Three African startups from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria are among 10 high-growth companies selected for the Stellar x CV Labs Accelerator, a 12-week programme designed to support the development of practical financial technology solutions for Africa and other emerging markets.
The initiative, created with the Stellar Development Foundation, is expected to give participating startups access to funding, technical support, experienced mentors and investors as they work to expand solutions in payments, decentralised finance (DeFi) and real-world assets (RWAs). For African businesses, the programme could help address some of the challenges that continue to affect cross-border payments, trade finance and access to international financial services.
“The quality of this inaugural cohort reflects how quickly blockchain is transforming financial infrastructure,” said Jose Fernandez da Ponte, President and Chief Growth Officer at the Stellar Development Foundation. He noted that the selected founders are developing solutions aimed at real market needs, including cross-border payments, digital asset access and trade finance.
African startups bring solutions to key financial challenges
Côte d’Ivoire-based JoonaPay, founded by entrepreneur Lova Diakité, is building financial operations infrastructure for businesses across Francophone Africa. Headquartered in Abidjan, the fintech provides an all-in-one platform that allows enterprises, small businesses and startups to manage billing, automated invoicing, customer collections and supplier payments from one digital system. JoonaPay connects businesses to payment channels including Wave, Orange Money, MTN MoMo, Moov Money and Djamo, as well as Visa and Mastercard. It also offers multi-entity management, bulk salary payments, automated payslips and financial reconciliation tools, while operating under BCEAO compliance frameworks through licensed financial partners.
From Ghana, Kutana Technologies was co-founded in October 2023 by CEO Nicholas “Nick” Murphy and Samuel Opoku. The Accra and Glasgow-based company is focused on trade finance infrastructure that helps African SMEs make and receive payments while reducing risks in international trade. Kutana uses multi-currency digital wallets, automated cargo insurance and an AI-powered smart escrow system. Its model allows funds to remain protected until agreed shipping milestones are verified, addressing concerns around supplier fraud and helping businesses trade with greater confidence.
Nigeria’s Yolat, founded by Toyosi Abolarin, is developing a cross-border neobank for Africans and African businesses. The platform allows users to earn, hold, send and spend money across borders, with currency corridors linking Nigeria to the USD, CAD, GBP and ZAR. Yolat also provides multi-currency wallets and virtual debit cards that can be funded through local fiat or stablecoins for online subscriptions, advertising and e-commerce. The company operates under Central Bank of Nigeria guidelines and holds Money Services Business registration with Canada’s FINTRAC.
Funding and support aimed at scaling businesses
The accelerator is designed to help founders move from building early products to scaling businesses with stronger technical, commercial and investment strategies. Participants will receive hands-on support from more than 50 industry experts, mentors, investors and operators, alongside focused workshops and guidance on business development, market expansion and investor readiness.
The programme is remote-first but includes an in-person boot camp in Cape Town, South Africa, before concluding with a live Demo Day at the Stellar Meridian Conference in Lisbon in October 2026.
Selected founders may receive up to $150,000 in XLM development funding from the Stellar Development Foundation, as well as ecosystem benefits, credits, investor exposure and introductions to venture capital firms. Participants may also become eligible for additional grants after completing the programme.
The accelerator is particularly focused on startups already building on Stellar, those planning to adopt the network, or teams taking a multi-chain approach for the EMEA market. Stellar provides tools for payments, tokenisation, DeFi and cross-border finance, including fast settlement, low fees, native asset issuance and smart contracts through Soroban.
For the three African companies, participation offers more than access to a global accelerator. It provides an opportunity to strengthen products targeting some of the continent’s most persistent financial challenges while gaining the funding, expertise and networks needed to take those solutions into larger markets.
