Mastercard has welcomed five new startups into its Start Path startup engagement program, focusing on blockchain and digital assets. This development follows a rigorous global application process, as announced in a press release. The aspiring innovators will benefit from various forms of support provided by Mastercard, including access to the company’s extensive global network, strategic partnerships, and FinTech solutions.
As part of the program, these startups will receive dedicated assistance from the Mastercard team, opening doors to the firm’s customers and partners. Additionally, there is potential for investment from Mastercard’s dedicated fund for startups, aimed at furthering their growth and development.
The newly inducted startups feature a diverse range of innovative solutions in the blockchain space. Nomyx offers a no-code tokenization platform that allows fund managers and financial institutions to launch, handle, and trade real-world assets seamlessly. Keyrails simplifies financial connectivity for merchants by facilitating access to the global financial ecosystem, negating the need for new licenses or distinct banking setups.
Plume is making strides with its blockchain solution tailored for real-world asset finance, enabling the tokenization and trading of physical assets on-chain. Borderless.xyz, on the other hand, specializes in a global execution network designed specifically for stablecoin transactions. Nominis rounds out the new cohort with its real-time know-your-transaction (KYT) and blockchain investigation platform, enhancing transparency and security within the blockchain sector.
In the press release, Mastercard remarked on the transformative changes occurring in the digital assets sector this year, citing increased regulatory clarity, mainstream adoption, and heightened institutional engagement. The company reaffirmed its commitment to establishing a reliable, scalable, and interoperable framework for the future of digital commerce. This commitment includes real-world applications of tokenized payments, stablecoin settlements, and identity-verified blockchain transactions.
Launched in 2014, the Start Path program has a legacy of supporting FinTechs, having assisted more than 500 startups across 55 countries and facilitating about 15,000 global connections. According to Mastercard, startups that participated in the Start Path program collectively raised over $25 billion in capital.
In selecting candidates for the Start Path program, Mastercard seeks solutions that are unique and proven, align strategically with its goals, and display a product that is actively generating revenue. The founders are expected to possess strong backgrounds and a genuine passion for scaling their ventures. The Start Path program specifically targeting digital assets, blockchain, and cryptocurrency companies was introduced in July 2021.
