AfricInvest backs Equity Invest to take full control of Moroccan fintech VPS
What's the deal? AfricInvestDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, through its Financial Inclusion Vehicle (FIVE)Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, has invested in Equity InvestDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the holding company of Moroccan entrepreneur Ali Bettahi. The deal funded Equity Invest's acquisition of all outstanding shares in Vantage Payment Systems (VPS)Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, consolidating full ownership of the Moroccan electronic payments provider under single control. Terms were not disclosed.
What's the endgame? VPS built its business on e-commerce payment gateways for Moroccan merchants. The capital funds a pivot toward omnichannel payments, adding a physical point-of-sale (POS) acquiring offering alongside its online services and tap-to-pay SoftPOS solutions.
Why now? Cash still accounts for the vast majority of transactions in Morocco, despite steady economic growth. VPS chairman Ali Bettahi called the investment "an important milestone," adding that the company now has "the resources to accelerate our development, invest further in innovation, and support more merchants as they digitize their payments."
The signal: AfricInvest is betting that in-person digital payments, not just online, are the next growth lever in cash-heavy markets. As Omar Bekkali, a partner at the firm, put it: digitalisation is "a key lever in a country where cash still accounts for the vast majority of transactions." The move points to investors chasing financial inclusion by funding merchant infrastructure that reaches both small businesses and large enterprises.
Read more: innovation-village.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
