Profitable Fintech Unicorn From Africa

When Banks Cannot Reach Small Businesses

Half of Nigeria's adult population lacks meaningful access to financial services. Bank branches concentrate in major cities at rates roughly 15 percent of the global average. Small and medium enterprises face even worse conditions—only 12 percent access services from conventional banks. Most business owners rely on friends and family for working capital. This gap creates opportunity rather than obstacle for the right approach. Moniepoint built Nigeria's leading digital payment platform Africa by meeting businesses where traditional banks refused to go. The company processes over one billion transactions monthly worth $250 billion annually. This achievement came through agent networks bringing banking to remote communities and point-of-sale devices enabling merchants to accept cards without branch visits.

Three Major Milestones in Twelve Months

January 2025 brought strategic investment from Visa into Moniepoint's platform. The global payments leader joined existing backers including Google's Africa Investment Fund, Development Partners International, and British International Investment. Sources place Visa's check above $10 million. This partnership targets contactless payment expansion across Nigeria during 2026. April 2025 saw the launch of MonieWorld—a remittance service targeting African diaspora in the United Kingdom. This marked Moniepoint's first significant international market entry beyond the continent. October 2025 delivered the landmark achievement. Moniepoint closed a $200 million Series C funding round led by Development Partners International and LeapFrog Investments. The round brought total Series C capital above $200 million across multiple closings. Other participants included International Finance Corporation, Lightrock, Proparco, Swedfund, Verod Capital Management, and Alder Tree Investments.

Profitable at Billion-Dollar Valuation

Moniepoint claims status as the first African fintech achieving profitability at unicorn scale. Revenue grew over 150 percent compound annual growth rate in recent years. The SME banking Nigeria leader now serves more than 10 million active business and personal banking customers.

 Transaction volumes jumped from $22 billion monthly in early 2025 to $250 billion annually by October. Financial Times ranked Moniepoint among Africa's fastest-growing companies for three consecutive years. CNBC featured the company on its 2025 list of world's top fintech firms. December 2025 brought the launch of Moniebook—Nigeria's first integrated payments and bookkeeping solution for micro, small, and medium enterprises. This tool provides unified views of sales, customers, and payments through seamless POS integration.

Expansion Beyond Nigerian Borders

June 2025 marked regulatory approval for acquiring 78 percent stake in Kenya's Sumac Microfinance Bank. This extends Moniepoint's proven business model into East Africa's second-largest economy. The MonieWorld UK launch positions the platform for capturing remittance flows from African diaspora communities globally. Plans call for accelerated continental expansion throughout 2026 and beyond. The financial inclusion Africa mission drives strategy more than pure profit maximization. Moniepoint operates across Nigeria's entire financial ecosystem—from mobile agents and point-of-sale terminals to ATMs and electronic transfers. The company dominates merchant acquiring, powering most of Nigeria's POS transactions. Credit facilities, expense management, payroll services, and working capital loans complement core payment infrastructure. Integration with Visa Cybersource improves transaction visibility. Visa Direct integration enables faster remittances and money transfers.