Retail accelerator TrueStart has announced a strategic alliance with innovation hub Visa Europe Collab.

The partnership will give the retail and consumer entrepreneurs that are chosen to be part of TrueStart’s investment programme access to Visa Europe’s payment expertise.

The recently launched Visa Europe Collab innovation hub offers start-ups and technology entrepreneurs the insight, tools and connections to develop the payments technologies and services of the future. As part of the alliance, Visa Europe Collab will support TrueStart entrepreneurs working in areas relevant to payments with advice on everything from security and authentication through to integrating their solution within the wider ecosystem.

Selected applicants will also be chosen to go through Visa Europe Collab’s 100-day innovation funnel, from initial scoping and qualification, through market testing and design to proof of concept.

Visa Europe Collab joins the likes of Accenture, River Island (pictured) and Land Securities in partnering with TrueStart, which is based in London.

Rebecca Floyd, community and partnerships director at Visa Europe Collab, said: “One of the foundations of Visa Europe Collab is collaboration.

“We are giving some of Europe’s most innovative companies access to the mentoring, services and R&D that will enable them to flourish. Our partnership with TrueStart is testament to this commitment. TrueStart’s entrepreneurs will have a unique opportunity to collaborate with the very best minds in the payments landscape alongside TrueStart’s other expert partners to ensure they succeed in the highly competitive modern retail landscape.”

TrueStart and Visa Europe Collab will work together to identify new payments innovations, take pitch ideas from start-ups, and provide mentoring, investments and networking opportunities. TrueStart expects to fully invest in between 20 and 30 companies by the end of 2016.