APPLY: Seedstars Launches FIWAM Program to Boost Financial Inclusion for Women Migrants

Seedstars today is announcing the launch of Financial Innovations for Women Affected by Migration (FIWAM), a growth programme that aims to find and support fintech businesses that are committed to promoting financial inclusion, particularly for migrant women and women affected by migration throughout Asia, the MENA, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The programme is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation as well as the Austrian Development Agency, the operational arm of Austrian Development Cooperation, and is funded by the Impact-Linked Fund for Gender Inclusive FinTech (ILF for GIF), managed by the Impact-Linked Finance Fund (ILFF). In order to promote better access and utilisation of financial products and services for women impacted by migration, the ILF for GIF has teamed with Seedstars.

The recent report by Village Capital, “Catalyzing Financial Inclusion: Gender-Inclusive Fintech Solutions for Migrants,”  cites that there are over 281 million international migrants and over 55 million internally displaced persons globally. These numbers continue to rise with protracted conflict, the effects of climate change, and increasing poverty levels worldwide.  There is a growing need to improve the financial inclusion of migrants, especially women migrants who face even more barriers in accessing financial services such as legislative constraints, documentation deficiencies, language barriers, cultural differences, and limited mobility. 

Selected Fintechs from Asia, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and Sub-Saharan Africa will receive technical help through the FIWAM Growth Programme in order to reach investment potential and scale their impact, focusing on women migrants and women affected by migration.  Over the course of three months, each cohort of 10 to 15 fintechs from each region will also receive direct assistance from experts in residence (EIR) and mentors from those regions.

The FIWAM Growth Program is accepting applications from start-ups that meet the following criteria:

• Must be a for-profit entity and have operations in a Sub-Saharan African / MENA / Asian country
• Provide a fintech solution that already serves or has the potential to serve women migrants or women affected by migration
• Have product market fit, be at growth stage, and generating monthly revenue of ±$10K USD 
• Woman-led companies as well as founders who are women migrants are highly encouraged to apply

Susanne Thiard-Laforet, Program Manager Private Sector & Development, Austrian Development Agency stated, “We’re eager to collaborate with Seedstars in this pivotal initiative to enhance access and utilization of financial services for women impacted by migration, encompassing not only migrants themselves but also their families and host communities. This program transcends mere acceleration; it is a catalyst for meaningful change, dismantling barriers and biases in order to recognize migrant groups, especially women, as a viable market segment. We are looking forward to supporting and learning from the innovative solutions that will be developed through this program, and the impactful strides they will make in fostering financial inclusion.”

Commenting on the launch of the program, Elizabeth Jones, Global Lead Program Operations of Seedstars said, “We’re thrilled to launch the Financial Innovations for Women Affected by Migration (FIWAM) Growth Program, as it has the potential to create a lasting impact on the lives of women migrants and women affected by migration. We’re eager to witness the transformative financial inclusion these innovative solutions will bring about in their communities.”

Interested fintech start-ups are encouraged to apply before July 30, 2023, by visiting the FIWAM Growth Program website. For more information about the program, its benefits, and selection criteria, please visit seedsta.rs/fiwam.