It’s an exciting time for Wharton Cypher Accelerator, the financial technology accelerator at the Wharton School. Wharton Cypher was founded in 2021 by a team of talented research assistants working under the leadership of Professor Sarah Hammer, Executive Director at Wharton and Adjunct Professor at Penn Carey Law School. It was launched to identify and scale the next generation of exciting financial technology companies. Originally focused on startups leveraging blockchain technology, Wharton Cypher has since expanded its mandate to encompass all emerging technologies, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence.
Building on this legacy, this season the team—led by Senior Managers Swarith Reddy (W’25) and Nathan Xu (W’26)—engaged in a rigorous application cycle and selected the 2025 Wharton Cypher Altus Cohort. The process included a thorough written application, three rounds of interviews, and extensive due diligence, all carefully managed by the Wharton Cypher team. This year’s cohort is comprised of companies that are using data-driven insights to break new ground in a variety of new ways:
● Odynn has built a holistic travel portal that aggregates loyalty pricing data directly from airlines and hotels and uses a machine learning algorithm to recommend optimal redemption strategies, delivering superior pricing and benefits.
● Cosmos is a real-time debate platform that uses advanced AI to enable seamless, global interactive debates with automatic judging and instant feedback.
● CorpusAnalytiX streamlines dataset acquisition for biotech innovators by connecting SMEs, research institutions, and pharma leaders with specialized biomedical data assets through a secure B2B marketplace
● RIZZARR uses proprietary technology and statistical models to scale content strategy, vet creators, and optimize content performance by analyzing digital media against each brand’s unique voice, style, and values
● PluggableAI leverages AI and non-intrusive smartphone sensors to power a real-time emotional mapping technology that transforms behavioral data into actionable insights, enabling brands to personalize fan engagement and drive long-term revenue opportunities.
Through Wharton Cypher Accelerator, the startups gain access to individualized mentorship, technical resources, workshops by industry experts, and a host of networking opportunities. The program will culminate in Wharton Cypher Demo and Innovation Day on April 4th at the Penn Club of New York, where the startups will showcase their businesses to a suite of investors, senior entrepreneurs, financial sector leaders, and technology experts from the Wharton Cypher community.
“Cypher is a representation of everything that Wharton stands for.” Reddy says. “It is a platform that uses the school’s knowledge and expertise as a launchpad for businesses that exemplify innovation and prioritize impact.”
The Cypher Accelerator’s success is proof that combining Wharton’s global reach and education can be transformational across audiences and technologies. As Cypher grows with its startups, it will continue to prove the value of Wharton’s business and finance expertise in our rapidly evolving world.
Learn more about Cypher Accelerator here.