2023 Fintech Draft Pitching Competition
Get drafted at #FFCON23: Apply for the 4th Fintech Draft Pitching Competition
Inspired by sports league drafts, the 4th annual 2023 Fintech Draft is designed to identify and feature emerging and high growth fintech startups and scaleups. Qualifying Fintech Draft participants will be profiled online and reviewed by expert fintech scouts, and will compete in a Pitching competition. Draft finalists compete at FFCON23: REGEN to be held March 21, 2023 for exposure and prizes including promotion to investors, media, prospective buyers and partners. In addition to complimentary registration for all Draft finalists, top discounts for additional tickets and partner incentives, pitching and demo winners will win a 1 year industry partnership with NCFA and partner perks.
How does the Fintech Draft work?
Application
Companies have an opportunity to participate in the 2023 Fintech Draft pitching competition.
Apply to compete and feature your company in the draft, which is filled on a first come first serve basis (limited spots).
Online Profiles
Shortlisted applicants will be featured on the Shortlisted Draft Companies page and event promotions prior to the conference.
Online Voting and Evaluations
Scouts and the crowd will vote online for their favourite fintech companies to participate in the pitch competition, or demo competition.
Drafted Finalists
The top online draft profiles will be selected as Draft Finalists and invited to compete live at FFCON23. Drafted companies must be available to participate on March 21, 2023 as part of the FFCON23: REGEN program.
Application
Companies have an opportunity to participate in the 2023 Fintech Draft pitching competition.
Apply to compete and feature your company in the draft, which is filled on a first come first serve basis (limited spots).
Online Profiles
Shortlisted applicants will be featured on the Shortlisted Draft Companies page and event promotions prior to the conference.
Online Voting and Evaluations
Scouts and the crowd will vote online for their favourite fintech companies to participate in the pitch or demo competition.
Drafted Finalists
The top online draft profiles will be selected as Draft Finalists and invited to compete at FFCON23. Drafted companies must be available in person to participate at the conference on March 21, 2023 as part of the FFCON23: REGEN program.
Timeline
Are you ready to rumble?
Applications are now CLOSED thanks for applying!
Are you ready to rumble?
Applications are accepted on a rolling-basis
Apply early to improve your chance of being showcased online
Why you should participate
Exposure
All Shortlisted companies will receive a dedicated profile page on the Fintech Draft section of the website
Even more exposure
Draft Finalists will be profiled in the post-conference digital magazine, podcast, and media interviews
Curated introductions
All Shortlisted companies will be reviewed by Scouts and receive introductions
Experience
Gain invaluable pitching / demo experience while receiving feedback from investors & industry experts
Connections
Personal networking opportunities with a wide range of investors, partners and customer prospects
Prizes!
Exclusive NCFA & FFCON23 partner prizes and discounts
Bragging rights
That’s right, you don’t just get an award for winning, you get to tell everyone about it!
Exposure
All Shortlisted companies will receive a dedicated profile page on the Fintech Draft section of the website
Even more exposure
Draft Finalists will be profiled in the post-conference digital magazine, podcast, and media interviews
Curated introductions
All Shortlisted companies will be reviewed by Scouts and receive introductions
Experience
Gain invaluable pitching / showcase experience while receiving feedback from industry experts
Connections
Personal networking opportunities with a wide range of investors, partners and customer prospects
Prizes!
Exclusive NCFA & FFCON23 partner prizes
Bragging rights
That’s right, you don’t just get an award for winning, you get to tell everyone about it!
Eligibility and Criteria
- Open to Canadian AND international companies in the fintech sector, either B2B or B2C (examples include BNPL, global payment, ReFi, DeFi, lending, blockchain, banking services, insurtech, etc)
- High growth companies actively seeking funding are encouraged to apply
- Evidence of innovative business model, leadership team with strong backgrounds in their respective fields, clear product-market fit and evidence of traction through demonstrated milestones
- Only one application per company (or Group)
Interested in joining a judging panel or becoming a Scout?
We are always looking for qualified investors, serial entrepreneurs and professional mentors to join our judging panel at FFCON23! Sample past judges have included organizations such as Information Venture Partners, OMERS Ventures, iNovia Capital, MaRS IAF, BDC, Thinking Capital, Extreme Venture Partners, Brightspark Ventures, Whitecap Venture Partners, YEDInstitute, IncMind, York Angels and more. Please email us at info@ncfacanada.org to express your interest.
hidden
Eligibility and Requirements
Is the Fintech Draft only open to fintech companies?
Companies qualifying for the Fintech Draft should provide some sort of financial service, serve the industry, and/or help manage consumers’ or businesses money. Examples include payment companies, digital finance, embedded finance, refi, sustainable finance, enterprise or B2B solutions, web3, decentralized finance, NFT, digital asset, cryptocurrency, blockchain, lending, wealth management, trading, budgeting, digital banking, beyond banking, super apps and others.
Apply today to increase your chances of becoming a Shortlisted company
A limited number of Canadian and international companies will be shortlisted and featured, with the top companies selected as Draft Finalists.
Companies are selected on a rolling basis, so get your application in early!
Competition Details
Who is the Pitching Competition for?
The Pitching Competition is for high growth early stage fintech startups who are actively seeking funding, customers or partners to grow their business.
When do I find out if I am selected as a Draft Finalist?
All shortlisted companies will be contacted on a rolling basis and the Drafted Finalists will be selected by March 7, 2023. After you apply, there is a review period during which our Scouts (investors, industry professionals and startup advisors) may reach out to you for more information and clarifying questions.
How many presenters can there be from each company?
Up to 2 team members can pitch or demo.
Each pitch comes with 2 complimentary tickets to FFCON23. Tickets for additional team members are available at special 50% discount.
What is the format of the pitch?
Brief pitch (strictly enforced) followed by Q&A and evaluations.
Other
If my company is selected, are travel and/or accommodation costs included?
FFCON23 is hybrid conference and the 2023 Fintech Draft finalists will pitch virtually to judges on March 21 as part of the events digital program.
What is online voting and evaluations?
Shortlisted Top Picks receive a featured profile page on the FFCON23 website, which includes a voting feature for the Scouts and the crowd to select which companies they want to see pitch or demo. Crowd votes account for a small part of the Draft Finalist selection.
Evaluations and company analyses are conducted by NCFA and Scouts (fintech professionals and investor experts), which will contribute to selecting the Draft Finalists.
Last Year's Shortlisted Draft Companies
Example Past Participating Companies
