DFS Lab

As part of our work through the Merchant Payments Observatory Initiative- (a project that seeks to create a first-of-its-kind set of data, tracking the digital transformation of the retail sector in three key developing countries- Nigeria, Ethiopia and Pakistan by measuring and tracking the evolution of digital merchant payments, analyzing key barriers, adoption trends, and market opportunities), we brought together stakeholders and ecosystem players in Lagos and Addis Ababa for our Survey Design Workshop! These workshops brought together key stakeholders from the financial sector, policymakers, donors, and fintech leaders to refine and shape the survey tool and develop awareness of its value. In Lagos, Nigeria, we had representatives from commercial banks, Women's World Banking, Interswitch Group, OPay, AfriGO Pay Financial Services, SANEF Limited, and more and in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, we had representatives from banks, EthSwitch, UNDP, United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), Arifpay, Payments and Settlement Systems Directorate and more. These workshops also provided a platform to discuss key challenges and barriers in the merchant's payment ecosystem through panel discussions and breakout sessions. A huge thank you to our partners in Nigeria and Ethiopia- EFInA and FSD Ethiopia for a stellar collaboration! We’re looking forward to cascading this workshop in Pakistan in the coming weeks and will share major insights as we progress in this project! The Merchant Payments Observatory Initiative is funded by the Gates Foundation.  #MerchantPayments #FinancialInclusion #DigitalTransformation #Fintech #DFS #Nigeria

Yesterday, I joined julien Fanciulli on FRANCE 24 for #RendezVousAfrique d'#AutourDuMondeF24 to talk #Africantech and AI! I was talking about some of the key principles that guide our investing in the African tech landscape. Short summary below!

Our General Partner Stephen Deng will be live HBS Africa Business Club 2025 #BeyondBorders conference. If you'll be attending, you can catch us there!

The team will be in Nairobi in the coming days leading up to #ATS! Join us on Tuesday, Feb. 11th by 5pm for a night of networking with founders, investors and ecosystem players! RSVP here: https://lu.ma/504vb52p

We’re pleased to have contributed to the CGAP, "Innovative Financing for Inclusive Credit Fintechs in Africa" publication. By interviewing debt investors and fintech stakeholders, we helped uncover valuable insights to provide strategies for reaching inclusive credit in Africa particularly those targeting underserved micro and small enterprises (MSEs). Curious about what we uncovered? Access the publication below ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/dGJzEsVU

A huge thanks to the entire team DFS Lab, our clients, collaborators, investors and partners for an incredible year! Catch a glimpse of what we were up to in 2024 ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/d3rbyVnF

Open roles at DFS Lab 💫 For our Merchant Payments Observatory project, we're seeking for professionals who will serve as country leads in Nigeria, Ethiopia and Pakistan (respectively) to support our efforts in these countries! In this role, you will work closely with DFS Lab’s global and regional teams, local research firms, government officials, and key stakeholders in the private sector to ensure robust data collection, analysis, and dissemination that drives insights and informs both the private sector and policymakers on the progression of digital payments adoption. As a country lead, you typically exemplify a mix of strategic, analytical, and interpersonal skills, with deep market knowledge and understanding of payment ecosystem including regulatory, technological, and economic factors affecting digital payments, digital commerce, and financial inclusion in these countries. Please note: these roles are *part time*, location-specific and would require you to be on the ground! Find out more about the project and apply for role(s) in: ▶️ Nigeria- https://lnkd.in/dUXf_muw ▶️ Ethiopia-https://lnkd.in/d85gCHp9 ▶️ Pakistan- https://lnkd.in/dMttk-q9

🚀 Exciting Opportunity Alert! DFS Lab is hiring! We’re seeking a dynamic professional to lead our Merchant Payments Ecosystem Observatory initiative in Pakistan, Nigeria, and Ethiopia. Join us to drive digital payments adoption and financial inclusion across key markets in Africa and South Asia. 🌍✨ 🔑 If you're passionate about building inclusive financial systems and have experience in digital payments and market research, we want to hear from you! Find out more about the role here- https://lnkd.in/dmMsunnH #DigitalFinance #PaymentsEcosystem #Hiring #DFSLab #DigitalInclusion

Throwing it back to the Stellar Blockchain Builders Meetup in Nairobi powered by Stellar Development Foundation It was so much fun meeting builders, founders and blockchain enthusiasts in real time while connecting over a common purpose on how to solve some of the problems being faced on the continent through the Stellar Blockchain Network. With over 15 projects pitching for grants and support we had top 5 teams pitching ideas to#buildonStellar across Insurance, Finance, E-Commerce, Agriculture etc. These teams will go ahead to exploring further support programs and getting their ideas to user-validated products. These meetups are a part of our wider #StellarSurge program aimed at building an engaged community of African builders.

Karibu Nairobi!!! Faces from our ongoing Stellar Blockchain Builders Meetup. We're super excited and pumped to be connecting with builders in the ecosystem in real time. We're looking forward to the project pitches. Stellar Development Foundation