Banker & Tradesman file photo

Buffalo-based M&T Bank has joined Mass Fintech Hub, a public-private partnership that supports the financial technology industry in Massachusetts.

Launched in 2021, Mass Fintech Hub provides programs to bring investment, staff and collaborations to the fintech ecosystem. Members include financial institutions, fintech firms and local colleges. The organization last week announced a recent expansion of its membership.

Other banks participating in Mass Fintech Hub include Citizens, Eastern Bank and Reading Cooperative Bank.

Mass Fintech Hub said in a statement last week that M&T Bank has a strategy that includes building partnerships that “help its customers achieve their financial goals and align with its values as a community-first organization.”

“Massachusetts offers a rich ecosystem of peers, startups, and academic institutions to engage in key trends, technological developments, and market forces that are likely to impact banking in the future,” Claire Verville, senior vice president and ventures development manager at M&T Bank, said in the statement. “We know we’re in good company in Massachusetts to learn from others and position our bank for the future. We also see great potential to have access to talent and new technologies that are helping to shape the future of banking.”

Also joining Mass Fintech Hub are Babson College, Stonehill College and University of Massachusetts Amherst. Mass Fintech Hub said these institutions will be involved with programs such as career fairs, mentorship and bootcamps that will help students build skills and make connections in fintech. The schools will also provide the fintech and financial services industries with access to college graduates to build their companies, the statement said.

“The Mass Fintech Hub is driving collaborative work around issues critical to the sector, from workforce development, training, investment, to research,” said Pat Larkin, director of the Innovation Institute at MassTech, a public economic development agency for Massachusetts. “The new members include a leading national bank, three of our top universities from across the state, and several global startups, which shows the range of interest in this work. The strength of the Hub’s mission is to grow an inclusive, collaborative, and cutting-edge fintech sector statewide.”