TRADITIONALLY, issuing debit cards has been a costly, time-consuming and an inflexible process reserved for major corporations.
Smaller firms and startups would normally be denied access to this, but that is about to change.
Sudo Africa provides programmable cards at a low cost to all types of enterprises, regardless of their size or revenue. With an open application programming interface (API) and a widely available sandbox environment, enterprises can create unique functionalities. This enables them to issue real and virtual cards in days rather than months.
The company was founded in 2020 by co-founders Aminu Bakori and Kabir Shittu, who were frustrated by card issuance issues at a previous start-up. The fact that other founders had faced the similar issue strengthened their resolve to launch the service.
According to CEO and co-founder Aminu Bakori; “We tried to get customized debit cards at our previous startup and could not believe how incredibly hard the process was. And we decided to fix this major headache for other founders and make sure they never go through the unnecessary strain. It is almost unbelievable but even as I speak to you, we still have not gotten the cards and it has been more than two years.”
Sudo allows any small business to start issuing cards to its employees and customers for a variety of purposes, including but not limited to customer loyalty programs, expense management services, purchase now pay later schemes for retailers, and digital wallets for virtual banks, among others.
Sudo Africa’s major advantage, according to Kabir Shittu, COO and co-founder, is its flexibility and ability to create solutions to meet the company’s need.
“In terms of pricing, with a flat monthly fee of ₦50,000, companies can get onboarded and create virtual cards as low as ₦50 and physical cards for as low as ₦1,000.”
Sudo Africa has so far raised $3.7 million in a pre-seed round, which Shittu said will be used to increase the existing team, engineer marketing and growth, and enter new markets across Africa.
Picus Capital, LoftyInc, RallyCap Ventures, Kepple Africa, Ventures Platform, MSA Capital, Future Africa, BerryWood Capital, ZedCrest, Suya Ventures, and fintech startups from around Africa were among the investors in this investment round.
