Brussels, 6 May 2014 – Swift Innotribe, together with a pool of over 500 judges, have nominated the semi-finalists for the 2014 Startup Challenge. 47 companies have been selected from around the world to pitch their business ideas during three regional showcases in London, Singapore and New York. The 5 winners of each regional showcase (three early-stage startups and two growth-stage innovators) will automatically secure a place as a finalist in the Grand Finale at Sibos, Swift’s annual conference, in Boston on Wednesday 1 October.
Fabian Vandenreydt, Head of Markets Management, Innotribe and the Swift Institute at Swift, says "We are very impressed with the record number and quality of the 280 applications submitted for this year's Innotribe Startup Challenge. Our judges have selected a variety of companies showcasing numerous opportunities for the financial services industry. We look forward to seeing these companies in action at the different showcases, pitching with enthusiasm and passion".
Commenting on Singapore’s innovation landscape, Fabian adds: “Singapore is shaping up to be one of the hubs for startups in Asia. With a strong government backing and collaborative business environment, Singapore is well positioned to becoming a focal point of innovation in Asia, paving a path for young entrepreneurs to explore business opportunities in this region and develop startups into global brands.”
During the showcases, the semi-finalists will pitch their new innovative business ideas to an audience of global innovators and investors, venture capitalists and industry experts. Attendees will be involved in insightful discussions, and able to network with early-stage startup and growth-stage innovators. They will also vote for the companies of their choice, helping to select the 5 finalists.
Semi-finalists for the Singapore Showcase
The Asian leg of the competition will be hosted by Next Bank Asia on Thursday 15 May, at the National Design Centre (NDC), centrally located in the Bras Basah-Bugis area. This year’s semi-finalists are:
|
Early-stage startups |
Growth-stage innovators |
|---|---|
| - Aureus Analytics - FundWave - GlobalCLAS - InfoTrie - Lendstar - Sixscape Communications - Stockspot - Switchless - TextoPay |
- Advanced Merchant Payments - Dragon Wealth - EssDOCS - Fastacash - Soft Space - Tootpay |
The winners from the Singapore showcase will be invited to the Innotribe Grand Finale, held at Sibos on 1 October, to compete against the winners from the London and New York showcases.
The Innotribe Startup Challenge is sponsored by HP, SAP, and Level39.
For further information about the Innotribe Startup Challenge, please visit: http://innotribe.com/2014-startup-challenge or follow @innotribe on Twitter.
About Innotribe
Swift Innotribe is about connecting people, networks and ideas - bringing together global startups and innovators with investors, strategists, and influential decision-makers from leading financial institutions across the globe. The initiative seeks to bridge the gap between the startup ecosystem and the financial services industry, looking for products and services that could disrupt current business models and create opportunities for new ones. For more information, please visit www.innotribe.com or follow us on Twitter: @innotribe and Linkedin: Innotribe.
About Swift
Swift is a member-owned cooperative that provides the communications platform, products and services to connect more than 10,000 banking organisations, securities institutions and corporate customers in 212 countries and territories. Swift enables its users to exchange automated, standardised financial information securely and reliably, thereby lowering costs, reducing operational risk and eliminating operational inefficiencies. Swift also brings the financial community together to work collaboratively to shape market practice, define standards and debate issues of mutual interest. For more information, please visit www.swift.com or follow us on Twitter: @swiftcommunity and LinkedIn: Swift.
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