Dubai calls on global start-ups to participate in DIFC’s inaugural USD1mn FinTech World Cup at Singapore FinTech Festival

Dubai, UAE; 16 November 2023: Dubai FinTech Summit, organised by Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial hub in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, today announced the launch of the FinTech World Cup (FWC), the first-of-its-kind on a global scale.

The inaugural pitch competition, open for global start-up champions seeking funding to take their business to the next level, will be held at the Singapore FinTech Festival on 17 November between 3pm-4.30pm at the Singapore EXPO Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hall 6, DIFC Booth 6B25.

Start-ups who qualify for the FinTech World Cup final, set to take place during the Dubai FinTech Summit organised by DIFC on 6-7 May 2024, are eligible to secure up to USD1mn in funding. 
FWC is designed to attract the most forward thinking and innovative start-ups who will take centre stage and showcase their solutions in front of the most influential investors and decision makers of the financial services industry. The debut edition of FWC will also act as a global magnet for talent and innovation, elevating Dubai’s position as the financial and business destination of choice in the MEASA region and beyond.

Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer, DIFC Authority, said: “Central to DIFC’s Strategy 2030, we are always seeking new ways of nurturing our ever-expanding FinTech and Innovation ecosystem, the largest in the MEASA region, by providing access to funding, a global talent pool and the latest in physical and digital infrastructure. The FinTech World Cup is the latest growth-enabling initiative designed to encourage cross-border collaboration and stellar innovation, pivotal to transforming the global FinTech sector as we shape the future of finance together.”

To attract applications from across the globe, FWC will hold a series of qualifying regional pitch competitions across 10 major business hubs in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) in the run-up to the FinTech World Cup final, through strategic partnerships with local start-up ecosystem enablers. The FWC jury, comprising highly qualified judges from diverse backgrounds, will vet and shortlist candidates based on specified criteria such as founder profile, past investment rounds, business partnerships, and VC pitch.

Winners of the qualifying regional competitions will benefit from mentorship opportunities with curated local industry leaders and will gain invaluable industry insights through engagements with VCs and community experts. Additionally, all regional winners will be awarded exhibition spaces at the 2nd Dubai FinTech Summit, which is expected to draw more than 8,000 attendees and host 150+ speakers from across the globe. 

FWC boasts of a USD1mn prize pool, which will be shared among the winners of the final pitch competition. The FWC final will be held during the 2nd edition of the Dubai FinTech Summit, which will once again bring together the brightest minds in the global FinTech ecosystem in line with DIFC’s vision to boldly shape the future of finance through cutting-edge technology, innovation, and partnerships. 

Start-ups ready to pitch are invited to apply for the FinTech World Cup here: www.fintechworldcup.io.