DisrupTech Ventures backs Morocco’s Chari
This marks DisrupTech’s first investment in Morocco.
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DisrupTech Ventures, an early-stage fintech venture capital fund, has made an investment in Chari.
Founded in 2020 by Ismael Belkhayat and Sophia Alj, Chari has built a licensed fintech platform that turns thousands of neighbourhood shops into access points for digital payments and financial services.
This marks DisrupTech’s first investment in Morocco and its second in Africa outside of Egypt, underscoring the fund’s growing commitment to supporting fintech innovation across the continent.
By leveraging its payment institution licence from the Central Bank of Morocco, Chari is enabling merchants to function as financial hubs for their communities, giving consumers access to services that were previously out of reach.
“Our investment in Chari is a milestone for DisrupTech,” said Mohamed Okasha, managing partner at DisrupTech Ventures. “Chari is redefining how financial services are delivered at the grassroots level. By empowering small shops to act as financial gateways, Chari is creating the foundation for a new, inclusive fintech infrastructure in Morocco. This is exactly the kind of transformative model we seek to support across Africa.”
“We are delighted to welcome DisrupTech Ventures as a partner on our journey,” said Ismael Belkhayat, CEO and co-founder of Chari. “With DisrupTech’s backing, we are accelerating our mission to turn every corner shop into a financial access point. Together, we will continue to build technologies that drive financial inclusion and economic growth across Africa.”
The investment forms part of Chari’s Series A extension round, and as part of the deal, DisrupTech Ventures will join Chari’s board of directors.
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