Egypt: Flash lands $6m in seed funding
Flash, Egypt’s new cashless payments app, has completed a $6 million seed round led by Addition with participation from Flourish Ventures and other strategic angel investors. This funding will be used to accelerate the startup’s product development and customer acquisition in Egypt. Flash has also obtained approval from the Central Bank of Egypt in partnership with Banque Misr to operate as a technical payment aggregator.
Flash is a payment application that provides cashless payment solutions for consumers and businesses through a scan and pay service. The application allows consumers to make a purchase with their phones by adding any existing bank card or digital wallet on the app once and scanning a QR code that is presented by a business, in-store or on-delivery. Businesses can accept payments directly from consumers without the need for point-of-sale (POS) systems or technical integration. Flash was founded by Uber alumni Erik Gordon and Sherine Kabesh in 2021.
Speaking about the fundraise, Erik Gordon, founder and CEO of Flash said, ”As a team, we are excited and proud to be launching a new contactless payment method in Egypt. Our mobile application removes transactional challenges for businesses looking for an easier solution than the POS. Our goal is to make payments easier, safer and faster for everyone. We are also excited to be releasing new features to help consumers make better spending decisions. We are humbled by this seed investment, which will enable us to invest in our product and business and customer acquisition, and utilise the valuable insights of our experienced investment partners to advance the economy of Egypt.”
Andrew Miskiewicz of Addition said, “Flash is transforming the payments landscape in Egypt, simplifying the complex transactional process for consumers and businesses with a safe and easy-to-use application. We look forward to supporting Flash and its leadership team as they continue to accelerate product development, expand customer bases and help promote financial inclusion.”
Ameya Upadhyay, venture partner at Flourish Ventures added, “Flash’s vision to enable everyone in Egypt – merchants and customers alike – to receive and pay money instantly is a game changer. At Flourish, we invest in entrepreneurs who are passionate about creating a fairer financial system and we’re thrilled to back Flash – a rising fintech with a woman co-founder, and look forward to empowering the market with digital payments.”
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