Visa has selected seven startups from Cyprus, Greece, and Malta for its Innovation Programme, highlighting the region’s growing fintech ecosystem.
Innovation programme: Selected Startups for 2026 Cycle
The seven chosen fintechs for the 2026 cycle are AgriNow, Better, Cloudigo, Paytic, GYST, Outfindo, and Peanuds. All participants will benefit from Visa’s extensive network, which includes partners, mentors, investors, and clients.
Focus Areas of the Programme
This year’s edition of the Visa Innovation Programme, now in its eighth cycle, emphasises critical areas such as artificial intelligence, agentic commerce, B2B solutions, money movement, open finance, and data. These themes were selected to identify companies capable of delivering scalable and innovative solutions to advance the financial services industry.
A Partnership for Growth
In collaboration with Eleven Ventures and Endeavor Greece, the programme aims to support the selected startups in testing and validating their solutions in real market conditions, exploring how emerging technologies can integrate into the broader Visa ecosystem.
Insights from Visa Leadership
Sevi Vassileva, General Manager of Visa for Greece, Cyprus, Malta, and Israel, expressed enthusiasm about the selection: “Innovation remains central to the evolution of payments. In this eighth cycle of the Visa Innovation Program Europe, we are welcoming seven dynamic fintechs that bring fresh solutions and ideas, capable of transforming the financial sector.”
Overview of Participating Startups
- AgriNow (Greece): An AI-powered platform that digitises agricultural labour hiring, enabling farmers to source verified workers and manage contracts.
- Better (Israel): Converts declined online payments into guaranteed revenue for payment service providers by optimising transaction retries.
- Cloudigo (Malta): Connects savings, rewards, and employee benefits to turn everyday spending into smarter value.
- Paytic (Canada): An AI-powered back-office platform designed to enhance operations across banks and fintechs.
- GYST (USA): Provides AI infrastructure for creators to automate sales execution and convert audience demand into commercial opportunities.
- Outfindo (Czech Republic): Transforms complex product data into user-friendly insights to help retailers reduce choice paralysis.
- Peanuds (Cyprus): Develops modular software for financial products, allowing businesses to launch programmes efficiently.
Voices from the Ecosystem
Daniel Tomov, founding partner at Eleven Ventures, noted the increasing momentum in the fintech space: “This season of the Visa Innovation Programme Europe is beginning with incredible momentum, marking a shift towards intelligent and autonomous finance. The quality of fintech innovation from the region is stronger than ever.”
Panagiotis Karampinis, Regional Managing Director at Endeavor Europe, highlighted the importance of connecting ambitious founders to the right networks: “The Visa Innovation Program Europe facilitates high-impact fintech companies across Greece, Cyprus, and Malta in accessing leading partners for market validation and support needed to scale.”
A History of Success
Since its inception in 2019, the Visa Innovation Programme Europe has expanded to 15 countries, receiving over 1,900 applications. Approximately 250 fintechs have reached the final evaluation stage, with more than 150 selected for participation. The programme has facilitated over 1,500 hours of mentorship and 750 introductions to Visa partners, resulting in more than 110 successful collaborations.
Looking Ahead
The 2026 cycle will continue until November 2026, culminating in the Visa Innovation Programme Europe Summit. At this event, participating companies will present their advancements to industry leaders, Visa executives, and members of the wider fintech ecosystem, showcasing their progress and innovations.
