REasy, a trade finance platform based in Cameroon that facilitates cross-border payments, logistics, and compliance for SME importers, has successfully secured .8 million in pre-seed funding. This capital injection aims to fuel the company’s expansion across West Africa and enhance its trade infrastructure capabilities.
The funding round was led by Ingressive Capital, Launch Africa, and 54 Collective, with additional support from Digital Africa, Christophe Chausson (Chausson Partners), Mathias Léopoldie (Julaya), and Joël Nana Kontchou (Cameroon Network Angels).
Brice Mba, Co-CEO of REasy, explained, “This investment will enable us to accelerate our customer growth, upgrade our technological framework, and obtain new operational licenses in key West African markets. Our mission is clear: to empower African businesses to engage in global trade seamlessly.”
This financing milestone follows REasy’s pioneering development of a foreign exchange system in partnership with the Bank of Central African States (BEAC). This innovation allows small and medium-sized enterprises in Central Africa to conduct multi-currency cross-border transactions without depending on conventional banking institutions.
REasy’s platform bridges African payment networks such as Orange Money, MTN Mobile Money, and traditional bank transfers with international payment providers like Alipay, WeChat Pay, and UnionPay. Additionally, it incorporates customs brokerage and freight forwarding services, enabling traders to manage the entire import process through a single, streamlined interface, eliminating the need for multiple intermediaries.
The company processes payments from clients in Central African Franc (XAF) and operates hubs in the UK, France, and Hong Kong. This setup allows clients to pay their suppliers almost immediately after funds are received in Africa. The final currency exchange is conducted via the Central Bank channel, converting XAF into Euros.
“Entrepreneurs in Africa should have the same ease in paying international suppliers as their counterparts in Europe or Asia,” Mba emphasized. “By removing transactional obstacles, we unlock both financial resources and confidence for the millions of SMEs that drive Africa’s economy.”
Founded in 2023 by Brice Mba and Mathieu Wing, and soon joined by co-founders Richard Kue and Stéphane Meng, REasy was created to address persistent challenges faced by African importers, including exorbitant transaction fees, fraud risks, and limited access to trade financing. Its all-in-one trade finance application integrates foreign exchange payments, logistics, and regulatory compliance to simplify international trade for small businesses.
Africa’s import volume has surged dramatically, growing from around $27.6 billion in 2000 to over $600 billion in 2023. Despite this growth, SMEs continue to encounter systemic hurdles such as payment delays lasting up to two weeks, transaction fees reaching 8%, and significant fraud exposure.
Lina Kacyem, Investment Manager at Launch Africa, noted, “REasy’s regulatory breakthrough with BEAC establishes a strong competitive advantage. This innovation is key to unlocking billions of dollars in trade currently hindered by infrastructural limitations.”
Currently, REasy supports thousands of importers along the China-Cameroon trade route, which accounted for $3.71 billion in imports in 2023. For many users, the platform has shortened payment settlement times from several weeks to mere minutes.
Looking ahead, REasy plans to broaden its reach beyond Central Africa, beginning with Nigeria, which imports over $25 billion worth of goods annually from China. Between 2027 and 2028, the company aims to integrate with the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) to facilitate intra-African trade. By 2030, REasy intends to expand into South-South trade corridors such as India-East Africa and Brazil-West Africa, targeting to serve more than one million import businesses across the continent.
Editor’s note: This article has been revised to acknowledge all four co-founders.
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