ApideckTape
← Embedded Finance Index 2026

Mara

“Can a consumer crypto wallet become the default financial account for Africans excluded from traditional banking rails?”

Founded2021
HQLagos, Nigeria
Total raised$23M
Latest roundSeed (2021-11)
IndustryFintech / Crypto
The story

Mara was founded in 2021 as 'Africa's portal to the cryptoeconomy', raising a $23M seed to build a consumer crypto wallet and exchange targeting African markets. Headcount has since contracted (-10% YoY per LinkedIn), consistent with the broader post-2022 African crypto retrenchment. The company continues to operate a fiat + crypto wallet product across Nigeria and Kenya.

Last 12 months
—
Product timeline
2021
Mara founded as an African crypto wallet / digital finance ecosystem.· pivot
2021
Raised $23M seed round to build pan-African crypto exchange and wallet.· banking
The stack
0 layers disclosed in Mara’s embedded-finance stack
Accounting gap: none

Mara — frequently asked

Where is Mara headquartered?

Mara is founded in 2021 and headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria.

How much funding has Mara raised?

Mara has raised $23M in total (latest round: Seed (2021-11)).

Benchmark your own stack

Request an embedded finance strategy assessment

Get a read on where your own stack stands against Mara 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.

  • Your category, mappedHow your stack compares to Mara and the other companies in its category.
  • Build vs. buyWhere a provider relationship would close a gap faster than building it.
  • A named analyst, not a form replyA short call to scope what's actually worth assessing for you.

No newsletter, no sharing your address. We use this to reach out about the assessment and nothing else.