Village Capital has announced that the deadline for applications for Finance Forward Europe 2020 - an investment-readiness program for early-stage FinTechs from the European Union and neighbouring countries - has been extended to accommodate startups working on COVID-19 solutions.
The focus for the program is on startups that are building tech solutions for the nearly 40 million Europeans locked out of basic financial services, as well as tools for small businesses.
"The COVID-19 crisis has had a profound impact across all aspects of our society - including the financial health of people and businesses across Europe," said Allie Burns, chief executive of Village Capital.
"As people lose jobs, dig into their nest eggs and fight to keep businesses from shuttering, we need innovation more than ever in building solutions that help people save money, find work and access financial services," she continued. "We're extending recruitment for financial health startups to ensure that startups that are actively responding to the pandemic have an adequate amount of time to finish applications"
A total of 12 financial health-focused startups will be selected to participate, if circumstances permit, in two workshops in Dublin and Berlin in mid-late 2020. Otherwise, the workshops will be conducted virtually.
Participating startups will get eight days of training, with a focus on improving investment readiness and growing their businesses. Each company will work closely with industry experts, investors and ecosystem partners to develop the networks they need to scale their impact.
The top peer-selected companies will be eligible to receive a total of $150,000 in grant funding from MetLife Foundation, divided between the winners.
The program is a part of Finance Forward, a multi-year global coalition led by founding partners MetLife Foundation and PayPal to support entrepreneurs on four continents who are building tech-enabled solutions to place-based challenges around financial health.
All startups that apply to the program will be invited to join Abaca, Village Capital’s global online network that helps entrepreneurs articulate how ready they are for investment, and matches them with the right investors and resources.
Applications now close on 25 April.
Latest News
-
Morgan Stanley becomes latest US bank to quit climate alliance
-
China plans major banking policy shifts and increased spending to boost economy in 2025
-
WhatsApp permitted to roll out payment services to all users in India
-
US Treasury hit by Chinese cyberattack
-
Swiss National Bank faces Bitcoin reserve proposal
-
Vienna Stock exchange saw record debt listings in 2024
Sanctions evasion in an era of conflict: Optimising KYC and monitoring to tackle crime
The ongoing war in Ukraine and resulting sanctions on Russia, and the continuing geopolitical tensions have resulted in an unprecedented increase in parties added to sanctions lists.
Achieving operational resilience in the financial sector: Navigating DORA with confidence
Operational resilience has become crucial for financial institutions navigating today's digital landscape riddled with cyber risks and challenges. The EU's Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) provides a harmonised framework to address these complexities, but there are key factors that financial institutions must ensure they consider.
Legacy isn’t the enemy: what FSIs can do to keep their systems up and running
In this webinar we will examine some of the steps FSIs have already taken to rigorously monitor and test systems – both manually and with AI-powered automation – while satisfying the concerns of regulators and customers.
Optimising digital banking: Unifying communications for seamless CX
In the digital age, financial institutions risk falling behind their rivals if they fail to unite fragmented communications ecosystems to deliver seamless, personalised customer experiences.
This FStech webinar sponsored by Precisely explores vital strategies to optimise cross-channel messaging through omnichannel orchestration and real-time customer data access.
This FStech webinar sponsored by Precisely explores vital strategies to optimise cross-channel messaging through omnichannel orchestration and real-time customer data access.
© 2019 Perspective Publishing Privacy & Cookies
Recent Stories