DisrupTech Ventures has invested in Moroccan startup Chari as part of the company’s Series A extension. The Cairo-based fund will also take a board seat to support Chari’s fintech expansion strategy in Morocco and Francophone Africa. The move signals growing cross-border alignment between Egyptian and Moroccan startup ecosystems around financial inclusion.
Investment Overview
The funding marks DisrupTech’s first bet in Morocco and its second investment in Africa outside Egypt. Terms of the round were not disclosed, but the governance addition underscores a hands-on approach to scaling Chari’s fintech stack. Alongside the fund’s participation, DisrupTech Managing Partner Mohamed El Sayed Okasha is joining Chari’s board, reinforcing strategic oversight.
Strategic Rationale
DisrupTech says Chari is redefining how financial services reach consumers at the last mile by empowering small neighborhood shops. The firm views these merchants as gateways for payments, micro-insurance, and working capital embedded in daily commerce. By backing the model early, the fund aims to help build inclusive financial infrastructure with measurable adoption among informal retailers.
Company Background
Founded in 2020 by Ismael Belkhayat and Sophia Alj, Chari began as a platform enabling corner shops to order FMCG inventory with rapid delivery. The company has since expanded into licensed fintech, holding a payment institution authorization from the Central Bank of Morocco. This license allows Chari to convert stores into access points for digital payments and other financial products integrated into routine transactions.
Product and Traction
Chari reports more than 20,000 retailers onboarded across its marketplace and financial services network. Its software layers payment acceptance, instant working capital, and micro-insurance directly into merchant workflows. The approach targets cash leakage, improves inventory turns, and formalizes data trails that can underwrite credit in historically opaque segments.
Investor Background
DisrupTech Ventures launched in 2021 to back early-stage fintech and digital infrastructure startups across payments, embedded finance, lending, and insurtech. Its limited partners include IFC, Proparco, Avanz, MSMEDA, and Axian, reflecting a mandate to scale financial access solutions. The fund’s board participation at Chari fits its model of pairing capital with operational support in regulated environments.
Leadership Perspective
“Chari is redefining how financial services are delivered at the grassroots level,” said Okasha, citing the potential to create a new, inclusive fintech fabric. Co-founder and CEO Ismael Belkhayat welcomed the partnership, emphasizing the plan to turn every corner shop into a financial access point. He added that the company will continue building technologies that drive inclusion and economic mobility across Africa.
Ecosystem Significance
Chari positions itself as a prospective financial backbone for Morocco’s informal retail economy, where small shops remain community anchors. Digitizing these flows can expand access to essential services while improving transparency for lenders, insurers, and suppliers. The strategy aligns with policy goals around cash reduction and digital transformation in North Africa.
Regional Expansion
While Morocco remains the core market, Chari frames Francophone Africa as a logical corridor for replication. Common retail structures, shared language, and similar cash dynamics create operating synergies for scaling. DisrupTech’s regional network and regulatory experience are expected to support measured market entry and compliance.
Outlook
The new capital and board alignment give Chari additional capacity to deepen product penetration among existing merchants. Priorities include accelerating payment acceptance, expanding working capital programs, and embedding more insurance options. Execution will depend on disciplined risk models, continued regulatory engagement, and reliable last-mile operations.
DisrupTech’s investment and board role formalize growing investor confidence in Chari’s shop-led distribution model for fintech. With a central bank license, a widening retailer base, and experienced backers, the company is positioned to scale responsibly. The next phase will test how efficiently Chari can translate distribution advantages into durable, inclusive financial services.