Mastercard drives Global Startup Ecosystem at Connecting Tomorrow Forum

Mastercard, a leading technology company in the global payments industry, recently announced the welcoming of ten startups into its Star Path Program at the Mastercard Connecting Tomorrow Forum in Barcelona.

The participating startups, selected from Jordan, Nigeria, Mexico, Australia, Singapore, UK and USA, pitched their financial technology ideas to more than 250 potential investors and collaborators who would enhance efforts to drive the startup ecosystem.

The startups demonstrated how they are developing innovative financial services technologies that exemplify a new level of innovation and convenience in customer experience during the Mastercard Connecting Tomorrow Forum.

“Startups are reimagining all touch points of the consumer lifecycle and we must harness their unique approach to addressing emerging challenges to our advantage. Through the Mastercard Start Path program we are able to combine our assets and expertise with the startup community’s out-of-the-box ideas and unconventional business models to shape the future of commerce together,” said Gaurang Shah, senior vice president, Product Management, Digital Payments & Labs, MEA, Mastercard.

“Startups are reimagining all touch points of the consumer lifecycle and we must harness their unique approach to addressing emerging challenges to our advantage. Through the Mastercard Start Path program we are able to combine our assets and expertise with the startup community’s out-of-the-box ideas and unconventional business models to shape the future of commerce together,” said Gaurang Shah, senior vice president, Product Management, Digital Payments & Labs, MEA, Mastercard.

The startups pitched ideas on new approaches of accepting payments and managing personal data and digital identities and solutions that allow consumers to pay together for e-commerce transactions. They also elaborated on programs that empower citizens to be in control of their financial obligations across multiple geographies.

Some of the companies comprising the latest wave of the program include Agora Services that helps banks enhance their legacy payment platforms for a better user experience and without replacing the platforms, Billpocket improves Mexico’s businesses competitiveness, leveraging card payments for everyone through mPOS and Extend which is a platform that provides banks, FinTechs and their customers with the ability to distribute digital credit cards.

Others include Jaib, Meeco, Pay By Group and Rewire among others.

Mastercard Start Path is the company’s global initiative to provide startups with the operational support and commercial access needed to scale. The program brings together a global network of innovators ranging from startups to banks and merchants to shape the future of commerce in an agile and accelerated manner. Start Path evaluates roughly 1,600 applications per year and invites about 40 later-stage startups to participate each year.