Chari, a Bouskoura, Casablanca headquartered B2B e-commerce and fintech company, is sharpening its push to digitize neighborhood retailers across Francophone Africa. The startup has closed a $12 million Series A round in October 2025, advancing its regulated financial services roadmap. A new strategic partnership with Visa is set to accelerate SME digitization across North Africa, reinforcing Chari’s payments and merchant services stack.
Company Profile
Founded in 2020, Chari operates at the intersection of fintech and e-commerce, serving small shops with fast FMCG ordering and embedded financial tools. The company reports 201 to 500 employees and remains active at the Series A stage. Its mission focuses on digitizing corner stores, pairing rapid stock replenishment with licensed financial services to raise retailer productivity and resilience.
Products and Services
Chari’s marketplace enables B2B ordering of FMCG products with warehouse pick, pack, and last-mile delivery optimized for speed and reliability. On the financial side, the platform offers digital payments, IBANs and debit cards, domestic and cross-border transfers, bill payment, and micro-insurance. The 2021 acquisition of Karny brought credit-book capabilities that support repayment tracking and BNPL-style working capital for merchants.
Funding Details
The company has raised a disclosed total of approximately $21 million across nine rounds, culminating in the $12 million Series A. The latest round was co-led by SPE Capital and Orange Ventures, with participation from Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures and a broad group of returning and new backers. Earlier investors include Global Founders Capital, Plug and Play, Endeavor Catalyst, Pincus Capital, Al Khwarizmi Ventures, UM6P Ventures, Axian Group, Uncovered Fund, AfriMobility, P1 Ventures, Reflect Ventures, Dragon Capital, MyAsia VC, Harambean Prosperity Fund, and H&S Invest Holding.
Strategic Partnership with Visa
Visa’s partnership with Chari targets faster adoption of digital payments and modern financial tools among SMEs in North Africa. The collaboration is expected to streamline acceptance, onboarding, and usage of card and account solutions for neighborhood shops that historically relied on cash. By integrating Visa rails with Chari’s merchant platform, the initiative aims to reduce friction in daily transactions and widen access to formal financial services.
Market Context and Strategy
Informal retail still dominates consumer goods distribution across many African markets, where stockouts, cash handling, and fragmented logistics suppress margins. Chari’s combined marketplace and fintech approach seeks to consolidate ordering, fulfillment, and money movement into a single retailer workflow. With licensed services and data from commerce flows, the company is positioned to underwrite working capital more efficiently and scale responsibly.
Leadership
Chari is led by co-founders Ismael Belkhayat, CEO, and Sophia Alj, COO. Belkhayat is a seasoned entrepreneur with prior ventures in real estate portals, ground transportation, and a startup studio, complemented by experience at BCG and degrees from ESCP Europe and Cornell. Alj previously served as a McKinsey strategy consultant, brings operating experience across Africa, and is an Endeavor entrepreneur focused on building robust digital operations.
Outlook
Execution will hinge on expanding the merchant base, deepening licensed financial products, and maintaining on-time delivery as order volumes rise. The Visa partnership should help accelerate payment acceptance and formalization, while Series A capital supports product development and regional reach. With Karny’s credit stack and regulated payments, Chari is positioned to convert transactional data into safer, more accessible financing for small retailers.
Chari’s $12 million Series A and its partnership with Visa mark a step change in the company’s evolution from a B2B marketplace to a full-stack fintech partner for informal retail. The model blends inventory access, logistics, payments, and credit into a cohesive merchant experience that addresses persistent pain points. If execution matches ambition, Chari could become a reference platform for digitizing everyday commerce in North and Francophone Africa.