SPJIMR WISE Tech hosts Demo Day for inaugural Frictionless Finance Accelerator cohort

MUMBAI, India, May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research's (SPJIMR) WISE Tech hosted a 'Demo Day' for the inaugural cohort of the Frictionless Finance Accelerator on Wednesday, May 7, at its Mumbai campus. In collaboration with the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) and YES BANK, it marked the culmination of a four-month long journey to support 15 high-impact fintech start-ups working to reshape India's financial services landscape.

The Demo Day brought together over 50 investors and venture capitalists, along with 13 financial institutions, to witness the innovative solutions developed by the cohort. The event also featured a fireside chat with Madhusudanan R, Founder of M2P Fintech, followed by an engaging 'Ask Me Anything' session.

"WISE Tech was launched to spark purpose-driven innovation. Through the Frictionless Finance Accelerator, we've demonstrated how academia, industry, and institutions such as RBIH can co-create meaningful change in the sector," said Manoj Mohan, Executive Director, SPJIMR WISE Tech.

Fifteen innovative start-ups, selected from over 150 applications, are addressing key challenges across diverse financial sectors such as agri-finance, climate finance, MSME finance, Nano entrepreneurship, retail finance, and supply chain finance. Their solutions include AI-driven tools, ESG assessments, digital lending, and inclusive financing models, reflecting the evolving landscape of India's financial ecosystem.

Launched on National Startup Day, the Frictionless Finance Accelerator aims to foster innovation and inclusion in financial services by helping fintechs become more bank-ready, responsible, and resilient. RBIH connected start-ups with domain experts, industry leaders, banks and financial institutions, and investors—building bridges between innovators and enablers in the financial ecosystem. YES BANK played a pivotal role by engaging its internal business teams to explore collaboration opportunities with the start-ups. This included advisory inputs and discussions for potential Proof of Concept (PoC) engagements across lending, payments, and ecosystem banking—validating ideas in real-world scenarios and reinforcing its commitment to collaborative innovation.

SPJIMR, through WISE Tech, focused on the design and delivery of the Accelerator. Start-ups benefited from nine targeted masterclasses and deep-dive mentoring by industry experts, including Santosh Kumar, Director, SPJIMR WISE Tech. SPJIMR also facilitated curated access to a broader ecosystem of banks, institutions, and potential partners.

YES BANK 's participation in the Frictionless Finance Accelerator reflects its belief in the value of collaboration between banks and fintech start-ups to drive inclusive financial growth. The initiative aligns with the Bank's focus on encouraging innovation, advancing financial inclusion, and enabling a seamless digital banking experience.

As part of the programme, YES BANK conducted one-on-one mentoring sessions with participating start-ups—assessing their business models, growth plans, and banking needs. This enabled the Bank to provide targeted advisory support and explore relevant product-market fit opportunities.

"As a bank committed to driving digital innovation, YES BANK sees fintech collaboration as integral to shaping the future of financial services," said Dr. Rajan Pental, Executive Director, YES BANK. "By combining our domain expertise with the agility of fintechs, we are co-developing solutions that can enhance access, efficiency, and scalability across the financial ecosystem," he added.

The Demo Day concluded with a formal graduation ceremony honouring the cohort and special recognition of the Top 3 pitches. Participants and stakeholders continued their interactions during post-event networking and speed-meetings, opening doors for new collaborations and funding opportunities.

The success of the inaugural cohort sets the stage for future editions of the Accelerator and reaffirms SPJIMR's commitment to shaping a seamless, inclusive, and sustainable financial ecosystem in India.

About RBIH:

The Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of India, dedicated to leveraging technology and innovation to enable frictionless finance for a billion Indians. The RBIH works towards this mission through its four pathways: RBIH Build - developing in-house solutions when market solutions do not exist, RBIH Design - designing customer-centric processes and products, RBIH Incubate - nurturing fintech startups and the innovation ecosystem, and RBIH Insights - conducting in-depth research and analysis to shape financial innovation. By building bridges between various stakeholders in the financial ecosystem, RBIH fosters an environment of collaborative innovation to drive financial inclusion.

About YES BANK:

YES BANK is a full-service commercial bank providing a complete range of products, services, and technology-driven digital offerings, catering to retail, MSME, and corporate clients. YES BANK operates its investment banking, merchant banking, and brokerage businesses through YES SECURITIES, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank. Headquartered in Mumbai, it has a Pan-India presence including an IBU at GIFT City and a Representative Office in Abu Dhabi. For more information, please visit the Bank's website at http://www.yesbank.in/

About SPJIMR:

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) is a leading postgraduate management institute, recognised by the Financial Times MiM Global Rankings as India's #1 business school, by Business Today as one of the country's top five business schools, and by the Positive Impact Rating as one of the top five business schools worldwide for societal impact. Known for its innovative and socially conscious approach to management education, research, and community engagement, SPJIMR aims to influence managerial practice and promote the value-based growth of its students, alumni, organisations and their leaders, and society. SPJIMR holds the international 'triple crown' of accreditations from EQUIS, AACSB, and AMBA.

Visit SPJIMR.org for more information.

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