Winner to take home $50,000 as Ecobank Group launches 7th edition of fintech challenge

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Winner to take home $50,000 as Ecobank Group launches 7th edition of fintech challenge
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Ecobank Group has  officially opened call for applications to the seven edition of its Fintech Challenge.

This annual competition invites early-stage and mature fintech startups to partner with Ecobank, offering a grand prize of $50,000 and a chance to scale their solutions across Ecobank’s extensive network spanning 35 African countries.

Despite the fintech eruption in the African continent, a McKinsey report reveals that fintech start-ups in Africa are still facing several challenges such as reaching scale, navigating an uncertain regulatory environment, or managing scarcity of funding.

According to officials, the Ecobank Fintech challenge provides a unique opportunity for fintech entrepreneurs to address these challenges by not only offering financial rewards but by also providing Ecobank’s expertise in diversified markets operations and the right solutions to scale across its pan-African footprint and international presence such as France.

"Building partnerships with fintechs is a catalyst for driving financial inclusion in Africa. At Ecobank, we prioritize fintechs in our growth, transformation, and returns strategy ," said Jeremy Awori, Chief Executive Officer of Ecobank Group.

"We have enhanced this new edition of the Ecobank Fintech Challenge to continue to provide fintech entrepreneurs with a premier platform to showcase groundbreaking solutions, while creating unparalleled opportunities for growth and expansion across 35 markets in Africa."

Last year’s competition attracted 1,490 entries of real quality, which underscores the significance of this pan-African challenge.

Successful applicants reaching the grand finale and awards ceremony in October 2024 will have the chance to join the highly coveted Ecobank fintech fellowship programme, with the overall winner receiving a cash prize of $50,000.

Ecobank Fintech fellows will gain access to numerous opportunities through collaboration with Ecobank and its partners, potentially including  multinational product rollout with  an opportunity to integrate their solutions with Ecobank, opening doors to potential product launches within Ecobank’s expansive 35-country Pan-African network.

Fellows will also have an opportunity for service provider partnerships where selected fintechs may become Pan-African service partners within the Bank’s ecosystem.

Fellows will also receive exclusive access to Ecobank’s cutting-edge APIs, enabling them to test and develop their products for the Pan-African market and also get priority access to Ecobank’s Venture Capital partners for funding exploration.

Since inception, 60 fintech startups have been inducted into the Ecobank Fintech Fellowship.

 

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