Mastercard Start Path Global Startups Forecast a Fintech Future

AMMAN, Jordan - April 16, 2017 - PRLog -- Today, Mastercard announced opening door for startups applications to Start Path Global (https://www.startpath.com/) program – the company's global initiative to support innovative later-stage startups who are reshaping the future of commerce.

The program is open to startups across all regions who are rethinking banking and payments and have raised a significant seed or Series A round of investment.

"Fintech startups are bringing disruptive ideas to market that are making payments and banking faster and more efficient, leading to better experiences for customers. With their almost single-minded focus on innovation, combined with a customer-centric approach to business, these startups are redefining the way in which consumers carry out day-to-day transactions," said Basel Eltell, General Manager, Saudi Arabia and Levant Cluster, Mastercard. "The Start Path program has seen great success in the MEA region since it was first launched in 2014, and our objective behind this initiative is to provide promising startups in the region with the support and resources they need to build on their success and continue reshaping the future of commerce."

Among the startups joining Start Path's 2017 spring wave, a few are focused on artificial intelligence (AI (http://newsroom.mastercard.com/press-releases/consumers-v...)), using it to analyze consumer behavior, enhance in-store or in-branch customer engagement, and compute bill and payment data, driving a variety of retail innovations, while others have developed solutions that extend retail access to consumers through point of sale innovations. Of the startups based in Middle East and Africa, NetPlusDotCom (http://netplusdotcom.com/) enables retailers to transition from 'bricks' to 'clicks' and support their customers with digital payments capabilities.