CHICAGO, March 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — RSM US LLP (“RSM”) – the nation’s leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services focused on the middle market is pleased to announce a partnership with Plug and Play, a global innovation platform. As a strategic founding anchor partner for Plug and Play’s newest vertical in cybersecurity and an anchor partner in FinTech, RSM will connect with startups that are bringing innovation to the cybersecurity and financial technology spaces.

Plug and Play invests in more than 150 companies each year and has 28 locations around the world, including in Silicon Valley and New York. Some of its successes include PayPal, Dropbox, SoundHound and Lending Club.

RSM’s partnership with Plug and Play will give us board seats for ongoing access to startups to offer perspective on the application of their leading edge innovations to our industry, clients, the focus industries we serve and the middle market as a whole, as well as engage in early stage discussions around opportunities to invest and/or serve these companies as they grow. We will be taking an active role in deal flow meetings, expos, accelerator program selection, and other opportunities to collaborate within Plug and Play’s ecosystem of corporate partners, investors and thought leaders.

“RSM is committed to truly understanding its middle market clients, and bringing them fresh ideas and insights that help them move forward on their strategic goals,” said Joe Adams, RSM managing partner and CEO. “Having a perspective on new technologies and innovations is critical to fulfilling our role as first-choice advisors to our clients, as they contemplate new ways of doing business to succeed in today’s rapidly changing and increasingly global economy.”

Middle market companies represent a critical part of the U.S. economy, accounting for approximately 40 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product and providing one-third of U.S. jobs. In our experience, leading middle market companies often drive transformative innovation, disrupting larger, less agile incumbents, and driving significant advances in the broader economy. 

“It is our pleasure to welcome RSM as a new partner in FinTech and as a founding Anchor Partner in Cybersecurity. Their commitment to innovation is what we look for in our partners, particularly when they have such a strong position in serving the middle market,” says Saeed Amidi, Founder and CEO of Plug and Play.

“Technology and innovation are changing the marketplace, and our firm and our clients need to be informed and agile to seize these new opportunities,” said Bob Jacobson, a consulting partner who will serve as the primary RSM contact with Plug and Play. “Our relationship with Plug and Play will help us advance new ideas that will help our firm and our clients succeed in the future.”

“As the first-choice advisor to the middle market, RSM represents an incredible partner and one who is dedicated to empowering their clients and employees with new innovations. Paired with their advisory capabilities and our local leader, Bob Jacobson, we are extremely excited to collaborate with RSM and provide them with a line of sight to early, growth, and later stage companies offering new innovative technologies,” says Matt Helmers, a FinTech Innovation Manager at Plug and Play who will serve as the primary contact with RSM.

At RSM, we understand the transformative opportunities digital strategies, new technologies, big data, artificial intelligence and other innovations bring to our clients and prospective clients. Our partnerships with Plug and Play and the Chamber of Digital Commerce, which we announced in November, will help us accelerate our engagement with companies that are creating new, emerging innovations and to continue to shape our point of view as they evolve.

About Plug and Play

Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we have built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services, and an in-house VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in 28 locations globally giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 6,000 startups and 220 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. We provide active investments with 200 leading Silicon Valley VCs, and host more than 700 networking events per year. Companies in our community have raised over $7 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club, PayPal, SoundHound, and Zoosk. For more information, visit www.plugandplaytechcenter.com.

About RSM US LLP

RSM’s purpose is to deliver the power of being understood to our clients, colleagues and communities through world-class audit, tax and consulting services focused on middle market businesses. The clients we serve are the engine of global commerce and economic growth, and we are focused on developing leading professionals and services to meet their evolving needs in today’s ever-changing business environment.

RSM US LLP is the U.S. member of RSM International, a global network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms with more than 43,000 people in over 120 countries. For more information, visit rsmus.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and/or connect with us on LinkedIn.

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SOURCE RSM US LLP