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—categories, admission rules, you name it—but its success hasn't wavered one bit. This year's unmissable session crowned two promising startups: 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 renamed FINTECH CENTRAL hall. The fintechs had varied development levels, from early-stage seed 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 exercise was intense. Each startup had just 300 seconds—top chrono—to present in front of a packed room. Partners, clients, prospects, institutional reps, you get the picture. The jury? It was composed of the sector's most active investment funds. This year's lineup included 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 there too. 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 issues—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, all in a supportive atmosphere of... let's call it 'coopetition.' ### The 2026 Winners 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. Because that's what this Flight to Quality 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 search for profitability that aligns 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. It's the alliance between innovation and solidity that will make the difference now. **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 Isaure Courcenet, co-founder and CEO, who received the prize. The investors appreciated the quality of the pitch, the team, and the market positioning. **Jury's Favorite Prize: Welcount** After four years of existence, Welcount (formerly Welcom) also took home a top honor. Their journey and solution clearly resonated with the panel, earning them the special recognition from the judges. So, what's the big takeaway? Events like these aren't just about competition. They're a real barometer for where the industry is headed. The focus on impact, sustainability, and solid business fundamentals alongside innovation tells us a lot about what investors are looking for today. It's a shift, a maturation. The 'move fast and break things' era is being complemented by a 'build well and last' mindset. And for professionals watching the European payments and fintech space from the US, that's a trend worth noting.