Innovating Finance: Highlights from the Visa Innovation Program Europe Italy Edition Kickoff

Visa Innovation Program Europe announced the fintechs selected for the 2024 edition in Italy. In the dynamic world of financial technology, the Visa Innovation Program Europe stands out as a lighthouse of innovation and collaboration. The program in collaboration with Hackquarters by Tenity, and Fintech District in Italy, serves as a dynamic partnership platform connecting fintech companies and Visa clients throughout Southern Europe. This program empowers fintechs to address the evolving payment and commerce challenges, elevate their product offerings, and deliver groundbreaking solutions within Visa’s extensive network of partners. The Kick-Off Event provided a platform for the selected fintechs of the 2024 Visa Innovation Program Europe Italy Edition to showcase their innovative solutions.

The significance of the Italy Edition Kickoff extends beyond the day's activities. It symbolizes a growing partnership platform for fintech companies and Visa clients across Southern Europe, providing a fertile ground for innovation and collaboration. By bringing together fintech founders, partners, and corporate executives, the program aims to address the pressing challenges of the future of payment and commerce, empowering fintech companies to enhance their product offerings and deliver visionary solutions. As part of a rapidly expanding global ecosystem, participating fintechs are given the golden opportunity to connect, collaborate, and contribute to the evolution of the financial landscape, making the Italy Edition Kickoff a cornerstone event for the region's fintech community.

Highlights from the Kickoff Event

On the 8th of April, 2024, the Visa Innovation Program Europe Italy Edition celebrated its kickoff at the dynamic at the innovative Copernico Isola for S32, marking the beginning of an exciting journey for the selected fintechs.

The day started with a warm, welcoming speech by Filippo Manca from Visa. His address was a formality and a powerful declaration of Visa's commitment to fostering a strong, innovative fintech ecosystem in Italy and across Southern Europe. He emphasized the significance of the Visa Innovation Program Europe as a catalyst for change, driving the future of financial services through partnership and innovation.

Manca's address was followed by an insightful overview of the Visa Innovation Program Europe (VIPE) agenda and process, presented by Kaan Akın of Hackquarters by Tenity. This session gave the attendees a clear understanding of the program's objectives, the support fintechs could expect, and the milestones they were set to achieve. It underscored the program's role in bridging the gap between fintech startups and the vast network of Visa's partners and clients, highlighting the opportunities for growth and expansion.

The morning's presentations paved the way for the heart of the event: the "Meet the Startups" session, where selected fintechs were given the stage to pitch their innovative solutions. Osense captivated the audience with its intelligent impact platform aimed at reducing carbon footprints through AI for automated data management. Leasy followed, presenting its solution that streamlines financial operations for property managers. Unipiazza introduced its loyalty platform designed to boost local business customer retention, while Wallife shared its mission to protect individuals from risks associated with technological advancements. Viceversa rounded off the presentations by showcasing its platform that offers equity-free investments and predictive analytics to support business growth.

Each presentation demonstrated the potential of these startups to disrupt and innovate within the financial sector and underscored the diversity of challenges that the program aims to address through its support and resources.

Onboarding Flow

The afternoon was dedicated to the onboarding flow, beginning with a comprehensive presentation by Sabina Babayeva from Hackquarters by Tenity. She outlined the program process in detail, introducing the program managers and setting the expectations for the participating startups. This session provided a clear roadmap for the fintechs, detailing the support structures, milestones, and objectives that would guide their journey in the program.

Subsequently, the "Meet the Visa Team" segment allowed startups to engage directly with key Visa personnel across various departments, including VCS, VD, MSA, SALES, VCA, and Product. This meet-and-greet was an invaluable part of the onboarding process, enabling startups to understand how they could leverage Visa's vast network and resources to scale their solutions.

Deep Dive Sessions

The day concluded with deep dive sessions, where startups could discuss their solutions in greater detail with Visa experts and receive targeted feedback and advice. These sessions provided a unique platform for in-depth discussions on each startup's technology, business model, and market strategy, offering insights into how they could align their innovations with market needs and Visa's strategic priorities.

This year, the Visa Innovation Program Europe received an impressive 274 applications, with 114 from Italy. After a rigorous selection process, we're excited to announce 5 fintechs selected for the program.

‍

Let's take a closer look at each of these pioneering fintechs:

‍

Osense: is an Intelligent Impact Platform that collects reliable data and reduces the carbon footprint along the entire value chain. Their solution leverages AI for automated data management, allowing companies to measure and track emissions comprehensively and accurately.

Leasy: is a vertical b2b SaaS solution that streamlines financial processes, accounting tasks, and payments for property operators managing 1000 or fewer rentable units.

Unipiazza: is an automated Loyalty Platform that help local businesses to bring back customers more often into their stores.

Wallife: makes digital payments secure and insured to protect individuals from emerging risks arising from technological innovation and scientific progress.

Viceversa: is a leading European growth platform for the next generation of businesses. Leveraging data and AI we provide equity-free investments and predictive analytics

We invite you to dive deeper into the world of fintech innovation and discover the myriad ways you can become part of this exciting journey. Whether you're a startup founder, a financial services professional, or simply an enthusiast for cutting-edge technology and its applications in finance, the Visa Innovation Program offers numerous avenues for involvement and collaboration.

Learn More: For those eager to understand the intricacies of the program and the innovative solutions brought forth by this year's selected fintechs, we encourage you to visit the Visa Innovation Program Europe website. Here, you'll find detailed information on the program's objectives, benefits, and the diverse range of fintech innovations it supports.

Become Part of the Family: If you're inspired by the possibilities and ready to take your fintech solution to the next level, consider applying to be part of the next cohort of the Visa Innovation Program Europe. Keep an eye on the program's website and social media channels for application deadlines and criteria announcements.

‍