HiPipo, a Ugandan fintech company, is the only African firm listed in Global Business Leaders Magazine’s Top 20 companies ‘escalating innovation’ in the financial services market.
HiPipo, a Ugandan fintech firm that focuses on domestic and cross-border retail payment systems and the provision of inclusive financial offerings, is the only African firm listed among Global Business Leaders Magazine’s Top 20 companies escalating innovation in the digital financial services market.
HiPipo: Promoting financial inclusion
HiPipo works to improve financial inclusion and digital innovation in Africa through their ‘Include Everyone’ program. HiPipo CEO Innocent Kawooya said, “It is always refreshing to see our work appreciated by reputable organizations such as the Global Business Leaders Magazine. These are indeed fruits of a dedicated team determined to change lives of people especially found at the bottom of the pyramid,” Kawooya said.
“With a keen interest in women empowerment, HiPipo’s events help reduce the barriers perpetuating the gender gap by providing women with technical and business skills in digital financial services. It enables sustainable and inclusive growth and drives financial inclusion by advocating for reducing widespread interoperability issues leading to the exclusion of poor and vulnerable groups in the financial system,” said a statement released by the magazine.
Initiatives and events
Alongside its domestic and cross-border retail payments system, the company has led a series of initiatives to support founders and others seeking to solve regional problems, including the 40-Days-40-FinTechs and FinTech Landscape Exhibition; the Women-In-FinTech Hackathon, Summit and Incubator; and the creation and support of Digital Impact Awards Africa (DIAA). According to Kawooya, the company’s initiatives are aimed at supporting founders and the unbanked and creating impact while supporting marginalized or vulnerable sectors of society.
Kawooya said that the company’s mission was now to ensure sustainability of the Include Everyone program to contribute to accelerating financial inclusion and public services, “In [the] future, we strive to continue doing our best. We are planning to implement and scale initiatives on the continent that increase the number of African women in leadership positions through efforts such as the Women-In-FinTech Hackathon, Summit, and Incubator. With financial exclusion persisting in Africa due to various reasons, HiPipo is aiming to accelerate its advocacy for the demand of creating instant and inclusive payment systems across Africa,” he said.
Companies on the list included Naborforce, Helpware, Proximity Space, Gulf Data Hub, SMT Energy, and Motus Inc..
Fintech continues to account for the lion’s share of startup investment in Africa.