Disruptech Ventures Enters the Moroccan Market with Strategic Investment in Chari to Boost Financial Inclusion in Africa
Disruptech Ventures, an investment fund specializing in supporting early-stage fintech startups, has announced its latest strategic investment in Chari, a leading Moroccan fintech company backed by global accelerator Y Combinator.
This marks Disruptech’s first entry into the Moroccan market and its second investment in Africa outside Egypt, underscoring its growing commitment to supporting financial innovation and enhancing financial inclusion across emerging markets.
An Innovative Financial Platform
Founded in 2020 by Ismael Belkhayat and Sophia Alj, Chari has developed a licensed financial platform under the supervision of the Central Bank of Morocco. The platform enables thousands of neighborhood stores to provide a range of financial services, including digital payments, money transfers, and microfinance.
Chari aims to transform these local stores into digital financial hubs serving their surrounding communities, thereby reducing cash dependency and extending access to financial services in the informal economy.
Driving Digital Transformation and Financial Inclusion
Beyond helping retailers order consumer goods from FMCG distributors via its smart app, Chari is digitizing financial flows and advancing financial inclusion by empowering store owners to offer payment, insurance, and instant credit services to their customers.
Through this model, the company is building the financial infrastructure for Morocco’s informal economy while accelerating the digital transformation of local commerce.
Disruptech’s Vision and Strategic Support
Mohamed Okasha, Managing Partner at Disruptech Ventures, described the investment as a pivotal milestone for the fund, emphasizing that “Chari is redefining how financial services are delivered from the bottom up, empowering small stores to become gateways for inclusive and sustainable financial systems across Africa.”
Rapid Growth and Expansion Plans
Since its inception, Chari has attracted over 20,000 merchants to its platform and continues to expand its operations, with ambitions to become the leading platform for trade and financial services in Francophone Africa.
Ismael Belkhayat, CEO and Co-Founder of Chari, expressed his excitement over Disruptech’s participation, stating that the partnership “will accelerate our mission to turn every neighborhood store into a financial access point, driving financial inclusion and economic growth across the African continent.”
This investment forms part of Chari’s extended Series A funding round, with Disruptech Ventures set to join the company’s Board of Directors to help shape its strategic direction and support its regional expansion in fintech.
