MasterCard Launches Its First Start Path Global Class to Reshape the Future of Commerce
NEW YORK – 16 Nov 2015: MasterCard today announced the new startups comprising the first global Start Pathclass. During the six-month program, participants will obtain customized mentoring from MasterCard experts, access to the company’s commercial partners and the opportunity to integrate with MasterCard solutions. The startups will also have access to nearly 40 startups that have been previously mentored by Start Path. 
Launched in 2014, MasterCard Start Path is a global effort to support innovative early stage startups developing the next generation of commerce solutions. This initial class of early-stage startups, selected from more than 200 applicants, are using big data, mobile and cloud-based applications to build digital relationships, empower consumers and simplify complicated tasks. Hailing from all corners of the globe, they are also diverse in terms of team size, level of funding, revenue and sales pipeline.
“Through our local efforts to support developing fintech partners, we quickly saw the need for a more globally-inclusive program that provides startups access to new markets without uprooting them,” said Stephane Wyper, global lead for MasterCard Start Path. “This program creates just that – a geographically diverse way to help some of those new to the market build partnerships with more established players as a way to accelerate their growth.”