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Kenya’s e-health Startup MyDawa Secures $20 Million Funding

Hafiz Akinde
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Kenya’s e-health Startup MyDawa Secures $20 Million Funding

Kenyan e-health startup MyDawa has secured $20 million in funding from private equity investor Alta Semper Capital. The investment will fuel the company’s expansion plans to broaden its regional presence and enhance its product offerings, aiming to establish itself as a comprehensive health platform.

Since its establishment in 2016, MyDawa has evolved from being solely an e-pharmacy to offering diverse services such as online and in-person consultations, laboratory services, and an expanding network of walk-in pharmacies and health centers.

In addition to its existing ventures, MyDawa has introduced its own branded products and intends to leverage its technology infrastructure, extending beyond telehealth to fulfillment services. This move aims to support other businesses in the health sector and facilitate their growth. MyDawa has already secured partnerships with prominent clinic chains in Kenya that are seeking to expand their reach.

Furthermore, MyDawa has made its first strategic acquisition, obtaining Uganda’s Guardian Health. This acquisition marks the initial step in MyDawa’s ambition to expand beyond Kenya. The company’s growth trajectory will be guided by its newly appointed CEO, Priscilla Muhiu, previously associated with Glovo Kenya.

Co-founder Neil O’Leary expressed enthusiasm about the funding and the recent acquisition, highlighting the alignment of Alta Semper’s ambition with that of MyDawa. O’Leary emphasized the positive impact of these developments on the company’s secure foundation and expansion opportunities, leading to improved health outcomes.

The investment from Alta Semper follows a previous $3 million funding from AAIC’s Africa Healthcare Fund in 2019. Additionally, MyDawa has received a $1.2 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to enhance access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) medication for combating the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Alta Semper CEO Afsane Jetha described the investment as the company’s first foray into digital healthcare in Africa, recognizing the sector’s substantial growth potential. Jetha explained that MyDawa was the logical choice due to its innovative technology, scalable business model, regulatory expertise, and market entry experience.

The investment aligns with Alta Semper’s mission to democratize access to health and well-being throughout the African continent by increasing access to reliable advice and affordable medication. With Africa’s consumer spending projected to reach $2.1 trillion by 2025, the investment in MyDawa represents a significant opportunity to meet the growing demand and invest in locally produced and value-priced consumer goods and services.

Computer Vision: The Game Changer for Modernizing African Finance

TWA Admin
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Computer Vision: The Game Changer for Modernizing African Finance

With about 350 million unbanked adults in Sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for 17% of the global total, the proper adoption and utilization of AI and computer vision in Africa’s finance sector can have immense future potential.

The integration of these advanced technologies can revolutionize the sector, improve efficiency, and provide new opportunities. The KYC process and National ID verification can significantly benefit from computer vision technology, including facial recognition and OCR.

Computer vision technology has the potential to significantly increase financial inclusion and expand access to financial services for the previously underserved unbanked population in Sub-Saharan Africa.

By enabling mobile-based identity verification, individuals can easily onboard themselves by taking a picture of their ID cards or a selfie, which can be used to verify their identity.

Computer vision can use facial recognition algorithms to match the image captured with the ID card, reducing onboarding time and eliminating the need for physical verification.

Here are eight potential ways that computer vision technology can be implemented in the finance sector in Sub-Saharan Africa to improve KYC and National ID verification, as well as provide customers with self-serve options:

1. National ID Verification: Financial institutions can use computer vision to verify the authenticity of the National ID card presented by a customer during the KYC process. The system can match the biometric data on the card with the customer’s physical features to ensure a reliable match.

2. Loan Application: Computer vision can be used to analyze customer documents and information submitted through online loan applications. The system can quickly verify the customer’s identity, income, and credit history, making it easier for financial institutions to approve or deny loans without the need for manual processing.

3. Facial Recognition: Computer vision can be used to capture and analyze the facial features of customers during the KYC process. This can be linked to the National ID system for enhanced accuracy in verifying customer identities.

4. Document Scanning: OCR technology, banks, and other financial institutions can automate the process of reading and processing these documents presented by customers, such as passports or driver’s licenses, during the KYC process. This can ensure the document is genuine and accurate.

5. Check Deposit: Computer vision can be used to scan and process check deposits made by customers through mobile apps or ATMs. The system can analyze the check for authenticity and deposit the funds into the customer’s account without the need for a physical visit to a bank branch.

6. Fraud Detection: Computer vision can be used to monitor customer transactions and behavior for potential fraud or suspicious activity. The system can flag suspicious transactions for further investigation by financial institution staff.

7. Personal Finance Management: Computer vision can be used to provide customers with personalized finance management tools, such as budgeting and spending tracking. The system can analyze the customer’s account history and transactions to provide tailored financial advice and recommendations.

8. Chatbots: Chatbots powered by computer vision can provide customers with quick and accurate responses to their queries, reducing the need for customers to visit bank branches or call customer service centers. The chatbots can also be programmed to provide personalized services based on the customer’s account history and preferences.

While the adoption of computer vision technology in the finance sector in Africa may be slow at first, financial institutions can gradually introduce self-service options and provide customers with tutorials and training materials to increase adoption rates.

Overall, computer vision technology has the potential to revolutionize the finance sector in Africa, particularly in relation to KYC and National ID verification. By modernizing the sector, financial institutions can improve efficiency and provide a better customer experience for Africans.

 

 

About the Author: Tesfaye Mengistu is a Seasoned Business Developer with 14 years of diverse experience working with multinational firms in Technology Business Development, Technical Sales, Business Intelligence, Analytics, Contract Negotiation, and Administration, International Sales and Logistics, and Product Development. Mr.Tesfaye holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, a Master in Business Administration, and a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence.

Brainstack Academy Launches Content Marketing Fellowship for African Youths

TWA Admin
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Brainstack Academy Launches Content Marketing Fellowship for African Youths

[Ilorin, Nigeria, May 8th, 2023]

Brainstack Academy, an online digital marketing school has announced the launch of the first cohort of its content marketing fellowship for African youths.

The content marketing fellowship, scheduled to begin on June 5th, 2023 is a 3-months cohort and hands-on practical program that helps African youths build profitable careers in content marketing.

The application is open to any young person in any African country who has access to a smartphone and internet connection.

“We’re excited to launch the maiden edition of the content marketing fellowship,” said AbdulGaniy Shehu, the Co-founder, and CEO of the Edtech startup. “Our goal with this fellowship is to equip the next generation of African Content Marketers who will compete globally in the $584 billion content marketing industry.”

“This fellowship marks the beginning of the future we envision for the digital marketing industry in Africa” reiterated Sodiq Ajala, the Co-founder and COO of the company. “This is not just an online course, where you get a series of videos and don’t know what to do with them. It’s a cohort-based training program with mentorship and hands-on practical included.”

The launch of Brainstack Academy’s Content Marketing Fellowship is a step towards the Edtech startup’s mission of providing high-quality digital marketing training for Africans. At the end of the program, participants will understand the rudiments of content marketing. They’ll also be equipped with the strategies, frameworks, mental models, and tactics they can use to create content that ranks high on Google, gets read, and drives business results.

About Brainstack Academy

Brainstack Academy is an online institute that equips Africans with in-demand digital marketing skills. We make it easy for Africans to learn, become certified, and kickstart profitable careers in digital marketing.

 

Sendmarc secures $7m Series A funding to enhance email and domain security

TWA Admin
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Sendmarc secures $7m Series A funding to enhance email and domain security

South African email and domain security leader Sendmarc has secured a US$7 million Series A funding round to advance its product development and expand its market enablement strategy. Sendmarc offers clients access to an array of tools for securing email domains, ensuring compliance with global email and domain security best practices, and monitoring for attempted abuse.

The company has an impressive client roster, which includes banks, law enforcement agencies, retailers, insurance companies, and tech companies, among others. The funding will be used to build on Sendmarc’s successful track record, with a focus on enhancing email and domain security.

Atlantica Ventures led the funding round, with Allan Gray E-Squared Ventures, Fireball Capital, Endeavor Catalyst, 4Di Capital, Kalon Venture Partners, Endeavor Harvest, and Alpha Private Capital also participating.

The funding will be used to expand Sendmarc’s market enablement strategy and further develop its product. The company plans to focus on being the best in email and domain security while expanding its reach and maintaining its reputation as a leader in the industry.

Sendmarc CEO and founder Sam Hutchinson said that the funding will help the company to continue improving its product and expand its market enablement strategy, adding that they are proud to have protected over 10 billion emails from impersonation last year.

Aniko Szigetvari, Atlantica principal, and co-founder stated that cybercrime has become a major disruptor of economic activity worldwide, costing companies and governments billions of dollars annually in financial loss and reputational impact.

The Sendmarc team’s focus on email and domain security protection is a crucial area of cybersecurity that addresses a growing issue or pain point. The company’s founding team is exceptional, and they are excited to support the growth of their product and geographic expansion.

Foodtech Startup Terraa Secures $1.5M Pre-Seed Funding to Build Sustainable Food Supply Ecosystem in Africa

Sodiq Ajala
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Foodtech Startup Terraa Secures $1.5M Pre-Seed Funding to Build Sustainable Food Supply Ecosystem in Africa

Terraa, a Moroccan foodtech startup, has secured $1.5 million in pre-seed funding from investors led by FoodLabs, along with UM6P Ventures, Outlierz Ventures, Musha Ventures, and DFS Lab. The startup will use the funding to expand its team, enhance its technology infrastructure, and expand to major cities in Morocco.

Terraa’s B2B platform and logistics infrastructure aim to make food supply chains more sustainable and equitable in Africa. The platform enables farmers to earn higher incomes, and retailers to have access to high-quality goods at competitive prices. Terraa purchases directly from farmers and delivers to fruit and vegetable vendors, hotels, and restaurants, creating a transparent and efficient food supply ecosystem that aims to address the operational inefficiencies and lack of technology and data in Africa’s food supply chain.

Terraa’s vision is to create a more sustainable and equitable food supply ecosystem that benefits all stakeholders, including farmers, retailers, and consumers. In many African countries, the food supply chain is riddled with intermediaries, which leads to inflated prices, poor quality of food, and significant waste.

Terraa’s tech-enabled platform and logistics infrastructure aim to address these challenges by creating a transparent and efficient food supply ecosystem. The platform’s direct-to-farmer approach eliminates intermediaries, enabling farmers to earn higher incomes and access stable markets at better prices. Retailers, on the other hand, benefit from competitive prices and a consistent supply of high-quality goods.

The pre-seed funding will help Terraa expand its reach to major cities in Morocco and enhance its technology infrastructure. By building a more efficient and sustainable food supply ecosystem, Terraa aims to make food more affordable and accessible to everyone, while also ensuring secure income for farmers.

The startup’s innovative approach has gained the support of investors who share its mission of leveraging technology to drive quicker and more efficient transactions. The backing of renowned investors like FoodLabs, UM6P Ventures, Outlierz Ventures, Musha Ventures, and DFS Lab is a testament to Terraa’s potential to transform the food supply chain in Africa.

Mozn has teamed up with Mambu to strengthen digital banking operations in the Middle East

Sodiq Ajala
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Mozn has teamed up with Mambu to strengthen digital banking operations in the Middle East

Mozn, a leading enterprise Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology provider, has announced a strategic partnership with Mambu. The partnership aims to provide industry-leading cloud banking solutions with SaaS products built on cutting-edge R&D and intelligence engines.

The collaboration will combine Mambu’s cloud-native banking platform with Mozn’s AI-powered financial crime prevention suite “FOCAL” to provide digital banking solutions that deliver seamless and secure experiences for customers in the Middle East and Africa. The partnership aims to empower financial institutions to scale, reduce costs, and strengthen AML compliance, all while increasing customer trust through the most secure money-management processes.

Mozn’s FOCAL is a unified financial crime-fighting suite designed to meet the needs and challenges of emerging markets. With the use of powerful AI and seamless automation, FOCAL empowers financial institutions to confidently and efficiently screen customers, monitor transactions, and assess risks. This helps organizations combat the ever-evolving and sophisticated attacks targeting the region and meet rapidly scaling regulatory demands.

Mambu’s cloud-native platform is API-driven and designed to fuel financial innovation, bring solutions to market faster, drive down cost barriers, and allow ecosystems to expand. Its technology empowers non-banks, neobanks, and traditional financial institutions to support customers and underserved segments with access to modern financial services by modernizing their core operations.

Miljan Stamenkovic, General Manager MEA at Mambu, stated that “Regulation and compliance in financial services have to evolve fast. Combined with the growth of digital banking, fintech, and the payments ecosystem in the GCC region, we expect to see a surge in the need for specialized propositions.” The collaboration between Mozn and Mambu aims to build a stronger bridge between local financial institutions and their customers, providing strict adherence to evolving compliance and risk management standards.

Dr. Mohammed Alhussein, Founder & CEO at Mozn, emphasized that “Today, customers rely on safe and secure digital banking for their financial needs.” The combined best-in-class solutions provided by Mozn’s strategic partnership with Mambu will enable financial institutions to increase customer trust by offering the most secure money-management processes. The partnership will also help financial institutions scale, reduce costs, and strengthen their anti-money laundering compliance.

Nigeria Receives $976 Million Out of Africa’s Total $3.3 Billion in Technology Start-up Investments

TWA Admin
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Nigeria Receives $976 Million Out of Africa’s Total $3.3 Billion in Technology Start-up Investments

A new report by Disrupt Africa, the African Tech Startups Funding Report 2022, reveals that Nigeria attracted the largest tech startup investments in Africa last year, with $976 million invested in 180 fintech startups. Nigeria’s startups made up 28.4% of Africa’s funded ventures and received 29.3% of the continent’s total investments. The report stated that African tech startups raised more funding than ever before in 2022, with a total of 633 startups raising $3.3 billion, which was 55.1% more than the $2.15 billion raised by 564 African startups in 2021.

The report showed that the record for the largest round ever raised by an African tech startup was broken once again in 2022, with Nigerian fintech startup Flutterwave topping the list with $250 million raised in February. Other startups that raised significant amounts include Moove, a Nigerian mobility fintech company ($181.8 million across five investments), MNT-Halan ($150 million), Yassir ($150 million), Wasoko ($125 million), InstaDeep ($100 million), Clickatell ($91 million), and M-KOPA ($75 million).

The report also revealed that there were at least 987 disclosed investors in African tech startups in 2022, up 216 from the 771 tracked in 2021, marking the largest amount of individual disclosed investors on record. Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, and Kenya remain the “big four” of African startup funding, but startups from more African countries secured investment, with Egypt and Kenya reporting decent growth.

Additionally, startups from 27 African countries received funding in 2022, more than ever before, and the report noted that funding is starting to become slightly more evenly distributed. Despite a record-breaking year for funding in Ghana and Tunisia, the “big four” remains entrenched with no sign of becoming a “five” or “six.”

To start 2023 on a high note, two Nigerian startups won $300,000 at the LEAP Rocket Fuel Pitch Competition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. RiceAfrika Technologies, a tech-driven agri-optimization startup, emerged as the global winner in the ‘Tech for Humanity Award’ category, while Wicrypt, a tech startup that aims to decentralize the internet globally, won in the ‘Into New World Award’ category.

Ghana’s Fortek Joins Forces with Codebase for Digibanc Initiative

TWA Admin
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Ghana’s Fortek Joins Forces with Codebase for Digibanc Initiative

Financial services provider Fortek has teamed up with Codebase Technologies to bring its Digibanc platform, a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution, to the African market. The goal of this partnership is to offer “affordable, accessible, and transparent” digital financial services on the continent.

Through this collaboration, Fortek aims to expand its existing services and support new fintech companies, banks, and start-ups in their digital service offerings, including instant lending, regulatory reporting, payments, and “buy now, pay later.”

The partnership aims to drive digital transformation and promote entrepreneurship in Africa, ultimately contributing to the growth of the economy and financial inclusion for over 1.4 billion people on the continent.

According to Felix Quarcoe, Managing Director at Fortek, the company’s mission has been to “fill in the gaps that traditional institutions have ignored for so long,” and this partnership with Codebase Technologies will allow it to “help anyone, anywhere, anytime.”

Paul Nilsen, Commercial Director and Africa Managing Director at Codebase Technologies, states that if fintech companies, neobanks, challengers, and corporations want to effectively address customer pain points, they must conform to their demands, not the other way around.

Ghanaian Agritech, Farmerline Gets $12.9M Funding, to Use New Funding to Strengthen Infrastructure

Hassan Barakat
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Ghanaian Agritech, Farmerline Gets $12.9M Funding, to Use New Funding to Strengthen Infrastructure

Ghanaian agritech, Farmerline gets $12.9M funding. Farmerline has stepped in to deliver technologies aimed at improving farmers’ access to high-quality production inputs and education on optimal agricultural methods.

Farmerline has identified key deficiencies in Ghana’s agri-food sector. Its solutions are also intended to help farmers gain faster access to markets, resulting in more profits and less post-harvest loss and waste.

In 2013, Alloysius Attah and Emmanuel Owusu Addai founded Farmerline. It will begin its expansion in Ghana before moving on to the adjacent Ivory Coast, accelerated by a new $12.9 million pre-Series A investment round ($6.4 million equity and $6.5 million debt).

Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund (ARAF) and FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, lead the equity round. Another participant in the round is Greater Impact Foundation. DEG, Rabobank, Ceniarth, Rippleworks, Mulago Foundation, Whole Planet Foundation, the Netri Foundation, and Kiva were among the debt lenders.

The agritech will utilize its first round of equity capital to construct physical infrastructures, such as warehouses and distribution networks.

“We see ourselves as the Amazon of farmers,” Attah explained, “a digital and physical infrastructure powering a marketplace that permits the movement of products and services to and from rural areas.”

“We intend to use the funds to improve our infrastructure, which includes warehouses and distribution networks,” he said.

“It’s critical to have a network of partners who can assist us in quickly getting inputs like fertilizer and seeds to rural areas, as well as farm produce from rural areas. We don’t plan to bring all logistics and storage in-house, but we do want to be more efficient, which involves partnering with the right people,” he added.

Farmerline collaborates with agribusinesses (often small retail stores that offer farm inputs) to guarantee farmers have access to high-quality products.

“We’re tapping into that agriculture network, and in some ways, we’re tapping into a network of trust – the relationship that these shop owners have with farmers to help us expand,” said Attah.

“This investment is a watershed moment for our industry, and it provides an opportunity for us all to transform the way we work together as a community to benefit farmers who currently feed one-third of the world’s population, but will need to increase production by 70% by 2050 to feed nine billion people”, concluded Attah.

Flutterwave, Paystack, and the Leaders of the African Fintech Industry

Yeseerah Lawal
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Flutterwave, Paystack, and the Leaders of the African Fintech Industry

Over the last decade, the African Fintech industry has shown to be one of the most promising industries for entrepreneurs to develop.

Finance is the force that drives an economy on both a personal and business level, including bank accounts, mortgages, credit, and payment processing, loans, and point-of-sale systems.

Fintech’s enormous appeal as a category for entrepreneurs has been fueled by the world’s large unbanked populations, the dominance of cash as a means of transacting, and the limited access to financial services that most individuals (even those with bank accounts) have.

The Top 10 Brands Revolutionizing Payments in the African Fintech Industry

African Fintech Industry

This article is a comprehensive run-through of the leading startups in the African Fintech Industry in no particular order. Do ensure you make yourself comfortable as you read this piece because you’re in for an exciting long ride.

1. OPay

 

Overview

OPay, a Nigerian mobile money firm, was seeded and initially sponsored by Opera, a Norwegian internet browser company, making it one of the world’s most unique startup origin tales. Opay was formed in 2018 and has accomplished a remarkable amount in less than three years.

By providing intelligent financial services, OPay empowers users and allows them to do more with their money.

In 2018, Opay launched its mobile money platform in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city. From there, Opay quickly expanded its services, intending to become Nigeria’s SuperApp, comparable to what Grab, Meituan, and, to a lesser extent, JumiaPay have accomplished.

ORide (a now-inoperative bike-hailing service), OBus (a bus-booking platform), OExpress (a logistics delivery service), OTrade (a B2B e-commerce platform), and OFood (a food delivery service) were all established by OPay.

However, OPay’s mobile money product is the only one that has actually taken off, and the company has shut down several other business lines to focus on it. Opay currently offers three main product lines:

  • Opay Payments: A mobile application that allows users to conduct peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions and make digital payments for goods and services.
  • Opay Merchant Tools: A free point-of-sale system and other tools enabling merchants to process and settle transactions as well as sell digital services in real-time (such as mobile data)
  • Opay Cards: As part of its platform expansion, the business has issued debit cards.

Aside from geographic development, OPay can widen its product offering by incorporating buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) functionality and other consumer credit options. In emerging regions, companies like Klarna, Affirm, and Afterpay in the West and Kredivo (Indonesia) and ZestMoney (India) have all pioneered the BNPL business model.

OPay’s quick rise in payment volume in Nigeria and recent $400 million in funding position the firm well for aggressive growth in the years ahead, both inside Nigeria and in new markets.

As the drumbeat of financial inclusion continues to grow across Africa, mobile money products like OPay are critical for bringing the unbanked into the financial system and introducing them to more complex financial products like credit cards, home loans, and student loans, all of which OPay may eventually offer.

Opportunities: Ability to spot difficulties and work together to fix them so that everyone can benefit from entrepreneurship.

Technology Advancement: We integrate people with technology to create a work environment that prioritizes impact.

About OPay

OPay is a platform created to make monetary services more accessible to everyday customers –– whether it’s for paying bills or transferring and withdrawing funds, OPay is a system that truly serves its customers most conveniently.

OPay provides a robust dashboard that allows you to view your company transactions and better understand your organization.

OPay is changing the way people pay by providing free POS to their merchants. This alleviates the need for their customers to go to the bank to obtain cash. With a gadget that can do anything from making withdrawals to providing all merchant business services, you may become the go-to place in your neighbourhood for quick cash.

Team

OPay is led by a team that challenges the existing quo, with a combined experience of over 4 years. Ebunoluwa Shipe, for example, is one of OPay’s three well-known executive team members (Senior Operations Manager). Other executives include Allen Qu (COO) and Osagie Alonge (Director of Marketing).

Funding Rounds

OPay has received $570M in investment from 21 investors over three rounds ($50M Series A funding on Jul 09, 2019, $120M ​series B funding on Nov 18, 2019, $400M in Aug 23, 2021). The most recent round of funding for OPay was a Series C financing.

Technology Stack

OPay employs more than ten different web technology tools; Hosting (including dedicated-hosting, shared-hosting, us-hosting, VPS-hosting, and 44 more technologies), NS, MX, analytics, and widgets are just a few of the tools used.

2. PalmPay

Overview

PalmPay is a rewards-based payment app that is simple and secure. PalmPay is helping to shape Africa’s financial future by changing the payments experience for people and businesses on the continent and making financial services more accessible and cheap.

About PalmPay

PalmPay allows users to send money to pals quickly and pay for airtime and utilities. This firm was established in 2019 to become Africa’s largest financial services platform.

PalmPay makes use of technology to help people become more financially included.

They have supplied over 5 million clients with convenient and affordable digital payments since its introduction in Nigeria and Ghana in 2019. For almost 20% of them, the PalmPay app represents their first official bank account.

PalmPay is preparing to reach out to a more significant number of people in a shorter amount of time. Over the next three years, its goal is to expand into new markets and provide relevant, dependable, and inexpensive financial services to over 100 million people and 10 million enterprises.

To do so, it’s developing an online and offline payments ecosystem that brings together the best digital products from around the world and our own unique features. It makes them accessible to anybody with a smartphone.

PalmPay will be integrated into the primary user experience of new smartphone customers thanks to PalmPay’s premium collaboration with TECNO, INFINIX, and ITEL Mobile, three popular mobile phone brands on the continent. As a result, users are empowered right out of the box with a bank in their pocket.

The company’s offerings enable clients to expand their own businesses by leveraging the company’s dependable network and consumer-focused solutions. It provides solutions to assist them in processing payments, managing business procedures, and increasing income and customer base.

Team

PalmPay is driven by a team that challenges the established standard, with over 3 years of experience across the board. PalmPay has at least two well-known executives, namely Greg Reeve (CEO) and Jason Mycroft (Chief Commercial Officer)

Funding Rounds

PalmPay has received over $140M in funding from 9 investors in two rounds (the seed round was $40M on November 13, 2019). PalmPay’s most recent financing round was a Series A round.

Technology Stack

PalmPay’s website employs more than a dozen web technology technologies. Widgets, CMS, javascript, media, and framework are just a few examples.

3. Flutterwave

Overview

The most convenient way to take payments from customers all over the world. Flutterwave gives any business limitless options for selling online, processing payments, creating financial products, and using business tools to help them develop.

About Flutterwave

Flutterwave was launched in 2016 in Lagos, Nigeria, and has raised $234.6M to date. Flutterwave runs an API that allows individuals and businesses on the African continent to handle credit cards and other payment types. It focuses on connecting clients to local and international businesses and service providers.

It enables these businesses and service providers to conveniently receive payments from their clients, and it is currently operational in 150 countries. Payments can be made in USD, Naira, Euro, Yuan, and GBP. The company’s headquarters are in San Francisco, California.

Flutterwave launched a new feature in 2020 that lets businesses set up their store directly on the Flutterwave platform, in addition to being a payment gateway. To provide financial services to Africans, the company has worked with well-known companies such as Visa, Alipay, and Worldpay.

Flutterwave’s payment tools are all in one place. Their sophisticated payment ordering mechanism, great speed, and gorgeous simplicity are all highlighted at the checkout. Its goal is to increase merchant income while also giving customers the most outstanding possible payment experience. It is also simple to accept money. Anyone, anywhere in the globe, can effortlessly send money to merchants.

Flutterwave’s APIs and business tools have the most refined approach to collecting money throughout the globe in 30+ currencies. Users can now make single or bulk transfers (payouts) to bank accounts from their Flutterwave dashboard, allowing them to take advantage of a secure payment system that protects their money and data while they grow income.

Flutterwave creates jobs by posting job openings and encouraging visitors to apply for positions they are interested in and capable of. At the time, the jobs of Compliance and Risk, Customer Experience, and Customer success are available. Current openings can be found in various locations throughout the world, including London, Cameroon, Dakar, Abidjan, Rwanda, etc., and even remote jobs.

Team

Flutterwave is led by a team that challenges the status quo, with a combined experience of more than 6 years. Iyinoluwa Aboyeji (co-founder), Bode Abifarina (Chief Operating Officer), and Olugbenga Agboola are among Flutterwave’s executive team members (Founder & CEO)

Funding Rounds

Flutterwave has raised about $234.625M in investment from 40 investors across 11 rounds. The most recent round of Flutterwave was a Series C round.

Technology Stack

On its website, Flutterwave employs around 15 web advanced technologies. They include, among other things, hosting, SSL, javascript, widgets, and payment.

4. Yoco

Overview

Yoco was founded to make it easy for entrepreneurs to be paid and expand their businesses – and the economy. Yoco is an African point-of-sale payment service for small companies. Yoco enables merchants to obtain cheap financial tools from anywhere, thereby improving their and the economy’s growth and profitability prospects.

Country: South Africa

State: Cape Town

City: NA, Cape Town

Year Founded: 2013

Employee Range: 300 – 500

About Yoco

Yoco’s journey is documented in photos, beginning in October 2014 with the first live Yoco transaction until their current stage. The photographs are so good at telling the story that they say more than words can.

Yoco is a technology startup based in Africa that helps entrepreneurs get paid and grow their businesses. Yoco cuts down barriers and provides access to new companies every day, allowing them to participate in the market and prosper.

Yoco is creating new markets, business tools, and financial services that are beneficial to entrepreneurs. It enables small businesses to accept payments for the first time.

It has also raised over $100 million from some of the world’s most prestigious technology investors, including Nubank, Square, and Stone. They’re now pushing Yoco to get South Africa paid and the entire continent.

Yoco has handled over $2 billion in card payments and is now the preferred digital payment solution for over 200,000 small and micro retailers in South Africa, managing over $1 billion in revenues per year. Yoco Khumo, South Africa’s most economical smart card machine, can process Tap, Chip & Pin, Swipe, and digital mobile payments in under 3 seconds.

Yoco enables merchants to obtain affordable financial instruments from anywhere, thereby improving their and the economy’s growth and profitability prospects. They’ve done this by partnering with over 700 retail locations around the country to provide additional merchants with low-cost, high-performance electronic card machines and financial tools to help them start and run their businesses.

Yoco currently has 23 available positions in data, product, technology, growth marketing, and commercial, with the majority of the jobs being remote. They delve deep into complex issues so that their merchants may concentrate on what they do best: increasing the economy.

Team

Katlego Maphai, Carl Wazen (chief business officer), Bradley Wattrus, and Lungisa Matshoba are four friends who co-founded Yoco.

Funding Rounds

Yoco has raised $106 million in total. The Series C investment in the company is the largest of its kind in South Africa and one of the largest for any African fintech.

Technology Stack

According to G2 Stack, Yoco uses 22 technological products and services, including HTML5, HTML5, and Google Analytics.

According to BuiltWith, Yoco is currently employing 76 technologies on its website. Viewport Meta, IPhone / Mobile Compatible, and SSL by Default are among them.

5. Yellow Card Financial

Overview

Yellow Card provides a wide range of cryptocurrency services and goods. Yellow Card Financial is a cash market digital currency exchange.

Headquarter Country: United States

State: Atlanta

City: Atlanta

Year Founded: 2016

Employee Range: 11 – 50

About Yellow Card

Yellow Card is a Pan-African crypto exchange that is now active in 13 countries and is steadily increasing its footprint. Financial inclusion is Yellow Card’s objective, and the company is committed to making crypto and other financial services accessible to Africans. Yellow Card aims to differentiate itself by creating products that don’t need clients to be crypto gurus.

The ‘Financial Inclusion for All’ mission is reflected in the Yellow Card platform. You may safely trade bitcoin on the web or on a mobile device with only a few clicks (or taps).

Their top priority is to keep customers’ money safe. Their distributed system was created from the bottom up, and they use multi-sig wallets to keep your assets secure.

Yellow Card hires qualified people to join their team. Jobs might be on-site or off-site.

Team

Yellow Card is led by a team that challenges the current quo, with over 6 years of experience across the board. At least three of Yellow Card’s executive staff members are well-known, including Jason Marshall, Chief Operating Officer, John Colson, Chief Marketing Officer, and Munachi Ogueke, Chief Business Officer.

Funding Rounds

Yellow Card has received about $16.5M in funding from 15 investors over three rounds. The most recent round of Yellow Card was a Series A round. Yellow Card disclosed a $15M funding round in September 2021, led by Valar Ventures, Third Prime, and Castle Island Ventures. 

Technology Stack

On its website, Yellow Card employs around 13 web technology technologies. They contain, for example, javascript, hosting, widgets, NS, and SSL.

6. Wave Mobile Money

Overview

Wave Mobile Money is a Senegalese company that offers a mobile-based financial solution for saving, transferring, and borrowing money.

Country: Senegal

State: Dakar

City: Dakar

Year Founded: 2017

Employee Range: 501 – 1000

About Wave

Wave, a mobile money solution for African domestic markets, began development in 2016.

Drew Durbin (CEO) and Lincoln Quirk (Head of Product) met as first-year hallmates. They became friends because they both enjoy creating essential items with a social impact.

First, they developed Sendwave, currently Africa’s most prominent digital remittance provider. Then they moved on to Wave to bring digital finance to everyone in Africa.

The issue: Nearly 60% of persons in Sub-Saharan Africa did not have a bank account in 2017. That’s for a good reason: the fees are prohibitively high, the nearest bank can be miles away, and most establishments only accept cash. 

People are obliged to hide their savings under the mattress since they do not have access to financial institutions. Small business entrepreneurs rely on lenders with exorbitant interest rates. Parents stand in line for hours to pay school fees in cash. 

Wave’s approach to resolving the issue is as follows: 

  • Creating financial services that work the way they should: no account fees, instant availability, and worldwide acceptance. 
  • Generating financial opportunities in regions where electricity, water, and roads don’t always work. 

Wave released a mobile app for cash deposit, withdrawal, peer-to-peer and business payments in Senegal in the fall of 2017 and in Cote d’Ivoire in July of 2019. Our ambition is to make Africa the first continent to be devoid of cash.

Wave allows you to deposit and withdraw money for free, send money to anyone for only 1%, and more. You can pay your bills for free, instantly purchase airtime, and dial their toll-free number for immediate assistance. With their best-in-class security, you can keep your money safe.

Join Waze’s worldwide team and offer modern, affordable banking services to those who need them the most. Waze invites the masses to Build the Future of Money, Africa-first, by joining their global team bringing modern, cheap banking services to people who need them the most.

Working at Waze has several perks, including;

  • The ability to work on a life-changing purpose from anywhere globally because they’re a totally remote team.
  • Waze makes offers based on a transparent formula, so your salary is not determined by your ability to negotiate but rather by your expertise and experience.
  • Every employee receives a free health care plan that covers their entire family.
  • Waze has an unrestricted vacation and sick leave policy, with a minimum of 20 vacation days.

Team

Wave Mobile Money is driven by a team that challenges the current quo, with over 5 years of experience across the board. Wave Mobile Money features at least two well-known executives, namely Ben Kuhn (CTO), Sid Sridhar (General Manager Waemu), Coura Sene (General Manager Waemu), and Kizito Okute (Head of Agent Operations).

Funding Rounds

Wave Mobile Money has received approximately $200M in funding from 9 investors over two rounds. The most recent round of Wave Mobile Money was a Series A round.

Technology Stack

On its website, Wave Mobile Money employs around 14 web technology tools. They contain widgets, payment, javascript, CMS, and SSL, among other things.

7. Fawry

Overview

Fawry is Egypt’s premier digital transformation and e-payments platform. Fawry is Egypt’s premier digital transformation and electronic payment platform, providing financial services to consumers and businesses through over 225,000 locations and several channels. In addition, Fawry is a provider of payment gateways and e-commerce solutions in Egypt.

Country: Egypt

State: Al Qahirah

City: Cairo

Year Founded: 2008

Employee Range: 251-500

About Fawry

Over the last decade, Fawry, Egypt’s major digital transformation and e-payments platform, has transformed the concept of Omnichannel payment in Africa and the Middle East.

Fawry is Egypt’s leading digital transformation and e-payments platform, with over 225,000 locations and various channels where individuals and companies may get financial services.

Fawry provides a secure and straightforward way to pay bills and other services in a variety of ways (online, using ATMs, mobile wallets and retail points).

Small grocery stores, pharmacies and stationaries, and post offices are part of Fawry’s network of shops equipped with point-of-sale terminals that accept credit card payments.

Fawry processes over 3.069 million financial transactions every day using its own unique technology, completely compliant with international security standards such as the ISA 27001 and PA DSS certifications.

Collection services, client acquisition, electronic cash, payment facilitation, and business-to-business collection centres are just a few of Fawry’s services.

Team

Fawry is led by a team that challenges the existing quo, with over 14 years of experience across the board. At least four members of Fawry’s executive team are well-known, including Ashraf Sabry (CEO), Mohamed Okasha (Board Member), Abdel Meguid Afifi (CFO), and Amany Fawzy (CTO).

Fawry welcomes people to apply for a job and become a part of their team!

Fawry’s success spirit emanates from its most valuable asset; the Team. If you want to join Fawry’s team of young and inventive experts and are eager and ambitious, please email your CV and a brief description of yourself and your goals.

You can contact them at Jobs@fawry.com

Funding Rounds

Fawry has received about $122M in funding from four investors over three rounds. Fawry’s most recent funding round was from a private equity firm.

Technology Stack

On its website, Fawry employs more than a dozen web technology products. They include, among other things, hosting, javascript, framework, analytics, and MX.

8. Chipper Cash

Overview

Chipper Cash is Africa’s most popular mobile cross-border money transfer service. Chipper Cash enables you to freely move your funds. You may send and receive money quickly and easily across Africa and benefit from free transfers and the lowest cross-border rates.

Country: Ghana

State: Accra

City: Accra

Year Founded:2017

Employee Range:11-50

About Chipper Cash

Chipper Cash is a venture-backed financial technology firm that develops software enabling free and instant cross-border payments across Africa and Europe and solutions for businesses and merchants to handle online and in-store payments.

Chipper Cash Key Figures; has approximately 4 million total users, 40,000 new users each day, an average transaction time of 0.03 seconds, and 80,000 transactions per day.

Chipper Cash is available in 9 countries now, with many more to come. The 9 countries are Tanzania, Nigeria, United Kingdom, Uganda, USA, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa and Rwanda.

Team

Chipper Cash is driven by a super team with over 5 years of experience across the board. At least four members of Chipper Cash’s administrative staff are well-known, including Alicia Levine (COO), Maijid Moujaled (Co-Founder & President), Patrick Triest (Co-Founder & CTO), Ham Serunjogi (Co-Founder & CEO)

Chipper Cash is becoming increasingly popular as a means of money transfer, and they see no limits to the heights you can achieve with them. Join them in creating the most satisfactory money-transfer experience in Africa and beyond.

Currently, there are career opportunities in roughly 52 departments. Become a Chipper Cash employee and help the world find new ways to transact. Join a squad that has a mission. Chipper’s purpose is to connect Africa and open global prospects one transaction at a time. 

Funding Rounds

Chipper Cash has received more than $302.2M in funding from 34 investors throughout eight rounds. Chipper Cash’s most recent funding round was a Series C round (November 2, 2021).

Technology Stack

On its website, Chipper Cash employs around 14 web technology technologies. Frameworks, hosting, MX, CMS, and javascript are among the available technologies.

9. Tala

Overview

Tala is a fintech startup on a mission to create a financial system that works for everyone. Tala is a multinational technology business working to make financial services more accessible worldwide.

Country: Kenya

State: Nairobi

City: Nairobi

Year Founded: 2011

Employee Range: 501-1,000

About Tala

Tala’s initial product is a lending software that rapidly assesses and approves individuals with little or no formal credit history.

What They Do: Tala is a digital financial services company that helps those who are traditionally underbanked borrow, save, and invest their money. Our consumer credit app is the most accessible globally, underwriting and disbursing loans to consumers with no formal credit history in seconds. Loans vary from $10 to $500, with interest rates as low as 4%.

How They Do It: Tala created a modern credit system from the ground up, using advanced data science and machine learning. Anyone with an Android smartphone can apply for a loan, receive an immediate decision, and have funds deposited directly into their account. They’re developing new tools to assist people in managing their finances and achieving their goals.

Why They Do It: At Tala, we think that everyone deserves the chance to take control of their finances. With over half of the world’s population unable to access formal financial services, the world is missing out on many new ideas, enterprises, and inventions.

More than 4 million Tala customers in East Africa, the Philippines, Mexico, and India have received over $1 billion in Tala loans to establish and expand small enterprises, pay school fees and utilities, and build more stable financial lives.

RPS Ventures, GGV Capital, IVP, Revolution Growth, Lowercase Capital, Data Collective VC, ThomVest Ventures, and PayPal Ventures are among Tala’s venture and impact investors. Tala has offices in Nairobi, Manila, Mexico City, Bangalore, and its headquarters in Santa Monica.

Team

Tala posts job openings, urging others to join them in their mission. Tala was ranked amongst the top 50 fintech startups in the world by Forbes in 2021. Tala is working to create the world’s most accessible financial services. Check out their open positions to see where you might fit in.

Customer Experience, Data Science, Design, Finance, Global Business, Growth, Legal, Marketing, People, Product, Program Management, and Technology are just a few of the departments where jobs are available. Jobs are also located in various parts of the world.

Tala is led by a team that challenges the established standard, with over 11 years of experience across the board. Tala has excellent and well-known executive team members, such as Shivani Siroya (CEO & Founder), Chief Technology Officer Kelly Uphoff, Chief Product Officer Jori Pearsall, Chief Financial Officer Jen Loo, Chief Risk & Strategy Officer Kunal Kaul, and Jason Raneses (SVP, Engineering).

Funding Rounds

Tala has raised about $349,439,700.00 in investment from 53 investors for ten rounds. Tala’s most recent round was a $145M Series E round on October 14, 2021.

Upstart (Lead), Stellar Enterprise Foundation, Kindred Ventures, J. Safra Group, Institutional Venture Partners, Revolution Growth, Lowercase Capital, PayPal Ventures, and others are among Tala’s investors.

Technology Stack

Tala uses approximately 13 web technology technologies on its website. Framework, analytics, MX, javascript, and CMS are just a few of the tools available.

10. Paystack

Overview

Paystack is a proudly African brand. The company which began in the entrepreneurial metropolis of Lagos, has grown into an African success story, conceived and produced by a worldwide team of compassionate and clever individuals. 126 Joel Ogunnaike, Ikeja GRA, is the address for the Lagos office.

Paystack enables African businesses to be paid by anyone, anywhere in the world. Paystack’s mission is to allow a new generation of African entrepreneurs.

Paystack is a technological startup that helps ambitious businesses solve their payment challenges. Its purpose is to assist African businesses in becoming lucrative, admired, and loved.

Acquired: Stripe

Country: Nigeria

State: Lagos

City: Ikeja

Year Founded: 2015

Employee Range: 11-50

About Paystack

Paystack is a small but thriving company with offices in Lagos and San Francisco. Paystack allows businesses to take payments via credit card, debit card, money transfer, and mobile money on their websites or mobile apps.

In November 2018, there were more than 25,000 active retailers, with a total of 2.9M received payments, and $27.5M+ were paid out to merchants in October 2018.

In Africa, Paystack is a development engine for modern businesses. They develop technology to aid the growth of Africa’s largest companies, from startups to industry giants introducing innovative business models.

Paystack makes it simple for businesses to take secure payments from a variety of local and worldwide payment channels and solutions to help you keep and recruit new clients.

As manufacturers and company owners, they’re driven by a vision of millions of profitable, envied, and adored firms across the continent.

Paystack believes that African enterprises will consistently compete with the world’s finest corporations and win in our lifetimes. Every day, they have a reason to build that world.

Milestones

  1. Monthly transaction amount of 10 billion Naira in October 2018: Paystack processes over 10 billion Naira ($27.5 million) in a single month for the first time.
  2. Series A Funding (August 2018): Paystack raised $8 million in funding. Stripe led the Series A round, which included Visa and Tencent and follow-on funding from Y Combinator and Tencent.
  3. Paystack Starter Businesses was launched in February 2018: Paystack allows businesses that aren’t yet adequately registered to start accepting online payments for the first time.
  4. In July 2017, the monthly transaction value of 1 billion Naira: Paystack processes over 1 billion Naira ($3 million) in a single month for the first time.
  5. Pay with Bank was launched in July 2017: Paystack now allows clients to pay with just their bank account number.
  6. Seed investment in December 2016: Tencent, Comcast Ventures, and Ventures Platform are among the local and international investors who contributed $1.3 million to Paystack.
  7. Public launch in January 2016: Paystack is no longer in beta!
  8. Y Combinator, November 2015: Paystack is the first Nigerian firm to be admitted into Y Combinator, the Internet startup accelerator that has incubated startups like Dropbox and Airbnb.
  9. Paystack was founded in 2015: Shola Akinlade and Ezra Olubi, both software developers and longtime friends, launched Paystack.

Team

Paystack invites you to join their team and conduct meaningful work with friendly, intelligent coworkers who care about your success.

The Paystack Team is a varied, close-knit group with a mission to build something lasting every day while learning something new.

Paystack is driven by a lovely team that challenges the status quo, with over 7 years of experience across the board. Paystack contains at least two well-known executives, including Shola Akinlade (Co-founder and CEO), Ezra Olubi (Co-Founder & CTO), and many other team members, including Nana Adeku; a Biochemist turned Fintech Engineer. 

Funding Rounds

Paystack has received around $11.67M in funding from 22 investors over 5 rounds. The most recent round for Paystack was a $10.2M Series A financing on August 28, 2018.

How Paystack is Revolutionizing Payment?

Paystack takes pride in having the industry’s highest transaction success rates. If a transaction fails on Paystack, there’s a good chance it won’t work elsewhere. They make a strong claim and stand by it. This is how Paystack does it:

  1. Bank Direct Integrations: Paystack is connected directly to some of Nigeria’s top banks, providing near-perfect card transaction success rates.
  2. Intelligent Routing: Paystack dynamically routes transactions through several gateways and processors, assuring the most efficient payment paths and the highest possible success rates.
  3. Intelligent Error Correction: In the unlikely event that a transaction fails, Paystack alerts the consumer and provides alternate payment channels so that they can try a new way of payment. If a customer’s card is declined, the Paystack Checkout Form may advise the customer to try paying through a QR code instead.

Technology Stack

On its website, Paystack employs more than 15 web-based technologies. Frameworks, NS, MX, hosting, and SSL are just a few of the technologies used.

Wrapping Up

Fintech companies are doing a fantastic job of ensuring financial independence and frictionless trade transactions amongst merchants. Their system ensures that even those who do not have access to a bank can benefit from their products and services. They are, in fact, altering the narrative and delivering more financial freedom to the society.

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