Digital Solutions Beyond Online Banking

Digital Solutions Beyond Online Banking

By Chris Sommers, Chief Product Officer at Accrue by Core10

Thanks to Accrue by Core10 for contributing to the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator’s Founder Feature series! Accrue helps growing banks deliver the digital banking experience customers and employees expect. To meet Accrue and the other fintechs in the 2022 ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator, powered by The Venture Center, click here. For questions, please email founders@venturecenter.co.

The Venture Center: Where did the idea for Accrue originate?

Chris Sommers: Accrue originated from my own experience as a business owner, borrowing money. Each time I did so, it was excruciatingly painful for me, my team, and even the bank. Communication was a challenge all around. Drawing on my background at Salesforce and as a software developer, I built Accrue to fix it.

What problem does Accrue solve?

The problems I listed above existed well before the pandemic, but of all the lessons learned since the pandemic began, the lack of digital solutions became front and center. It’s beyond just online and mobile banking.  For smaller banks, the shift online revealed gaps in capabilities. Accrue addresses these challenges, providing big bank tech without the big bank price tag.

What is your philosophical approach for finding work/life balance?

Make work enjoyable so that a balance doesn’t mean an overwhelming need to turn away from it for long periods of time. But also, take plenty of vacations!

Who is your favorite entrepreneur and why?

Steve Jobs, as cliche as it is, because he built beautiful products, created a need for them that people didn’t know they had, and wasn’t afraid to snub his nose at competitors and the larger industry.

Why did you decide to apply for the ICBA ThinkTECH Fintech Accelerator, and what do you hope to gain from it?

We applied for the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator because we knew there was no better place to get such concentrated attention from industry pros and prospects in order to greatly improve our product and messaging. 

We hope to come out of it with a dramatically improved product, qualified prospects, and a network to build upon as we scale the company.

How has your journey as an entrepreneur informed your business now?

I’ve been fortunate that all my “careers” have informed the next, despite sometimes doubting that they ever would. My time as a technologist in the early days led to better restaurants, and my time owning restaurants informed my desire to solve a problem in banking.

Give us your favorite quote or mantra!

Go big or go home!

Thanks to Accrue by Core10 for contributing to the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator’s Founder Feature series! To meet Accrue and the other fintechs in the 2022 ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator, powered by The Venture Center, click here. For questions, please email founders@venturecenter.co.