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 unmissable event crowned two standout "young shoots": Initiativ and Welcount. On Wednesday, April 1st, during the 11th edition titled FinTech R:Evolution • #FFT26 • Flight to Quality, 26 companies from across the financial services spectrum took part. 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 hall. The fintechs had varying levels of development, from early-stage startups to more mature ones 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 challenge was simple, but far from easy. Present your startup in 300 seconds—top chrono—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 heavy hitters 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 the project's potential and scalability, the business model—including the ability to reach profitability quickly and how it handles ESG considerations—and, of course, the quality of the team and the pitch itself. It's an demanding, dynamic format designed to bring out the best in each project in record time. The atmosphere is supportive, but there's a real sense of "coopetition" in the air.  ### The 2026 Winners The two winning fintechs actually have something important in common. They're both 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 this Flight to Quality theme is all about. It's about taking on more regulation, more tech, and more sustainability. New projects now have to blend robustness, compliance, and a drive for profitability with sustainable and responsible development goals. And they have to do it without sacrificing the innovation, creativity, and speed that have long driven the sector. The future belongs to that alliance between innovation and solidity. **Investors' Prize: Initiativ** Founded in 2024, Initiativ is a digital trading exchange for B2B industrial carbon quota clients. They raised approximately $700,000 in a pre-seed round last October. Congratulations to co-founder and CEO Isaure Courcenet for receiving the prize. The investors were impressed by the quality of the pitch, the team, and the company's market positioning. **Jury's Favorite Prize: Welcount** After four years in operation, Welcount (formerly Welcom) also took home a top honor in the Banking Services / Neobanks category. Their journey and solution clearly resonated with the panel, earning them the special recognition as the jury's favorite. So, what's the takeaway here? Events like these aren't just about handing out trophies. They're a snapshot of where the industry's momentum is shifting. It's moving toward solutions that are built to last, that can turn a profit, and that actually try to do some good in the world. That's the new benchmark for the next generation of financial innovation.