Become a Shortlisted Draft Company
Get drafted at FFCON20: Apply for the inaugural Fintech Draft
Inspired by sports league drafts, the inaugural FFCON20 annual Fintech Draft is designed to identify and feature emerging and high growth fintech startups and scaleups. Qualifying Fintech Draft participants will be profiled online and reviewed by expert fintech scouts, and will compete in one of three (3) Fintech Draft competitions:
Pitching Competition
for early stage fintech companies who are seeking funding to either launch or grow their business
Export Readiness Competition
for fintech companies who are interested in selling products/services globally and expanding
Product Demo Competition
for fintechs that want to increase company profile while showcasing the latest and greatest product developments
Draft finalists compete live at FFCON20: RISE on March 23-24, 2020 for exposure and prizes including promotion to investors, media, prospective buyers and partners.
Are you ready to rumble?
Apply early to improve your chance of being showcased online
Are you ready to rumble?
Apply early to improve your chance of being showcased online
How does the Fintech Draft work?
Application
Companies apply to participate in one of the three (3) Fintech Draft competitions by February 29 at 11:59 PM ET.
It is recommended that you apply early to improve your chance of being showcased online.
Online Profiles
Shortlisted applicants will be featured on the FFCON20 website and event promotions prior to the conference. (Click here for an example).
Online Voting and Evaluations
Scouts and the crowd will vote online for their favourite fintech companies to participate in the pitch competition, export readiness competition or demo competition.
Drafted Finalists
The top online draft profiles will be selected as Draft Finalists and invited to compete live at FFCON20. Drafted companies must be available in person to participate at the conference on either March 23-24, 2020.
Application
Companies apply to participate in one of the three (3) Fintech Draft competitions by February 29 at 11:59 PM ET.
It is recommended that you apply early to improve your chance of being showcased online.
Online Profiles
Shortlisted applicants will be featured on the FFCON20 website and event promotions prior to the conference. (Click here for an example).
Online Voting and Evaluations
Scouts and the crowd will vote online for their favourite fintech companies to participate in the pitch competition, export readiness competition or demo competition.
Drafted Finalists
The top online draft profiles will be selected as Draft Finalists and invited to compete live at FFCON20. Drafted companies must be available in person to participate at the conference on either March 23-24, 2020.
Why you should participate

Exposure
All Shortlisted companies will receive a dedicated profile page on the Fintech Draft section of the website

Even more exposure
Draft Finalists will be profiled in the post-conference digital magazine, podcast, and media interviews

Curated introductions
Export readiness companies will be featured in NCFAs new export database project and receive introductions

Experience
Gain invaluable pitching / showcase experience while receiving feedback from industry experts

Connections
Personal networking opportunities with a wide range of investors, partners and customer prospects

Prizes!
Exclusive FFCON20 partner prizes

Bragging rights
That’s right, you don’t just get an award for winning, you get to tell everyone about it!

Exposure
All Shortlisted companies will receive a dedicated profile page on the Fintech Draft section of the website

Even more exposure
Draft Finalists will be profiled in the post-conference digital magazine, podcast, and media interviews

Curated introductions
Export readiness companies will be featured in NCFAs new export database project and receive introductions

Experience
Gain invaluable pitching / showcase experience while receiving feedback from industry experts

Connections
Personal networking opportunities with a wide range of investors, partners and customer prospects

Prizes!
Exclusive FFCON20 partner prizes

Bragging rights
That’s right, you don’t just get an award for winning, you get to tell everyone about it!
Eligibility and Criteria
- Open to Canadian AND international companies in the fintech sector, either B2B or B2C (examples include online lending, blockchain, banking services, insurtech, etc)
- Evidence of innovative business model, leadership team with strong backgrounds in their respective fields and clear product-market fit
- Only one application per company
- Application must be submitted by 11:59pm ET February 29, 2020 (spots may fill up before then, so apply early!)
Participate as a Scout
Scouts are fintech professionals, seasoned investors and experienced founders who will help evaluate and select Draft Finalists. Scouts also invite prospective companies to apply, and can participate as a judge at one of the Fintech Draft Competitions on March 23-24. All Scouts will be recognized as speakers on the FFCON20 website (including their photo and bio) and have the opportunity to be featured in the FFCON20 digital magazine as a thought leader. Interested in being a scout?
Are you scout material? We want to hear from you.
Apply here or send us an email at info@ncfacanada.org and explain your qualifications and interests.


Participate as a Scout
Scouts are fintech professionals, seasoned investors and experienced founders who will help evaluate and select Draft Finalists. Scouts also invite prospective companies to apply, and can participate as a judge at one of the Fintech Draft Competitions on March 23-24. All Scouts will be recognized as speakers on the FFCON20 website (including their photo and bio) and have the opportunity to be featured in the FFCON20 digital magazine as a thought leader. Interested in being a scout?
Are you scout material? We want to hear from you.
Apply here or send us an email at info@ncfacanada.org and explain your qualifications and interests.
Interested in joining a judging panel?
We are always looking for qualified investors, serial entrepreneurs and professional mentors to join our judging panel at FFCON20! Sample past judges have included organizations such as OMERS Ventures, iNovia Capital, MaRS IAF, BDC, Thinking Capital, Extreme Venture Partners, Brightspark Ventures, Whitecap Venture Partners, YEDInstitute, IncMind, York Angels and more. Please email us at info@ncfacanada.org to express your interest.
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Eligibility and Requirements
Companies qualifying for the Fintech Draft should provide some sort of financial service, serve the industry, and/or help manage consumers’ money.
Examples include payment companies, enterprise or B2B solutions, cryptocurrency, blockchain, lending, wealth management, trading, budgeting and banking apps and others.
How many companies will be selected for the Draft?
Up to 50 Canadian and international companies will be shortlisted and featured, with the top companies selected as Draft Finalists.
Companies are selected on a rolling basis, so get your application in early!
Can I apply to more than one competition?
You can only apply to one of the three (3) competitions (pitch, export, or demo).
Competition Details
The main difference between the competitions is the stage of your company, and what your current growth goals are.
- Pitching Competition: for early stage fintech startups who are actively seeking funding, customers or partners to grow their business. Typically smaller companies who have recently launched or are about to launch their product.
- Export Readiness Competition for growth stage fintech scaleups who are interested in selling products/services globally and expanding internationally. Demonstrated traction in current market and should meet general criteria for successful exporters.
- Product Demo Competition for early or growth stage fintech startups / scaleups that want to increase company profile by showcasing a product development. Format is a use case or user journey highlighting specific product features instead of a pitch.
When do I find out if I am selected as a Finalist?
All shortlisted companies will be contacted on a rolling basis, however, the Drafted Finalists will be announced in mid-March. After you apply, there is a review period during which our Scouts (investors, industry professionals and startup advisors) may reach out to you for more information and clarifying questions.
How many presenters can there be from each company?
Up to 2 team members can pitch or demo.
Each demo comes with 1 complimentary ticket to FFCON20 is included per company. Tickets for additional team members are available at special 50% discount.
What is the format of the pitch or demo?
Brief pitch or demo (strictly enforced) followed by Q&A and evaluations.
Other
All companies are expected to cover their own travel expenses to and from FFCON20 in Toronto.
What is online voting and evaluations?
Shortlisted Top Picks receive a featured profile page on the FFCON20 website, which includes a voting feature for the Scouts and the crowd to select which companies they want to see pitch or demo. Crowd votes account for a small part of the Draft Finalist selection.
Evaluations and company analyses are conducted by Scouts (fintech professionals and investor experts), which will contribute to selecting the Draft Finalists.
What is the prep session in March for?
To ensure that every company in the Fintech Draft gets the most out of their participation FFCON20, this is a live meeting/webinar to help you understand how the Draft works, information about the competition and awards, schedules and marketing opportunities.
Select Past Pitching Companies
