Mobile money maestro Eversend launches in Africa
Mobile payments firm Eversend has started alpha testing its money transfer system to Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania.
This initial stage is for Android only. Stone Atwine, Eversend’s founder, says there will be a “continuous roll-out of features and corridors” and that the iOS app is “coming soon”.
The Paris-based company was founded last year and offers mobile-only banking powered by blockchain. Like many others it Is targeting the financial services market for the “underserved”.
Users can send money to wallets and bank accounts using mobile apps, unstructured supplementary service data (USSD), and chatbots.
It also offers the option to buy cryptocurrencies, exchange currencies, buy travel insurance and access personal loans.
Atwine has two other jobs on the go as well.
He is the CEO and co-founder of Uganda-based Remit. As you guessed this offers international remittances to people sending money to Africa.
In addition, Atwine is the co-founder of Yetu Credit Finance – also in Uganda. Yetu provides microfinance and salary-based loans to government employees in the country. It is currently in the process of developing a product where borrowers can access credit services through their mobile phones.
In a separate development, Ecobank, a pan-African banking group, revealed the finalists for the second edition of its annual Ecobank Fintech Challenge.
The list includes 11 start-ups from across the continent and beyond. Eversend is one of those names.
