Kenyan neobank Cloud9, which provides multi-currency accounts and cross-border settlement services for African consumers and businesses, has secured an undisclosed investment from accelerator Alliance, according to Disrupt Africa. The round lifts the fintech startup's total capital raised to date to US$1 million.
Cloud9 was founded by Tesh Mbaabu and Mesongo Sibuti, who previously co-founded B2B commerce platform MarketForce and AI chat firm Chpter. The startup focuses on payment friction experienced by Kenyan merchants importing more than US$20 billion worth of goods each year, predominantly from China, Dubai, and India. Existing commercial banking options can take up to two weeks to open accounts and several days to complete wire transfers, while domestic mobile wallets do not function internationally.
Built on stablecoin architecture, Cloud9 allows users to hold balances in Kenyan shillings, US dollars, euros, British pounds, and Chinese yuan. The company states that merchants can execute payments to suppliers across more than 100 countries within minutes. Since launching in early 2026, Cloud9 has registered over 25,000 accounts and reported weekly transaction growth exceeding 15 per cent.
Imran Khan, general partner at Alliance, stated that stablecoins are emerging as the settlement layer for global trade, especially in African commercial markets. Disrupt Africa noted that the startup will deploy the fresh funding to broaden cross-border payment corridors, enhance platform software, issue virtual and physical cards, and accelerate merchant acquisition.
Sources
- - Disrupt Africa · 2026-10-09
