Startup Showdown Announces Swipe Credit As the Winner of Its First Pitch Competition
anoramic Ventures today announced the winner of its first Startup Showdown, the monthly pitch competition for everyone designed to showcase and fund early-stage technology companies. Swipe Credit, an Atlanta-based fintech startup that provides credit for the underbanked and unbanked, was selected as the winner, received a $120,000 investment from Panoramic, and gained access to Panoramic’s Founder Success Program.
The full list of Startup Showdown finalist companies included:
- Swipe Credit (Atlanta, GA) [Winner]
- Bundle (Charlotte, NC)
- DROPD (Los Angeles, CA)
- the*gameHERS (New York City)
- Settle for Free (Miami, FL)
Startup Showdown is hosted monthly, with six open application periods each year. The next application period opens June 28 for entrepreneurs to pitch in the August and September events.
Swipe Credit Democratizes Access to Capital
Swipe Credit is an end-to-end digital-lending platform, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), that provides credit solutions for underbanked and unbanked populations who have difficulty receiving capital through conventional channels.
“Swipe Credit originated from a desire to democratize access to capital for communities currently being underserved by traditional lending sources,” said Kevin Mobolade, Swipe Credit’s co-founder and CEO. “We plan to use the $120,000 prize from Startup Showdown to drive customer acquisition. We’re excited to be named the winner and are appreciative of the feedback we received from the mentors and judges throughout the competition. I recommend the experience to any startup that wants to take their company to the next level.”
The Startup Showdown series is hosted by Panoramic Ventures, one of the most active VC firms in the Southeast. Panoramic Ventures is led by Paul Judge and Mark Buffington.
“We’re pleased to invest in Swipe Credit as the winner of our inaugural Startup Showdown pitch competition,” said Paul Judge, Panoramic Managing Partner. “Hundreds of companies applied from across the country. This shows the need for access to early capital and we are focused on continuing to provide this opportunity to emerging entrepreneurs every month with Startup Showdown.”
Next Startup Showdown Application Period Begins June 28
Every application submitted for Startup Showdown is reviewed by the Panoramic investment team, which narrows the applicant pool to 25 semifinalists for each event. Those semifinalists are invited to Mentor Day, where they receive feedback and advice from founders and tech executives from 20+ leading companies.
Ultimately, five Startup Showdown finalists are selected for each event to pitch in front of a panel of guest judges with $120,000 on the line.
“Each Startup Showdown offers a unique opportunity for early-stage startups to present to well-known investors and innovators in the tech ecosystem,” said Panoramic Managing Partner Mark Buffington. “Our intent with this monthly series is to make capital accessible to entrepreneurs everywhere while identifying and supporting tomorrow’s top innovators.”
Mentor Days include leaders from Calendly, Georgia Tech VentureLab, NASDAQ, ParkMobile, PlayOn! Sports, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, SalesLoft, and others (for a full list of mentors and guest judges for each Startup Showdown, go here).
About Startup Showdown
Hosted by Panoramic Ventures, Startup Showdown is a monthly pitch competition open to early-stage software and tech-enabled service businesses. For each competition, participants will be narrowed to 25 semifinalists who benefit from a Mentor Day with industry leaders. Ultimately, five finalists in each competition pitch their innovation to a panel of guest judges with a $120,000 investment on the line. For more information, visit startupshowdown.vc or follow Startup Showdown on Instagram or Twitter @showdownvc.
About Panoramic Ventures
BIP Capital (d/b/a Panoramic Ventures) is a venture capital firm based in Atlanta that takes a “wider-view” approach to investing by targeting the Southeast and Midwest and placing a focus on diverse founders and university startups. Panoramic opens new doors for overlooked founders, giving more entrepreneurs access to capital to build leading tech companies. For more information, visit www.panoramic.vc or follow Panoramic Ventures on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter @panoramicvc.
Media Contact:
Kathy Berardi
678.644.4122
