The Milken Institute and the Motsepe Foundation, kicked off the final phase of the Milken-Motsepe Prize in AgriTech. Starting February 1, the remaining 22 competing Finalist teams will have 22 days to highlight their innovations and garner votes for the People’s Choice bonus prize. The team with the most votes will be announced in May at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles. Click here to read more.

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Wee Tracker: Verto Wins Big In Bid To Fuel B2B Payments For Global South
UK-based and Africa-focused fintech Verto has secured a USD 1 M boost after winning the Milken-Motsepe Prize in fintech, a prestigious award recognising companies advancing financial access for small businesses in underserved markets. The win adds to Verto’s growing credibility and firepower in an increasingly competitive cross-border payments landscape, especially in frontier economies. Founded in 2018, Verto simplifies international B2B payments for businesses navigating fragmented and often overlooked currency corridors. With support for 49 currencies, many of them exotic or thinly traded, the platform eliminates intermediary fees and accelerates settlement times. This is a game-changer in markets where traditional banking infrastructure has lagged behind. Read the full article here.