The LHoFT Foundation announces the 10 Fintech startups selected to take part in the Fall 2021 digital edition of CATAPULT: Kickstarter – A Fintech acceleration program for early-stage startups with €50.000 in subsidies for each of the 5 winning Fintechs.
Building on the success of the Summer 2021 Edition of Catapult: Kickstarter, the LHoFT Foundation is opening on Monday 15th of November, the second edition of this unique program of Fintech startup development. After receiving 187 applications, an increase of 74% compared to the first edition which demonstrates the high interest for this program, the LHoFT Team and partners selected 10 ace Fintech ventures to enter the program. The program will close on the 26th of November with a final digital pitching event, in front of a top-notch jury, investors, and audience members.
Developed by the LHoFT Foundation and supported by Luxembourg Ministry of the Economy, Catapult: Kickstarter Fall Edition targets 10 new five-star Fintech startups with the aim to develop their business models with a focus on business scaling and risk management.
As stated by a Catapult Kickstarter Alumni: “Catapult: Kickstarter is not only a buzzword, but describes this program perfectly: It kickstarted our expansion to Luxembourg with outstanding mentoring and by establishing highly promising connections to the local ecosystem.”
Over recent years, Luxembourg has built up a supportive and robust Fintech startup ecosystem through collaboration between key public and private decision-makers. Aligned with Luxembourg’s ambition to create a leading startup and entrepreneurial nation, Catapult: Kickstarter program is dedicated to further catalysing Fintech innovation in Luxembourg and beyond.
In order to effectively leverage the strengths of Luxembourg’s community and capabilities, the selected firms focus on delivering services to financial institutions (B2B), with particular emphasis on Insurtech, Regtech, Fundtech, Cryptocurrencies and Digital Assets, B2C payments, and Cybersecurity.
The two-week digital program is tailored to the particular stage of the participating Fintechs and is structured around classroom tutorials, customer discovery, challenges, one-to-one meetings, pitching sessions, entrepreneurs feedback sessions, and mentorship sessions.
The 10 participating Fintech companies will meet multiple partners across those two weeks, including Luxembourg For Finance (LFF), Expon Capital, and Middlegame Ventures (MGV), guiding them through business models, funding strategies, and industry product testing.
The program will begin on Monday 15th of November and it will close with a final pitching event on Friday, November 26th open to the public. Five of the ten participating firms will be able to access up to 50,000 EUR in subsidies from the Luxembourg Ministry of the Economy, based on the fulfilment of eligibility criteria.
Mr. Nasir Zubairi, CEO of the LHoFT, commented: “After the resounding success of the first edition, we are really happy to launch the second edition of Catapult: Kickstarter. The 10 selected Fintech firms are all exciting businesses with high relevance to the Luxembourg financial centre, addressing some key challenges and opportunities for local actors. It is great to have such an application boom following on from the first edition of the program. I am looking forward to discovering more about those 10 Fintech firms selected and building synergies with the Luxembourg finance community.”
Mr. Franz Fayot, Luxembourg Minister of the Economy, added: “In line with the aims of the Ministry of the Economy, Catapult: Kickstarter enhances the Luxembourg start-up and digital ecosystem by enabling young innovative companies active within data, AI, Fintech and cybersecurity, to partner with the financial services industry. After a successful first edition, we are looking forward to seeing what this new cohort will bring, enriching Luxembourg’s diverse and impactful Startup Ecosystem.”
Join us on Friday 26th of November for the final digital pitching event, opened to the public, to discover the best Fintech solutions developed during the program.
You can register for the event HERE
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