Four entrepreneurial companies have been chosen as the initial class of a startup accelerator sponsored by the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association) and CPA.com.
The startup accelerator was launched this past June to help jumpstart innovation in the accounting profession and provide insight into disruptive technologies and automation trends for CPAs and Chartered Global Management Accountants (CGMAs). The finalists get a modest amount of seed money and gain access to senior leaders of the Association and CPA.com, as well as to an advisory panel of leading practitioners and thought leaders who collectively will provide expertise about global trends and marketplace needs within the accounting profession.
“We were impressed with both the quality and breadth of applicants for the accelerator,” said Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com, the technology subsidiary of the American Institute of CPAs. “The Association and CPA.com are committed to keeping the accounting profession in the forefront of technology, and we look forward to working closely with these promising startups over the next year.”
The four finalists are:
- TrueUp – The Los Angeles startup uses gamification to help companies assess the technical skills of job candidates and improve those of current employees
- RegroupTax – A La Mesa, Calif., firm that built a cloud-based program and app that creates a trial balance and workpapers for business tax preparation
- Pluma – A San Francisco company that offers a professional development platform pairing working professionals with experienced executive coaches through in-app messaging and video sessions, accessible by computer or mobile device
- North Capital – A Salt Lake City marketplace solutions and advisory firm whose technology platform allows broker-dealers, funding platforms, and issuers to conduct online private securities offerings
Each finalist will be given the opportunity to present information about their company next summer at AICPA ENGAGE, one of the leading events devoted to public accounting in the United States.
“At the start of this process, we identified two key areas of focus for applicants: 1) technology and financial information and 2) professional competency innovation,” said Lawson Carmichael, the Association’s executive vice president for strategy, people and innovation. “Our finalists nicely balance those priorities.”
The finalists were announced at the Digital CPA Conference, one of the leading U.S. events on technology adoption and practice management improvement for CPA firms.
For more information about the startup accelerator, please visit aicpaglobal.com/accelerator.
