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§ Private Profile · Nairobi, Kenya
Fintech-as-a-service platform enabling African businesses to embed payments, savings, credit, and insurance for gig workers.
ImaliPay is a financial technology company based in Nairobi, Kenya, offering fintech-as-a-service through a single API and platform. It enables businesses and gig economy platforms across Africa to embed financial products such as payments, savings, credit, and insurance, thereby empowering gig workers and freelancers with tailored financial services. The company expanded its operations to three countries, including Nigeria and South Africa, within 12 months of launch, achieving 900% revenue growth in its early stages. ImaliPay partners with prominent platforms like Glovo, Jobvine, SafeBoda, and Bolt to deliver its embedded finance solutions. The firm, which initially bootstrapped with a $10,000 family loan, has also secured funding from Untapped Global and 19 other investors. ImaliPay was founded in 2020 by Tatenda Furusa and Oluwasanmi Akinmusire.
ImaliPay has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round.
ImaliPay has raised $3.0M in total across 1 funding round.
ImaliPay has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $3.0M Seed in April 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 2022 | $3M Seed | — | Dreamers VC, Jedar Capital, Microtraction, MYASIAVC PTE LTD, Techstars, Jonathan Wasserstrum, Kenji Niwa, Saad Saeed, Sajid Rahman, Chandaria Capital, Changecom, Latam Ventures, Leonis Investissement, Raja Kaul, MyAsiaVC, Plug And Play Ventures, Stew Glynn, Uncovered Fund, Untapped Global | Announced |
ImaliPay has raised $3.0M in total across 1 funding round.
ImaliPay's investors include Dreamers VC, Jedar Capital, Microtraction, MYASIAVC PTE LTD, Techstars, Jonathan Wasserstrum, Kenji Niwa, Saad Saeed, Sajid Rahman, Chandaria Capital, Changecom, Latam Ventures.
ImaliPay is a fintech company building a Fintech-as-a-Service (FaaS) API platform that delivers embedded financial products to Africa's gig economy, e-commerce, education, telecom, logistics, and financial sectors.[1][3] It offers over 20 tools including AI credit scoring, buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) plans, savings, insurance, intelligent analytics, and third-party integrations to boost revenue and efficiency for gig workers and platforms.[1][2][4] Serving underserved workers via apps, WhatsApp, or APIs, ImaliPay solves financial exclusion by providing tailored credit, income stabilization, and safety nets—helping users like ride-hail drivers reduce downtime by 36 days per year and earn $350–400 extra.[4][5] Founded in 2020, it has expanded rapidly from Nigeria to Kenya and South Africa, achieving 900% revenue growth amid pandemic-driven gig work surges.[2][3]
ImaliPay emerged in July 2020 from a small room in Ibadan, Nigeria, founded by Tatenda Furusa (Zimbabwean CEO) and Sanmi Akinmusire (Nigerian co-founder), both with over 20 years in fintech and financial inclusion from leading African digital payment platforms.[2][3][5] The idea stemmed from a passion to empower gig workers excluded by traditional banks due to irregular incomes and weak credit histories in Africa's informal economy, which employs 85% of workers.[3][4] Early traction came via partnerships with platforms like Glovo, Bolt, SafeBoda, and Jobvine; within 12 months, it expanded to Kenya and South Africa—Africa's largest digitized gig markets—securing VC investments from Optimizer Impact (2021) and FINCA Ventures.[2][4][5] This pivot to FaaS marked "ImaliPay 2.0," evolving from gig-focused finance to broader infrastructure.[3]
ImaliPay rides Africa's gig economy boom, projected to engage 80 million workers by 2030 amid 85% informal employment and rising digital platforms like ride-hailing/delivery apps.[4] Timing aligns with post-pandemic informal work surges, digitization in top economies (Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa), and demand for embedded finance to bridge exclusion—gig workers face income volatility without credit/safety nets.[2][4][5] Market tailwinds include mobile money growth and VC interest in fintech infrastructure; ImaliPay influences by formalizing digital footprints for credit, boosting platform retention, and fostering inclusion via tools like in-kind loans/insurance.[1][3][5] It shapes the ecosystem by enabling 1,000+ businesses with FaaS by 2030, democratizing finance for youth-driven gigs.[3]
ImaliPay's trajectory points to Pan-African dominance in gig fintech, bundling more services like expanded insurance and analytics while scaling APIs to new sectors/markets.[2][3][5] Trends like AI credit, embedded finance, and gig formalization will propel growth, especially as platforms prioritize worker welfare for retention. Influence may evolve from niche enabler to core infrastructure, powering economic resilience—if it sustains iteration amid regulatory shifts. This FaaS pioneer turns gig volatility into opportunity, echoing its Ibadan origins in financial inclusion.[3][4]