The Start Path Small Business program from Mastercard is welcoming eight startups from around the world to collaborate and shape the future of small business operations. One of them is Prime Dash, a Romanian future-proofs B2B platforms with innovative lending infrastructure solutions, empowering fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) to enhance SME access to credit for sustainable and inclusive growth.
“Picture a dynamic ecosystem where advanced algorithms and smart analytics empower small businesses to flourish, while financial institutions leverage these same tools to offer more tailored services and support,” says Madou Sylla – co-founder and CEO of Prime Dash. “We seek to harness the power of data science and fully integrated financial solutions to create a future where small businesses are not just surviving but thriving, driven by precise, data-informed decisions and beneficial financial partnerships.”
According to a Mastercard report, two-thirds of SMEs say that a seamless and frictionless digital experience is critical to their business. The latest Start Path cohort features startups that are digitizing key functions for SMEs such as supply chains, spend management platforms, onboarding, risk monitoring, embedded financial solutions and loan approvals.
Along with Prime Dash, the following companies have been selected for their dedication to democratizing financial tools and providing cutting-edge services for SMEs:
Ballerine [Israel]: Allows for rapid onboarding, underwriting and monitoring through a Gen AI-powered risk management platform to accelerate global expansion and reduce manual tasks.
Boost [UK]: Powers growth for manufacturers and their distribution networks with radically easy technology.
CredibleX [UAE]: Empowers platforms and companies to provide embedded financing solutions to their SME ecosystem, bolstering the growth of the small business economy.
Digi [Argentina]: Enables digital onboarding for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Merge [US]: Provides an application programming interface (API) capable of adding hundreds of integrations to a single product.
Parlay [US]: Enables community banks and credit unions to increase small business loan volume, efficiency and profitability through an AI-powered loan intelligence system.
RedOwl [Australia]: Optimizes cashflow through an AI platform and helps organizations automate, predict and control all business spending.
During the four-month program, startups will have the opportunity to leverage Mastercard’s network and subject matter expertise to uncover powerful product partnerships that help small businesses on their digitization journey beyond payments.
The Start Path portfolio includes more than 430 companies from 57 countries, many of which are entering public markets, reaching unicorn status and exploring extended commercial engagements with Mastercard and its customers.
Mastercard is addressing the transforming needs of modern SMEs by delivering seamless, digital experiences that help businesses grow and thrive. Mastercard has pledged to bring one billion individuals and 50 million micro and small businesses into the digital economy by 2025. This year, the company announced the development of an inclusive AI tool to provide personalized, real-time assistance to the small business community.
Banking 4.0 – „how was the experience for you”
„So many people are coming here to Bucharest, people that I see and interact on linkedin and now I get the change to meet them in person. It was like being to the Football World Cup but this was the World Cup on linkedin in payments and open banking.”
Many more interesting quotes in the video below:
