Dubai : Tap Payments powered Step 2023 as the conference’s Super Partner, Fintech Village Partner and Fintech Stage Partner. This collaboration was ideal as Tap helps startups scale across MENA by offering simple and unified online payment products. With more than 400 global startups showcasing, hundreds of global investors and 8,000+ global attendees over two days, Step brought the international tech world to Dubai and put fintech at the forefront of the UAE.
Startups and new fintech companies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region see the Step Conference as an important place to meet. This conference is widely regarded as the premier venue for the exchange of ideas, networking opportunities and hands-on experience among business owners, venture capitalists and other influential figures in various fields. This year’s conference, which took place in February 2023, was a great success and the largest to date. Step presents a crucial opportunity for regional businesses to capitalize on these developments and shape the industry’s future by reshaping its current landscape.
Speakers, panels and workshops at Step focus on the latest industry trends, issues and challenges in an effort to create an atmosphere that fosters collaboration and innovation. Step makes it a priority to cultivate such an environment. Attendees also had the opportunity to meet some of the most promising new business owners and start-ups in the region, establish valuable connections with them and explore potential business opportunities. According to Ahmad Alwazzan, Executive Vice President and CEO of Tap Payments UAE, “Step 2023 was such an amazing platform for Tap Payments to demonstrate our engagement with our startup community, empower future fintech leaders in the Mentorship Corner, and push the future of MENA fintech beyond the region.”
At Step, AlWazzan also spoke on a panel alongside industry experts from Telr, FlapKap and Talabat, discussing his insights into the rapidly evolving payments landscape. AlWazzan emphasized the importance of regulatory frameworks and the need for integrations between fintech and traditional solutions to meet the needs of businesses and consumers. He also highlighted the growing popularity of mobile payments and the need for the industry to prioritize user experience, adapt to new technologies and regulations and prepare for the expected increase in cross-border transactions.
Both Step Conference and Tap believe that creativity is key to the success of the MENA fintech industry. Ahmed AlAradi, Executive Vice President of Business at Tap Payments, spoke on an exciting panel on “Embracing the Fintech Revolution through Innovative Platforms” with experts from Foodics and Zoho. They discussed the impact fintech innovations have had on the industry and its stakeholders, along with how fintech companies are using platforms such as foodics and Zoho to improve their products and services.
Tap’s commitment to growing the startup ecosystem went beyond just providing mentorship to startup startups. As the fintech village partner of the Step conference, Tap hosted 20 early-stage fintech startups and gave them the opportunity to exhibit at the event, giving them valuable exposure and opportunities to network with investors, potential customers and other key players in industry. Tap’s Head of Compliance, Azra Ahmed, also provided guidance to startups in the mentor’s corner on 23 February.
Ahmad Alwazzan sums up Tap’s role in helping to build a strong and vibrant startup ecosystem in the region by saying, “Our commitment to innovation and growth is a key driver of Tap’s success as a leading Paytech company. It is important for businesses that started in Middle East to continue to raise awareness of the region and inspire the next generation of industry disruptors and innovators to sustain growth and progress in the region, which is why we are always so actively involved in events like the Step Conference that aim to do so .”
-ends-
Media inquiries
Please contact:
Ben Kershaw, MD at Hivemind Creative Marketing
Email: [email protected]
Maryam Shoaei, Senior Account Manager
Email: [email protected]
About Tap Payments
Founded in 2013, Tap Payments is revolutionizing online payments across the MENA region by connecting businesses with simple, unified payment experiences. Today, Tap powers thousands of businesses of all sizes across all industries and is growing at an extraordinary pace. Tap Payments facilitates regional and global MENA payments. Before Tap, accepting online payments was a complicated process that took months to set up and involved multiple players. Since our arrival, we have helped SMEs across MENA accept payments within days, with invoicing and operational capabilities that rival the region’s largest companies. Tap Payments technology products are made for businesses from the region by people from the region who understand the realities of our markets, their businesses and their customers.
