Startups Directory

Ascend is an all-in-one finance automation platform purpose-built for insurance retailers, brokers, MGAs, and carriers. It automates the entire payment lifecycle—from customer premium payments and financing to commission distribution and carrier payables—while providing financial insights and treasury management. The platform eliminates the collections gap that traditionally exists between policy binding and payment, reducing operational friction for insurers and customers alike. Ascend has processed over $1B in annual premiums and serves 3,000+ insurance businesses across all 50 U.S. states.

Patra Corporation is a technology-enabled business process outsourcing (BPO) provider serving the insurance industry with 20 years of expertise. The company combines 4,000+ global process executors with its proprietary PatraOne AI platform to handle insurance back-office operations—policy issuance, billing, accounting, and claims—across 880+ insurance organizations. Unlike pure software competitors, Patra's hybrid people-plus-technology model executes over 20 million transactions annually and offers self-service AI capabilities for agencies of all sizes.

Miami International Holdings operates a suite of technology-driven exchanges for options, equities, and futures trading across multiple platforms (MIAX Options, MIAX Pearl Equities, MIAX Futures). The company serves institutional trading firms, market makers, and clearing members with a focus on competitive pricing and advanced matching engine technology. MIAX went public in August 2025 and operates approximately 80% of U.S. options market volume through its exchange group, positioning itself as a lower-cost alternative to legacy exchanges like NYSE and Nasdaq.