[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=""]<p style="color: #d06728;">Fintech for Inclusion of the Last Mile: Experiences from the frontline of innovation</p>
<p style="color: #d06728;"><strong>Date:</strong> December 11, 2018</p>
<p style="color: #d06728;"><strong>Time:</strong> 2 pm to 3:30 pm</p>
<p style="color: #d06728;"><strong>Location:</strong> Hotel Ashok, New delhi</p>
<p>While the infrastructure to build inclusive financial services has recently been upgraded with the roll-out of Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Aadhaar and India Stack, we are yet to see the power of these systems delivered to end users at scale. Innovations in both digital products and mechanisms to distribute them are needed. There also remains scope to build deeper and more targeted workflows on top of an increasingly commoditized transaction layer. These software, hardware or, in certain cases, operational solutions can generate tangible and immediate value to users – be it through analytics, access to financing, new revenue generating opportunities, or streamlined business processes.</p>
<p>As part of its mission to identify sustainable templates for small business ecosystems to access the benefits of digital finance, CATALYST set up a pioneering incubator program to promote companies that have reimagined financial solutions for the underserved. The program provided these companies with financial, technical and operational support, and integrated their work into its 'Digital Payment Lab' in Jaipur.</p>
<p>This session will present the five unique companies that participated in the first batch of this program, highlighting the opportunities and barriers associated with addressing the needs of this segment. The companies jointly span different segments – including merchants, their suppliers, and their customers – as well as different payment types (e.g., UPI, Aadhaar Pay, Immediate Payment Service (IMPS)) and value-added services.</p>
<p style="color: #d06728;"><strong>The five startups -  </strong></p>
<p><strong>PayNearby</strong> enables existing corner shops to become digital financial service hubs, thereby creating the world’s largest hyperlocal fintech network.</p>
<p><strong>Fingpay</strong> is a payment and collection solution that enables merchants to accept digital payments from customers who do not have either a card, wallet, or mobile.</p>
<p><strong>Merapaper</strong> provides a micro-ERP to digitize the customer lifecycle, billing, and payments for small B2C merchants.</p>
<p><strong>PayBee’s</strong> solution automates and digitizes B2B collections in the distributor-retailer value chain.</p>
<p><strong>Kaleidofin</strong> is a platform that provides tailored financial services to the mass market including populations who are un/under-banked and have significant variability in their income.</p>
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