The 20 best fintech startups from 14 countries will present their cases at the Money Motion conference, which will be held on March 27-28, 2025 in Zagreb. This was reported to Incrypted by the organizers.

As the latter noted, the fintech segment is in dire need of innovation. In the release, the organizers referred to the report of KPMG Corporation, according to which the volume of investments in this sector has decreased to $95.6 billion in 2025, which is the minimum for the last seven years.

However, Europe remains a major center of fintech. There are more than 350 so-called unicorns, companies with a capitalization of over $1 billion. In addition, the upcoming entry of companies such as Revolut and Klarna on the stock market indicates the return of optimism, the organizers said.

Money Motion is positioned as the largest fintech event in the region. The conference will be held on March 27-28 in Zagreb. It is supported by the largest players in the segment, including Mastercard, Monri, ASEE, OTP Bank, A1 Croatia, Croatia Insurance and LAQO.

It is expected to be attended by more than 2000 participants. There will be more than 100 speakers on four stages. And an important part of the event is the Money Motion Startup Pitch session of industry startups.

As part of this stage, budding entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to present their developments to conference participants, including potential investors. Twenty teams will present their fintech solutions to the jury.

The three winners will share the main prizes, namely:

• checks totaling 10 000 euros;
• 20 000 euros worth of loans on Aleph’s X platform;
• a booth worth 5000 euros at the next Money Motion conference;
• a $20 000 «Talk the Walk» award from Infobip;
• a six-month co-working space at House of Blockchain in Zagreb;
• an exclusive place at Fundraising Bootcamp in London worth 10 000 euros.

SMEs are key to economic stability and growth both in Croatia and Europe, the organizers said. A1 Croatia has been aware of this for many years, developing solutions for its business users to facilitate digitalization, optimization and development of new products and services in the digital age.

«We understand that technology plays a key role in optimizing business, increasing productivity and providing competitive advantage. Our goal is to become their trusted digital partner by providing them with advanced ICT solutions on an as-a-service model — from cloud services, security solutions and data center services to business connectivity solutions», — said A1 Croatia Business Customer Director Daniel ?imi?.

In order to ensure a seamless experience for entrepreneurs, the company continues to invest in the development of its gigabit network and the expansion of its 5G infrastructure. The firm has also added Starlink to its portfolio.

?imi? noted that digital transformation is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. A1 Croatia, for its part, has set out to provide SMEs with the tools to adapt to dynamic market conditions.

In addition, one of the largest Croatian banks, Hrvatska po?tanska banka (HPB), will also provide support for the pitch session. The counterparty recently signed a memorandum of understanding with ZICER and EFZG to develop a fintech cluster in the country, including through the Startup Factory accelerator.

«As a key financial partner, HPB will provide startups with access to financial services and pilot projects, and will participate in the development of regulation of the segment with the Ministry of Finance. The bank aims to strengthen the industry and introduce domestic fintech solutions to improve business operations, as well as position HPB as an attractive employer for IT professionals», — said HPB board member Josip Maicher.

For the third year in a row, the Money Motion pitch session is supported by the Croatian Agency for SMEs, Innovation and Investment (HAMAG-BICRO).

«As the most important government agency dedicated to creating a financial ecosystem that fosters the development of SMEs, we focus on entrepreneurs with ideas and innovations to facilitate their entry into the market. Entrepreneurs in the development stage of their services or products often do not have access to finance, which is why HAMAG-BICRO offers targeted programs. In addition to financing, HAMAG-BICRO provides entrepreneurs with expert mentoring and support, increasing their chances of successfully entering the market», — said Vieran Vrbanec, President of the Board of Directors of HAMAG-BICRO.

The startups will be evaluated by an expert jury of six people, investors and high-level fintech industry professionals.

The pitch session will take place on the first day of the conference. Its results will be announced by the end of the second day, before the closing ceremony. In particular, the following startups will participate:

• FraudShield (Hungary) — an AI-based system for fraud and phishing protection that helps organizations reduce data breaches and financial losses, as well as increase cybersecurity awareness;
• eFrontiers (Switzerland) — a gamified microlearning platform that enables financial institutions to use financial education as a marketing tool, increasing engagement and lead generation by 20x;
• FINSO (UK) — an artificial intelligence-based credit analytics platform that optimizes the loan approval process and provides personalized financial products for consumers and banks;
• IDCanopy (Austria) — a comprehensive customer enrollment platform that integrates KYC, KYB, e-signature and compliance solutions for financial institutions;
• Refinance (Croatia) — a program that tracks loan interest rates and alerts users to refinancing opportunities, maximizing savings through shorter repayment terms;
• Genesis (Croatia) — tokenized crowdfunding platform for the entertainment industry, helping independent authors to get funding, investors — to participate in creative projects;
• Reel News (Croatia) — an AI and blockchain-based, user-centered news platform that promotes unbiased journalism and community engagement;
• Glokal AI (Germany) — AI solutions for ERP systems that modernize financial processes and supply chains through automated, real-time decision-making;
• Outpost Chess (Serbia) — a chess skills monetization platform offering competitive real-money games and tournaments and targeting a $1,5 billion market;
• Tap2Pay (Poland) — an omnichannel payment platform providing seamless transactions across websites, social media and messaging apps;
• DeFiKoala (Croatia) — DeFi platform offering passive cryptocurrency earnings with fixed returns, eliminating the need for active trading;
• Producting.ai (Netherlands) — AI-based product management agents that automate key tasks and provide real-time market and competitor analysis;
• Finanz (Italy) — a financial superapp that combines learning, saving and investing, using AI for personalized learning and investment strategies.

More information about the conference can be found on Money Motion’s official website. Tickets are available on the platform.

Our readers can purchase tickets to the event at 20% off using the promo code INCRYPTED20.