🔴🟠 alongID Secures 3rd Place at 2025 Mastercard Fintech Forum Central European Final in Berlin
On June 24, 2025, the alongID team headed back to Berlin for one of the region’s most anticipated fintech gatherings, the Mastercard Fintech Forum Central European Final. alongID was selected as one of six finalists to participate in the pitch competition final out of more than 750 startups. With its revolutionary vision of a decentralized, reusable, and globally interoperable digital identity product, alongID secured third place in the competition. This achievement highlights alongID’s steady progress and growing recognition within the European fintech community. Fellow Lithuanian startup Amlyze took the Best Business Model and Audience Choice awards, while Nominis won the Product Innovation Award. Other finalists were Eterny, Talentir, and T1me One.
As the culmination of a series of dynamic regional events, the Berlin forum brought together the brightest minds and boldest innovators from across Central Europe to explore the future of finance. Just as we did last year when we tracked the latest trends at the CEE Mastercard Fintech Forum in Berlin, that 2024 experience shaped alongID’s development, validating its role in enabling identity verification and prepping us for cross-border scale.
Berlin proved to be more than just a location but a launchpad where industry intellect, partnerships, and pioneering commitments met. This summer’s forum harnessed that same energy, offering another in-depth exploration of the technologies, customer expectations, and business models that are reshaping the financial services industry. We were proud to return to this inspiring environment, where connections spark collaborations and bold ideas turn into tangible impact.
Held at the iconic art deco cultural heritage Admiralspalast Theater, this year’s edition carried the same forward-looking energy, featuring standout sessions on global scaling with leaders from ZEN.COM, Enfuce, and amnis, a keynote from Kraken’s Kaushik Sthankiya on digital assets infrastructure, and sharp discussions on generative AI, cross-border growth, and compliance-by-design. It was a powerful reminder that Berlin remains a hub of the ideas and partnerships that shape the future of finance.
Building on success, from Warsaw to Berlin
The road to Berlin this summer began earlier this spring in Warsaw, where deverium’s spin-off cross-border digital ID product alongID made a powerful impression at the Mastercard Fintech Forum Poland 2025. Competing in the highly selective pitch competition, alongID captured the jury’s attention and took home an impressive 2nd place, confirming its pioneering approach to digital identity verification.
“The Warsaw forum was a decisive moment for us as we had the chance to present alongID in front of an exceptional audience, and the feedback we received confirmed that we’re solving a problem the industry is ready and eager to address. alongID is solving one of the most pressing challenges in fintech today, cross-border digital identity verification, and how we’re building a future where users truly own and control their digital identity,”
says Erika Maslauskaite, CEO of deverium.
This momentum carried forward to Berlin, where the stakes and opportunities were even higher. In this year’s pitch competition, six finalists from four countries, selected from over 750+ startups across the region, competed on the Berlin stage, representing the very best of Central European fintech innovation. We were proud that alongID earned a spot among them and secured 3rd place in the final, a strong recognition of our vision for a privacy-first, interoperable digital identity product. A jury of industry experts and investors evaluated each finalist’s business model, growth potential, and disruptive capability.
The forum explored critical fintech topics, including generative AI, cross-border scaling, growth strategies, and the future of digital payments. The speaker lineup featured high-profile voices like Kaushik Sthankiya (former Global Head of Institutional at Kraken), who explored the digital asset infrastructure, and Michał Bogusławski (Europe CEO at ZEN.COM), Monika Liikamaa (Co-Founder of Enfuce), and Michael Wüst (Co-Founder of amnis), who shared firsthand lessons from scaling fintechs across markets.
The discussions were expertly moderated by Natalie Staniewicz of Accenture and included strategic insights from Chris Skinner, one of the most influential voices in global fintech. Industry leaders such as Andreas Spengel, SVP Fintech, Platform, and New Verticals at Mastercard, brought valuable perspectives on ecosystem partnerships.
“Innovation thrives where collaboration meets purpose. At Mastercard, we’re proud to support fintechs like alongID that are reimagining digital identity for a global, privacy-first future. The Mastercard Fintech Forum isn’t just a platform to showcase innovation but a gathering where partnerships are born, challenges are solved, and the next generation of digital finance is shaped. What stood out about alongID is their clear commitment to interoperability and user control, which are essential as we build an inclusive and secure digital economy across borders,”
says Andreas Spengel.
Additional sessions featured founders from Monzo, N26, and Statista, providing rich commentary on building and scaling digital platforms in a competitive, fast-evolving landscape. The presence of Mastercard StartPath voices further highlighted the forum’s cross-sector role in shaping the next wave of fintech collaboration.
As a company working closely with fintech founders across Europe, events like the Mastercard Fintech Forum are essential touchpoints for us, not only for staying ahead of trends but for building the future together.
