Mastercard AIs up future with start-ups
Mastercard has welcomed five new start-ups to its Start Path Global programme – its initiative to boost its share of the commerce market.
The programme is open to all start-ups who focus on banking and payments and have raised a “significant seed” or Series A round of investment.
Three out of the five firms joining Start Path’s 2017 spring wave are focused on artificial intelligence (AI).
Regalii, a personal finance provider, works with more than 30 banks and fintech apps to let users pay their bills in the US and Latin America. Fluid AI combines AI and augmented reality to help banks and retailers offers services in branches and stores. While, NetPlusDotCom offers retailers digital payments capabilities.
London-based Divido provides retailers and lenders with an omni-channel platform that allows consumers to pay in installments. Endor, from Tel Aviv, is the first intelligence software platform that lets business users ask predictive questions and get results in any domain.
Since 2014, Mastercard says its Start Path team has received interest from more than 5,000 start-ups leading to working with 100 companies across 24 countries. Through the first four classes, 20% of the participants have worked with Mastercard in commercial engagements or pilots.
Mastercard has also opened the application period for its 2017 Start Path summer class, to be comprised of later stage start-ups.
Applications for the six-month virtual programme are accepted on a rolling basis and more information can be found here. Applications will close on 23 April 2017.
