Djamo

Djamo is a financial technology company operating primarily in Francophone West Africa, aiming to provide mobile-first banking solutions to the underbanked and unbanked populations. Founded in 2020 by Hassan Bourgi and Régis Bamba, the company is headquartered in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The founders identified a significant market opportunity in a region where less than 25% of adults have bank accounts and traditional banks often cater only to affluent customers. Bourgi, the CEO, previously founded and sold an online ticketing platform in Latin America, while Bamba, the CPO/CTO, has a background in developing mobile money and banking products for telecom giant MTN.

The company functions as a financial super app, bridging the gap between traditional banking and mobile money services. It partners with regional banks to distribute financial products, which allows it to launch in new markets more quickly and issue local Visa cards that have higher acceptance rates. Djamo's core offering is a mobile application that allows users to open an account and receive a Visa-powered debit card, which can be used for online payments and cash withdrawals. The platform has since expanded to include features such as peer-to-peer transfers, automated savings vaults, investment products, and salary accounts for both individuals and small businesses. The company has achieved significant milestones, including being the first startup from Côte d'Ivoire accepted into the Y Combinator accelerator in 2021. By early 2025, Djamo had attracted over 1 million users across Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal.

Djamo's business model is multifaceted, generating revenue through several streams. It operates on a freemium model, offering a free basic plan and a premium subscription with advanced features like free transfers and priority customer service. Additional revenue comes from interchange fees paid by merchants when customers use their Djamo card, as well as from payout and floating fees. The company has successfully raised significant capital to fuel its growth, including a $14 million round in 2022 and a $17 million Series B round in late 2024, bringing its total funding to over $34 million. This funding supports its expansion into new markets within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the development of new products like lending and interest-bearing savings.

Keywords: financial super app, Francophone Africa fintech, mobile banking, underbanked services, digital wallet, Visa card issuer, personal finance app, Abidjan startup, Y Combinator alumni, financial inclusion, savings tools, investment platform, SME banking, Hassan Bourgi, Régis Bamba, WAEMU expansion, digital payments, cross-border payments, neo-bank, mobile money interoperability