Article Summary
- Visa Everywhere Initiative is an open innovation program that helps startups like yours unlock new opportunities
- Three monetary prizes will be awarded during the global finals event celebrated on September 19 at the TechCrunch Disrupt event in San Francisco.
- Nearly 12,000 startups have applied to the program — many of which now work with Visa or its clients.
The Visa Everywhere Initiative 2023 is currently accepting applications. This program supports innovative startups like yours and provides a chance to showcase your groundbreaking solutions on a global platform.
The upcoming global competition promises to be even more thrilling than previous years, with the added opportunity for finalists to present their ideas to Visa executives, potential clients, and investors. The TechCrunch Disrupt event will host the global finals, where one winner per region will be chosen. If your startup already has great products in the market and is gaining traction, and you’re seeking a boost from a trusted global brand like Visa to scale up, then apply now.
Prizes
- Three monetary prizes will be awarded during the global finals event celebrated on September 19 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:
- standing demo table or kiosk in the Expo Hall all 3 days
- 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
Eligibility
- To participate, individuals must either own or work for the company and be acting in a commercial or independent professional capacity. They must also be legal residents of an eligible market within their respective region.
- The participant must have reached the age of 18 (or the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence, if higher) at the time of registration.
- Furthermore, Visa employees, officers, and directors, as well as those of its affiliates or designees, are allowed to register for the program, but they are not qualified to participate in any virtual or in-person competitions or receive any awards outlined in the Initiative.
They 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
About Visa Everywhere Initiative
The Visa Everywhere Initiative is a program that fosters open innovation, assisting startups like yours to access new opportunities and providing a worldwide platform to showcase your innovative solutions. Initially launched in the U.S. in 2015, the program expanded rapidly into a global initiative. As of now, approximately 12,000 startups have applied to the program, and several of them now collaborate with Visa or its clients. Applying to the program is the initial step to grab Visa’s attention
