“Can a B2B African fintech digitise and financially unlock the continent's vast cash economy by embedding smart hardware and payment software at the point of merchant cash handling?”
Founded in 2020 as a Namibian B2B e-commerce last-mile distribution startup, Jabu connected informal retailers to FMCG suppliers and raised $18M+ from Tiger Global, Y Combinator, and FJ Labs. By 2023–2024 the company executed a significant pivot away from marketplace/logistics toward cash-digitisation fintech, rebranding its payments layer as JabuPay and launching hardware (smart safes) and software (digital wallets, card terminals, mobile money rails) to help merchants across Southern Africa convert physical cash to digital funds in real time. The strategic thesis shifted from 'be the Amazon of African informal trade' to 'be the financial infrastructure layer that digitises cash in cash-dominant African economies.'
Jabu processes payments through JabuPay (self-operated) and JabuTap (self-operated).
Jabu was founded by David Akinin and is founded in 2020, headquartered in Windhoek, Namibia.
Jabu has raised $18M+ in total (latest round: Series A, 2022).
Get a read on where your own stack stands against Jabu and the rest of its category — what they built versus bought, which providers they use, and where the gaps in your own strategy and competitive set actually are.