…Fintech startup targets invoice delays in Africa’s trade sector
A Ghanaian startup, Liquify, is addressing a major challenge faced by African small and medium-sized exporters — delayed payments. Founded in 2023 by Nadya Yaremenko and Alberta Asafo-Asamoah, Liquify is enabling faster access to cash for exporters by helping them convert unpaid invoices into funds within hours.
The platform provides a digital solution to a common issue in Africa’s export sector: long payment cycles. Exporters often wait between 30 and 90 days to receive payments from international buyers. For SMEs, this delay can hinder operations and stall growth.,
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Digital platform links exporters with global financiers
Liquify allows exporters to upload verified export invoices onto a digital platform. The system, powered by artificial intelligence, performs Know Your Customer (KYC) checks, credit assessments, and anti-money laundering screening. Once cleared, the platform connects these exporters with global financiers willing to fund the invoices.
“We unlock cash trapped in unpaid invoices,” said Yaremenko, a former Citi banker who once managed a $3 billion trade finance portfolio across emerging markets. “Exporters get funded within hours, and investors gain access to short-term assets that are largely unaffected by public market volatility.”
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The platform’s model involves purchasing export invoices at a discount. This allows SMEs to receive early payments, while investors recover the full invoice amount at maturity. Since its launch, Liquify has facilitated over 100 transactions worth more than $2.5 million, with no reported customer churn.
Focus on agriculture exports and plans for expansion
Currently active in Ghana and Kenya, the company mainly serves agricultural exporters trading with buyers in Europe and North America. Liquify plans to expand into Nigeria and Francophone Africa, where access to trade finance remains limited despite high demand.
“Traditional trade finance is slow, expensive, and paper-heavy — and that locks SMEs out,” said Asafo-Asamoah, a former impact investor at TBN and Seedstars. “We built Liquify to be digital, scalable, and tailored to small business needs.”
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Backing and future plans
Liquify is backed by investors including Techstars, Launch Africa, and Digital Africa. It recently secured $1.5 million in seed funding and its first debt facility from an impact-focused lender. The startup is also developing structured products for institutional investors and digital tools to help exporters manage trade documents.
“We’re proving that SME trade finance is not just viable,” said Yaremenko, “it’s scalable, investable, and essential for Africa’s economic future.”
