MasterCard Launches Start Path Class

MasterCard announced that it has selected the first class of 7 European start-ups to develop innovative commerce solutions as part of the inaugural MasterCard Start Path accelerator class, according to a company release.

The companies will work closely with MasterCard for a year – the first 4 months will be onsite in Dublin, and the rest of the year will be in a “virtual capacity to solve critical business challenges and benefit from direct access to key strategic partners.”

“The opportunity to work closely with each of our Start Path startups that are experimenting with the next generation of commerce solutions is really exciting,” said Stephane Wyper, MasterCard Start Path Global Lead, in the release.  “We’re looking forward to rolling up our sleeves with the companies to tackle immediate challenges as they scale their business by connecting them directly with subject matter experts from across MasterCard and the global partners we work with.”

The Start Path class includes: Instabank, a consumer digital banking solution; MePin, which provides secure authentication for ecommerce and mobile payments; MoQom, which offers mobile identity and authentication management services to banks; Ridango, a cloud-based transit solution; STOREE, a technology platform that enables physical retail stores to sell in-store and online; Xpreso, an SaaS solution that aims to solve the “last mile” in ecommerce delivery; and ZenCard, a real-time loyalty redemption platform that allows retailers to create targeted offers based on consumer purchase behavior.