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20 Nordic and Baltic fintech companies join Mastercard’s growth program

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3 months ago

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A young entrepreneur pitching with a whiteboard
The program has launched its 11th round with 15 outstanding fintech and fintech-enabler startups.

A program designed to catalyse symbiotic partnerships between fintechs, fintech-enablers, Mastercard, Nordic and Baltic Banks, Tech Partners and Program Advisors has unveiled its Fall 2023 class.

Mastercard Lighthouse FINITIV is an open innovation platform designed to strengthen the financial services ecosystem. The program has launched its 11th round with 15 outstanding fintech and fintech-enabler startups.

This fall, the partnership program will focus on Sweden, Finland, and Lithuania, with an ambition to stimulate and contribute to the already active and growing startup scene is these countries. Focus areas in the upcoming program include financial literacy, ecommerce payments, blockchain payments, fraud prevention and personal finance management to name a few.

Meet the Lighthouse FINTIV Fall Class of 2023:

Sweden

  • Waya Finance & Technology is a cloud based, end-to-end invoice management platform. Digitally managed with no manual processes at a fraction of the cost of a legacy system configuration.
  • Kwikk helps companies build D2C channels (Direct to Consumers) and start selling online, as easy as copy-and-paste.
  • Bits Technology designs dynamic onboarding flows and prevents fraud by using multiple data sources for your identity needs.
  • Vaulter is a payment solution that increases trust between sellers and buyers by holding the funds until delivery.
  • Tjing The Wallet is a digital wallet for kids that stimulates financial literacy by making money and finances genuinely fun.

Lithuania

  • Fideum is a financial aggregator to help retail and institutional clients-control and manage all assets in one platform.
  • DappRadar is helping users make informed decisions about blockchain-based gaming, NFTs, DeFi services, and metaverse collectibles.
  • Torus is a SaaS intelligence platform empowering card payment providers to improve their profits.
  • Spenfi is a comprehensive spending management software simplifying financial management.
  • Fundvest is a solution for your long-term financial wealth.

Finland

  • Starcart solves the online shopping problem: how to buy things easily and cheaply. It’s the Booking(dot)com of e-commerce.
  • Narvi Payments is a Banking as a Service focused on mid-size growth companies.
  • PayUp is a mobile application for managing and paying one’s bills.
  • CHAOS is an AI-driven search platform that provides business forecasts and insights.
  • Booksalon is licensed Payment Facilitator and a PSP and provides salon software as a service provider for hair, beauty and wellness.

“The energy and innovation that these fintechs and fintech enablers are bringing to the table is staggering. It was a tough decision to select the 15 companies among all the applicants, but we are very excited to start working together with some of the most promising fintechs and fintech-enablers in the region this fall. Through Mastercard Lighthouse FINITIV we are committed to facilitating partnerships and collaborating with these companies to bring new, secure, and innovative payment solutions to consumers, merchants, banks, and businesses. This is what Mastercard Lighthouse is all about,” says Mats Taraldsson, Head of Innovation, Fintech, and Impact Tech Engagement at Mastercard Nordics and Baltics.

Admitted program participants will be able to present their solutions and discuss possible collaboration areas with Mastercard, SEB, Swedbank and OP Group in a 1 on 1 setting during a series of events and workshops. During the program, the program participants will also be introduced to relevant investors from the Mastercard Lighthouse’s Investor Circle, counting 100+ investors covering Europe, the UK, and North America. Additionally, the companies will meet growth advisors such as AWS, Fintech Mundi, and Invenio Growth. Moreover, the program facilitates meetings with various Mastercard stakeholders, including Marketing and Communication teams for guidance in making their story and messaging clear and enticing, as well as to optimize media exposure during and after the program.

Lighthouse MASSIV

Five sustainability- and social impact- focused startups from Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Estonia have been selected for the Lighthouse MASSIV program, Mastercard’s impact tech partnership program dedicated to helping one billion people live more prosperous and secure lives by 2025. Mastercard Lighthouse MASSIV will focus on helping impact tech companies achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals through partnership.

Meet the Lighthouse MASSIV Fall class of 2023:

  • 7Analytics is Norwegian clima-tech startup that uses hydrology, geology, and data science to develop high-precision risk tools that help everyone from infrastructure owners to architects’ plan for imminent and future impacts of climate change.
  • Tespack is a pioneering company specialized in creating smart mobile micro grids for challenging markets. Thanks to advanced software, deep learning, and proprietary hardware, Tespack brings reliable and sustainable energy infrastructure to remote locations.
  • Arbonics is a tech-based carbon and ecosystem platform for forest and landowners in Europe. Arbonics partners with landowners to access new revenue streams by helping them quantify, monitor, and sell the environmental benefits, such as carbon and biodiversity, of their land.
  • Openframe is an effective management tool for construction and buildings in use. Openframe makes sustainability requirements operational, streamlines the process, and reduces manual tasks.
  • Responsibly helps businesses to manage and improve sustainability in their supply chains. With its AI enabled sustainability due diligence engine, Responsibly collects and analyses data from suppliers holistically across social and environmental factors.

“We are well underway with our vision of helping one billion people live more prosperous and secure lives by 2025. This fall we selected five qualified companies that are at the forefront of sustainability and social impact and impact both people and planet. Mastercard can help provide impact tech startups with the network to scale beyond their markets and supports the companies in realizing their impact faster through partnerships” says Mats Taraldsson, Head of Innovation, Fintech and Impact Tech Engagement, Mastercard Nordics and Baltics.

As part of the Mastercard Lighthouse MASSIV program, startups receive feedback and support from UNDP, Swedbank, Danske Bank, Synch, and individual advisory board members with diverse and impressive backgrounds from investment firms like VNTRS, First Fellow Partners and SKARP.

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The Häagen-Dazs Rose Project announces 50 nominees

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6 days ago

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November 24, 2023

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Kim Rihal, founder of social enterprise Equal Education, is one of the 50 women shortlisted for The Häagen-Dazs Rose Project
Kim Rihal, founder of social enterprise Equal Education, is one of the 50 women shortlisted for The Häagen-Dazs Rose Project

Earlier this year, on International Women’s Day 2023, Häagen-Dazs launched ‘The Rose Project’, a global initiative with a $100,000 (USD) bursary grant inviting nominations to recognise unsung trailblazing women in honour of the brand’s female co-founder Rose Mattus. Yesterday, 23 November, on what would have been Rose Mattus’ birthday, Häagen-Dazs announced the top 50 #WomenWhoDontHoldBack nominees being shortlisted for their achievements and its five globally accomplished Häagen-Dazs Rose Project judges.

Over 2,500 applications were received for The Häagen-Dazs Rose Project putting forward pioneering efforts and societal contributions made by women across the globe. From these, 50 talented and inspirational women have been shortlisted and will be put forward to win one of five monetary grants of $20,000 (USD), which will be announced on International Women’s Day 2024, to continue their exceptional work, unleash their potential or give to a cause they are passionate about. The top 50 shortlist includes women from 17 countries hailing from across Europe, Asia, Africa & Middle East, Australia and the Americas.

The all-female judging panel from across the world has been handpicked for the final selection stage of The Häagen-Dazs Rose Project includes. UK-based author, broadcaster and philanthropist Katie Piper, fashion entrepreneur and advocate for women’s fertility issues, Velda Tan from Singapore and Spanish entrepreneur and creative director Inés Arroyo, are amongst the judges.

“International Women’s Day 2023 marked the launch of The Häagen-Dazs Rose Project to honour the legacy of our co-founder, Rose Mattus, and create a fund platform to provide opportunities to women across all fields around the world who are truly deserving of support and recognition. We were thrilled to receive thousands of nominations across countries and our #WomenWhoDontHoldBack Top 50 shortlist is a compelling and diverse mosaic of trailblazing female narratives that moved us and serve as an inspiration to women everywhere”, says Aurélie Lory, Häagen-Dazs spokesperson.

To find out more about the story of each entrepreneur shortlisted for The Häagen-Dazs Rose Project, visit: https://iwd.haagen-dazs.global/en/.

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47% of women feel their workplace is not combatting inequality

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2 weeks ago

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November 14, 2023

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Katherine Maher, CEO, Web Summit, on Centre Stage during day one of Web Summit 2023 at the Altice Arena in Lisbon, Portugal
Katherine Maher, CEO, Web Summit, on Centre Stage during day one of Web Summit 2023 | Photo: Eóin Noonan/Web Summit

The proportion of women who feel that their workplace is not taking appropriate measures to combat gender inequality has nearly doubled in a year, a new survey has revealed.

Web Summit, the world’s largest technology event taking place in Lisbon this week, has released its third annual State of Gender Equity in Tech report, which is based on a survey distributed among its women in tech community.

76.1 percent of respondents feel empowered to pursue and/or hold a leadership position; fewer respondents (41.8 %) feel the need to choose between family and career when compared to 2022 (50.4 %); and there is at least one woman in a senior management position in 80.4 percent of respondents’ companies, a similar proportion to last year (81.3%).

The survey found that 70.5 percent of respondents feel pressure to prove their worth compared to male counterparts, while 77.2 percent feel they need to work harder to prove themselves because of their gender.

Over three quarters of respondents (76.1 %) feel empowered to pursue and/or hold a leadership position. And almost half of respondents think that their workplace is not taking appropriate measures to combat gender inequality, increasing from 26 percent in 2022 to 47
percent in 2023.

“While it is encouraging to see progress in some areas, such as those feeling the need to choose between their family and career, there are also some deeply concerning trends within this report. Seeing an increase in those who report having experienced sexism in the workplace in the last year is disheartening in 2023. We hope that this kind of research can breed some positives, and that it will push workplaces – and women within these workplaces – to broach these topics and make progress in these areas,” said Carolyn Quinlan, VP of community at Web Summit.

Last year, 42 percent of attendees at Web Summit were women and 33 percent of speakers were women. In 2023 these numbers have slightly improved with 43 percent of attendees and 38 percent of speakers on stage being women this year.

The women in tech programme at this year’s Web Summit is at capacity, and the women in tech programme at Web Summit Rio 2023 reached capacity in record time.

The WebSummit 2023 is running from November 13th to 16th in Lisbon, Portugal.

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Krispy Kreme to give away free donuts on World Kindness Day

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2 weeks ago

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November 13, 2023

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A box of Krispy Kreme donuts opened and with donuts inside
The company, founded in 1937, is giving away 60,000 free doughnuts around the world today | Photo: Clément Proust

American multinational doughnut company and coffeehouse chain, Krispy Kreme, is celebrating “World Kindness Day” today by distributing free donuts in the US and the UK.

The chain is giving away a box of a dozen glazed donuts for free with no purchase necessary. But only the first 500 guests that visit each participating Krispy Kreme US stores on “World Kindness Day”, Monday November 13th, will be able to get a free box of donuts.

Krispy Kreme often gives away free or discounted donuts to generate buzz on special occasions. The company, founded in 1937, traditionally gives out free donuts to customers on National Donut Day, celebrated on the first Friday of June of each year. And in July, a dozen of glazed donuts were sold for 86 cents to celebrate its 86th birthday.

Thousands of free donuts are also expected to be given away today across Krispy Kreme stores in the United Kingdom, with customers being encouraged to ask for the World Kindness Day offer. No purchase necessary.

The company, which operates in over 30 countries around the world, said it wants the brand associated with World Kindness Day to make “meaningful connections” with customers.

“World Kindness Day is an opportunity to make a positive difference by being generous,” Dave Skena, Krispy Kreme’s global chief brand officer, said in a release. “Simple gestures of caring and thanks, including sharing a sweet treat, is a great way to do that.”

Krispy Kreme said that it’s considering expanding a limited partnership it has with McDonald’s to sell more of its donuts at the latter’s location.

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