Julaya has secured $1.4million in growth financing from CDC-CI Capital to accelerate the digitalization of payments for businesses in the country. The agreement, signed on Friday, October 17, 2025, at Julaya’s offices in Abidjan, takes the form of convertible bonds that can be exchanged for equity. The transaction underscores Julaya’s push to scale after receiving its payment institution authorization earlier this year.
Deal Overview
The financing is structured as an issuance of convertible bonds, giving Julaya immediate capital while aligning future ownership with performance milestones. The signing was conducted by Mathias Léopoldie, Chief Executive Officer of Julaya, and Arthur Coulibaly, Chief Executive Officer of CDC-CI Capital. By opting for a hybrid debt-equity instrument, both parties retain flexibility on timing and valuation as the company advances its roadmap.
Strategic Timing and Regulatory Context
The deal follows Julaya’s approval as a licensed payment institution on May 10, 2025, with license number EP.CI.004/2025 as stated by the company. Regulatory clarity is pivotal in West Africa’s payments market, where compliance frameworks define how providers onboard clients, safeguard funds, and launch new services. With authorization in hand, Julaya is positioned to broaden products and distribution within a supervised environment.
Company Background and Market Position
Founded in 2018 by Mathias Léopoldie and Chartes Talbot, Julaya focuses on payment solutions for enterprises, serving both small and medium businesses and large organizations. The company reports more than 1,000 corporate clients that rely on its platform to digitize payouts, collections, and financial operations. That base offers a springboard for cross-selling and deeper integration into everyday workflows.
Use of Proceeds and Growth Priorities
According to the parties, the funds will support investments that expand and enrich Julaya’s service offering across the Ivorian market. Priority areas include product development, client acquisition, and the operational infrastructure required to manage higher transaction volumes. The company also expects to strengthen risk controls, customer support, and compliance capabilities as adoption grows.
Investor Profile and Rationale
CDC-CI Capital is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations de Côte d’Ivoire and is financed by the World Bank through the Competitive Value Chains for Jobs and Economic Transformation Project. Its mandate is to channel catalytic capital into companies with potential to scale, formalize operations, and create employment. Backing a licensed payments provider aligns with that objective by supporting financial inclusion and enterprise productivity.
Market Context and Opportunity
Côte d’Ivoire’s economy has seen rising demand for secure, efficient digital payment rails from government agencies, corporates, and SMEs. Cash management, payroll disbursements, supplier payments, and collections remain ripe for digitization that reduces friction and improves transparency. Providers that can deliver reliability, regulatory alignment, and enterprise-grade tooling are positioned to capture durable market share.
Governance and Alignment
A convertible structure typically pairs interest-like features with the option to convert into equity, which can align incentives around growth and valuation discipline. As Julaya executes its strategy, conversion mechanics will determine CDC-CI Capital’s eventual equity participation and governance rights. This approach gives the company breathing room to invest now while preserving optionality for both sides.
Execution Risks and Next Steps
Scaling payments infrastructure requires constant investment in technology, security, and partnerships with mobile money operators, banks, and merchants. Competitive pressure and evolving regulation will test product quality, uptime, and customer experience at higher throughput. Julaya’s ability to translate new capital into faster onboarding, lower churn, and broader functionality will be the core measure of success.
The $1.4 million financing marks a strategic milestone for Julaya as it builds on its newly secured payment institution license. With CDC-CI Capital’s backing, the company gains patient capital designed to support expansion while keeping incentives aligned. If execution matches ambition, the partnership could serve as a catalyst for broader adoption of enterprise digital payments across the Ivorian economy.