African cross-border payments start-up Lipaworld, which has processed more than $6 million in cumulative transaction volume since March, aims to surpass $10 million by the end of this year and reach $100 million by the end of 2027.
The target comes as the fintech company prepares to open its seed funding round, driven by rapid transaction growth and rising demand from small and medium-sized enterprises and freelancers across the continent.
In an interview with ITWeb Africa, Jonathan Katende, co-founder and CEO of Lipaworld, said the company aims to surpass $100 million in cumulative transaction volume by the end of next year.
The expansion will see the company scale its operations across key African markets, including Nigeria, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe, while extending payment corridors into Latin America, Southeast Asia and Europe.
“We are also preparing to officially open our seed funding round,” said Katende. “We have been deliberate about raising capital, prioritising sustainable growth and building a clear pathway to becoming cash-flow positive, which we are now trending towards.”
He added: “We also have several strategic partnerships and product launches in the pipeline that we believe will be defining milestones for Lipaworld as we continue building a truly global financial operating system.”
Lipaworld connects local banking networks and mobile money operators with digital dollar stablecoin infrastructure, including USDC.
By bridging domestic payment rails with digital asset liquidity, the fintech company said it reduces cross-border payment costs by approximately 50% for businesses moving funds into and out of Africa.
Addressing foreign exchange costs, liquidity constraints and currency volatility when facilitating payments across African markets, Katende said there was no easy solution, as dollar shortages in some markets often force businesses to contend with parallel-market exchange rates.
“We focus on what we can control: strong liquidity partnerships, competitive pricing and faster settlement,” he said. “By leveraging trusted local and international partners alongside stablecoin infrastructure, we are able to help customers move funds swiftly and reliably, even in challenging currency environments.”
While consumer remittances remain part of the platform’s business, cross-border commercial payments have become Lipaworld’s primary growth driver.
The company has also seen increasing adoption among remote workers and entrepreneurs withdrawing earnings from global platforms such as Airbnb and Payoneer into local bank accounts and mobile money wallets.
Unlike many early-stage fintech companies that prioritise aggressive user acquisition at high burn rates, Lipaworld said it has focused on capital efficiency and establishing a path to profitability.
Rather than bypassing existing banking structures, the company integrates with regulated local financial institutions, mobile money providers and licensed payment entities.
According to Lipaworld, this approach enables it to navigate evolving digital asset regulatory frameworks across different jurisdictions while facilitating conversions into local currencies.
As part of its product roadmap, Lipaworld is preparing to integrate ZARU, a rand-pegged stablecoin, to showcase how local currency stablecoins can be used in regional trade and commerce.
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