SAN FRANCISCO - Monday, 18. September 2023
Finalists will take
the Fintech Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt where one global winner will be
awarded $50K to help shape the future of money movement.
(BUSINESS
WIRE)--Visa (NYSE: V), a global leader in payments, and leading online
technology publication, TechCrunch will be hosting the Visa Everywhere
Initiative (VEI) 2023 Global Finals during TechCrunch Disrupt at the
Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA. The competition will take place on
September 19 on the Fintech Stage, where this year’s VEI finalists will
pitch their payment solution to an esteemed panel of judges.
Since
the launch of VEI in 2015, some of the most promising startups and
fintechs from more than 100 countries have participated in the program.
Following their participation in the program, these companies have
collectively raised more than $16 billion in funding, successfully
addressing the biggest challenges faced by early-stage entrepreneurs.
As
a vital component of the program, Visa has made its network available
to drive inclusive economic growth with the goal of giving everyone,
everywhere, access to the global economy. Notably, minority-owned
businesses have tripled after the pandemic, introducing new ideas for
the fintech space. The 2023 VEI program saw a significant uptick in
diverse applicants, with women-led businesses representing nearly half
of this year’s entrants.
“This year, VEI has significantly
expanded its reach to unique fintech startups around the globe,” said
Marie-Elise Droga, SVP and Head of Global and North America Fintech
Partnerships, Visa. “At Visa, innovation is at the heart of everything
we do, and by supporting the next generation of payments technology
providers in their early stages through VEI, we are fulfilling our
mission of uplifting everyone, everywhere.”
To date, nearly
15,000 startups have applied to the program, many of which now work with
Visa or its clients. The 2023 global finale is preceded by a year-long
competition that saw diverse businesses across the world enter their
innovative ideas to solve the payment challenges of tomorrow. Visa and
its panel of judges have selected five winners from each region (North
America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and CEMEA) to move forward
to the global final event.
The 2023 VEI Finalists are:
Jonas Overgaard - Founder & CEO at Anyday
Saksham Shubham - Business Head - APAC at Decentro
Chibuzo Opara - Co-founder & CEO at Drugstoc
Jeff Catalano - Co-founder & CEO at Payment Porte
Carolina Nucamendi - Co-founder & CEO at Waivr
The
competition will be hosted and emceed by Delores Terry, Inclusive
Client Partnerships, Visa. Judges will evaluate each finalist based on
the quality of their solution and presentation, the opportunities it
offers to partner with Visa and clients, and the desirability,
uniqueness and feasibility of their production or solution.
This year’s judging panel includes:
Ayodeji Arikawe - Co-founder at Thrive Agric and global winner of VEI 2022
Emily Man – Partner at Primary Ventures
Rodrigo Barros de Paula - Regional Head of Fintech Partnerships for LAC at Visa
Akshay Chopra - VP, Head of Innovation & Design for CEMEA at Visa
Ralph Koker - Visa Direct VP & Head of Market Expansion at Visa
Dan Roesbery - VP, Fintech Business Development at Visa
The 2023 awards include:
Overall Global Winner: $50,000 USD
Audience Favorite: $10,000 USD
Visa Direct: $10,000 USD
Additionally,
Marie-Elise Droga will host a fireside chat with Wade Arnold,
Co-Founder and CEO, Moov Financial. Moov was the global winner of the
2021 Visa Everywhere Initiative. Since the win, Moov has fast-tracked
onboarding to Visa’s global network and leveraged Visa’s security and
fraud protection technologies to expand to new markets. In 2023 Moov
raised $45M in their Series B round of funding.
Join us on
Tuesday, September 19, from 3:40-4:50 pm PST at the Moscone Center to
find out which of our finalists will take the top prize. TechCrunch will
also livestream the awards ceremony.
Visit our website to learn more about the VEI program.
About Visa
Visa
(NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating
transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and
government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our
mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient,
reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses
and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone
everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational
to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230918877011/en/
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Contacts
Media Contact
Jackie Dresch - jdresch@visa.com