Mastercard Lighthouse presents the participating companies of the Spring Class 2024
March 14, 2024 | STOCKHOLM, SWEDENToday, the leading partnership program Mastercard Lighthouse unveils its spring 2024 class for its partnership programs FINITIV and MASSIV.
Lighthouse FINITIV
The Mastercard Lighthouse FINITIV program has launched its 12th round with 15 outstanding fintech and fintech-enabler startups.
This fall, the partnership program will focus on Denmark, Norway and the Baltics, with an ambition to stimulate and contribute to the already active and growing startup scene in these countries. Focus areas in the upcoming program include financial inclusion, payments, market intelligence, security, open banking, and digital receipts.
Mastercard Lighthouse is committed to supporting innovation and partnerships both vertically – with investors, banks and other corporate partners, and horizontally - among the startups and early scaleups that participate in the program.
Meet the Mastercard Lighthouse FINITIV Spring Class of 2024:
Denmark
- Advisoa APS is the world’s first digital payment expert, bringing payments closer to ecom stores, enabling growth, automations and control.
- Avallone is a 360° KYC Solution - combining best-in-class Software that collects KYC, responds to Bank KYC, manages legal entity data, and more - with offerings for Managed Services and Advisory Services.
- Januar delivers IBAN payment accounts, crypto custody infrastructure, and fiat to crypto trading through a single, regulated B2B platform.
- Keyhole creates a flexible, secure, and modern rental experience by replacing the traditional cash deposits with guarantees and financial solutions in a digital universe.
- Moneyflow has a data-driven intelligent finance platform helping SMEs access liquidity with best-of-breed embedded UX.
Norway
- Crowdworks is building a global unlisted ecosystem fuelled by live data, aiming to increase visibility and startup success rates.
- At Eedenbull they specialize in innovative digital payment management solutions for commercial card issuers and their customers, leveraging AI-powered platforms to streamline card & spend management.
- FundingPartner is a loan platform connecting small and medium sized companies with investors.
- Optius.app unlocks the potential of consumer receipts, delivering impactful insights for consumers and businesses.
- Receipts is a B2B Software company delivering true digital receipt data and universal payment keys with a transaction-based revenue and licensing model.
Baltics
- Bonusukarte is the ultimate employee incentive solution. With personalized spending filters, use bonuses seamlessly across the world 24/7.
- inGain enables lenders and businesses in non-finance industries to launch and scale any lending and financial products in weeks, without the hassle of IT management, using its no-code SaaS loan management system.
- JO1N Shopping Card equips Neo-Banks with a turnkey solution for multi-lender financing in-app.
- Jool Pay is a FinTech-driven mobile platform that leverages QR-based invoicing technology, empowering customer-facing users to seamlessly receive payments, tips, and donations through an efficient QR-code system.
- Vespia is an AI-driven business verification (KYB) and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance platform. It helps financial institutions stay compliant with regulations and onboard customers 90% faster.
“The energy and innovation that the fintechs and fintech enablers joining the Spring Class of Mastercard Lighthouse FINITIV are bringing to the table is staggering. It was a very tough decision to select the 15 companies among all the applicants, but we are very excited to start working with some of the most promising fintechs and fintech-enablers in the region this spring. Through Mastercard Lighthouse FINITIV we are committed to facilitating partnerships and collaborating with these companies to bring new, secure, and innovative payment solutions to consumers, merchants, banks and businesses. This is what Mastercard Lighthouse is all about”, says Mats Taraldsson, Head of Innovation, Fintech and Impact Tech Engagement at Mastercard Nordics and Baltics
During the spring program round, admitted program participants will be able to present their solutions and discuss possible collaboration areas with Mastercard, Danske Bank, Swedbank, SEB, and DNB in a 1 on 1 setting during a series of events and workshops. The program participants will also be introduced to relevant investors from the Mastercard Lighthouse’s Investor Circle, made up of 100+ investors across Europe, the UK and North America.
Additionally, the companies will meet growth advisors such as AWS, Fintech Mundi and Invenio Growth. Moreover, the program facilitates meetings with various Mastercard stakeholders, including Marketing and Communication teams for guidance in making their story and messaging clear and enticing, as well as to optimize media exposure during and after the program.
Lighthouse MASSIV
Lighthouse MASSIV, Mastercard’s impact tech partnership program dedicated to supporting Mastercard's goal to help one billion people live more prosperous and secure lives by 2025, is pleased to announce its 2024 spring class.
This year’s spring class is made up of two companies focusing on sustainability, and three focusing on social impact globally, all founded in the Nordics & Baltics from Norway, Estonia and Sweden.
Meet the Mastercard Lighthouse MASSIV spring class of 2024:
- Carbon Centrum is empowering individuals with automated creation of their carbon footprint, just like a fitness App. Through CarbonIDs, users gain insights, join challenges, earn actual additional income, and make eco-conscious choices effortlessly.
- FUZED blends gaming with physical activity and exercise, helping young gamers build healthier habits around what they love, and encouraging kids do what they naturally do best – get active. FUZED is a free, inclusive platform for all, driving digital innovation, community, and contributing to sustainable, equitable urban development.
- Leja, a French-Kenyan fintech company, originally founded in Sweden through Norrsken Impact accelerator and backed by Swedish Investors, is dedicated to unlocking growth opportunities for African MSMEs by enhancing the accessibility and affordability of financial services.
- PANTER offers a digital platform for managing reusable packaging in the takeaway sector for businesses selling food and beverages. The platform allows customers to borrow reusable packaging instead of disposable containers, which is both environmentally friendly and cost-effective.
- Vistalworks has created data intelligence products to help law enforcement agencies, online marketplaces, and regulated businesses keep ahead of illegal trade. With innovative technology, Vistalworks is helping to empower communities, safeguard prosperity, and advance global security.
As part of the Mastercard Lighthouse MASSIV program, startups receive feedback and support from UNDP, Swedbank, Danske Bank, Synch and individual advisory board members with diverse and impressive backgrounds from investment firms like VNTRS, First Fellow Partners and SKARP. These board members represent sustainability experts, investors, and executives, each with their own global network.
“Working with the impressive startups in the Mastercard Lighthouse program, I firmly believe that innovation and a commercial focus are critical for creating truly sustainable impact. By fostering groundbreaking ideas and aligning them with viable business models, we can drive positive change that lasts beyond short-term initiatives. Our commitment to innovation ensures that we not only address immediate challenges but also pave the way for long-lasting solutions that benefit society, the environment, and future generations”, says Kristaps Prusis, Founding Partner VNTRS.
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About Mastercard Lighthouse FINITIV
Mastercard Lighthouse FINITIV is an open innovation platform designed to strengthen the financial services ecosystem. The Program is designed to catalyse symbiotic partnerships between fintechs, fintech-enablers, Mastercard, Nordic and Baltic Banks, Tech Partners and Program Advisors. For candidates selected into the Program, Mastercard covers the program fee, without asking for equity in return. It is a partnership platform that does not dilute equity, nor does it require a significant time investment on the side of the program participants. Twice a year, the 3-month long program creates the right conditions for establishing and deepening partnerships by pairing the energy and innovation capacity of fintechs and fintech-enablers with the stability, resources, distribution capacity and guidance of our program partners. Read more about Mastercard Lighthouse at www.mclighthouse.com
About Mastercard Lighthouse MASSIV
Mastercard Lighthouse MASSIV is an open innovation platform designed to make and scale social impact and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals with the format of long-term partnerships. By providing teams with competitive incentives and preferential access to partner resources, Mastercard Lighthouse MASSIV aims to foster partnerships that will enrich the lives of one billion people by 2025. Mastercard Lighthouse MASSIV is designed as a three-stage program. The companies meet with our advisory board, a hand-picked group of executives and partnership experts from around the world, who aim to bring a specific partnership to life. Each partnership proposal receives input from global experts in legal, design, and technology before reporting the results of their partnership endeavors back to the advisory board. The winner of the program is the team that demonstrates the potential to impact the most people via partnership. Read more about Lighthouse MASSIV here: www.mclighthouse.com/massiv
About Mastercard (NYSE: MA)
Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re building a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.