Deadline: 10 June, 2021
Women’s World Banking has announced a call for participation in the 2021 Fintech Innovation Challenge.
The challenge, in its third year, provides a global stage to highlight Fintech innovations serving unbanked and underserved women in order to build their security and prosperity in the face of global inequalities.
Despite years of progress in advancing financial inclusion, nearly a billion women around the world still remain excluded from formal financial services, and there is a persistent nine percent gender gap across emerging markets.
Moreover, the economic toll of Covid-19 has fallen disproportionately on women, exposing their particular vulnerability to global shocks.
While the pandemic has accelerated the digitisation of financial services, low-income women remain at risk of being left behind given the unique barriers they face to adoption and usage of digital financial services.
Benefits
- Customised UX design guidance session furnished by Visa Inc
- Exclusive pitch meeting and feedback session with Women’s World Banking asset management team
- Leadership coaching and feedback sessions with one of Women’s World Banking’s executive coaches
- Guaranteed spot as a featured speaker at a Making Finance Work for Women 2022 event
Eligibility
- Open to startup fintechs based anywhere that are leveraging technology to provide financial services for unbanked and underserved women in emerging markets
- Fintechs should also demonstrate a commitment to developing women leaders through the presence of women in their senior management team and board of directors
- Solutions should focus on building women’s security or prosperity, particularly in supporting resilience and recovery from global economic shocks
- Applicants can be pre-revenue but must demonstrate a viable value proposition to reach unbanked and underserved women
To enter and for more information, click here.
Photo source: WOCinTech Chat