• Pitch competition to be held at Singapore FinTech Festival on 17 November from 3pm-4.30pm at Singapore EXPO Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hall 6, DIFC Booth 6B25
• Winners of FinTech World Cup to secure an investment of up to USD1mn; to be announced during Dubai FinTech Summit taking place on 6-7 May 2024
• 10 qualifying regional pitch competitions to be held across Europe, Middle East, and Africa

Dubai, UAE: Dubai FinTech Summit, organised by Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial hub in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, today announced the launch of the FinTech World Cup (FWC), the first-of-its-kind on a global scale.

The inaugural pitch competition, open for global start-up champions seeking funding to take their business to the next level, will be held at the Singapore FinTech Festival on 17 November between 3pm-4.30pm at the Singapore EXPO Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hall 6, DIFC Booth 6B25.

Start-ups who qualify for the FinTech World Cup final, set to take place during the Dubai FinTech Summit organised by DIFC on 6-7 May 2024, are eligible to secure up to USD1mn in funding.

FWC is designed to attract the most forward thinking and innovative start-ups who will take centre stage and showcase their solutions in front of the most influential investors and decision makers of the financial services industry. The debut edition of FWC will also act as a global magnet for talent and innovation, elevating Dubai’s position as the financial and business destination of choice in the MEASA region and beyond.

Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer, DIFC Authority, said: “Central to DIFC’s Strategy 2030, we are always seeking new ways of nurturing our ever-expanding FinTech and Innovation ecosystem, the largest in the MEASA region, by providing access to funding, a global talent pool and the latest in physical and digital infrastructure. The FinTech World Cup is the latest growth-enabling initiative designed to encourage cross-border collaboration and stellar innovation, pivotal to transforming the global FinTech sector as we shape the future of finance together.”

To attract applications from across the globe, FWC will hold a series of qualifying regional pitch competitions across 10 major business hubs in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) in the run-up to the FinTech World Cup final, through strategic partnerships with local start-up ecosystem enablers. The FWC jury, comprising highly qualified judges from diverse backgrounds, will vet and shortlist candidates based on specified criteria such as founder profile, past investment rounds, business partnerships, and VC pitch.

Winners of the qualifying regional competitions will benefit from mentorship opportunities with curated local industry leaders and will gain invaluable industry insights through engagements with VCs and community experts. Additionally, all regional winners will be awarded exhibition spaces at the 2nd Dubai FinTech Summit, which is expected to draw more than 8,000 attendees and host 150+ speakers from across the globe.

FWC boasts of a USD1mn prize pool, which will be shared among the winners of the final pitch competition. The FWC final will be held during the 2nd edition of the Dubai FinTech Summit, which will once again bring together the brightest minds in the global FinTech ecosystem in line with DIFC’s vision to boldly shape the future of finance through cutting-edge technology, innovation, and partnerships. 

Start-ups ready to pitch are invited to apply for the FinTech World Cup here: www.fintechworldcup.io.

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About Dubai International Financial Centre

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is one of the world’s most advanced financial centres, and the leading financial hub for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA), which comprises 72 countries with an approximate population of 3 billion and an estimated GDP of USD 8 trillion.

With a close to 20-year track record of facilitating trade and investment flows across the MEASA region, the Centre connects these fast-growing markets with the economies of Asia, Europe and the Americas through Dubai. 

DIFC is home to an internationally recognised, independent regulator and a proven judicial system with an English common law framework, as well as the region’s largest financial ecosystem of over 39,000 professionals working across over 4,900 active registered companies – making up the largest and most diverse pool of industry talent in the region. 

The Centre’s vision is to drive the future of finance through cutting-edge technology, innovation, and partnerships. Today, it is the global future of finance and innovation hub offering one of the region’s most comprehensive FinTech and venture capital environments, including cost-effective licensing solutions, fit-for-purpose regulation, innovative accelerator programmes, and funding for growth-stage start-ups.  

Comprising a variety of world-renowned retail and dining venues, a dynamic art and culture scene, residential apartments, hotels and public spaces, DIFC continues to be one of Dubai’s most sought-after business and lifestyle destinations. 

For further information, please visit our website: difc.ae, or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @DIFC. 

For media enquiries, please contact:   
Omar Nasro
ASDA’A BCW
omar.nasro@bcw-global.com  

Rasha Mezher | Dubai International Financial Centre Authority  
Consultant, Marketing & Corporate Communications
t-rasha.mezher@difc.ae