On December 12, 2024, the Visa Innovation Program Europe Summit celebrated six years of advancing fintech innovation across Greece, Cyprus, and Malta. The summit brought together fintech leaders, investors, and ecosystem stakeholders to explore emerging trends, celebrate achievements, and foster new partnerships in financial technology.
GCM’s 2024 Milestones:
- 54 applications came from Greece, Cyprus, and Malta.
- 12 startups were shortlisted for Selection Day, and 6 were selected to join the program.
- 42 hours of training, mentoring, workshops, and design sprints were provided to selected startups.
- 71 commercial introductions were facilitated.
- 49 PoC partners were engaged, including major corporations like BBVA, J.P. Morgan, Checkout.com, and Telefonica.
The day began with remarks by Sevdalina Vassileva, GCM General Manager, Adrian Trache, Head of Product for Southern Europe, and Konstantinos Kyranakis, Deputy Minister of Digital Governance of Greece. Eva Ruiz, Visa’s Head of Fintech for Southern Europe, acted as the Master of Ceremony, guiding the audience through the event.
Together, they emphasized the critical role of fintech in driving financial inclusion, efficiency, and innovation across the region. Sevdalina Vassileva emphasized Visa’s commitment to fostering fintech innovation and collaboration across Greece, Cyprus, and Malta. Adrian Trache gave an overview of the evolution of payments, discussing current and future trends, and highlighted how fintechs are driving growth and innovation. Konstantinos Kyranakis underlined the importance of public-private partnerships in supporting digital transformation and enabling fintech advancements, particularly in areas like artificial intelligence and regulatory innovation
The fintech panels spotlighted the journeys of this year’s participants from the Visa Innovation Program Europe, demonstrating how VIPE’s resources—mentorship, workshops, commercial introductions, and Proof-of-Concept opportunities—have been pivotal in accelerating the growth of these companies. Moderated by Visa’s country managers, David Farrugia, Michael Ioannides and Nikos Petrakis, these discussions captured the spirit of innovation that defines the fintech ecosystem.
- Wamo (Yanki Onen) & Andaria (Kevin McAdam): Wamo became a Visa principal member, enabling autonomy in card issuance, and secured $5 million in funding. Andaria benefited from introductions to potential partners and investors, helping scale its embedded finance solutions.
- Zeal (Alexandros Panayides) & Lendox (Cosmin Curticapean): Zeal built a retailer network in Greece and Cyprus and developed a scalable European market strategy. Lendox partnered with major financial institutions and secured investor backing to fuel SME lending innovation.
- BridgerPay (Ran Cohen) & Malloc (Maria Terzi): BridgerPay enhanced its sales strategy and explored technical integrations with potential collaborators. Malloc transitioned into a B2B SaaS model, completing a PoC with Eurobank to enhance cybersecurity in e-banking services. .
The session “Transformative Proofs of Concept in Action”, moderated by Paris Papapaschalis, Senior Manager, Buyer & Seller Solutions at Visa, featured George Panou, Head of Innovation Center at Eurobank, and Maria Terzi, Co-founder and CEO of Malloc. They showcased how POC partnerships evolved into successful implementations, with the Eurobank and Malloc partnership standing out as a key example of VIPE’s tangible impact on the fintech ecosystem.
Celebrating the success of past cohorts, the summit showcased alumni who have transformed their participation into sustained growth and impactful partnerships. Moderated by Melihcan Yucel, Senior Business Development Manager, Fintech at Visa, this session highlighted the journeys of Christos Stefanatos, Managing Partner at EV Loader, and George Chatzigiannakis, Large Accounts & B2B Sales Manager at Cardlink. The discussion celebrated how alumni of the Visa Innovation Program Europe have leveraged its resources to scale their businesses and achieve lasting success.
The “VC Outlook” panel brought together leading investors to discuss strategies for fostering fintech innovation. Moderated by Panagiotis Karampinis, Managing Director of Endeavor Greece, the panel featured partners Daniel Tomov (Eleven Ventures), and Yiannis Eftychiou (33East). They explored how venture capital partnerships can drive impactful growth, offering startups the resources and networks needed to scale effectively.
Meet the Fintechs:
Andaria specializes in providing embedded finance solutions to businesses, unlocking new revenue opportunities.
BridgerPay offers omni-channel payment operations software to help businesses manage revenue and expenses.
Lendox is an alternative lending platform for SMEs seeking to expand their growth by accelerating the analytical capabilities of banks and other lenders.
Malloc is a mobile security startup using artificial intelligence to help individuals, organizations, and businesses protect themselves from spyware and online threats.
Wamo helps SMEs grow by providing a one-stop service that makes financial services affordable and easy.
Zeal enables retailers to identify, categorize, and re-reach their card-paying customers by harnessing the power of personalized e-commerce.
Stay tuned for updates on the next edition of the Visa Innovation Program Europe Summit!