Finalists will be able to pitch their idea to Visa’s Major Clients at an upcoming Visa event this May in Orlando, Florida.
Three Challenges. One big prize pool.
Visa’s Everywhere Initiative is just days away from closing submissions for its third annual challenge in the US.
For startups, there is a lot at stake: the winner will win up to $50,000 and the opportunity to work directly with Visa.
While the prize money is sizeable, previous challenge winners tell Visa it is the validation and resources they received after winning which really helped propel them to the next level.
“It’s difficult for any company—no matter how good the product or service they provide—to rise above the trend and really be able to demonstrate they are the best-in-market solution,” says Pete Borum, co-founder and CEO of Reelio.
“Having the opportunity to work with Visa, one of the best known brands in the world, is really fantastic validation for a startup in an environment that is saturated with startups,” Borum adds.
Challenge organizers understand the difficulties startups face when vying for funding and attention from VCs, which is why Visa offers guidance and support to help winners get to market. Past winners tell Visa the expert mentorship they have walked away with has been instrumental for startups in this competitive VC climate.
“The opportunity to work with Visa has been transformative for our business. Winning has helped validate us with other Fortune 100 companies. We now have a model for integrating Virgil into large, complex global businesses,” says Ronal Mitchell, CEO and Founder, Virgil Inc.
This year, things are getting even more competitive. For startups, the exposure will be once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: Visa’s Everywhere Initiative organizers will give finalists the stage at an upcoming Visa event in Orlando, Florida!
“Visa believes that the future of innovation is about co-creating solutions with our clients and in partnership with all kinds of companies, including startups. We are excited to discover the best of the best startups and find ways to partner with them to create the future of commerce together leveraging the Visa Developer APIs,” said Shiv Singh, Senior Vice President of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, Visa Inc.
Don’t forget there are three challenges; all entries must be submitted by April 6, 2017!
- The Everywhere IoT: How can your company use connected devices to facilitate simpler, more seamless and powerful commerce for consumers?
- The Everywhere API: How can startups leverage Visa APIs to augment their products and ultimately drive more powerful commerce experiences for their consumers or merchants?
- The Everywhere Venue Experience: How can you harness Visa capabilities and other third party services to create transformative commerce experiences at sporting events, transportation hubs or other venues where people congregate?