Zimbabwean startup BitFinance has rebranded as Golix as it broadens its focus from bitcoin to cover more digital currencies.
Launched in December 2014, BitFinance rolled out BitcoinFundi, an exchange that makes it easy for Africans to buy and sell bitcoin.
The startup raised additional funding in December last year from a local angel investor to help it scale operations and enhance user experience, and recently took part in the three-week European tech hub tour PitchDrive arranged by Nigerian incubator Co-Creation Hub (CcHub) and Google for Entrepreneurs.
It has now rebranded as Golix as it expands its horizons away from solely focusing on bitcoin in order to include other digital currencies on its platform.
“We started BitFinance in December 2014 to make it super easy for Zimbabweans to use bitcoin. For a country that had so many “monetary problems”, we strongly believed that bitcoin was going to make our people’s lives significantly better, because it gave them financial autonomy. We were right, and we chose our brand names – BitFinance and BitcoinFundi – to position ourselves as a bitcoin company,” the startup said in a statement.
“It became clear to us that in the future, bitcoin will not be the only digital currency that succeeds. A few months ago, we started investing in other digital currencies and have seen that it works, so we are doubling down.”
Golix said the rebranding marked the completion of its transition from being “just a bitcoin company” to being “digital currency company”.
The startup still plans to open up its digital currency exchange to users in other African countries.
