Apply for the Mastercard’s Smart Path Small Business Programme

Start Path Small Business, a new four-month initiative from Mastercard, will bring companies and entrepreneurs together to create and expand solutions that support simple, secure digital experiences for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).

Startups are currently applying to the program to build cutting-edge accounting software, e-commerce solutions, lending platforms, payment technology, digital banking, and other services for SMEs.

Throughout the course of the four-month program, selected entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to utilize Mastercard’s network and SME expertise to develop product alliances, scale their businesses, and power solutions that support safe, secure, and simple experiences.

Requirements

• Innovative solutions– Proven commercial traction and product differentiation. You should already have customers – we’ll help you find more.
• Passionate Team– Experienced, diverse founders with relevant expertise. You’ll be as obsessed about building the future as we are.
• Strategic Fit– Strategic overlap with our innovation objectives, the more the better to find growth
• opportunities within Mastercard.
• Existing Funding– Investment raised (Seed, Series A or later) with at least 6-12 months runway.

Benefits

• Rapid path to scale: Our global network infrastructure and resources support your innovative solutions.
• Dedicated support: A Mastercard insider creates a bespoke pipeline, acting as sounding board and relationship broker.
• Opening doors: Access our product teams, customers, channels, subject-matter experts, and more.
• Strategic investment: Instead of equity we take an option to participate in your next round if a strategic fit is identified. 

Selected firms will show strong alignments with Mastercard’s strategy for empowering business owners with digital payment solutions, data insights, and the resources they need to operate more safely and profitably.

The submission cutoff date is April 30, 2023.

Visit the website to apply or for additional information.