Non-profit organisation MACH Alliance has selected US-based payment platform PayPal as the first company to join its new Supporter membership category. By taping PayPal, the MACH Alliance, a group of independent tech companies that advocate for open technology ecosystems, expands into the fintech sector.

The newly introduced Supporter membership category was established to be used for companies that do not meet the criteria for MACH certification yet are closely connected to the MACH technology and ecosystem. The category is extended for technology companies, financial services organisations, government bodies, private foundations, academic institutions, as well as private equity or venture capital firms. PayPal already works with MACH Alliance members such as BigCommerce, Bold Commerce, and EPAM.

As per the official statement, this new common venture represents part of the platform’s wider strategy to further promote the MACH principles within the payment industry. Moreover, PayPal’s membership alongside the announcement of the introduction of a new Supporter category are seen within the larger tech industry as an important milestone for the MACH Alliance. When discussing the reasoning behind the decision to add PayPal as the first Supporter member of the MACH Alliance, a representative from the non-profit organisation explained that aligning with a trusted brand is expected to create significant opportunities and advantages for both the MACH Alliance and PayPal.

More about the MACH Alliance The MACH Alliance is a non-profit organisation that is governed by an autonomous board and that refrains from endorsing any vendors, members, or related entities. The Alliance, that currently has approximately 90 members, was formed in 2020 with the aim to help businesses navigate the technology ecosystem. All its members have to meet specific certification principles.

The non-profit organisation reportedly extends invitations to collaborate to technology firms and individual industry experts with a shared vision for the future. One important goal of the Alliance is to showcase the advantage of open tech ecosystems that are microservices-based, API-first, cloud-native SaaS, and headless. Earlier in 2023, the Alliance’s members met at MACH TWO, an event specifically developed for business users, tech leaders, and those interested in MACH’s principles.

More specifically, the conference held in Amsterdam offered those interested a chance to explore the advantages of MACH and discover strategies to embrace the changes necessary for maximising their potential. Also in 2023, it was announced that the financial infrastructure platform for businesses Stripe joined the MACH Alliance. .