Level up your startup
Visa Everywhere Initiative 2023
Get your startup on the world stage
Key global competition details
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- Applications are now closed.
- Visa will select one winner per each region that will move forward to the global finals event in San Francisco, CA.
- North America
- Europe
- Asia Pacific
- Latin America
- CEMEA [Central Europe, Middle East, Africa] – This region will run additional competitions. See the schedule for more information.
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We are looking for products that deliver innovative payment and commerce solutions to consumers and businesses. These include but are not limited to:
Enablers of digital services and digital issuers
- Blockchain and cryptocurrency
- Crowdfunding
- Banking as a service
- BIN sponsors
- Issuer/ Processors
- Program managers
Digital issuance
- Blockchain and cryptocurrency
- Alternative lending
- Personal financial management
- Money transfer and remittance
- Digital banking (aka neobanks)
- Digital wallets, P2P, and transfers
- Employee benefits
- Payables
- Corporate cards (aka expense management)
Value-add for merchants and/or consumers in regard to finance
- Data and analytics
- ID, authentication, and security
- InsurTech
- Loyalty
- Merchant services and tools
- Process and pay infrastructure
- Retail technology
Small/medium-sized business
- Money movement (disbursements, intra-account, P2P vendor, payments)
- Acceptance (e-commerce, mobile acceptance)
- Risk management (chargebacks, etc.)
- Brand management (community building, etc.)
New categories
- Sustainable Fintechs
- Urban Mobility
- Risk
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Three monetary prizes will be awarded during the global finals event celebrated on September 19th at the TechCrunch Disrupt event in San Francisco.
- Overall Winner: $50,000 USD
- Audience Favorite: $10,000 USD (The overall winner and the Visa Direct winner are also eligible to win the Audience Favorite prize)
- Visa Direct: $10,000 USD
Global finalists will also be hosted by Visa at the TechCrunch Disrupt Pavilion to exhibit together their companies in the Expo Hall with the following benefits:
- (1) standing demo table or kiosk in the Expo Hall all 3 days
- (1) 11” x 14” tabletop sign with sponsor logo
- Founder pass
- Access to complimentary partner wifi network and power
- Access to Startup Exhibitor Lounge
- Access to TechCrunch Disrupt press list
- Inclusion in the Disrupt mobile app
Prior to the global finals, the following local and regional prizes will also be awarded:
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Finals will be held in person on Wednesday, June 14th, 2023.- 1st Place – $40K
- 2nd Place – $27K
- 3rd Place – $13K
- Oman Winner, 1st Place: $40K
- Bahrain Winner, 1st Place: $40K
- Impact Award Winner: $13k
South Africa
- 1st Place – $20K
- 2nd Place – $10K
- Audience Favorite – $10K
- Impact Award – $10K
Kenya
- 1st Place – $20K
- Audience Favorite – $10K
- Impact Award - $10K
CEMEA (Central Europe, Middle East, and Africa)
Virtual finals livestreamed on TechCrunch- 1st Place – $20K
- Audience Favorite – $10K
- RISK Winner - $25K
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Local application deadlines
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Sunday, May 14, 2023
Finals will be held in person on Wednesday, June 14, 2023.South Africa: Sunday, May 14, 2023
Kenya: Sunday, May 14, 2023
Regional application deadlines
Central Europe, Middle East, and Africa: Monday, May 22, 2023
Asia Pacific: Monday, May 29, 2023
Europe: Monday, June 5, 2023
Latin America and the Caribbean: Monday, June 12, 2023
North America: Monday, June 26, 2023
Global finalists announcement: Monday, August 21, 2023
Global finals: Tuesday, September 19, 2023
TechCrunch Disrupt, Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA
TechCrunch + Visa Everywhere Initiative
Visa has partnered again with TechCrunch, a leading online publisher focused on the tech industry and a mainstay in the global startup ecosystem. The final pitches will be held in person at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco on Sept 19th.
All 5 finalists will be also able to exhibit their company at the TechCrunch Disrupt in a branded pavilion in the Expo Hall.
Win more with Visa Direct
With Visa Direct, you can empower customers to send and receive money to billions of endpoints worldwide,* in any of 160 transaction currencies.
Do you already have a partnership with an acquirer? If so, let us know, as there might be additional opportunities for you. Visit our resource center for more information about how Visa Direct could help you win even more.
*Availability varies by market. Please refer to your Visa representative for more information on availability.
Special edition competitions for U.S. startups
Visa Everywhere Initiative is running three special edition competitions in the U.S. to help support diversity in the startup community.
It’s rewarding to win the regional and global finals
Validation
Winners receive recognition from one of the world’s most valuable brands.
Exposure
The regional finals will be livestreamed on TechCrunch, giving finalists global exposure.
Monetary Prize
Winners at the global finals receive a monetary prize (no equity taken).
2022 Visa Everywhere Initiative winners
Alejandro Vega
Huli is a platform that connects patients, doctors and other healthcare services.
Mriganka Pattnaik
Merkle Science is the next generation predictive Web3 risk & intelligence platform.
Christine De Wendel
sunday is the fastest digital payment for restaurants and the industry’s future.
Ayo Arikawe
ThriveAgric provides small holder farmers access to finance, insight and distribution.
Dan Saunders
Zeti is a fintech enabling pay per use financing of sustainable transport.