“Can Aella become Nigeria's default banking and credit-infrastructure layer for SMBs and underbanked consumers by combining an MFB license with open developer APIs?”
Founded in 2015 as a pure digital lender (Aella Credit) targeting underbanked consumers in Nigeria and the Philippines. Over time pivoted toward becoming a full-stack regulated microfinance bank, obtaining a CBN MFB license under Aella Microfinance Bank Limited. This allowed Aella to offer deposit accounts, savings, payments, and business banking alongside credit. Most recently, expanded into a B2B direction by launching Fintech-as-a-Service APIs (wallets, KYC, payments rails) for third-party developers and SMBs across Africa.
Aella discloses Aella Microfinance Bank Limited (in-house) as its banking provider, according to the Embedded Finance Index 2026.
Aella does not disclose a bank charter of its own; its banking services are provided through Aella Microfinance Bank Limited (in-house).
Aella's lending and capital products are provided by Aella Microfinance Bank Limited (in-house).
The Embedded Finance Index 2026 maps 2 layers in Aella's stack: Banking / BaaS (Aella Microfinance Bank Limited (in-house)); Lending (Aella Microfinance Bank Limited (in-house), Consumer micro-loans, Working-capital loans for businesses and Business savings).
Aella was founded by Akin Jones and Akanbi Wale and is founded in 2015, headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria.
Aella has raised $10.3M in total (latest round: Debt financing, 2020).
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