Drugstoc from Nigeria wins Global Visa Everywhere Initiative 2023

Drugstoc, an innovative startup that leverages technology to enhance access to health care has been announced as the overall winner of the 2023 Global Visa Everywhere Initiative (VEI) – an open innovation program and competition for start-ups and fintech companies, targeted at solving the payment challenges of tomorrow through innovation.

The startup also won the Audience Favorite award.

The finale was hosted on September 19 during TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, CA where this year’s VEI finalists pitched their payment solution to an esteemed panel of judges.

As a vital component of the program, Visa has made its network available to drive inclusive economic growth with the goal of giving everyone, everywhere, access to the global economy.

Notably, minority-owned businesses have tripled after the pandemic, introducing new ideas for the fintech space. The 2023 VEI program saw a significant uptick in diverse applicants, with women-led businesses representing nearly half of this year’s entrants.

Last year, ThriveAgric, another Nigerian startup that provides smallholder farmers access to finance, insights, and distribution was crowned the 2022 winner of VEI.

VEI is an open innovation program and competition for start-ups and fintech companies, targeted at solving the payment challenges of tomorrow through innovation. Visit our website to learn more about the VEI program.