We are so excited to announce the 12 startups selected for the second class of the Techstars Payments Program. These promising, early-stage companies are focused on innovative fintech solutions addressing gaps across the payments infrastructure in emerging and underserved markets in categories like lending, investing, payments, personal financial management, financial literacy and infrastructure. 

This program is the first Techstars accelerator to have a physical presence in Latin America. We will be running a hybrid program and spending one week in Dallas, one week in Mexico City and one week in Miami. The three month mentorship-driven program is bringing together founders from the US, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina and Bolivia. 

These startups will be supported by our amazing partners, Stellar and MoneyGram. These two organizations came together as they saw an incredible opportunity to build a robust payments and fintech ecosystem across LatAm and other emerging markets.

“We search high and low for the grittiest founders and most disruptive financial technologies that can solve real problems for business and consumers,” said Managing Director, Tricia Martinez.  “Our 12 portfolio companies for Techstars Payments are disrupting the way we think about finance. From how we transact in person to how we save with our loved ones to how businesses build credit, this is just the beginning for these exceptional companies.”

The 12 companies selected for the 2024 class of Techstars Payments powered by Stellar and MoneyGram are:

• Cash Abroad is a payments platform for LATAM exporting and importing businesses. 

• Depay is providing an easy-to-integrate and interoperable crypto payment infrastructure that allows payment processors and gateways to accept crypto as a new payment method.

• Guama is a credit card for LATAM’s underbanked population. 

• Kura is a multi-sided platform providing instant spending for recipients which increases transparency on transactions.

• Loto Punto is a kiosk system that uses local currency and blockchain to enable self-service transactions in banking, retail and government.

• Lounn is enabling SMEs to find credit offers from more than 25 financial institutions with a single application in minutes.

• Peas is an AI to help couples manage their finances, split expenses, and save together all without ever switching from their bank.

• Sommos is unlocking the financial potential of the unbanked and underbanked in LatAm through the digitization of rotating savings and credits associations (ROSCA). 

• Tumo is for Latam contractors who struggle to manage their personal finances, Tumo helps them get paid while being tax compliant. 

• Zeenah is for migrant workers and digital nomads who are underbanked, Zeenah provides a multi-currency wallet and a credit card that enables them to make seamless day-to-day payments.

• ZimaGo is for people-intensive SMBs in underbanked markets, grappling with workplace financial stress and growth challenges, Zimago offers a holistic financial-inclusive platform. With gamified financial education, credit, a wellness marketplace, and digital payments, Zimago empowers B2B growth.

Read More