NALA Secures $25 Million Credit Facility from Mars Growth Capital
African fintech NALA has secured an initial $25 million credit facility, with an option to scale the facility to $50 million. The financing has been structured through Mars Growth Capital, a joint venture between AI driven private credit firm LIQUIDITY and MUFG, Japan’s largest financial institution.
The financing provides NALA with additional capital to support the continued expansion of its cross border payments business and highlights the growing interest from Japanese financial institutions in Africa’s technology and fintech ecosystem.
Expanding Cross Border Payments
NALA operates across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Rwanda and other markets, providing infrastructure designed to make cross border payments across Africa and international corridors faster and more accessible.
Through its B2B payments API, Rafiki, NALA connects more than 249 banks and 26 mobile money services. This network enables businesses to facilitate real time payments across Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States.
The ability to connect fragmented banking and mobile money systems is particularly important in African markets, where businesses operating across multiple countries often face complex payment infrastructure and settlement challenges.
By providing a single technology layer across these different financial networks, NALA is helping businesses manage cross border transactions more efficiently.
Japanese Financial Institutions Increasing Their Africa Exposure
The involvement of Mars Growth Capital and MUFG is also significant in the context of the growing relationship between Japanese financial institutions and African technology companies.
For Japanese financial institutions, Africa presents an increasingly important opportunity to participate in the development of digital financial infrastructure across some of the world’s fastest growing markets.
This is not MUFG’s first investment in Africa’s technology ecosystem. In 2022, MUFG Innovation Partners participated in the funding of mobility fintech Moove, demonstrating the institution’s continued interest in African technology businesses addressing large structural market opportunities.
The growing participation of Japanese capital provides African companies with access to financing while creating opportunities for Japanese financial institutions to develop deeper relationships with the continent’s emerging technology ecosystem.
Building the Japan Africa Innovation Corridor
The NALA transaction is another example of how investment can help strengthen connections between African businesses and Japanese financial institutions.
These relationships can extend beyond capital. They can create opportunities for partnerships, market access, technology exchange and deeper commercial relationships between companies operating across both regions.
For African fintech companies, engagement with established international financial institutions can also provide credibility and access to networks that support expansion into new markets.
What We See
At Double Feather Partners, we see NALA’s latest financing as another positive signal for the development of the Japan Africa innovation corridor.
African startups are building increasingly sophisticated financial infrastructure that addresses the realities of fragmented markets, while Japanese financial institutions are showing greater willingness to provide capital and strategic support to companies operating in these sectors.
The opportunity extends beyond fintech. Similar dynamics are emerging across mobility, logistics, energy, technology and other sectors where African businesses are developing solutions with regional and global relevance.
Our focus remains on strengthening these connections by supporting partnerships, investment opportunities and pathways for African startups to scale.
As more Japanese institutions engage with African technology companies, we believe the potential for deeper commercial and investment relationships will continue to grow.
Congratulations to Benjamin Fernandes, Nicolas Esteves, Nicolai Eddy and the entire NALA team on this important milestone.