Finance Forward, a fintech accelerator run by Village Capital, MetLife Foundation and PayPal, has extended the deadline for its European programme to accommodate startups working on Covid-19 applications.
The focus for the programme - which now closes for applications on 25 April - is on startups that are building tech for the nearly 40 million Europeans locked out of basic financial services, as well as tools for small businesses.
Allie Burns, CEO of Village Capital, says: "As people lose jobs, dig into their nest eggs and fight to keep businesses from shuttering, we need innovation more than ever in building solutions that help people save money, find work and access financial services. We're extending recruitment for financial health startups to ensure that startups that are actively responding to the pandemic have an adequate amount of time to finish applications"
The accelerator is open to twelve early-stage firms who will be expected to gather in two workshops in Dublin and Berlin in mid-late 2020, should circumstances permit. Otherwise, the workshops will be conducted virtually.
Participating startups will benefit from eight days of training with a focus on improving investment readiness and growing their businesses, working closely with industry experts, investors, and ecosystem partners. The top peer-selected companies will be eligible to receive a total of $150,000 in grant funding from MetLife Foundation, divided between the winners.