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PRESS RELEASE

Scaling innovation with startups, from city planning to gamifying rewards points

October 31, 2023

11 startups are joining the Mastercard Start Path Emerging Fintech program to grow and scale through hands-on mentoring and access to co-innovation opportunities

From helping patients make payments safely and seamlessly to championing age diversity in the workplace and beyond, 11 startups are joining the Mastercard Start Path Emerging Fintech program to co-innovate and expand their business. The startups selected for the program are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in fintech.

Fintechs are important catalysts for innovation and growth – breaking barriers, rethinking banking, payments and commerce, and finding new ways to help businesses and consumers thrive. McKinsey predicts that fintechs could post annual revenue growth of 15 percent over the next five years.

Through Start Path, Mastercard supports fintechs that will contribute to the growth of digital payments and financial inclusion, helping to accelerate alternative payment methods, expand acceptance, advance digital identity and more. Mastercard takes a collaborative approach to innovation, building with a developer-first mindset and making it easy for fintechs to grow and scale by tapping into the breadth of our network. 

The following startups are joining the latest Start Path Emerging Fintech cohort:

55/Redefined (U.K.): Championing age diversity and enabling businesses to attract, grow and engage talent and consumers over age 50.

55/Redefined is an organization that is standing up for the over 50s, tackling ageism and supporting organizations and individuals through midlife. Our mission is to be the most trusted global platform for over 50s and those looking to engage with them.

Lyndsey Simpson, founder of 55/Redefined

Apptividad (Costa Rica): Improving end-to-end onboarding processes by reducing operational risks and scaling productivity for financial institutions. 

We wanted to help financial institutions automate their customer onboarding processes. Now with the next generation of our onboarding platform, we are taking the bank to where the customer is and giving them capabilities to access the unbanked.

Henry Sequeria, co-founder of Apptividad

Appyway (U.K.): Helping cities optimize their network through a digital curbside management platform that enables drivers to drive less, park faster and pay with ease. 

"Seamless payments are an essential ingredient for reducing congestion and pollution, as well as unlocking the connected vehicle revolution."

Dan Hubert, founder of Appyway

IDPBR (Brazil): Providing user onboarding and ID issuance through a robust anti-fraud process, with face liveness detection.

"Worldwide businesses demand secure, frictionless, simple, fast and robust solutions to ensure that a person applying for a specific product or service is the person they claim to be. Worldwide businesses demand secure, frictionless, simple, fast and robust solutions to ensure that a person applying for a specific product or service is the person they claim to be."

Carlos Collodoro, co-founder and CEO of IDPBR

IncumbentFI (U.S.): Empowering financial institutions to seamlessly connect existing debit cardholders to fintech services through an embedded software solution.

"The future of banking is not a competition between old and new, but a collaboration of tradition and innovation."

David Strebinger, co-founder of IncumbentFI

Infinia (Uruguay): Boosting conversion, reducing costs and streamlining cash flow for merchants with instant account-to-account payments powered by open banking.

"Worldwide businesses demand secure, frictionless, simple, fast and robust solutions to ensure that a person applying for a specific product or service is the person they claim to be. Worldwide businesses demand secure, frictionless, simple, fast and robust solutions to ensure that a person applying for a specific product or service is the person they claim to be."

Carlos Collodoro, co-founder and CEO of IDPBR

Knot API (U.S.): Enabling banks to allow their customers to instantly update card information for merchants, increasing bank account utilization and bringing in more revenue for the bank.

"Inefficiencies in card-on-file systems weren't just glaring; they were costing banks and consumers time and money. Knot aims to be the indispensable hub for all card-on-file activity — simplifying merchant connectivity and turbocharging revenue."

Kieran O’Reilly, co-founder of Knot API

Lysian Labs (Sweden): Unifying fintech and gaming mechanics to revolutionize how companies working with gamers are rewarded.

"Financial services impact our daily lives, but they’re also currently one of the most mundane experiences in our daily lives. Our mission is to bridge that gap, and rewards are just the beginning!"

Fidan Gutaj, co-founder of Lysian Labs

PayGround (U.S.): Bringing patients, providers and payers together to complete health care payments securely and conveniently.

"We are building a health care payment network where clinics, hospitals and payers go to PayGround to share outstanding patient balances and patients can pay bills easily — with multiple affordable payment options."

Drew Mercer co-founder, CEO of PayGround

Qlub (UAE): Enabling an ultrafast checkout experience for dine-in customers at restaurants while increasing table turnover and tips for greater customer satisfaction.

"By combining two mega-trends — QRs in restaurants and cashless payments — we are creating the payment function of the future."

Eyad Al Kassar CEO and co-founder of Qlub

Vipaso (Austria): Integrates an app-based, white label system that uses Bluetooth Low Energy© to connect payments between consumers and merchants globally.

"Contributing to financial inclusion is a truly inspiring goal. Bringing more people into the formal economy will help emerging countries tremendously and improve the quality of life – that’s something to fight for!"

Wolfgang Platz founder of Vipaso

The companies joining Start Path will receive hands-on mentoring as well as opportunities to engage with Mastercard’s global network of banks, merchants and digital partners around the world. Since its inception in 2014, Start Path has engaged more than 370 startups from 52 countries across five continents. Today, many of these companies are entering the public markets, reaching unicorn status and entering extended commercial engagements with Mastercard and its customers. 

The Start Path Emerging Fintech program is open to startups that have already raised Seed or Series A capital. Startups looking for an express lane to grow and an ecosystem to thrive can apply here. 

Media contacts

Jen Langione
Mastercard Global Communications, (917) 408-2941
jen.langione@mastercard.com