(FLASH ) - This competition honors the top 50 startups promoting financial inclusion in the world. FLASH is a financial and value-added services provider serving unbanked population in emerging markets and has been selected as the winner of the Inclusive FinTech 50 competition.

The Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI) recently announced the 2021 cohort of the Inclusive FinTech 50 (IF50) competition, recognizing the world's top 50 FinTech startups.

IF50 is sponsored by Visa, MetLife Foundation and Jersey Overseas Aid & Comic Relief, with support from Accion and IFC. This year's competition winners join with winners from previous years to showcase impactful models in which FinTech startups help vulnerable and underserved users improve their financial lives.

The 2021 laureates were selected from a pool of 377 applicants, representing 77 countries, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 44% of all applicants. The winning startups offer a wide range of products, including financial services solutions, payment platforms, and FinTech infrastructure solutions. An independent panel of 22 expert judges selected FinTechs through a rigorous process that assessed inclusiveness, innovation, traction, and scalability potential.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the importance of digital payments, which are often a lifeline for vulnerable communities and businesses. Visa believes that digital equity and digital inclusion are key elements in rebuilding a more inclusive and equitable world and congratulates this cohort of IF50 laureates who are essential in helping to realize this vision.” – Beth Hurvitz, social impact global manager, Visa Inc.

“This exemplary group of IF50 laureates demonstrates the critical role FinTechs play in expanding access to innovative, affordable and customer-centric financial solutions. Shifting from basic access and inclusion to a focus on creating sustainable financial health is essential to building stronger communities over the long term.” – Tia Hodges, President and CEO, MetLife Foundation.

“We are honored to join the Inclusive FinTech 50 list with a cohort of amazing companies addressing the challenges of financial inclusion around the world. We are proud to develop our innovative technologies and platforms for Africans and by Africans.” – said Jonathan Johannesen, CEO and co-founder of FLASH.

About IF50

Inclusive FinTech 50 identifies promising early-stage FinTechs driving financial inclusion around the world through a competitive process led by an independent panel of judges from across investment funds, technology and financial services. Applicants are assessed on the extent to which their target market includes underserved people or businesses, and whether their innovation delivers a new value proposition, shows early-stage traction, and can have a noticeable impact on over $ 3 billion. of financially underserved people around the world. Inclusive FinTech 50 is sponsored by Visa, MetLife Foundation and Jersey Overseas Aid & Comic Relief, with support of Accion and IFC. The initiative is managed by the Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI). Learn more at www.inclusiveFinTech50.com

About FLASH International

Flash International is a regulated financial company working in FinTech. It provides the aggregation of value-added and financial services such as: money transfer, mobile money, Visa cards, bank transfers, mobile recharge credits, internet packages, television subscriptions, payments of taxes and merchant payment services for more than 3 million customers in the Central African region through its network of 160 own agencies and thousands of Flash agents. The FLASH distribution platform and financial hub has more than 30 different products in its innovative application “FlashApp” available on Google Play and on the Apple Store. This mobile application is already operational in 3 African countries, Flash International currently has more than 4,000 Flash agents who actively participate in the financial inclusion of unbanked communities. For more information visit http://www.flash.one/