EMEA based businesses committed to furthering the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can enter to join the programme as of Thursday 9th March for a chance to win €30,000 of prize money and two weeks of dedicated Adyen mentorship. Adyen will cover the cost of accommodation and travel to the company’s Amsterdam headquarters for two representatives from each of the 10 successful enterprises.

Following the programme’s success over the previous two editions, Adyen’s upcoming Accelerator will comprise an immersive programme taking place from 5th-9th June, during which ten invited enterprises chosen on the strength of their written application will attend a range of workshops, presentations, and trainings.

These sessions are designed to deepen their practical knowledge, sharpen their skills, and ultimately provide the tools needed to scale their impact. Session topics will range from refining business values, to building a growth strategy, the power of brand storytelling, and how to pitch to investors.

“Adyen’s Accelerator programme embodies our core mission, which is to empower businesses to achieve their ambitions faster,” commented Ingo Uytdehaage, CFO at Adyen. “We are excited to be returning with a focus on supporting social enterprises and impact startups. All participants of global commerce can simultaneously help tackle social issues and take climate action.

"The businesses who participate in our Accelerator set a strong example of how to simultaneously support the UN SDGs, and we’re proud to help drive their growth.”

At the end of the week of interactive learning, all participants will showcase their products in Adyen’s pop-up impact market, where they will receive product feedback from Adyen employees, merchants, partners, and investors. One ultimate winner will be announced on the programme’s closing day, during which the startups will have a chance to pitch their business on stage to a panel of impact-focused investors and Adyen board members.

The winner of the Accelerator will receive €30,000 in prize money as well as two weeks of mentorship from the Adyen team. This mentorship will be tailored to the winner’s needs. Adyen is in a valuable position to give back to budding businesses advancing the UN SDGs. With their experience sustainably scaling the company to partnering with some of the world’s largest enterprises, Adyen looks forward to sharing actionable lessons and tools to accelerate the growth of ten impact-driven startups. 

“Adyen’s Accelerator was a fantastic experience for us,” added Alice Moxley, Founder & CEO of Pivot, the winner of Adyen’s 2022 EMEA Accelerator. “We thoroughly enjoyed our time during that special week in Amsterdam as well as the mentoring that followed from the Adyen team. The backing of organisations like Adyen means so much to social enterprises like ours in what has been a challenging couple of years.”

The 2022 EMEA Accelerator winner, London-based jewellery social enterprise, Pivot, recently showcased their work in Adyen’s Amsterdam HQ storefront. Adyen’s mentorship, guidance, and financial support enabled Pivot to extend its increasingly important mission of alleviating the effects of homelessness through creativity and business confidence.