Announcement
Cyphr Selected for Mastercard Start Path In Solidarity Program
May 30, 2024
Joining Mastercard's global fintech ecosystem to scale capital readiness infrastructure
We're excited to announce that Cyphr has been selected for Mastercard Start Path In Solidarity, a program designed to accelerate high-growth startups that are building technology to drive inclusive economic growth.
Out of hundreds of applications from 54 countries, Cyphr was chosen as one of seven startups to join this cohort—alongside innovators working on digital payments, healthcare access, and sustainability solutions.
This isn't just validation. It's partnership with the infrastructure that will help us scale.
Why This Matters
Mastercard Start Path has supported over 400 startups, many of which have achieved unicorn status or entered public markets. The program provides more than capital—it offers access to Mastercard's global network, technology infrastructure, and in-house expertise.
For Cyphr, this means:
Strategic mentorship from Mastercard executives who understand financial infrastructure at global scale
Access to Mastercard's products and services that can accelerate our platform capabilities
Connections to Mastercard's ecosystem of financial institutions, cities, and economic development partners
Forums to pitch and refine our approach with some of the world's leading fintech decision-makers
But what matters most is alignment.
Mastercard Start Path In Solidarity focuses specifically on startups driving inclusive growth and equitable access to financial opportunities. That's not a marketing tagline for us. It's the entire point.
The Problem We're Solving
Modern small businesses don't look like the businesses underwriting systems were designed for.
Revenue comes from multiple platforms. Documentation is scattered. Financial behavior is nonlinear. Traditional systems interpret this complexity as risk.
It isn't risk. It's just not recognizable to decades-old models.
The result: Millions of fundable businesses can't access capital—not because they're not creditworthy, but because the infrastructure to assess them doesn't exist.
Cyphr builds that infrastructure.
We create the canonical readiness layer that cities, lenders, and economic programs use to standardize how modern small businesses get assessed, prepared, and funded.
Why Mastercard Start Path Matters for Our Mission
Financial inclusion isn't just about access to payment rails. It's about access to capital.
And access to capital requires infrastructure that can see, assess, and support businesses that don't fit traditional molds.
Mastercard understands this. Their commitment to bringing 1 billion people and 50 million small businesses into the digital economy isn't just about transaction processing. It's about building the systems that enable economic participation.
That's exactly what Cyphr does—but upstream, at the capital readiness layer.
Through Start Path, we'll:
Scale our infrastructure faster. Mastercard's technology and network will help us reach more cities, lenders, and economic programs.
Deepen our capabilities. Access to Mastercard's payments expertise will inform how we think about verification, identity, and data infrastructure.
Expand our reach. Mastercard's global footprint opens doors to international markets where capital readiness infrastructure is even more critical.
Strengthen our positioning. Being part of a cohort focused on inclusive growth reinforces that we're not just another fintech—we're building economic mobility infrastructure.
What Comes Next
Over the next six months, we'll be working closely with Mastercard and the other Start Path companies to:
Accelerate our mission to become the global
The Bigger Picture
Economic mobility isn't a nice-to-have. It's the foundation of resilient economies.
When small businesses can access capital, they:
Create jobs in their communities
Generate tax revenue that funds public services
Build intergenerational wealth
Strengthen local economic resilience
But none of this happens if the infrastructure to deploy capital fairly and efficiently doesn't exist.
Cyphr builds that infrastructure. Mastercard is helping us scale it.
Together, we're working toward a future where capital flows to fundable businesses—regardless of how "traditional" they look.
About the Cohort
We're honored to be joining six other exceptional startups in this cohort, each working on critical challenges:
BlinkSky (Atlanta) - Democratizing digital payments through universal gift card infrastructure
Cleva - Building financial tools for emerging markets
Create Labs - Innovating at the intersection of creativity and commerce
Cysurance - Modernizing insurance infrastructure
MedTransGo - Breaking down healthcare access barriers through technology
Planet FWD - Creating measurement tools for sustainability
Each company is solving a different piece of the inclusive growth puzzle. That's the power of this cohort—we're not competitors. We're complementary infrastructure builders.
This Mastercard partnership is validation that what we're building matters. But the real validation comes from seeing businesses get funded who couldn't before.
That's what drives us. That's what we'll keep building toward.
About Cyphr
Cyphr makes it easy to coordinate and connect businesses, lenders, ESOs, and capital deployment to enable economic mobility.
Learn more at cyphrai.com
About Mastercard Start Path
Start Path is Mastercard's flagship startup engagement program that has supported over 400 startups from 54 countries. Start Path In Solidarity specifically focuses on accelerating high-growth startups building technology to drive inclusive economic growth and equitable access to financial opportunities.
Read the full announcement on the Mastercard Newsroom.
