African fintech Moment has closed a $22 million Series A funding round. The funds will be used to expand its digital payment infrastructure across new African markets, targeting an exclusively professional clientele — banks, fintechs and large corporates.
A B2B model that changes the game
Unlike consumer neobanks, Moment operates as a technology infrastructure provider. Its clients are financial institutions and corporations that want to launch or manage their own digital payment services: card issuance, transaction processing and payment network connectivity. The model is built around shared infrastructure — reducing the time and cost of launching new financial services so every player doesn't have to build its own core technology from scratch.
A sector attracting the bulk of capital
Moment's raise fits into a powerful sectoral trend. In 2026, fintech, logistics and climate together absorb nearly 80% of African startup funding. Over the first nine months of the year, continental startups raised a combined $2.49 billion, with Q3 2026 relaunching momentum after a cautious first half. Fintech remains the leading sector, driven by mobile payments, digital savings and indirect financial inclusion.
Nairobi Blockchain Festival: regulation accelerates
As further evidence of the growing maturity of Africa's digital finance sector, the first Africa Blockchain Festival brought together around 50 startup founders, investor Tim Draper and regulators including the Central Bank of Kenya and Nigeria's SEC in Nairobi on 15–17 October. Discussions focused on stablecoins and cross-border payments under the AfCFTA framework.
Why it matters
In Africa, businesses looking to offer payment services face high technical and regulatory barriers. B2B infrastructure providers like Moment create a leverage effect: a local bank or fintech can launch a service in weeks rather than years. The indirect result is an acceleration of financial inclusion for the millions of people who remain outside the formal financial system.