Meet First Rate Connect's Inaugural Cohort!

We’re thrilled to introduce the first batch of companies joining our program!

We kicked off our 14-week program in person in Singapore at the Mandala Club, bringing together founders from five companies for a full-day session. First Rate’s founders, Dave Stone and Trina Stone, flew in to Singapore to spend one-on-one time with them, covering key topics essential for going to market with First Rate in the APAC region and engaging US clients with purpose.

Charles Wong, Chairman of Prive Technologies and CEO of Axial Partners, delivered a fantastic masterclass on building Prive and shared his insights on trends shaping Wealth Management and WealthTech. Our ecosystem partners—including VCs from Integra Partners, Eagle Venture Fund, BEENext, Venture Synergist, and key players like EnterpriseSG—joined us for a networking lunch, connecting with our founders and fostering meaningful relationships.

We are especially excited to have intentionally selected seasoned, purpose-driven founders from diverse backgrounds for our first cohort. These companies have strong traction and will greatly benefit from the one-on-one consultative sessions offered in our program.

First Rate Connect's First Cohort Kickoff at the Mandala Club in Jan 2025

Here are the companies in our first batch!

Artius Global (RegTech)

Artius Global is reshaping the way financial institutions handle regulatory disclosures, tackling challenges in shareholder reporting and compliance with an end-to-end solution.

Founders: Jacqueline Pang and Caleb Woo

WMCockpit (WealthTech)

WMCockpit is revolutionizing how wealth managers, private bankers, and families understand and manage complex estates. With a tool that quantifies, models, and stress-tests entire estates, it empowers users to make strategic decisions across financial, commercial, and real assets. 

Founders: Dominique Jooris and Christopher Morris

Investbanq (WealthTech)

Founded in 2017 as Paladigm Capital, Investbanq evolved from an investment boutique into an AI-powered wealth operating system for family offices and wealth managers, empowering digital natives with the best possible tools. 

Founder: Olzhas Zhiyenkul

TechCreate (FinTech)

TechCreate simplifies secure, real-time payment solutions for financial institutions and government-linked companies. With seamless processing, ISO 20022 compliance, and advanced cybersecurity, their platform provides Digital Payment and digitalization solutions to help clients stay ahead in the evolving fintech landscape. 

Founders: Ronald Vong and Lim Heng Hai

Ailov (FinTech)

Ailov is a FinTech platform that leverages AI to help brands build deeper, more meaningful relationships with their customers. By connecting brands with their most engaged advocates and rewarding authentic interactions, Ailov is enhancing the way businesses foster loyalty in the digital age. 

Founder: Keith Lee

Apply to our program

Our applications are open on a rolling basis, and our team is scouting for outstanding founders that have traction serving Financial Institutions in the region and have a desire to make real impact already. If you're a founder that's interested to scale in the region and service our 500+ Financial Institutions clients in the US, apply here.Meet First Rate Connect's Inaugural Cohort!