Mastercard has announced a new four-month initiative called Start Path Small Business, which will bring entrepreneurs and corporations together to develop and grow solutions that facilitate easy, safe digital experiences for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Startups that are developing cutting-edge accounting software, e-commerce solutions, lending platforms, payment technology, digital banking, and other services for SMEs are presently submitting applications to the program.
Selected startups will get the chance to use Mastercard’s network and SME knowledge over the course of the four-month program to find product alliances, scale their businesses, and power solutions that promote safe, secure, and easy experiences.
Requirements
- Innovative solutions– Proven commercial traction and product differentiation. You should already have customers – we’ll help you find more.
- Passionate Team– Experienced, diverse founders with relevant expertise. You’ll be as obsessed about building the future as we are.
- Strategic Fit– Strategic overlap with our innovation objectives, the more the better to find growth
- opportunities within Mastercard.
- Existing Funding– Investment raised (Seed, Series A or later) with at least 6-12 months runway.
Benefits
- Rapid path to scale: Our global network infrastructure and resources support your innovative solutions.
- Dedicated support: A Mastercard insider creates a bespoke pipeline, acting as sounding board and relationship broker.
- Opening doors: Access our product teams, customers, channels, subject-matter experts, and more.
- Strategic investment: Instead of equity we take an option to participate in your next round if a strategic fit is identified.
Selected startups will demonstrate strong synergies with Mastercard’s approach to helping entrepreneurs around the world grow and thrive by empowering them with digital payment solutions, data insights, and the tools to run their enterprises more efficiently and securely.
The deadline for submission is April 30, 2023.
To apply or for more information visit the website.
Read more on Tech Gist Africa: