HONG KONG, Dec. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 24 startups from around the world will be competing for the chance to win a cash prize of US$10,000 at Fintech Finals 2018 in Hong Kong on 30-31 January, 2018.
Fintech Finals 2018 is run by Next Money and brought to you by Visa with support from Gold Sponsor, Senjō Group. They are being held as part of the StartmeupHK Festival, organised by InvestHK to celebrate and showcase the startup ecosystem.
Each startup will have just four minutes to pitch their business in front of a live audience to a panel of judges drawn from across the fintech community. As well as the Best in Show prize, awards will be made for the best performer in the following categories: Best Early Stage Startup, Best Growth Stage Startup and Best Mature Stage Startup.
Six of the startups were winners of regional Semi-Final competitions that took place in fintech centres across Asia and Latin America. Each semi-final winner received US$2,000 for travel expenses alongside a place in January's Fintech Finals. There were also 3 wildcards awarded to stand-out semi-finalists who will be taking up a bonus place at the Finals.
In addition to the cash prize, the Best in Show winner will receive an exclusive invitation to Visa's Innovation Center in Singapore where they will get to explore and create ideas and opportunities with a team of Visa subject matter experts.
Rob Findlay, Next Money's founder, commented, "The third edition of Fintech Finals looks set to be bigger than ever before. We've seen some of the brightest startups pitch to us around the world and are now bringing the best to Hong Kong to battle it out on stage."
Caroline Ada, Country Manager of Visa Hong Kong and Macau, said, "Innovation is at the core of what we do, which is why we're proud to be supporting the startup community through Fintech Finals 2018. This is a great way to highlight the innovation and creativity that are helping the financial industry serve its customers better."
The complete list of finalists who will be competing at Fintech Finals 2018 in Hong Kong is:
| Ablepay (NOR) |
Identitii (AUS) |
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| AgUnity (SGP) |
Jumper (SGP) |
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| Baasis (SGP) |
Lattice Limited (HKG) |
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| Beehive (UAE) |
NoPassword (USA) |
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| BluePool (HKG) |
PortFolioQuest (SGP) |
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| Bluzelle (SGP) |
Sales Arm (UAE) |
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| Caulis (JPN) |
Scalend (SGP) |
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| Checkbox (AUS) |
SearchInk (HKG) |
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| Chekk (HKG) |
Sherlock Garden (ISR) |
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| Fingopay (GBR) |
Smarttbot (BRA) |
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| Fundaztic (MYS) |
TradeLedger (AUS) |
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| Future Flow (GBR) |
Xencio (CHN) |
To find out more about Fintech Finals 2018 and purchase tickets, go to ff18.nextmoney.org.
About Next Money
Next Money, co-founded by Rob Findlay, is a global fintech community that fosters the reinvention of finance through design, innovation and entrepreneurship. Next Money brings together peers from across disciplines including start-ups, banking, technology and design. Through meet-ups and events, hosting speakers and panellists, members come together to discuss, learn and discover new ways to transform the finance industry for the better. Originating in Singapore, Next Money has grown over the past four years into a global brand represented by city chapters of like-minded people all over the world and continues to expand. Learn more about Next Money and the Fintech Finals 2018 at ff18.nextmoney.org/.
About Visa Inc.
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world's leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network - enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company's relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device, and a driving force behind the dream of a cashless future for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit usa.visa.com/aboutvisa, visacorporate.tumblr.com and @VisaNews.
About Invest Hong Kong
InvestHK is the department of the HKSAR Government established in 2000 to attract foreign direct investment and support overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services to help businesses succeed in Hong Kong's vibrant economy. For more information, please visit www.investhk.gov.hk.
About StartmeupHK Festival
Hong Kong's startup ecosystem has witnessed phenomenal growth over the past few years and the city is consistently ranked as one of the fastest growing startup hubs in the world. To celebrate and showcase the startup ecosystem, InvestHK is organising its 2018 StartmeupHK Festival running from 29 January to 2 February. Delving into the future of entrepreneurship and disruptive innovation, the week will feature keynotes, interactive how-to-sessions, hackathons, powerful lessons from seasoned founders and investors in sectors such as fintech, digital health, smart city technologies, IOT, retail innovation plus much more. For more information, please visit www.startmeup.hk.
