Startups in fintech: Here’s Your Wildcard to the Grand Slam of Finance

January 12, 2017

Hey there,

I’m Fabio, and I’ve been working with Beta-i, one of the best organizations in Europe focused on startups and entrepreneurs, as the Program director of SIBSPayForward, the first fintech accelerator in Portugal.

Since the application process started, I have had a baby, went through the only 2 weeks Lisbon’s temperature goes below 15 degrees, and survived the traditional Christmas flu, all of this while waiting for your application.

Although I love finance and all the startups in fintech which are really making a difference, I know, through my own experience, that it’s one of the most complex industries to work in.

For this reason, and I don’t want to sound too biased here, if I had the chance, like you have now, I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to work with data from (almost) all the transactions made in Portugal and with a privileged access to the Banking system.

As tennis player, I see SIBSPayForward as a wildcard to the grand slam of finance, an opportunity of a lifetime to shine with the best players in the world.

SIBSPayForward aims at empowering you to accelerate the development of innovative solutions in the financial industry (Payments; Security mechanisms; Cards; Bank Account Management & Personal Finance; Fraud and Monitoring; ATM & POS; Electronic Money; Processes; and Client Behavior).

Here’s 4 reasons why you apply:

  1. Data: SIBS is the owner of most financial transactions in Portugal due to their role in managing both the ATMs and part of the POS system.
  2. Banking: Having the Banks as their main clients, SIBS will help you access the entire Banking system at once.
  3. Beyond Payments: SIBSPayforward is a true fintech program with areas of interest ranging from Personal Banking to Security or Blockchain technology. We are looking for talent that can benefit from working with SIBS and go forward. Areas of interest include: Payments; Security mechanisms; Cards; Bank Account Management & Personal Finance; Fraud and Monitoring; ATM & POS; Electronic Money; Processes; and Client Behavior.
  4. Mentors: work with industry leaders and true decision makers that will guide through the complex world of finance.

Are you convinced yet? Then, check out our website to see all the mentors and how the program is structured and make sure apply until the 31st of January.

The accelerator runs from the beginning of April until the beginning of June in Lisbon.