Waribei
“Can a closed-loop QR-based inventory financing platform become the dominant credit infrastructure for informal merchants across francophone Africa?”
HQAbidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
Total raised€750,000 (~$820,000)
Latest roundPre-Seed, 2024
IndustryFintech / Lending
The story
Waribei was built from inception as a closed-loop inventory financing platform for informal merchants in francophone Africa, particularly Côte d'Ivoire. Rather than offering cash loans, it provides collateral-free stock advances directly at the point of purchase via a QR-code mechanism (Waricode), bridging the credit gap between retailers and wholesalers. The company positions itself as the only player in francophone Africa delivering real-time payment terms between retailers and suppliers at scale.
Product timeline
2023
Waribei launched its closed-loop mobile payment platform in Côte d'Ivoire offering inventory financing (stock advances) to informal merchants via QR code (Waricode) at partner suppliers.· lending
2024
Raised €750,000 in pre-seed funding from Mstudio (€500,000) and Saviu Ventures (€250,000) to accelerate inventory financing expansion across francophone Africa.· lending
The stack
1 layer disclosed in Waribei’s embedded-finance stack
Lending
Collateral-free inventory stock advanceBuy-now-pay-later for wholesale goods (closed-loop)
Accounting gap: none