Two Fintech Startups Win Next Gen Pitch Awards at FinTech R:Evolution

Alejandro Martínez · 2026-04-08

Every year, FinTech R:Evolution—the premier event for innovative finance organized by France FinTech—hosts the Next Gen Pitch Awards. It's a pitch competition that lets the next generation present their solutions to a panel of investors. The format has evolved over the years, sure, but its success hasn't wavered one bit. This year's can't-miss session crowned two rising stars: Initiativ and Welcount. On Wednesday, April 1st, the 11th edition of the event, themed 'Flight to Quality,' saw 26 companies from across financial services compete. We're talking insurance, payments, funding, investment, asset management, risk management, and operational services. They all gathered at STATION F in the newly named FINTECH CENTRAL. The fintechs ranged from early-stage startups to more mature companies in acceleration and Series A phases. Here's the full list of participants: - Biwan - BridgeAPI - Copla - Courtia - Datafolio - Demeter Nexus - Equita - Finrack - FusionAI SAS - GenOTC - ID Protect - Initiativ - Krisalid - KundaPay - Letxbe - My Healthy - My Pension - Newenergy - O2C - Prêt de confiance - TrustRelay - Umanity - Up In Bank - Vancelian - Villyz - Welcount ### The Five-Minute Investor Challenge The exercise was intense. Each startup had just 300 seconds—top chrono—to present to a packed room and a jury of the sector's most active investment funds. Partners, clients, prospects, institutional reps... they were all there. This year's investor jury included heavyweights like 115K, Arkéa, AstoryaVC, Blackfin, Bpifrance, Cambon Partners, Founders Future, Groupama CVC, Iris, La Maison Partners, Portage, Seventure Partners, Truffle Capital, and Varsity. Recognized business angel entities like BADGE and Insurangels were also in the mix. The investors evaluated the fintechs, insurtechs, and regtechs on several key criteria. They looked at project potential and scalability, the business model—including the ability to reach profitability quickly and how well ESG considerations were integrated—and, of course, the quality of the team and the pitch itself. It's a demanding, dynamic format designed to bring out the best in a project in record time. The atmosphere? They call it 'coopetition'—a blend of competition and collaboration that's both supportive and challenging. ### And the 2026 Winners Are... Both winning fintechs are players in the Banking Services / Neobanks category, and they both offer what you'd call 'impact solutions.' They've got the art and the manner, as they say. And that's what 'Flight to Quality' is all about now. It's no longer just about being fast and creative. New projects have to balance robustness, compliance, and the pursuit of profitability with sustainable and responsible development goals. You can't sacrifice the innovation and speed that built the sector, but you need to add solidity into the mix. That fusion is what will make the difference moving forward. **Investors' Prize: Initiativ** Founded in 2024, Initiativ is a digital trading exchange for B2B industrial carbon quota clients. They raised approximately $690,000 in a pre-seed round last October. A big congratulations to co-founder and CEO Isaure Courcenet for receiving the award. The investors were particularly impressed with the quality of the pitch, the strength of the team, and the company's market positioning. **Jury's Favorite Prize: Welcount** After four years of operation, Welcount (formerly Welcom) took home the jury's special favorite prize. Details on their specific solution were more limited in the announcement, but their win in the competitive neobank category signals a compelling offering that resonated deeply with the panel of experts. Their recognition underscores the event's focus on sustainable, impactful financial technology. So, what's the takeaway for payments and fintech professionals watching from the US? Events like FinTech R:Evolution highlight a clear trend in Europe: the bar is being raised. It's not just about a clever app or a faster payment rail anymore. The winners are those building resilient, compliant, and profitable businesses that also make a positive impact. That's the new quality standard—the 'flight' everyone needs to be on.