When merchants or companies launch online, they typically start by partnering with one or two payment processors. But as they grow and expand into new regions, they often need to onboard additional payment partners to meet different customer (and sometimes regulatory) needs, a process that comes with some hurdles. That’s given rise to companies to…
Category: Africa
Africa, fund return, Global IT News, Global Security News, moniepoint, Oui Capital, Startups, Venture
How African VC firm Oui Capital returned its first fund with Moniepoint’s unicorn exit
At a recent investor meeting, early-stage African investor Oui Capital informed limited partners that it had returned its $4 million debut fund following the sale of some shares in the business banking platform Moniepoint. The African fintech unicorn has so far proven to be a standout investment for five-year-old Oui Capital. When it launched its…
Africa, clothing resale, Commerce, FARO, Fashion, Global Security News, recommerce, secondhand
Fast-growing South African venture FARO raises $6M to source, refurbish and sell surplus clothing
Global fashion brands grapple with excess inventory. ASOS, for instance, had over £1.2 billion of unsold products in 2022. Mostly, these brands avoid reselling in core markets like the UK and the U.S. to prevent market cannibalization. Meanwhile, emerging markets like Africa heavily rely on secondhand clothing imports, but 30% to 40% of these items…
Africa, Asia, Emerging Tech, Fintech, Global Security News, lemfi, remittance
LemFi moves remittances further into Asia and Europe with $53M in new funding
For many emerging market economies, remittances have become a lifeline. Inflows surpassed $669 billion in 2023, according to World Bank research, and they now represent significant portions of GDP in these countries, often outpacing foreign direct investment as the primary source of foreign exchange. Traditional banks and agents maintain a firm grip on the remittance…
Africa, Fintech, Global IT News, Global Security News, MNT-Halan, moniepoint, Opay, TymeBank, Wave
Africa’s newest fintech unicorns are winning by keeping their feet on the ground
Africa’s tech ecosystem just got a boost of attention, with South Africa’s TymeBank and Nigeria’s Moniepoint both raising funds in recent weeks at valuations of over $1 billion and joining the coveted unicorn pantheon. But those valuations don’t just reflect investor confidence. They signal the success they’ve had in taking disruptive fintech models originally developed…
Africa, Crypto, Fintech, Global IT News, Global Security News, juicyway, stablecoin, Startups
This stealthy African stablecoin startup already processed over $1B in cross-border payments
Juicyway, an African fintech that leverages stablecoin technology to power fast and cheap cross-border payments, is launching out of stealth after processing over $1 billion in transaction volume for thousands of African businesses over the last three years. The fintech claims to have processed over 25,000 transactions, generating $1.3 billion in total payment volume (TPV)…