Sciences Division wanted to both demonstrate their commitment to innovation and the startup community as well as identify disruptive startups focused on financial technology for the wearables market.

The Solution

Our team partnered with Comerica to launch a “Wearable FinTech Startup Challenge.” We managed the marketing, event planning, and application process. Using our expertise in startup due diligence, we identified the top five finalist that competed in a live pitch event in San Francisco. The entries were judged on the following criteria: innovativeness, disruption potential, scale potential, readiness for market and revenue potential. 

The Outcome

The winner, FitPay that brings payment capabilities to wearable devices, received a prize of $50,000.

Ana Martinez

Ana has extensive experience in corporate innovation. She has helped over 25 Global 1000 corporations from a wide range of industries develop new business strategies using the latest technologies in the market and has also led 70+ partnerships between corporations and startups. Ana has worked with corporate clients such as Nestle, PepsiCo, Volkswagen, Procter & Gamble, JetBlue, Mizuho, BP, Repsol, Nissan, Avis Budget Group, Magna, Renault, Ferguson, Allstate, GrainCorp, Givaudan, BSM, Griffith Foods, AGC, IAG, among others.

As a member of Rabobank’s first Innovation Team, Ana successfully launched Foodbytes, a pitch competition and networking platform that connects the top food and agriculture startups, corporates and investors. With 15 global pitch competitions, 260+ startup pitches and 4700+ attendees, Foodbytes has become the top startup pitch competitions in the food and agriculture industries. She also launched TERRA, a food and agriculture accelerator that brings together the industry’s most disruptive startups and leading corporations to fuel industry innovation and strategic partnerships.

Ana graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a major in Economics. She was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and loves to play golf!

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