Mastercard launched its Strive EU Innovation Fund on January 23, making €4.5 million available in
grants for startups and innovative companies who are actively working on digital and data-first
solutions for small businesses. Applications are open until March 11, 12 noon Central European
Time.
Up to twenty winners, based and operating in the EU, have the opportunity to receive an equity-
free grant up to €500,000, given their solutions can support European small businesses with fewer
than 10 employees to:
- Unlock working capital and credit through embedded finance.
- Go digital safely by bolstering cybersecurity.
- Navigate evolving consumer preferences and regulatory expectations around environmental
- sustainability.
- Harness artificial intelligence (AI) to save time and make more money.
- Empowering European small businesses with digital solutions
- Solutions must be at least at the product definition stage.
Winners will then have the opportunity to test and validate their solutions over a period of 12-18 months.The selection of winners will be based on the significance and innovativeness of the solution along with the impact it can achieve with the grant; the applicability and transferability of the solution and the learnings and insights it generates; scalability and financial viability beyond the grant period
and other criteria outlined on the Selection page of the Strive EU Innovation Fund website.
https://tech.eu/2024/02/28/funding-opportunity-for-b2b-solutions-from-mastercard-strive/
Don't miss out on the excitement! Reserve your spot at one of our upcoming events:
SCALE UP WITH WOLVES AND EUROPEAN CVC AWARDS
26 March 2024, Spielfeld Digital Hub, Germany + online
WOLVES SUMMIT CEE
8-9 May 2024, Copernicus Science Centre, Warsaw, Poland + online
