A stablecoin payments startup says it is close to turning a profit. Now it plans to raise its first big round.
Lipaworld, a cross-border payments startup, is getting ready to launch its seed round. It has processed over $6 million since March and expects to pass $10 million before the end of 2026. Its next goal is $100 million in total payments by the end of 2027. CEO and co-founder Jonathan Katende says the raise will favour steady growth, and the firm is heading towards positive cash flow.
Lipaworld links local bank and mobile money networks to digital dollars. It uses dollar-backed stablecoins such as USDC. The firm says this helps businesses that move money into and out of Africa cut payment costs by about 50%. Many African firms face high currency costs, dollar shortages and swings in exchange rates. Some turn to parallel markets as a result. Lipaworld says strong liquidity partners help it settle fast and price well.
Payments between businesses are now its main growth driver. Small firms use it, and so do remote workers and freelancers. They withdraw pay from global platforms such as Airbnb and Payoneer straight into local bank accounts and mobile wallets. Consumer remittances are still part of the mix.
Lipaworld says it avoids the heavy spending on user growth that many young fintechs choose. It works with regulated local banks and licensed payment firms. That lets it use their licences to handle the rules on digital assets, which differ from one country to the next.
The firm is growing in Nigeria, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe. It is also opening payment routes to Europe, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Katende wants to build a “truly global financial operating system.” Soon, the firm plans to add ZARU, a stablecoin pegged to the South African rand. He sees it as a way to show how local digital currencies can speed up trade within the region.
Why it matters: Moving money across African borders is slow and costly, and dollars are hard to get. Stablecoin firms are betting they can fix that. Lipaworld’s pitch is to grow on real payment volume, not on heavy spending, and to work inside local rules. A seed round built on that story will be a test of how investors rate such firms. The cost savings and growth figures come from the company.
What to watch next: the size and lead investor of the seed round, whether Lipaworld passes $10 million this year, when ZARU goes live, and how regulators in its markets treat stablecoin payments.
Sources: Innovation Village on Lipaworld; Circle on Lipaworld and USDC; ITWeb Africa on the Lipaworld payment card.
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