Ideas to market
in 12 weeks
At Fintechlab one of the main ways we nurture innovation is by supporting early stage fintech startups through our flagship accelerator program. Every spring we host the best early stage fintech startups from the CEE region in a 12-week intensive program in the heart of Budapest. Focused on early validation in the form of proof-of-concept pilots, we support our teams by providing pitching opportunities to MKB Bank and our other corporate partners, as well as through weekly mentoring sessions and custom workshops on the topics most relevant for each batch.
What we offer
Investment
25k EUR for 5% standard offer for each team at the beginning of the program
Validation
Pitching opportunities to MKB Bank and our other corporate partners
Sandbox
Access to MKB’s development and testing environment
Mentoring
Weekly 1:1 sessions with a dedicated key mentor to help you stay on track
Office space
Dedicated seats in our co-working space in the heart of Budapest
+ Additional follow-on funding for the top teams upon graduation
Who we’re looking for
Early-stage startups that have products or services in the financial technologies field or that can create value for the financial sector
Past the idea phase, some initial market validation or traction is preferred
At least a working prototype is ready, preferably MVP in development
Coachable teams of 2 or more with a balance of skills (business and tech)
Willingness to relocate to Budapest for the program
What makes us different
We are sponsored by MKB Bank, the leading digital bank in Hungary. We are first movers - the first one to start a fintech innovation lab, first fintech accelerator program, first API sandbox. We work with the best and brightest, not just within Hungary but beyond. We know and partner with all the key stakeholders in the ecosystem, from leading fintech startups (Transferwise, Revolut) to big corporates (Microsoft, KPMG, Google) to venture capitalists to regulators. Check out our Partners page for a full list of our investor and corporate partners, our Mentors page for a sample of our expert mentor pool, and our Portfolio page for testimonials from our startups.
Timeline
September 1 – December 1Batch 3 Application Round
Fintech startups who think they have what it takes can complete our online application, stop by the office for a quick intro chat, and join some of our fall recruiting events and activities to learn what we do and get a taste of working with us.December 1 – 15First-round interviews
Teams who make it on our long list will be invited for a personal or Skype interview for us to get to know them and ask any follow-up questions from the application.January 9 – 11, 2019Selection Camp
The top 20 teams will be invited to join us in Budapest for an intense 3-day selection bootcamp where we get to see them in action. Everyone who participates in selection camp leaves with valuable input and feedback from the invited mentors and investors who are part of the event.March 5, 2019Program starts
By now our new batch of teams will be settled in Budapest and ready to dive in to the program. The first weeks are about rapid validation sessions at the bank and setting KPIs for the 3 months we are together.June 7, 2019Demo Day
Our teams have a chance to showcase their progress to an audience of our extended investor and partner network. Last year we had over 200 people with keynotes from the MKB CEO and Transferwise.