55/Redefined joins the Mastercard Start Path Emerging Fintech program

Scaling innovation with startups, from city planning to gamifying rewards points

11 startups are joining the Mastercard Start Path Emerging Fintech program to grow and scale through hands-on mentoring and access to co-innovation opportunities

From helping patients make payments safely and seamlessly to championing age diversity in the workplace, 11 startups are joining the Mastercard Start Path Emerging Fintech program to co-innovate and expand their business. The selected startups are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the fintech ecosystem.

With the global digital payments market estimated to reach $20 trillion by 2026 and growing at 24% per year, fintechs are important catalysts for innovation and growth – breaking barriers, rethinking banking, payments and commerce, and finding new ways to help businesses and consumers thrive.

Through Start Path, Mastercard supports fintechs that will contribute to the growth of digital payments and financial inclusion, helping to accelerate alternative payment methods, expand acceptance, advance digital identity and more. Mastercard takes a collaborative approach to innovation, building with a developer-first mindset and making it easy for fintechs to grow and scale by tapping into the breadth of our network.

The following startups are joining the latest Start Path Emerging Fintech program:

· 55/Redefined (U.K.): Championing age diversity and enabling businesses to attract, grow and engage talent and consumers over age 50.

· Apptividad (Costa Rica): Improving end-to-end onboarding processes by reducing operational risks and scaling productivity for financial institutions.

· Appyway (U.K.): Helping cities optimize their network through a digital curbside management platform that enables drivers to drive less, park faster and pay with ease.

· IDPBR (Brazil): Providing user onboarding and ID issuance through a robust anti-fraud process, with face liveness detection.

· IncumbentFI (U.S.): Empowering financial intuitions to seamlessly connect debit cardholders to a number of fintechs through an embedded software solution.

· Infinia (Uruguay): Boosting conversion, reducing costs and streamlining cash flow for merchants with instant account-to-account payments powered by open banking.

· Knot API (U.S.): Enabling issuers to instantly update their customers’ card information to help them cancel subscriptions, change passwords and more in one platform.

· Kudos Labs (Sweden): Unifying fintech, e-commerce and play-to-earn mechanics to revolutionize how gamers are rewarded.

· PayGround (U.S.): Bringing patients, providers and payers together to complete health care payments securely and conveniently.

· Qlub (UAE): Enabling an ultrafast checkout experience for dine-in customers at restaurants while increasing table turnover and tips for greater customer satisfaction.

· Vipaso (Austria): Using Bluetooth Smart© technology to make mobile payments swift, easy and secure by connecting consumers smartphone with merchants and businesses.

The companies joining Start Path will receive hands-on mentoring as well as opportunities to engage with Mastercard’s global network of banks, merchants and digital partners around the world. Since its inception in 2014, Start Path has engaged more than 370 startups from 52 countries across five continents. Today, many of these companies are entering the public markets, reaching unicorn status and entering extended commercial engagements with Mastercard and its customers.

The Start Path Emerging Fintech program is open to startups that have already raised Seed or Series A capital. Startups looking for an express lane to grow and an ecosystem to thrive can apply here.

Founder Quotes:

55/Redefined

“55/Redefined is an organization that is standing up for the over 50s, tackling ageism and supporting organizations and individuals through midlife,” says Lyndsey Simpson, founder of 55/Redefined. “Our mission is to be the most trusted global platform for over 50s and those looking to engage with them.”

Apptividad

“We wanted to help financial institutions automate their customer onboarding processes,” says Henry Sequeria, co-founder of Apptividad. “Now with the next generation of our onboarding platform, we are taking the bank to where the customer is and giving them capabilities to access the unbanked.”

Appyway

“Seamless payments are an essential ingredient for reducing congestion and pollution, as well as unlocking the connected vehicle revolution,” says Dan Hubert, founder of Appyway.

IDPBR

“Worldwide businesses demand secure, frictionless, simple, fast and robust solutions to ensure that a person applying for a specific product or service is the person they claim to be,” says Carlos Collodoro, co-founder and CEO of IDPBR. “With reusable digital identity, we’ve found the right solution to confirm this.”

IncumbentFI

"The future of banking is not a competition between old and new, but a collaboration of tradition and innovation,” says David Strebinger, co-founder of IncumbentFI.

Infinia

"We are on a mission to bring financial inclusion to LAC with creative open banking solutions that utilize new payment flows," says Alejandro Rettig, co-founder of Infinia.

Knot API

“Inefficiencies in card-on-file systems weren't just glaring; they were costing banks and consumers time and money,” says Kieran O’Reilly, co-founder of Knot API. “Knot aims to be the indispensable hub for all card-on-file activity — simplifying merchant connectivity and turbocharging revenue.”

Kudos Labs

“Financial services impact our daily lives, but they’re also currently one of the most mundane experiences in our daily lives,” says Fidan Gutaj, co-founder of Kudos Labs. “Our mission is to bridge that gap, and rewards are just the beginning!”

PayGround

“We are building a health care payment network where clinics, hospitals and payers go to PayGround to share outstanding patient balances and patients can pay bills easily — with multiple affordable payment options,” says Adam Younger, co-founder of PayGround.

Qlub

“By combining two mega-trends — QRs in restaurants and cashless payments — we are creating the payment function of the future,” says Eyad Al Kassar, CEO and co-founder of Qlub.

Vipaso

“Contributing to financial inclusion is a truly inspiring goal,” said Wolfgang Platz, founder of Vipaso. “Bringing more people into the formal economy will help emerging countries tremendously and improve the quality of life – that’s something to fight for!“