Checkbox, an Australia-based fintech platform, was named Best in Show following a live pitch competition at this year’s Next Money Fintech Finals. The competition was part of the 2018 StartmeupHK Festival in Hong Kong.
According to the competition’s organizers, a total of 22 startups from around the world had four minutes each to pitch their business in front of a live audience to a panel of judges drawn from across the fintech community. The judges scored Checkbox highly in all categories and were impressed by the overall strength, commitment and relevance demonstrated. Evan Wong, CEO and Co-Founder, said:
“We’re thrilled with our win and to have been a part of the Next Money FinTech Finals! I think it’s safe to say that Checkbox has made the digital transformation of regulation sexy and we’re excited for all the momentum that this win will bring for our business growth.”
Judges rated the startups using a scorecard based on the following criteria: business model application, scale and robustness; transformative concept and technology; market opportunity and size; customer experience design and ease, financial opportunity and forecasts and, of course, the quality of their presentation.
Charles d’Haussy, Head of Fintech, InvestHK, stated:
“We were very pleased to see how keenly contested the competitions were during the semi-finals and at the Fintech Finals themselves. This year’s winners show how quickly the Fintech industry has developed and evolved. Our lively and organic Fintech community, proactive regulators, fundraising opportunities and government support reflect the growth and evolution of the Hong Kong Fintech ecosystem as a perfect springboard to expand and scale in Asia.”
Caroline Ada, Country Manager Hong Kong and Macau, Visa, also shared:
“Throughout this year’s competition we’ve been impressed by the quality of startups. The finalists on stage were the very best of the best, and demonstrate the power of innovation to transform the customer experience. At Visa, we’re committed to building the future of commerce through collaborating with the wider Fintech community. 2018’s Fintech Finals in Hong Kong have shown just how vibrant that community is.”
Next Money founder and Fintech Finals organizer, Rob Findlay, added:
“We’ve seen some incredibly talented people and world class ideas on stage at this year’s event. Checkbox was a worthy Best in Show winner but I believe all our finalists have a great future ahead of them and have the potential to reinvent the financial services industry to the benefit of everyone.”
The event is brought to you by Visa, with support from Gold Sponsors, Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) and Senjō Group. As Best in Show, Checkbox will receive a cash prize of $10,000 and an exclusive invitation to work with a team of Visa subject matter experts to explore solutions for business challenges and co-create ideas for the future of commerce.
Three Best in Category trophies were also distributed. Best Early Stage Startup went to jumper.ai (Singapore) and Best Growth Stage Startup was won by Moneytree (Japan). Blue Fire AI (Hong Kong) claimed the Best Mature Stage Startup prize. All winners receive the benefits of partnership opportunities and promotion through Next Money channels.