Local fintech startups to be eligible for Visa mentorship program
An international program offering help to fintech start-ups has been extended to Malta.
The Visa Innovation Program will offer mentorship, access to investors and training resources to successful applicants for a six-month period. Participants will also be able to tap into a network of proof-of-concept partners such as banks, e-money institutions, merchants, and other high-profile organizations, to test and validate their propositions and reach the commercialization stage faster.
Jointly created by global payments firm Visa, venture capital experts Eleven Ventures and open innovation accelerators Crowdpolicy and Hackquarters, the program has been designed with fintech startups in mind.
It launches in Malta following successful editions in Bulgaria, Greece and Spain. Over the past five years, the program has supported 72 startups, resulting in 68 proofs of concept.
Participating fintech firms have entered 84 rounds of investment, receiving over €350 million in funding, through a combination of program help and independent capital raises. One of the first participants in the program, Payhawk, became a unicorn last year.
A call for applications that will be open to Maltese fintech...