With a dedicated focus on technology that can improve its customer’s banking experience, Eastern Bank is now trying to get a little close to some of the brightest new minds in fintech.

The bank yesterday announced that it will be a “Challenge Partner” in MassChallenge’s Fintech program, a new accelerator to support and grow startups in the financial technology industry that will match fintech startups with industry leaders to grow emerging products and services that have the power to transform the financial services ecosystem.

“Boston is home to a thriving fintech community and MassChallenge Fintech serves as a powerful connector to all kinds of emerging ideas,” Bob Rivers, chairman and CEO of Eastern Bank, said in a statement. “We recognize the importance of small businesses to our local economy and this is a natural way to support them through a program that will also add new momentum to how we think about our customer experience.”

As a challenge partner, Eastern will help accelerate innovation in the financial services industry by making it easier for startups and established businesses, institutions and organizations to work together. Startups selected for MassChallenge Fintech will participate in a six-month, vertical-specific accelerator where they will work closely with a leading partner on a range of activities from co-development and product validation to strategic investment and advisor introductions. At the end of the program, the enterprise-ready startups have the opportunity to win zero-equity cash prizes.

“We’re very excited to have Eastern Bank join MassChallenge Fintech as a challenge partner,” Devon Sherman, program director of MassChallenge Fintech, said in a statement. “Together, we’ll work to create new opportunities for customers and communities by connecting exceptional fintech startups with Eastern Bank’s network.”

In May 2017, Eastern successfully spun out a new technology company, Numerated Growth Technologies, which offers a fully digital small business lending platform that gives customers the opportunity to obtain a loan in less than five minutes.

“As a local bank celebrating 200 years in Massachusetts, we believe it’s important to support Boston’s fintech ecosystem and the job growth and economic development it creates in our own backyard,” Ashley Nagle Eknaian, who joined Eastern Bank in February as chief digital strategist to lead its tech lab and collaborations with the fintech community, said in a statement. “MassChallenge excels at creating networks that stretch the imagination, and we’re excited to cultivate new products and services that push our thinking on how we serve our customers and communities.”

The MassChallenge Fintech program will run from January 2019 through June 2019. Applications for the first cohort open in August 2018.