60 companies will compete in four regional showcases for the chance to take their business ideas to the next level.
Brussels, 19 March 2015 - Innotribe announces today it has selected 60 companies, out of the 370 early-stage and growth-stage startup applicants, to participate in the 2015 Startup Challenge. Working in close collaboration with Innotribe, over 500 judges from across the financial, technology, and investment communities evaluated all 370 applications, assessing the startups' ability to provide an important innovation in the future of the financial industry and ultimately narrowing the selection process to this year's 60 semi-finalists. These companies will now get the opportunity to pitch their new products during the regional showcases in London (22 April), Cape Town (6 May), Singapore (28 May) and New York (18 June).
"For the second consecutive year, we are thrilled with the record number and calibre of the startups applying to our programme." says Fabian Vandenreydt, Head of Markets Management, Innotribe and the Swift Institute at Swift. "The regional showcases represent a unique platform for discussion, debate, and high-level networking for our community and are a great opportunity for the startups to meet face to face with potential investors, partners and customers. We are excited to start this year's journey and look forward to seeing the startups pitch their innovative products with determination during the regional showcases."
As a part of the programme, each semi-finalist will receive complimentary coaching sessions with seasoned entrepreneurs to give them advice ahead of the formal pitches to a select audience of judges from across the financial services industry.
"What really sets the Innotribe programme apart is the coaching we give the startups in how to engage the more established financial services providers." said Mike Sigal, Lead Coach since the inception of the Startup Challenge in 2011. "There's a chasm between how startups and banks practice innovation, and helping our startups understand how to communicate their value propositions to Swift's community helps banks quickly evaluate new technologies and models, and helps our startups identify appropriate partners and investors."
A hand-picked audience of financial services experts, angel investors, venture capitalists, and global bank decision-makers will attend the different showcases and vote for the top five companies of their choice. Across the four showcases, the audience will select 20 companies to participate as finalists in the Innotribe Startup Challenge Grand Finale, which will be held on 14 October 2015 at Sibos in Singapore.
Please click here to view the names of the 60 semi-finalists participating in the 2015 Startup Challenge. Companies are listed in alphabetical order and by showcase.
To register for any of the four regional showcases or for more information about the Startup Challenge, please visit our website.
About Innotribe
Launched in 2009, Swift Innotribe is about innovation and connecting people, networks and ideas. We bring together global innovators and investors, strategists, and influential decision-makers from leading financial institutions across the globe, providing them early insights into innovations that could disrupt current business models and create new opportunities for new ones. Through the Startup Challenge competition, we bridge the gap between the startup ecosystem and the financial service community.
For more information, please visit http://www.innotribe.com/ or follow us on Twitter: @innotribe and Linkedin: Innotribe.
About Swift
Swift is a member-owned cooperative that provides the communications platform, products and services to connect more than 10,800 banking organisations, securities institutions and corporate customers in more than 200 countries and territories. Swift enables its users to exchange automated, standardised financial information securely and reliably, thereby lowering costs, reducing operational risk and eliminating operational inefficiencies. Swift also brings the financial community together to work collaboratively to shape market practice, define standards and debate issues of mutual interest.
For more information, visit http://www.swift.com/ or follow us on Twitter: @swiftcommunity and LinkedIn: Swift.
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