Klasha

High-Level Overview

Klasha is a fintech company building cross-border payment solutions for emerging markets, particularly Africa, enabling businesses to collect, send, and hold over 120 currencies via APIs and platforms like Klasha Checkout, Payout APIs, Collection APIs, Payment Links, and Klasha Wire.[1][2][3][4][5] It serves international merchants, enterprises, and African businesses by solving payment friction—allowing sales into Africa via local methods (cards, mobile money, M-Pesa, USSD, bank transfers) with payouts in hard currencies like USD or CNY, while offering virtual USD cards and multi-currency accounts for seamless global transactions.[1][2][4][5] Klasha demonstrates strong growth momentum, processing 140 million transactions across 6 African countries, earning recognition as one of Bloomberg's Top 25 African Startups to Watch amid declining VC funding, and securing backing from leading investors with revenue under $5 million and one funding round.[2][3][4]

Origin Story

Klasha was founded in 2021 by Jess Anuna, though some sources note early activity tracing to 2018, with headquarters in San Francisco, California, and operations focused on Africa.[1][2][3][4] Anuna's background in fintech drove the idea to address cross-border commerce barriers, especially between Africa, China, and the world, emerging from the need for frictionless money movement in emerging markets where currency restrictions and local payment complexities hinder global trade.[2][3][5] Early traction came from enabling international businesses to sell seamlessly into Africa, gaining momentum through API expansions for payouts and collections, and recognition like Bloomberg's list, which highlighted its resilience in a tough funding environment.[3]

Core Differentiators

• Comprehensive API Stack and Payment Methods: Supports 120+ currencies with Payout APIs (pay in USD/CNY/EUR, receive in NGN/KES/UGX via banks or wallets), Collection APIs (local payments converted to hard currencies), Payment Links (no-code collections), and Klasha Wire for supplier payments in 1-4 days without hidden fees.[2][3][5]
• Local-to-Global Seamlessness: Enables African customers to pay locally while merchants get instant hard-currency payouts; accepts diverse methods like M-Pesa, USSD, and mobile money, outperforming competitors in emerging market coverage.[1][4][5]
• Security and Compliance: PCI-DSS and ISO-27001 compliant, with fraud protection, regulated across jurisdictions, and market-beating FX rates (e.g., NGN>CNY/USD).[5]
• Scale and Culture: 140M transactions in 6 African countries, 60% female employees, data-driven KPIs, and enterprise-grade infrastructure used by global businesses.[2]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Klasha rides the wave of Africa's digital economy boom, where cross-border e-commerce and trade with China/global partners are surging despite currency volatility and payment silos, timing perfectly with post-pandemic supply chain shifts and fintech maturation in emerging markets.[2][3][5] Market forces like declining VC (down 22% in Africa) favor resilient players like Klasha, which simplifies B2B/B2C flows for 6+ countries, reducing time/cost for merchants and boosting Africa's global trade participation.[3][5] It influences the ecosystem by powering enterprise payments, fostering competition (vs. Airwallex, Verto), and building infrastructure that enables startups and freelancers to compete internationally without physical cards or accounts.[1][3]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Klasha is poised for expansion, likely deepening African coverage beyond 6 countries, enhancing China-Africa corridors, and scaling enterprise adoption amid rising global trade volumes.[2][3][5] Trends like AI-driven FX, mobile money proliferation, and regulatory easing in emerging markets will accelerate its growth, potentially elevating its Bloomberg spotlight into unicorn status with more funding rounds. As cross-border fintech evolves, Klasha's API-first model positions it to redefine Africa's place in global commerce, turning payment friction into competitive edge.