Nigeria’s JuicyWay, a payments startup using stablecoin technology to transform cross-border payments, has launched out of stealth mode and announced a US$3 million pre-seed round of funding.
Founded in 2021 by Ife Johnson and Justin Ziegler, Juicyway enables individuals and businesses to send, receive, and process payments globally. The platform supports fiat currencies like the Nigerian Naira (NGN), US Dollar (USD), and Canadian Dollar (CAD), as well as cryptocurrency transactions.
As the creators of Nigeria’s largest price discovery engine, Naira Rates, Juicyway facilitates remittances and provides access to FX through various payment channels. It offers multicurrency accounts and access to a liquidity pool for local and international payments at competitive rates.
Licensed in Nigeria, Canada, the USA, and the UK, Juicyway has processed $1.3 billion across 25,000 transactions, and 4,000 customers, Juicyway has proven its value and efficiency. Trusted by prominent brands like Bolt, IHS, Piggyvest, Mocoh SA, Bamboo, and Afriex, the company also partners with Access Bank for remittance services.
Previously in stealth mode, the startup has now publicly launched and announced a US$3 million pre-seed round of funding led by P1 Ventures, with participation from Ventures Platform, Future Africa, Magic Fund, Andrew Alli, Gbenga Oyebode, Tunde Folawiyo, Microtraction, and others.
“Africa contributes less than one per cent to the US$5 trillion global currency market, partly because there’s no liquidity for intra-African currency pairs. The old systems weren’t built to support this. Over the next three years, we want to be the platform where Nigerians and eventually the whole of Africa, and those doing business on the continent can easily convert African currencies to local ones and back,” said Ife Johnson, co-founder and CEO of Juicyway.
“Our ultimate goal is to unlock liquidity for African currency pairs that currently have none. Stablecoin technology and our network model make this vision achievable by enabling fast and efficient money movement. Without it, we’d still be in pursuit of this goal, but it would be far harder to achieve.”
Dedicated to building a technology-first platform, operating at both the source and destination of remittances, Juicyway’s payment platform features include cross-border payments, funds repatriation, treasury management, payment processing, and spend management.
“Juicyway’s goal is to build uninterrupted, cost-effective cross-border infrastructure that enables Africa to participate in the global economy on equal footing. Our growth in a short period of time reflects the underlying demand for better global payments. We’re proud to offer a solution that eliminates the need for businesses and individuals to juggle multiple platforms to manage their financial needs. This investment represents a milestone for our company, and we are grateful for the trust and commitment from our investors,” said Justin Ziegler, co-founder and COO of Juicyway.
The funding will drive Juicyway’s growth by supporting team expansion, technological advancements, and entry into new markets.
“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Ife, Justin and Idris as they tackle one of the most critical challenges in finance. By leveraging innovative stablecoin technology, they’re leapfrogging outdated infrastructure to create a seamless, efficient, and inclusive cross-border payment system that reshapes how Africans connect with the global economy. At P1 Ventures, we seek audacious and exceptional founders like them – visionaries who aim to redefine industries and empower emerging markets. We couldn’t be more excited to support their journey,” said Hisham Halbouny, co-founder and managing partner at P1 Ventures.
