Fifteen teams compete in Jordan Fintech Festival 2026

Dead Sea, Sept. 23, 2026 — Fifteen finalist teams presented their pitch presentations Wednesday at the Jordan Fintech Festival 2026, competing in the Levant region category of the Startup World Cup. The event, held as part of the wider festival at the Dead Sea, is organized jointly by the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) and cybersecurity firm Green Circle. Elimination rounds continue on Thursday to select three top teams to advance to the final stage, with official results scheduled for release later in the day.

"The competition provided early-stage innovators and startups an opportunity to present financial technology solutions to a panel of expert judges," organizers said, highlighting the festival's role as a showcase for emerging fintech ideas across the region.

Competition format and stakes

The pitching segment on Wednesday focused on startups and teams vying for the Levant region slot in the Startup World Cup. Judges evaluated presentations across criteria typical for early-stage fintech competitions: product-market fit, technological innovation, regulatory readiness, and potential for regional scaling. The top three teams emerging from Thursday's elimination rounds will move on to a final stage where the first-place winner will secure qualification to the regional finals in Dubai.

• Event: Jordan Fintech Festival 2026 (pitch competition for Levant region)
• Organizers: Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) and Green Circle
• Date: Sept. 23–24, 2026 (pitch presentations on Sept. 23; eliminations on Sept. 24)
• Prize: First-place spot at the regional finals in Dubai (Startup World Cup pathway)
• Participants: 15 finalist teams presented pitches on Sept. 23

Context and participants

The pitch competition is one element of the Jordan Fintech Festival, which gathers financial institutions, technology companies, entrepreneurs, and fintech innovators across the region. Organizers emphasized collaboration between financial regulators and private-sector tech enablers; the Central Bank of Jordan's involvement underlines a regulatory engagement with fintech development, while Green Circle contributes cybersecurity expertise relevant to many fintech offerings.

Startups that took the stage represented a range of early-stage solutions aimed at payments, digital banking tooling, identity and security, and lending platforms. While detailed team names and technologies were not released ahead of the scheduled results, the event format is designed to fast-track successful entrants toward regional exposure and investor attention, culminating in the Dubai regional finals where leading startups across the Middle East and North Africa will compete.

Outlook

Organizers plan to announce the three teams advancing to the final stage later on Thursday, with the first-place team earning a slot at the Startup World Cup regional finals in Dubai. For the competing startups, progression through the festival offers access to mentorship, regulatory engagement with the CBJ, and visibility to regional investors and partners. The Jordan Fintech Festival continues through related sessions and showcases intended to deepen connections among fintech stakeholders across Jordan and the broader Levant region.