Deverium returned to the spotlight at this year’s CEE Mastercard Fintech Forum Poland, held on April 24th in Warsaw, with a showcase of our latest innovation: our spin-off cross-border digital identity product alongID — a digital identity orchestration engine designed to reshape how individuals verify and own their digital identity across borders — securing 2nd place at the Forum’s Pitch Competition, out of 250 participating startups! 🏆
The annual forum, hosted by Mastercard Poland, continues to gather the region’s most forward-thinking fintech leaders, regulators, and innovators. With this year’s focus on security, identity, and next-gen infrastructure, our participation stood out as a key highlight – especially as trust and interoperability rise to the forefront of the financial ecosystem.
Our CEO Erika Maslauskaite delivered the pitch on stage, joined by Co-Founder and CTO Edvardas Maslauskas, presenting alongID’s mission to deliver secure, seamless cross-border digital identity. Together, they engaged with industry leaders, shared insights, and explored exciting new partnerships to scale this innovation across Europe and beyond.
Erika Maslauskaite after alongID pitch competition
Deverium co-Founders Erika Maslauskaite and Edvardas Maslauskas
We had the honor of pitching alongside top fintechs, including:
- 🥇 AMLYZE – Alexandre Pinot & Tadas Češkevičius
- 🏅 Litpay – Emilia Komorowska
- 🏅 AssetCut – Max Folaron
- 🏅 Invis Wearables – Piotr Muranty
Andreas Spengel, SVP at Mastercard, reflected:
“An exceptional gathering of thought leaders, founders, VC investors and industry leaders presented their perspectives and ideas to the 200+ audience in the middle of Warsaw. Big kudos to six startups pitching for the Mastercard Fintech Awards, inspiring the audience with brilliant business models.”
Andreas Spengel, SVP at Mastercard
It was an exhilarating competition, and we’re proud to have brought home second place. This recognition underscores the strength and relevance of alongID in today’s fintech landscape.
Plus, we’ve secured a speaking slot at the upcoming Mastercard Fintech Forum in Berlin, continuing our momentum and commitment to advancing digital identity solutions on the international stage.
With €2M in EU co-funding already secured and a goal of €8M for global expansion, we’re actively seeking partners, investors, and collaborators to help shape the future of digital identity across borders. 
Huge thanks to the Mastercard and FinTech Poland teams for creating such a dynamic and meaningful platform for innovation.
A vision for cross-border digital identity
During the pitch session, Erika Maslauskaite, CEO of deverium, presented the vision behind alongID, as a solution to the most pressing challenges in digital identity verification, such as cross-border recognition issues and ensuring secure, user-controlled data sharing. The new platform leverages distributed technologies and advanced cryptographic methods to allow users to verify their identities seamlessly across diverse jurisdictions. The platform’s use of blockchain-technology puts the individual in control of their own digital identity, through modular, verifiable credentials that comply with evolving global regulatory frameworks like eIDAS 2.0.
“With alongID, we’re building a digital identity solution for the real world — one that respects privacy, enables seamless onboarding, and works across borders,” said Maslauskaite. “Our goal is to empower people and institutions to move faster, with trust being an integral part of every interaction.”
The importance of cross-border digital identity
The need for robust and adaptable cross-border digital identity solutions has never been greater, particularly as we see the evolution of the eIDAS regulation in the European Union. The rollout of eIDAS (Electronic Identification and Trust Services) at the national level is aimed at enabling seamless digital transactions across borders while ensuring security and privacy.
This regulatory framework enables individuals to control their identities across various jurisdictions, reducing friction in cross-border services. As more countries align with eIDAS and other similar frameworks globally, the integration of secure, interoperable identity solutions like alongID becomes essential. By leveraging distributed technology and decentralized architecture, we are not only improving the speed and reliability of identity verification but also contributing to a future where trust in digital interactions is a given.
Recognizing innovation in identity
Agnieszka Cichocka, Head of Fintech Segment at Mastercard Poland, who invited deverium to participate at this year’s event and curated its lineup of innovators, highlighted the crucial role of solutions like alongID.
“deverium is tackling one of the most urgent challenges in fintech – trusted digital identity at scale,” said Cichocka. “We were excited to welcome them to this year’s forum to highlight how solutions like alongID are shaping a more secure, inclusive digital economy.”
Agnieszka Cichocka, Head of Fintech Segment at Mastercard Poland.
Agnieszka Cichocka, Head of Fintech Segment at Mastercard Poland
The 2025 CEE Mastercard Forum featured a distinguished lineup of speakers, including Marta Życińska, Country Manager at Mastercard Poland; Andreas Spengel, Senior Vice President at Mastercard; Jowita Michalska, Founder & CEO of Digital University; Paul Graham, VP of Innovation & Insights at Mastercard; Marcin Mazurek, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Autopay; Dominik Krawczyk, CEO of Cobin Angels; Michał Bogusławski, CEO of Europe at ZEN.COM; Marcin Głogowski, Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Europe and UK CEO at Marqeta; and Weronika Chrzanowska-Ziółkowska, Vice President of the Management Board at Planet Pay.
These leaders brought their expertise from a range of sectors including fintech, payments, digital education, and venture capital, highlighting the diverse perspectives shaping the future of digital innovation.
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