Visa Launches $100,000 Contest for MENA Startups

Are you an entrepreneur? How do you feel about winning money? If you’re into that, there’s a new opportunity for the most inventive startups in the Middle East and North Africa, as Visa’s Everywhere Initiative is being launched in MENA for the first time – with a chance to win up to $50,000 and build a business partnership with Visa and its affiliates.

So what do participating startups need to do to win?

Visa has three main challenges in the region and is inviting startups to share the products or services they think present the most innovative, effective solutions. The finalists will be invited to present their ideas to a judging panel in Visa’s Dubai office on September 25^th. The winner for each of the three challenges will get $25,000, and one overall winner will be awarded an additional $25,000.

The Visa challenges include the Acceptance Challenge - which asks how startups can use Visa Developer APIs to enable smaller sellers to accept digital payments - the Airport Transit Challenge, focused on enhancing their transit experience in airports; and the Loyalty Challenge, which invites startups to find ways for Visa to help its customers choose the right card for each purchase.

Applicants can apply on the Visa website until August 4^th, 2017.

Main image: Creative Commons.