Branch (formerly Branch Messenger) got its start in an incubator in Pasadena, California, but relocated to Minneapolis after participating in Target’s Techstars program. Its technology provides a platform for streamlining scheduling for hourly employees. Investors are bullish on Atif Siddiqi and his company, which has raised $10.4 million in financing so far. In partnership with Mastercard and Evolve Bank & Trust, Branch rolled out a debit card in October that allows hourly workers free, instant access to wages. It could be a game-changer. Siddiqi bills it as the first “early wage access technology” that can be used with no cost to employees.