The TIME100 Most Influential Companies list for 2025, released on June 26, 2025, celebrates global trailblazers, and two Nigerian fintech giants, Moniepoint and Flutterwave, stand tall among them.

Categorised as a Leader and a Titan, respectively, these companies redefine financial access and connectivity across Africa and beyond. Their inclusion on this prestigious list highlights Nigeria’s rising influence in global innovation, and their stories pulse with ambition, resilience, and impact.

We’d like to dive into their journeys, capturing what makes them forces of change.

, recognised as a leader, transforms how small and medium-sized businesses operate in Nigeria.

Founded in 2015 by Tosin Eniolorunda and Felix Ike, it started as a provider of payment infrastructure for banks but pivoted to become a full-fledged business banking platform.

This shift proved crucial during Nigeria’s 2023 cash crisis, when Moniepoint kept commerce alive for millions. It now reportedly processes over 800 million transactions monthly, valued at $17 billion, empowering businesses with tools for payments, loans, and expense management.

In 2024, a $110 million funding round, backed by investors like Google, propelled Moniepoint to unicorn status, a rare feat for African startups.

Eniolorunda describes their TIME100 recognition as a “validation of creating financial happiness” for customers.

“This recognition by TIME is a powerful validation of the work we do every day to create financial happiness for millions of people and businesses in Africa,” Tosin Eniolorunda, CEO and Co-Founder of Moniepoint, said according to Condia.

“From enabling over 10 million businesses to accept payments, access working capital, and run their operations digitally, to supporting everyday Africans through innovative financial solutions — we are proud of the role we play in powering dreams while transforming lives and livelihoods.”

Beyond payments, Moniepoint offers credit access and insurance, addressing real-world challenges for merchants and entrepreneurs. Its platform simplifies operations, letting a small shopkeeper track expenses or a vendor secure a loan with ease.

The company’s growth reflects its knack for listening to users and adapting swiftly. Moniepoint’s leadership shines in its mission to democratise financial services, and its impact ripples across Nigeria’s economy, fostering stability and opportunity.

Meanwhile, Moniepoint was named a category winner in two prestigious categories, Corporate Banking and Digital Wallets, at the IBS Intelligence (IBSi) Digital Banking Awards 2025.

, named a Titan, anchors Africa’s payments ecosystem with unmatched scale and ambition.

Flutterwave connects African businesses to the global market. It processes billions in transactions across 17 countries, enabling seamless cross-border payments.

A South African customer can use a Kenyan digital wallet to shop in Senegal, breaking barriers that once stifled African commerce.

During the 2020 lockdowns, Flutterwave helped 20,000 small businesses shift online, handling $7.5 billion in transactions. Its partnerships with global brands like Uber and a $15.7 million funding round underscore its influence.

Merchants use its platform to accept payments in multiple currencies, from mobile money to card transactions, simplifying trade in a fragmented region. The company’s innovation lies in its ability to scale rapidly while staying user-focused, and its TIME100 Titan status reflects its dominance in fintech.

Flutterwave’s story is one of bold dreams meeting practical execution, and its growth signals Africa’s potential to lead in global tech. Olugbenga Agboola’s leadership inspires a generation of entrepreneurs, showing that African solutions can solve universal problems.

Moniepoint and Flutterwave, though distinct, share a core drive of empowering Africans through technology.

Moniepoint focuses on the granular needs of small businesses, offering tools that stabilise and grow local economies. Flutterwave, meanwhile, paints on a broader canvas, linking Africa to the world with seamless transactions.

Both companies leverage Nigeria’s entrepreneurial spirit, and their TIME100 recognition celebrates their ability to turn challenges into opportunities.