Flutterwave’s Disha set for temporary suspension from March 31

Disha, a no-code platform dedicated to assisting creatives with marketing and payment processing, has revealed its plans to temporarily shut down operations effective March 31, 2024. The decision comes as part of the platform’s endeavor to reassess its objectives and investigate new ways to cater to its users. The platform was acquired by Flutterwave in 2021.

Despite the halt in operations, users, who number in the hundreds of thousands, will retain access to their accounts and the data they have stored thereon, even after the shutdown.

For its diverse community of creators – counting over 100,000 content creators, influencers, artists, writers, and designers among its ranks – Disha has recommended transferring files to alternative platforms such as Mainstack, Milkshake, and Linktree before the slated shutdown date. The platform also encouraged its users to stay tuned for further updates.

In a statement released on X, Disha expressed its commitment to its users, stating, “We find joy in providing you with tools that move your craft forward, and this pause is critical in helping us rethink our focus.”

Disha, the no-code platform known for aiding creators in marketing and receiving payments, has clarified that its operational pause is a temporary measure. However, it has refrained from specifying an exact date for when services will be revived. The company has also assured users that any ongoing subscriptions will be duly refunded.

Disha was co-founded in 2019 by Evans Akanno and Rufus Oyemade, and Blessing Abeng joined the team a year later, assuming the role of co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer. The platform’s operational model is close to that of peers such as Selar and Irawo. It empowers digital creators to showcase and market their digital products, construct one-page website portfolios, and receive payments from an internationally diverse audience.

Disha is set to suspend operations for the second time, following a similar incident in February 2021 when the Nigeria-based platform, boasting upwards of 20,000 users, declared plans for a December 2022 shutdown due to insufficient resources to maintain operations. Before the proposed shutdown could take place, however, Disha was acquired by Flutterwave at an undisclosed price.

In light of the acquisition in 2021, Olugbenga Agboola, co-founder and CEO of Flutterwave, expressed that Disha offered Flutterwave a chance to penetrate the untapped markets of autonomous creators in need of reliable tools to effectively display their creations and ensure payment.

Despite the ambitious plans outlined by Flutterwave in the aftermath of the acquisition, Disha’s performance seems to have underperformed expectations, prompting a re-evaluation of its operational strategy.