For the first time ever, Visa is pleased to present the first-ever Visa Everywhere Initiative: Women’s Global Edition.

Read more to find out what challenges are available and how to apply 

How it works

• Learn about the exciting opportunities for those participating in the 2019 Visa Everywhere Initiative – Women's Global Edition
• Two challenges. Twelve finalists. Celebrating women entrepreneurs and their innovative ideas, solutions, and organizations.
• Finalists will be invited to Paris, France in early June 2019, to pitch their solutions live in front of Visa leaders and clients.
• To reward the most impactful solutions, Visa will provide $100,000 USD to each challenge winner!

Submissions will be accepted until April 14th, 2019.

Challenge Questions for 2019

Challenge 1 - Fintech

Leveraging your company’s unique capabilities, how could your solution help transform consumer payments and/or commercial experiences locally, regionally, or globally?

What We Look For:

Your solution could apply to financial institutions, online-only banks and lenders, merchants, marketplaces, digital wallets, data analytics, loyalty programs, payment solutions or payment infrastructure

Areas we are interested in:

Issuer

• ID, authentication and security
• Direct business / Consumer lending
• Online banking
• Process and pay infrastructure

Enabler

• Fin services and infrastructure
• Blockchain/ crypto currency
• Data and analytics
• Investment management
• Payments, wallets, transfers
• Retail tech

Value Add

• Process and pay infrastructure
• Crowdfunding
• Insuratech
• Marketplace lending
• Loyalty
• Merchant services and tools
• Money transfer and remittance
• Personal finance
• Wealth management

Prize Structure

Visa will select 1 finalist per region to travel to Paris for the opportunity to pitch their solution live at the Finals Event and attend the opening match of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™.

The overall grand prize winner of the fintech challenge will receive $100,000 USD plus a potential opportunity to run a pilot with Visa and/or a Visa client.

Challenge 2 - Social Impact

How can women entrepreneurs around the world drive social impact by supporting sustainable and equitable livelihoods and strengthening local / regional economies?

What We Look For:

Visa is looking for women entrepreneurs focused on social impact outcomes across micro and small business development, environmental and social responsibility, and community engagement.

• Women-founded/ co-founded organizations (2 to 50 employees) with a mission (or project) that resonates with Visa’s Social Impact charter
• Organization should have traction in market – live product / service, clients, sales revenue, etc.
• Note: Social Impact Challenge applicants do *not* have to be a Fintech or tech-based startup

Areas we are interested in:

Micro and small business development

• Business skills development
• Financial education / literacy
• Access to capital / credit
• Transition to digital payments
• Improving connectivity
• Building resilience through financial products (e.g., savings, insurance) etc.

Environmental and Social Responsibility

• Environmental sustainability (e.g., renewable energy, sustainable products or manufacturing, environmental protection)
• Responsible sourcing (e.g., employment practices, supplier diversity, human rights across supply chain, etc.)
• UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): #5 Gender Equality and #8 Decent Work and Economic Growth

Community Engagement

• Diversity and inclusion
• Address challenges (e.g., gender pay gap, unconscious bias)
• Fair and equal ability to demonstrate potential and grow careers
• Community giving
• Humanitarian and disaster relief etc.

Prize Structure

Visa will select 1 finalist per region to travel to Paris for the opportunity to pitch their solution live at the Finals Event and attend the opening match of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™.

The overall grand prize winner of the social impact challenge will receive $100,000 USD.

Read more to find out what challenges are available and how to apply