NXTUS Inc., a 501(c)(3) community organization dedicated to helping startups thrive, launched its sixth annual NXTSTAGE Financial Technology Pilot Competition in September. This program connects innovative Financial Technology startups from across the globe with Kansas financial institutions, positioning the state as a proving ground for breakthrough technologies.
The competition offers startups a unique opportunity to present solutions that enhance digital banking, data analytics, cybersecurity and other critical capabilities. In turn, Kansas banks gain early access to tools that can strengthen operations and improve services for consumer and business clients.
The Kansas Bankers Association (KBA) and its task force of five community banks provided one-on-one market feedback, evaluated applications and helped identify real-world opportunities for collaboration. The task force selected four finalists who will pitch their technology tools/solutions at an online Innovation Showcase, scheduled for Jan. 15, 12:00-1:30 PM CDT. We would love for all of you to join us and ask that you please share this event with any members or contacts that you think should attend!
The finalists have also been invited to present at KBA’s 2026 Technology Conference, taking place Feb. 9-10 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. The opportunity will provide the startups with direct exposure to Kansas bankers and decision-makers.
“The Kansas Bankers Association is honored to partner with NXTUS for the third year in a row to bring the latest technology to our member banks and communities around the state. Our Technology Conference will feature four of the top finalists at our February 2026 showcase, and we look forward to giving these FinTech startups a platform to share their innovations,” said Brenda L. Unruh, EVP — Director of Education, Communications, and Strategic Partnerships at KBA.
Mary Beth Jarvis, the President and CEO of NXTUS Inc., reflected Doug’s enthusiasm, saying, “KBA’s support of the NXTSTAGE Financial Technology Pilot Competition helps bring promising innovations to Kansas banks. By choosing four highly relevant, deployment-ready fintechs — out of 210 global competitors — to host at their 2026 Technology Conference, KBA is ensuring their members have access to vetted innovation partners ready to help them modernize operations and serve their communities with valuable digital tools.”
KBA’s 2025 Task Force
The task force, led by Bobby Young, KBA Vice President-Staff Attorney, is comprised of the following representatives from five Kansas banks:
Mike Aylward, Executive Vice President-Chief Information Officer, Bank of Commerce
TJ Haverkamp, Executive Vice President-IT Director, First Heritage Bank
Chanse Stephens, AVP Information Security, Legacy Bank
Robbie Smith, IT Project & Support Manager, Silver Lake Bank
Tracy Dockter, IT Coordinator, United Bank & Trust
Together, the task force selected the following four startups to highlight at KBA’s 2026 Technology Conference:
Meet KBA’s FinTech Finalists
Represented by Amy Travers, Vice President-Sales
Illuma provides banking call centers with frictionless voice security solutions that reduce call times and minimize fraud losses.
Represented by Jason Kaplan, CEO
SixMap delivers a complete and accurate external view of your bank’s external infrastructure, enabling better visibility and faster cyber risk mitigation.
Represented by Karan Kashyap, CEO & Co-Founder
Posh offers a unified, conversational AI platform specifically designed for banks, enabling 24/7 self-service, voice assistants, digital chat and knowledge tools through REALM, its proprietary reasoning engine.
Represented by Ankur Patel, CEO & Founder
Multimodal serves banks and financial services institutions by building end-to-end agentic AI workflows for lending, account opening, customer onboarding, compliance and regulatory reporting, making workflows faster and reducing costs by up to 80%.
