Ghanaian fintech startup Liquify is gaining momentum in its mission to close Africa’s $120 billion trade finance gap, having secured $1.5 million in an oversubscribed seed equity round, along with additional debt financing. The funding represents a key milestone for the company, which is helping small and medium-sized exporters across Africa convert unpaid invoices into same-day liquidity through its fully digital invoice financing marketplace.
Founded in 2023 by Nadya Yaremenko and Alberta Asafo-Asamoah, Liquify is pioneering a fully digital invoice-financing marketplace that connects African exporters to global capital. The platform enables small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access working capital by converting export invoices into same-day cash, addressing one of the most persistent liquidity challenges for African businesses.
The equity round was led by Future Africa, with participation from Launch Africa, 54 Collective, Digital Africa, Equitable Ventures, and strategic angel investors. Meanwhile, Emerald Africa extended a debt facility to support Liquify’s growing base of SME clients and investor obligations.
From Beta to Breakthrough
Since launching its beta in late 2024, Liquify has financed over 150 transactions, totaling $4 million. Its platform automates key elements of the trade finance process—such as onboarding, KYC/AML compliance, credit checks, and settlement—allowing verified export invoices to be financed in hours instead of weeks.
“Our technology strips away the paperwork, delays, and prohibitive costs that have long excluded SMEs from accessing formal trade finance,” said co-founder and CEO Nadya Yaremenko. “This funding is not just capital—it’s validation that our model works.”
Yaremenko, a former Citi executive who once managed a $3 billion trade finance portfolio across emerging markets, has firsthand experience of how banks’ post-crisis retreat left African SMEs behind. Her co-founder, Asafo-Asamoah, brings experience from the impact investing world, where she saw how traditional capital tools weren’t fast or flexible enough to scale SME exports.
Their combined vision gave rise to a digital-first platform aimed at being “nine times faster and cheaper” than traditional models.
Scaling Beyond Ghana
With new funding in hand, Liquify will expand its Ghanaian team, hiring across product, technology, and customer success roles. It also plans to enter new markets across Anglophone and Francophone Africa, beginning with Nigeria.
Product development will accelerate, focusing on enhancing Liquify’s AI-powered risk and compliance engines. These tools are designed to perform deep due diligence and make real-time decisions—key to serving a fragmented and time-sensitive export environment.
A Win for SMEs and Investors
Liquify’s approach has resonated with both SMEs and investors. Exporters, particularly in agriculture and light manufacturing, benefit from rapid liquidity to manage cash flow. For global investors, Liquify offers access to short-term, self-liquidating trade assets that are largely uncorrelated with global financial markets.
Looking ahead, the startup plans to launch structured investment products and new digital tools to help exporters manage trade documentation more efficiently.
“We’re not just financing trade—we’re transforming how trade finance works,” said Yaremenko. “And we’re building the rails that will allow African SMEs to grow faster, with more predictability, and far less friction.”
