Visa Innovation Program Europe announced the fintechs selected for the 2024 edition in Spain and Portugal. In an era where technological innovation shapes the financial landscape, the Visa Innovation Program Europe is a beacon of progress and collaboration. The Visa Innovation Program Europe is a partnership platform for fintech companies and Visa clients across Southern Europe. This program empowers fintechs to tackle tomorrow's payment and commerce challenges while enhancing their product propositions and delivering visionary solutions for Visa's vast network of partners. Selected fintech companies in the Visa Innovation Program Europe can look forward to scaling opportunities and partnerships with Visa and Visa's network, customized mentoring, perks worth more than $300,000, and opportunities to expand their businesses worldwide.

The importance of the Spain & Portugal Edition of this program represents a unique convergence of opportunity, innovation, and strategic partnership tailored to the vibrant fintech ecosystems of these regions. Focusing on Spain and Portugal, the program taps into a wellspring of entrepreneurial talent and innovative thinking, offering fintechs a chance to shine globally. The selected fintechs are given a golden opportunity to engage directly with Visa and its extensive network, setting the stage for collaborations that could redefine the future of payments and commerce.

Highlights from Kickoff Event

On the 4th of April, 2024, the Visa Innovation Program Europe Spain & Portugal Edition celebrated its kickoff at the dynamic Loom Salamanca space, marking the beginning of an exciting journey for the selected fintechs. This gathering wasn't just an event; it was a gateway to innovation, providing a unique stage for groundbreaking fintech companies to showcase their solutions and vision for the future of financial services. The event was meticulously planned to ensure meaningful engagement between these fintech innovators and Visa's extensive network, offering deep-dive discussions on metrics, challenges, and expectations.

The day started with a warm, welcoming speech by Eduardo Prieto from Visa. His opening remarks underscored the event's significance and the Visa Innovation Program Europe's role in shaping the future of fintech innovation. This introduction highlighted the day's objectives and reaffirmed Visa's commitment to fostering a collaborative fintech growth and development ecosystem.

Kaan Akin from Hackquarters by Tenity followed with a comprehensive overview of the Visa Innovation Program Europe (VIPE) agenda and process. His presentation provided valuable insights into the program's structure, objectives, and the opportunities it presents for fintechs to scale and succeed. Kaan's session was instrumental in setting expectations and outlining the journey ahead for the participating fintechs.

The core event, which featured pitches from the selected fintech startups, occurred after Kaan's speech. This segment allowed each fintech to showcase their innovative solutions, articulate their vision for the future of payments and financial services, and demonstrate how they aim to leverage the Visa Innovation Program Europe to achieve their goals. The pitches were a testament to the diversity and ingenuity within the fintech ecosystem, highlighting solutions ranging from AI-driven analytics to advanced payment platforms and financial management tools.

This year, the Visa Innovation Program Europe received an impressive 274 applications from 25 countries, with 114 applications from Spain and Portugal. After a rigorous selection process, we're excited to announce 8 fintechs selected for the program.

Let's take a closer look at each of these pioneering fintechs:

Data4Deals: is a company that helps financial institutions improve their customer experience by delivering a personalized card-based rewards product (promotions in hundreds of brands offered as cash-back) to its clients while monetizing on its transactional data. The product is free of charge for the bank - Data4Deals will pay the bank a commission on every transaction done within the program.

Lemonero: is a digital lending platform with an AI-driven scoring model, onboarding process, and cash-flow analytics. We offer scalable LaaS and SaaS platforms for PSPs, Banks, and other financial institutions with a huge potential to disrupt global SMB financing. Our platform is embedded into our partner's systems, driving very efficient scaling and natural customer acquisition by offering flexible revenue-based financing. 3x awarded as the Best digital lending platform for SMBs in Europe.

Orama: Treasury software for SMEs and Startups Manage your company's treasury in an easy, efficient and error-free way, saving time and resources.

Paynest: is the all-in-one solution for innovative leaders focused on cost efficiency and employee engagement.  Founded in the end of 2022, Paynest has a growing presence in three European markets. The financial SaaS platform has already enabled more than 35 companies, representing a universe of more than 30,000 workers, to have a positive impact on their lives. Paynest’s offering includes streamlined expense management, salary and bonus on-demand, access to a confidential financial coach, and financial education services.

Shakers: The platform helping companies solve their tech challenges by unlocking flexible talent at scale.

Sharpei: easily integrates subscriptions, lease-to-own, and other flexible consumption options into retailers' checkout processes, enabling circular commerce.

Starkdata: is an AI and Machine Learning company focused on extracting actionable insights from customer's lifecycle

Uelz: is a developer first billing automation API for recurring revenue businesses

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We invite you to dive deeper into the world of fintech innovation and discover the myriad ways you can become part of this exciting journey. Whether you're a startup founder, a financial services professional, or simply an enthusiast for cutting-edge technology and its applications in finance, the Visa Innovation Program offers numerous avenues for involvement and collaboration.

Learn More: For those eager to understand the intricacies of the program and the innovative solutions brought forth by this year's selected fintechs, we encourage you to visit the Visa Innovation Program Europe website. Here, you'll find detailed information on the program's objectives, benefits, and the diverse range of fintech innovations it supports.

Become Part of the Family: If you're inspired by the possibilities and ready to take your fintech solution to the next level, consider applying to be part of the next cohort of the Visa Innovation Program Europe. Keep an eye on the program's website and social media channels for application deadlines and criteria announcements.