Hizo, a Nigeria-based fintech startup focused on simplifying intra-Africa payments within Africa, has announced the closure of a $100,000 Friends & Family seed round, officially finalized on June 4, 2025. This funding will support Hizo in enhancing its digital remittance platform, expanding market reach, and reinforcing its bold vision of seamless intra-African financial connectivity.

Cross-border trade in Africa often suffers from inefficiencies: traders, tourists, and businesses face cumbersome currency conversions, high transaction fees, and limited interoperability between national currencies. Hizo was founded to tackle precisely these challenges, by enabling users to transact using their own local currency. Hizo currently allows Nigerians to spend their naira across 14 different African countries.

“Our platform addresses an urgent need: reliable, fast, and cost-effective transactions within Africa,” said Victor Chiedu, CEO of Hizo. “We focus specifically on intra-African payments, helping users bypass costly foreign currency conversions and lengthy processing times.”

The seed capital will help Hizo bolster its operational and technological capabilities. Key initiatives include:

The Friends & Family round underscores Hizo’s commitment to inclusive financing. “This wasn’t just about raising money,” Chiedu explained, “We intentionally targeted investors who share our core vision and deeply understand the economic and social value of our solution.”

This foundational capital provides leverage for future investment rounds, which the company intends to raise from institutional partners and strategic financial service providers.