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
Safeguarding economies: DNFBPs' role in AML and CTF compliance explained
Join FStech editor Jonathan Easton, NICE Actimize's Adam McLaughlin and Graham Mackenzie of the Law Society of Scotland as they look at the role Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) play in the financial sector, and the challenges they face in complying with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regulations.
Ransomware and beyond: Enhancing cyber threat awareness in the financial sector
Join FStech editor Jonathan Easton and Proofpoint cybersecurity strategist Matt Cooke as they discuss the findings of the State of the Phish 2023 report, diving into key topics such as awareness of cyber threats, the sophisticated techniques being used by criminals to target the financial sector, and how financial institutions can take a proactive approach to educating both their employees and their customers.
Click here to read the 2023 State of the Phish report from Proofpoint.
Click here to read the 2023 State of the Phish report from Proofpoint.
Cracking down on fraud
In this webinar a panel of expert speakers explored the ways in which high-volume PSPs and FinTechs are preventing fraud while providing a seamless customer experience.
Future of Planning, Budgeting, Forecasting, and Reporting
Sage Intacct is excited to present FSN The Modern Finance Forum’s “Future of Planning, Budgeting, Forecasting, and Reporting Global Survey 2022” results. With participation from 450 companies around the globe, the survey results highlight how organisations are developing their core financial processes by 2030.
© 2019 Perspective Publishing Privacy & Cookies
Recent Stories