Lipa Later is the 2nd African start-up this year and one of 8 later-stage global start-ups that has been selected to participate in Mastercard’s Start Path program. The award-winning start-up engagement platform provides curated access to Mastercard’s global ecosystem of partners and channels and a gateway to operational support, technology expertise and opportunity to secure strategic investment.
Starting in 2014, Start Path has been working with later-stage startups with a key focus on those in fintech and commerce. The 6 month program offers operational support and technological expertise to address fintech needs and collaborate on solutions aimed at solving major challenges in payments, technology and financial inclusion today.
“When corporates and start-ups work together, we seed innovation that ultimately leads to the delivery of real solutions and successes,” said Amy Neale, Vice President and global lead for Mastercard Start Path. “At Mastercard, we scour the globe for cutting-edge startups like LipaLater that are ready to scale and shape the future of commerce.”
Eric Muli, CEO and Co-founder of Lipa Later said, “We are excited about the future and the work that we are doing on the continent and we believe that the innovation that happens at Mastercard will help us get closer to our mission.”
According to a report published in 2019 by EY on fintechs, global adoption of fintech services has moved steadily upward from 16% in 2015, to 33% in 2017, to 64% in 2019. In Africa, a combination of favourable demographics, an under-represented banking sector and minimal financial infrastructure are promising for growth with consumer demand growing rapidly.
