DALLAS, May 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Comerica Bank
(NYSE: CMA) has launched its latest and most innovative partnership
to date with two of the largest startup leaders in North Texas. The new partnership teams
Comerica Bank with the Dallas Entrepreneur Center ("The DEC") and
Tech Wildcatters ("TW"), one of the nations' leading accelerators,
in a joint effort to offer more smart small business solutions to
the thriving North Texas
entrepreneurial community.
"As a leader in banking for small businesses and entrepreneurs,
Comerica knows that by partnering with The DEC and TW, the top-five
accelerator in the nation (according to Inc. Magazine, 2015), they
will be able to more easily and efficiently offer their services to
the burgeoning entrepreneurial communities forming throughout the
North Texas area," said
Trey Bowles, CEO and co-Founder of
The DEC. "We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Comerica
Bank again this year, and by adding Tech Wildcatters, we're able to
help even more established and worldwide startups take their
development to the next level, right here in North Texas."
Through this first-of-a-kind partnership, Comerica will be
ideally positioned to promote its banking services to the
North Texas entrepreneurial
community as startups grow their businesses, staffs and presence in
the region. The partnership will include offering in-person
services to members of The DEC and startups that have received
investment from Tech Wildcatters, branding opportunities, and more,
culminating in an unprecedented pitch competition, in which the
winner will receive entry into the highly coveted Tech Wildcatters
accelerator (which includes investment of up to $130,000) and free office space for six months at
The DEC.
"Comerica is pleased to partner with The DEC and Tech
Wildcatters, joining them in their nationally-recognized efforts to
serve entrepreneurs and identify North
Texas as a top region for innovation," said James Weber, executive vice president and Chief
Marketing Officer for Comerica. "By engaging with these
best-of-breed organizations, we will be able to more easily and
effectively promote our banking services to the entrepreneurs they
serve. The DEC has become the go-to hub for first-time and veteran
entrepreneurs alike and a leading co-working space for
entrepreneurs. And, Tech Wildcatters is a leading accelerator that
pours powerful resources, such as mentoring, investment and
unmatched business connections, into tech startups from all over
the world."
"We are excited about this first-ever partnership with The DEC
and Comerica Bank," said Clarisa
Lindenmeyer, Chief Revenue Officer for Tech Wildcatters.
"We're constantly seeking to upgrade our game-changing approach to
early stage investing, and a key part of that model depends on
powerful partners. By combining our seven years of expertise in
this space with these two leading organizations, we know we can
offer our portfolio of startups the best possible financial and
banking solutions in addition to mentorship from their experts
within Comerica Bank."
Since their inceptions, The DEC and Tech Wildcatters have been
committed to partnering with organizations that prioritize the
needs and service of early stage and ambitious entrepreneurs. As a
leader in offering small business banking services, Comerica Bank
has recognized the growing and burgeoning entrepreneurial community
in North Texas that is quickly
becoming the hub for entrepreneurs who can realize the
collaborative ecosystem and vast resources committed to making
North Texas the best place in the
country to build a company.
About Comerica
Comerica is the largest U.S. commercial bank headquartered in
Texas, strategically aligned by
three business segments: The Business Bank, The Retail Bank, and
Wealth Management. Comerica focuses on relationships, and helping
people and businesses be successful. In addition to Texas, Comerica Bank locations can be found in
Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan, with select businesses operating in
several other states, as well as in Canada and Mexico.
About The Dallas Entrepreneur Center (DEC)
The Dallas Entrepreneur Center (DEC) is 501c3 coworking space
dedicated to bringing together the resources, support and
opportunities that Dallas-area
entrepreneurs need to start, build and grow their businesses.
Launched in 2013, The DEC connects entrepreneurs, corporations,
investors, educators and other business and community leaders in
order to advance the economic interests of the Dallas community. For more information, visit
www.thedec.co and follow The DEC on Twitter at @theDECtx.
About Tech Wildcatters
Tech Wildcatters (TW) is the world's leading B2B seed
accelerator on the Forbes Top 10 and ranked #5 in the US according
to Inc. and TechCrunch. This mentor-driven program focuses
on high-growth, technology startups. TW is committed to
growing the innovation community by bringing a return on investment
and creating the ultimate feeder system for early stage tech
investment. In 2016, TW's focus on returns and on customer and
market development led to the launch of the Gauntlet. The
Gauntlet methodology invests only in the highest performing
startups who reach data-driven milestones. In 2016, TW will have
funded 122 companies, helped create over 550 jobs and has 4 exits.
TW is a year round program with rolling applications. Startups can
apply here.
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