Fintech Business Plan

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

An overview of the business to be established and the milestones to be achieved.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

COMPANY SUMMARY

XXXX is a FinTech platform backed by the blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI), which has been designed to attain financial inclusion for everyone and position itself as an enabler to the economic development of Africa. The platform has been specifically designed keeping in mind the problems being faced by Africans in the adoption of digital financial solutions. The company aims to tap into the underserved and unbanked markets worldwide, bridge the gap between traditional and digital assets, unlock the potential resources in Africa, and create a world where everyone can create wealth.

XXXX embarks on a digital transformation journey of doing banking differently by changing the way people think, look at, bank, invest, or pay money, and do business in today’s world.

The best way to achieve this is by making people aware of the benefits associated with the adoption of internet and financial technology solutions commonly known as FinTech.

XXXX has already finalised strategic relationships with technology partners to ensure that its strategic deployment matches the real needs identified in the African continent. The platform is strategically structured with a team of highly successful individuals from the fields of information technology, artificial intelligence/machine learning, marketing, finance, investment banking, and stakeholder engagement, who will be responsible to handle the day-to-day operations of the company.

BUSINESS MODEL

XXXX will be a digital platform allowing members to procure services based on the subscription plans chosen by them or based on transaction or withdrawal fees charged for transactions executed through the platform.

XXXX will primarily be launched as a digital online investment platform. More offerings including, banking, payments, insurance, and other financial products and services will be added additionally to expand its product portfolio in a phased manner. The overall business model of XXXX will revolve around the following activities:

➢ Send and receive payments through the platform at a reasonable transaction cost

➢ Withdraw earnings by converting the same into fiat or other digital assets

➢ Transfer funds between own accounts or to other registered members’ accounts at the platform

➢ Choose among the vast opportunities of investments to earn dividends depending on the individual risk profile

➢ Access to a multi-currency wallet that allows the users to convert their funds between wallets based on their convenience

The company’s business model is geared towards achieving high-margin investment returns on commodities, which will be supported by direct connections of the founder with various sources in the value chain and experience gained by him in the FinTech industry.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

TARGET CUSTOMERS

In terms of geography, XXXX will first target the unbanked and underserved population in Africa. It will also target people of the African diaspora living in any part of the world and allow them to contribute to the economic development of the region. After having established a brand presence in the home and surrounding markets, the founder will launch the platform in other areas, where people lack digital financial solutions. The ultimate aim of the company is to expand the market reach worldwide in a phased manner starting initially with Southeast Asia. In terms of demographics, the company will target retail and business customers.

INVESTMENT REQUIRED

The founder has already invested equity funds in the business and will satisfy additional funding requirements from the investors’ funds. This document outlines the strategies that XXXX Ltd. will use to maximise its profits and lower its operating expenses. These strategies will ultimately increase ROI and benefit the stakeholders associated with the company. To create the business presence and arrange for the required resources, the company will need to invest heavily in developing the web and mobile platform, building offices, purchasing computers, servers, and other equipment, initial marketing, technology development, and the hiring of personnel to various positions.

The founder has already invested an amount of $200,000 in the business to date and is looking to raise an additional amount of $1.5 million from the investors to further complete the platform development and launch the business. $1.5 Million INVESTORS’ FUNDING

BUSINESS MODEL

Develop and launch a blockchain and artificial intelligencebacked FinTech platform transforming the African economy through banking the unbanked and underserved population, and supporting the small and medium businesses to explore rich resources in the country.

BUSINESS MODEL – PROBLEMS AND SOLUTION

PROBLEMS WORTH SOLVING

Despite being the richest continent on the planet, Africa has little to no access to the world’s finest financial services. Where on one hand, advances in technology mean that it is cheaper and easier than ever to have access to financial instruments, it serves only the top of the pyramid population (wealthy and rich people). The other half of the planet’s working class is far from financial inclusion. More than half of the people in Sub-Saharan Africa are unbanked and underserved due to a shortage of branches. Some of the concerns that the middle and working-class people are facing in the adoption of digital financial services are as follows:

➢ Limited to no access to investments.

➢ Low-income workers struggling to get wealth creation off the ground.

➢ Security concerns.

➢ High banking fees which prohibit the poor from getting into the digital ecosystem.

➢ Complexity of the solution (haphazard microfinance and slow settlement).

➢ Regional barriers & Complex infrastructure.

In addition to offering basic digital financial services to bank the unbanked population, the platform will provide the following value-added services to its clients to make them more techsavvy:

➢ Investment Opportunities: Democratising the investment opportunities is the primary focus of XXXX. The company will provide access to the world's greatest investment opportunities through its platform.

➢ Ease of Usage: Banking is broken and financial inclusion requires a different approach. XXXX will simplify banking by suggesting ways to capitalise on deposits while providing access to other facilities.

➢ Faster and Cheaper Services: XXXX will facilitate people to easily and conveniently send and receive digital payments from anywhere. Referral incentives will also be provided to reward existing clients to share their experiences with others.

➢ Global Opportunities: The company will provide access to the greatest investment opportunities worldwide.

BUSINESS MODEL – THE ENTITY

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW: The current era marks the 4th industrial revolution, where disruptive technologies and trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), 3D printing, and most notably blockchain technology and its crypto assets are changing the way people live, work and do business. The use of the internet brought a new form of communication and value exchange that is frictionless and avoids any interference with 3rd parties. Bitcoin is the first decentralised, peer-to-peer electronic cash system that was created to restore trust and return power back to the people, ensuring self-regulation of various protocols that form part of a consensus through blockchain technology. Growing internet penetration and smartphone ownership are the other factors depicting a move of people towards going digital when it comes to performing day-to-day activities concerning payments, transfers, and investments. This has attracted the attention of the investors and encouraged them to launch digital financial services platforms catering to this growing demand. Yet, none of these platforms have been developed to primarily serve people in the African continent. Moreover, people have to search for multiple platforms to perform different financial services due to the lack of a unified platform, which ultimately results in higher costs on their part.

COMPANY OVERVIEW: To curb the issues restraining people to adopt digital financial services in Africa and other unserved or underserved regions worldwide, the founders came up with the idea of building a platform for everyone with a focus on simplifying access to investment opportunities, banking services, payments, and a growing global financial ecosystem. The platform has primarily been built with Africans in mind to unlock untapped resources, and foster financial inclusion for most users with a smartphone and feature phone. XXXX will provide the best technology based on blockchain, digital assets, and the notion of decentralised finance to advance the agenda of blockchain technology in Africa and the world.

XXXX will leverage the power of Blockchain technology and crypto assets to create various derivative products in different lucrative industry areas that would yield unprecedented returns for its investors under carefully crafted and legally compliant special purpose investment vehicles. The company aims to serve Africans and the African diaspora first while focusing on solving regional problems by investing all possible resources to stimulate the economy.

COMPANY HISTORY: XXXX was born as an idea in 2016, following the birth of Revolut in the UK, which was primarily developed to serve the UK and European markets. Most of the FinTech platforms developed to date do not include Africa as a part of their development roadmap or include the region in their immediate offerings for many reasons. Some of these reasons are regulatory constraints, global compliance requirements, lack of infrastructure, and low market penetration for products they offer. This has encouraged many other entrepreneurs to start developing solutions geared towards solving issues faced by Africans while interacting with the existing technologies that respond to the realities of the region.

COMPANY OWNERSHIP: The company will be owned and managed by the founder XXXX having a 100% share in the company. The founder will work in his capacity as the CEO of the company. He will be responsible for the overall working and management of the platform. A qualified and experienced team of developers, information technology experts, marketing specialists, and brand strategy development officers will be hired to handle the platform’s day-to-day working and operations. Continual training initiatives will also be introduced to keep the staff updated with the latest changes in the financial services, blockchain, crypto assets, and artificial intelligence industry. The company will also employ a professional team of management personnel experienced in different fields to handle different aspects of business operations and handle the platform's working in different regions.

BUSINESS MODEL – THE ENTITY

OPERATIONAL STRATEGIES: The company will be perfectly positioned to capture a significant share in the multi-billion-dollar digital financial services industry through the founder’s extensive experience, vast knowledge, and ability to utilise state-of-the-art digital marketing expertise. The company will invest a significant amount in research and development initiatives to keep on innovative new products, solutions, and techniques to study market data and provide valuable investment suggestions to the platform users. It will also look to add additional services to its portfolio to expand its revenue base and keep the current clients engaged.

Global expansion is the backbone of the fast-growing client base for any company. XXXX has developed a well-defined and tested approach to global expansion, in which compliance and regulation play a key role. The company’s typical approach is to obtain the required licences, grow the team, localise the product (translate the app and add local payment options), grow the community, and grow the client base.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES OVERVIEW: XXXX will offer multiple services under one roof, ultimately lowering the cost to the users. The list of three core services provided by the platform includes the following among others:

1. BANKING AND PAYMENT SERVICES: The company will offer the following products and services as a part of its core banking operations:

➢ Wallets and XXXX card

➢ Debit cards

➢ Lending

➢ Savings

➢ Payments

XXXX CARD: The company also plans to launch its own digital XXXX card secured through its partners’ custody agreement to enable its clients to make payments online and to easily convert crypto to fiat. This card will be accessible domestically and internationally and will charge a nominal amount of fee for the transactions executed through it. The clients will also receive cashback rewards and ADG (XXXX Digital Gold) tokens for every payment or spending through the card.

2. INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES: Initially, the company has planned to include the following three products to its offerings under the investments category:

➢ Robot Advisor: Providing suggestions regarding profitable investment opportunities.

➢ Crypto Portfolio: Allowing people to invest in crypto assets

➢ Tokenization for Commodities: Issue tokens backed by commodities, including gold, cobalt, and lithium

Tokenization for Commodities: Tokenization has the potential to unlock access to a wide range of assets for a demographic of investors. The company will create opportunities for Africans around the globe to invest in Africa through its tokenization services. This will benefit both the African economy and investors, where the small businesses will get money to scale their business creating employment opportunities and the investors will get a better return on their money. The industries to be targeted by the company include, healthcare and insurance, agricultural industry, mining, fine arts, real estate and development, technology, fintech and blockchain, and sustainable projects aiming at the development of the African economy.

BUSINESS MODEL – THE ENTITY

Gold Investment Opportunities: During the initial phase, the company will target the gold mining companies in Africa and will create XXXX Digital Gold (ADG) tokens through blockchain. These tokens will be backed by Gold and people will be facilitated to invest in gold through these tokens. A pre-launch campaign has already been launched in this regard in September 2021 and a user base of 10,000 members has already been onboarded by XXXX as of December 2021. The company plans to increase the number of members to 50,000 by the end of 2022.

Rich Gold Resources in Africa: Africa has some of the world’s largest deposits of gold with thousands of tons ready to be mined provided there is enough capital and the right technology to make it happen. Millions of people engage in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) worldwide as this constitutes an undeniable source of livelihood for those less fortunate in the rural areas and or some of the most remote regions. ASGM accounts for most of the world’s gold-mining workforce while only a minimum number accounts for the industrial mines owned by large corporations or multinationals. Without access to credit facilities, these ASGMs do not have the means to scale their operations to increase production and better their livelihood. To support such small businesses, XXXX has engaged in forming mutually beneficial agreements with them to provide funding that will be used to semi or fully mechanise their existing operations, pay for claims and titles that are often difficult to maintain yearly, and hire workers. In exchange for this funding, XXXX will get a share of the production by negotiating an extremely attractive and highly competitive discount to the LME rate of the Gold price.

Future Prospect: After having explored the gold mining resources in Africa, XXXX will target gold mining businesses in Latin America in 2023. To further expand its product portfolio, the company will also get into other commodities, including cobalt and lithium which are fueling the production of batteries for electric cars. Cobalt will most probably be launched in Q1 2023 and lithium will be launched in the year 2024 starting initially with DRC. The company plans to tap into an existing network of its partners allowing them to expand their operations to other commodities and make optimum utilisation of their resources ultimately generating extremely higher returns for XXXX.

DEVELOPMENT OF E-COMMERCE

MARKET: The global retail e-commerce market is valued at $3 trillion growing at a CAGR of 20%. High transaction fees and long settlement periods put significant pressure on the SMEs operating in the e-commerce segment. These problems can be mitigated using blockchain-based payments thanks to lower costs and near-instantaneous settlements. Although the market is currently dominated by Visa and Mastercard, it is set to be disrupted by blockchain and stable coins in the future. These represent a substantially more efficient method of remittance by providing instant settlement capabilities along with a significantly lower cost per transaction. With advances in technology, blockchain-based payments will become an essential tool for the unbanked population – currently numbering around two billion people worldwide.

XXXX aims to provide an easy solution for these SMEs and their customers to accept and make payments in the form of digital assets (blockchain-based), which will ultimately reshape the existing e-commerce market. The platform will be capable of instantly issuing, redeeming, and exchanging multicurrency stable coins offering more convenience to SMEs and their customers.

BUSINESS MODEL – THE ENTITY

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

Four countries in Africa have been identified to launch the mining operations, including Ghana, Ivory Coast, The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Burkina Faso. The immediate operations will kick off in the DRC and Ivory Coast based on existing solid relationships, joint ventures, and other pending venture agreements, and licenses to comply with the countries’ mining regulations. XXXX has designed three phases to grow organically and reach fully mechanised mining operations that will span the mine’s lifetime of operations depending upon the probability of mining gold in depth or width on a given mining concession.

PHASE 1

During this period, the company will partner with existing mining cooperatives and or other small gold mining concession owners who lack the financial means to fully mechanise their operations and increase production. The company will strengthen its financial position and negotiate better discounts below LME rates. This operational strategy purely aims to multiply the return 5 to 10 times its initial investment capital that will yield the greatest returns to its investors.

PHASE 2

The company will apply its own mining operating licenses that will ensure it can purchase gold directly from local mining cooperatives and or small-scale or large-scale mining operators and export them to the desired refinery. A local gold counter will be set up in targeted hot areas that will increase its likelihood of getting access to more gold quantities to export. The company will acquire the necessary equipment for performing rudimentary tests prior to stockpiling gold in its safes.

PHASE 3

The company will enter into a joint venture with serious partners that already have existing exploration or production permits and are looking for financial partners to either maintain their mining titles or exploit and increase the production of existing operations.

BUSINESS MODEL – THE ENTITY

COMPANY NAME: XXXX Ltd.

PLATFORM NAME: XXXX

WEBSITE: www XXXX com

COMPANY INCORPORATION DATE:

FOUNDER: XXXX

INDUSTRY: Digital financial services (FinTech) industry

PLATFORM OVERVIEW: A digital financial services platform focusing on simplifying banking such as having one global regulated bank account to send and receive payments around the globe, and most importantly providing access to some of the best global investment opportunities.

EXPECTED PLATFORM LAUNCH DATE:

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES OFFERED: Banking, payments, and investment opportunities

FUTURE EXPANSION PLAN: Continually perform research and development initiatives to make additions to the portfolio of offerings to become a unified platform.

FOCUS: To build a world that includes Africa in the digital landscape of being able to do almost everything online by simplifying banking and providing access to some of the best global investment opportunities.

BUSINESS LOCATION: Africa

GEOGRAPHICAL FOCUS: The company will launch the platform in Africa initially. After having established a brand name in the home market, It will expand its reach worldwide in a phased manner with a special focus on unbanked and underserved regions.

FOUNDERS’ INVESTMENT: $200,000

FUNDS TO BE RAISED: $1.5 million

TARGET CUSTOMERS: Retail and business customers

COMPETITORS: Revolut, Wirex, TymeBank, Kuda Microfinance Bank, and Chaka

CORE STRENGTH: Use of blockchain, digital assets, and artificial intelligence to build and run the platform and create profitable investment opportunities for everyone.

OVERALL OBJECTIVE: To bring Africa to the world, the world to Africa, allowing the region to do business with other countries in an environment that promotes cross-border trading activities.

BUSINESS MODEL – GROUP OF COMPANIES

Below is an overview of the structure of XXXX as a brand with both the existing and future legal framework, to ensure that its services are provided worldwide without any hassles.

➢ XXXX Group of Companies / Holdings LLC: The entity will be registered in Singapore, Dubai, or the Cayman Islands, to protect the interests of its investors and promoters of the XXXX brand.

➢ XXXX Advisory Services: The entity is in the process of being registered in the UK and will be led and managed by XXXX (business partner of the founder). Simone will bring a wealth of expertise in finance, legal, and the entire compliance framework to support global expansion and initiatives.

➢ XXXX Digital Services: The entity has already been registered in South Africa and it will serve as the global operations centre supporting all other centres around the world.

➢ XXXX Banking & Payment Services: The entity will be registered to obtain a favourable global license to provide the infrastructure and business ecosystem across Africa and the world that will allow it to operate worldwide under an EMI (Electronic Money Institute). This could possibly be in Lithuania, Estonia, or a regulatory-friendly jurisdiction in Europe.

➢ XXXX Investment Trust: The entity is currently being registered in the United States of America. It will serve as the primary SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) that will house most of the investment product offerings of XXXX The mission of the entity is to invest in underlying operations in various fields or industrial sectors. Its operations will gradually transform into a token offering in which the whole world can invest.

➢ XXXX Wealth Management: The entity will be registered in a friendly jurisdiction to provide an investment marketplace in the wealth management space for Africans and the Diaspora. This could be Mauritius or any other related jurisdiction.

➢ Other Individual Entities: In addition to the above mentioned entities, various others will be formed in the future in the jurisdictions where XXXX will expand its operations. These entities will mainly comprise the basic functions offered in these jurisdictions in terms of local operational services. As a digital business, the goal of the company is to limit its services to online-only except having a minimum walk-in service desk where it matters the most.

BANKING

Banking services for personal and business accounts

➢ Earning and Saving

➢ Lending and Borrowing

➢ Defi Neo Bank

PAYMENTS

Onboard African small businesses to accept payments

➢ P2P Payments

➢ Transfers Retail

INVESTMENTS

Provide global financial investment opportunities combined with tokenization

➢ Traditional and Crypto Markets

➢ Portfolio Management

➢ Funds and Co-Venture Investments

In addition to the core products and services offered by XXXX, including banking, investments, and payments, the platform will also offer OTC services, provide access to decentralised exchanges, and develop its internal utility token to fuel the entire ecosystem.

BANKING

INVESTMENTS

RETAIL PAYMENTS

UTILITY TOKENS AND MORE

MERCHANTS AND INSURANCES

OTC AND EXCHANGES

2018

Ideation & research on open digital banking with Africans in mind to create a more inclusive global ecosystem.

2019

Built worldwide relationships in the Blockchain space and various speaking engagements or Crypto and DeFi.

Q1 2020

Incorporated XXXX Digital Services in South Africa and started developing the MVP on investing.

Q2 2020

Signed an agreement for an international KYC/AML compliance license.

Q2 2021

Incorporated XXXX DRC in the Democratic Republic of Congo and partnered with a major local legal firm.

Q1 2021

Signed an agreement for full payment gateway integration to gain access to major banks across Africa & North America.

Q4 2020

Signed an agreement for full core banking API integration: Savings & Lending Core.

Q3 2020

Built an MVP to deploy an investment module and list products to invest into.

Q3 2021

Incorporated XXXX Technologies Delaware LLC, and initiated XXXX Technologies Ltd in Dubai. Also kicked off investor roadshow to raise seed rounds.

Q1 2022

Press conference to announce the beta launch, allow first investable products to be listed, continue its marketing efforts and gather feedback from users. Plan expansion to other regions.

✓ Launch operations in South East Asian markets where digital assets are well recognised.

✓ Establish XXXX Digital Services Singapore and explore markets in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and others.

✓ Set up in the MENA region as a strategic Hub between the Arab world and Africa.

✓ Seek series A funding for global expansion while building revenue and global partnerships.

✓ Ensure XXXX Digital is a trusted recognisable brand for investment opportunities across Africa and Open-Banking services.

✓ Introduce new products in the insurance segment.

✓ Make sure that XXXX becomes the defacto standard for true ultimate financial inclusion for the unbanked population while opening up great opportunities for the world to Africa and Africa to the world.

✓ Possible IPO on major stock exchanges as an exit strategy in 2025.

✓ Acquisition by other fintech majors.

✓ Seek North American, Caribbean, and South America market.

BUSINESS MODEL – MISSION

MISSION

To bank the unbanked and underserved population, and support the growth of small businesses ultimately ensuring the prosperity of all.

VISION

To position itself as the preferred banking framework of Africa from a digital banking perspective, and the revolutionary investment platform when it comes to democratising access to some of the world’s best investment opportunities.

BUSINESS MODEL – GOALS

SHORT-TERM

▪ To democratise access to some of the world’s best investment opportunities.

▪ To simplify banking by creating one global regulated bank account to perform financial transactions of any kind, including managing payments and investments.

▪ To leverage blockchain technology and use digital assets to transfer value ledger-to-ledger easily and quickly.

▪ To tap into a network of global partnerships and strategic advisors.

▪ To exceed the industry standards and bring the best value to the customers.

▪ To focus on the creation of a cost-effective and sustainable FinTech ecosystem.

▪ To adopt fair pricing models, remaining as affordable as possible for the investors.

▪ To identify risks to the security of information and systems and mitigate the same.

▪ To attain excellence by providing financial advisory services that exceed customer expectations.

▪ To onboard skilled and experienced professionals.

MEDIUM-TERM

▪ To bring Africa to the world, the world to Africa, while allowing Africa to do business with other African countries in an environment that promotes cross-border trading activities.

▪ To expand the business operations by adding additional commodities to its portfolio of investment opportunities.

▪ To continually innovate new financial products and services to expand its portfolio of offerings.

▪ To ensure a significant impact of FinTech on the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

▪ To review and measure the company’s growth and performance periodically, aligning business strategies with existing market trends.

▪ To build organisational capacity and expertise to support the expansion and ensure the highest-quality delivery in all areas of work.

▪ To provide a more hands-on approach to managing the business effectively.

▪ To search for collaboration opportunities with insurance providers and other financial service companies.

LONG-TERM

▪ To expand the business reach worldwide in a phased manner.

▪ To build a scalable business having the potential of launching IPO or to be acquired by other big players.

▪ To be a leader in the FinTech industry and evolve with the changing needs.

▪ To achieve a significant share in the FinTech industry worldwide.

▪ To continuously seek new opportunities and frame multiple business strategies to capitalise on the same.

▪ To achieve a higher return on equity than peers operating in the industry and reach the sustainable and profitable growth.

▪ To continually explore new ideas to make XXXX Ltd. a preferred choice of investors

▪ To be the place where exceptional people who share a passion for tech and crypto want to do their best work.

▪ To serve the interests of its customers, investors, and employees in a well-balanced manner.

▪ To explore new products and services to expand the market reach.

BUSINESS MODEL – CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS

EXPERIENCED FOUNDERS

The founder of the company has extensive experience in the information technology, investment, and alternative finance industry, which will help him to manage the business operations effectively. He is an astute investment banker, investor, and advocate for liberalised wealth creation, with nearly two decades of cumulative experience in investment banking, CRM, entrepreneurship, marketing, and business development. He will leverage his expertise, strong knowledge base, and professional networks to create a successful business venture and establish long-term client relationships with retail businesses and Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining companies. Effective management of the business will further present opportunities for business expansion in the future.

DEDICATED STAFF

XXXX Ltd. will employ a well-rounded and diverse team with great character and experience including developers, strategy officers, customer care executives, legal advisors, and marketing personnel. These carefully picked professionals will take care of the business allowing the founder to focus his efforts on the fundraising activities. The customer’s best interest will always come first, and everything done by employees will be guided by the company’s values and professional ethics. All employees working at the company will ensure that they hold themself accountable to the highest standards by meeting the customers’ needs precisely and completely. The founder will also arrange for regular training of employees at the company to update them with the latest trends in the industry.

UTILISING NEXT-GENERATION TECHNOLOGY

Technology is accelerating the FinTech businesses, and the shift to online shopping and crypto investments is driving the change faster than ever. Moreover, a growing number of people have started using their mobile phones to make payments, manage their finances, and invest in the market, which has necessitated the development of unique features attracting users from among the crowded digital services platforms. The company will use next-generation technology tools and resources coupled with blockchain and artificial intelligence to develop and maintain an efficient web portal and mobile app for Africans and African Diaspora. Customisation of the platform based on problems being faced by the customers will further result in the enhancement of user experience and increased visibility.

EXTENSIVE MARKETING STRATEGIES

XXXX Ltd. will leverage social media and other online & offline marketing strategies, including paid marketing campaigns, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn as marketing tools to target its potential customer base. It will also invest in becoming a thought leader in its segment, and this will allow it to be discovered by prospective customers (retail and business customers in Africa). The company will also offer special discount offers on its subscription packages and referral incentives to the loyal user base to encourage them to refer their friends and relatives to get registered on the platform and be a part of the growing user base.

SIMPLIFIED PORTAL

The founder will develop a clear, user-friendly, and easy-to-use web and mobile platform structure for both regular investors and beginners. The simplified members’ registration form and multiple payment options, including cryptocurrency, wallets, debit cards, etc. will make the customer-service provider mutual relationships as convenient and trustworthy as possible. The convenient structure of the web and mobile portal will allow the company to quickly gain popularity and build a huge user base. After having studied the data concerning individual and corporate investors, the platform will provide customised investment advisory services, making the platform truly adaptable to their individual requirements.

STRATEGIC LOCATION

XXXX will initially launch its platform in Africa, where the majority of the population is still unbanked and underserved. Approximately 50% of the population in the Middle East and Africa is financially excluded with Morocco and Egypt topping the list with the most unbanked population. Financial exclusion undermines their quality of life and holds their nations’ economies back. Thus, there is a huge untapped market in Africa, which can be capitalised by XXXX through its innovative and blockchain-based platform.

BUSINESS MODEL – XXXX LTD.

KEY PARTNERS

▪ Investors and Venture Capitalists

▪ High-Net Worth Individuals (HNWI)

▪ Governments

▪ Regulators

▪ Mining Cooperatives

▪ Commodities Trading Companies

▪ Artisanal Miners

▪ Refineries

▪ Commodities Vaults

▪ Infrastructure Host (Azure / AWS)

▪ License Owners (Mining Operations,

▪ Remittances, Electronic Money Interchange, etc.)

▪ Insurance Companies

▪ Sponsor & Corresponding Banks

▪ Payment Gateways

▪ API Integrators (Fiat on & off-ramp rails, payments processors, banks)

COST STRUCTURE

▪ Payroll/contractors

▪ Marketing and branding

▪ Lobbying / PR

KEY ACTIVITIES

▪ Develop and maintain a robust and user-friendly platform

▪ Sales and marketing

▪ Design investment products, and capitalise opportunities on hard assets and mineral commodities

▪ Develop blockchain and tokenization services

▪ Trading assets (tokens, DeFi, crypto assets, and NFTs)

▪ Continual research and development

▪ Provide great customer support

▪ Improve platform features and functionalities

▪ Business development strategies

KEY RESOURCES

▪ Experienced founder, partners, and management team

▪ Platform architecture

▪ Robust web and mobile platform

▪ Brand reputation

▪ Skilled employees

▪ Strong government relationships (regional and provincial)

▪ Entrepreneur & visionary

VALUE PROPOSITION

▪ Quick, easy, and secured banking services.

▪ Global reach.

▪ Trust and brand reputation

▪ Uberise or democratise access to mineral commodities’ trading and help people create wealth.

▪ Provide access to specific investment opportunities based on natural resources out of Africa.

▪ Participate in transforming artisanal mineral extraction or other artisanal activities through co-investing to create jobs, generate revenues, make profits, and contribute to local economic growth.

▪ Facilitate institutional clients and HNWI to get special access to privileged government relationships for investment opportunities through XXXX

▪ Authentication of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining.

▪ Special discounted price for gold and other commodities.

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

▪ Self-Service

▪ Ease of usage and transparency

▪ Build trust through verification

▪ Manage relationships

▪ Tailor products and services

▪ Feedback and customer service

▪ Excellent customer service

▪ Superior user experience

CHANNELS

Sales Channels:

▪ Web platform

▪ Mobile application for both Android and iPhone users

▪ App Store and Google Play Store

Ad Channels:

▪ Social media

▪ Word of mouth

▪ Online and offline ad campaigns

▪ PR/Media coverage

▪ Trade shows

▪ Conferences and events

CUSTOMER SEGMENTS

Target Geography

▪ Africa initially

▪ Rest of the world starting with untapped markets first

Target Demographics

Retail

▪ Underserved

▪ Millennials

▪ Professional and sophisticated investors

▪ High-net worth individuals

▪ Users of all ranks and social statuses

▪ Customers already connected in the digital asset world

Business

▪ Customers already connected in the digital asset world

▪ Institutional clients

▪ B2B clients matching key industry areas of focus namely: mining, agriculture, insurance and healthcare, real estate, energy, technology, etc.

CURRENT AND POTENTIAL REVENUE STREAMS

▪ Product placement

▪ Subscription-based model

▪ Profit margins on commodities’ trading and transaction fees

▪ Infrastructure, technology stack, and product development

▪ Research and Development

▪ Legal, insurance, and licenses (banking, exchanges, software, etc.)

▪ General business operations

▪ Commissions and management fees

▪ Turnkey B2B solutions and consulting fees

▪ White label licensing/API calls

BUSINESS MODEL – RISK AND MITIGATION

RISK MITIGATION STRATEGY

COMPETITION RISK

REPUTATION RISK

▪ Track the performance and strategies of competitors to provide better financial products and services to its customers.

▪ Research and development initiatives to keep on innovating new FinTech products and solutions, and the operational strategies.

▪ Devise a low-cost-based pricing mechanism and profitable investment opportunities attracting each segment of the population.

▪ Establish efficient customer service to resolve concerns of retail and business customers.

▪ Frame new marketing channels or strategies to stand out from the competitors.

▪ Track and respond to the customers’ feedback promptly to resolve their issues.

▪ Communicate the banking and investment policies clearly and be consistent and transparent regarding these policies.

▪ Suggest the best investment opportunities to the customers based on their current portfolio and future expectations.

▪ Rigorous mechanism to check the retail businesses’ credibility and authenticity, while onboarding them to the platform.

▪ Frequent monitoring of the businesses registered on the platform and revision of terms and conditions, where necessary.

▪ Monitor the transactions to ensure the safety of the users.

▪ Employ professional customer care personnel capable of resolving customer complaints swiftly and satisfactorily.

▪ Personalisation will create a better customer experience.

TECHNOLOGY RISKS

SECURITY OF INFORMATION

▪ Hire an experienced team of IT professionals having experience in blockchain, crypto assets, and the artificial intelligence industry.

▪ Optimise the IT operations and introduce new ideas and technology.

▪ Continuous improvement in website user experience and mobile platform.

▪ Strengthen business contingency plans and data recovery processes.

▪ Simplified interface so that users can easily log in and explore digital financial products and services.

▪ Visually informative.

▪ Robust security system to handle payments.

▪ Install encryptions on computer devices to secure all sensitive customer data.

▪ Install backup servers to save the data from damage or theft.

▪ Provide limited access to employees depending upon their job requirements.

▪ Restrict the creation of new system rules and update the firewalls, antivirus, etc. at regular intervals.

LEGAL RISKS

▪ Improve coordination with relevant authorities throughout Africa and worldwide.

▪ Stay informed about incidents that may affect platform working and increase the organisation’s exposure to risk.

▪ Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of the financial policies and regulations applicable at each jurisdiction, where XXXX plans to launch its operations.

▪ Enter written contracts with commodities extraction companies (gold, cobalt, and lithium extraction businesses), and read the contract conditions carefully before signing the same to avoid any legal consequences.

▪ Seek the advice of professional legal consultants when required.

▪ Implement a culture of compliance within the organisation.

▪ Stay on top of new legislation, plan on how the company will comply with these changes and how will these impact the business activities.

BUSINESS MODEL – ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

FOUNDER AND CEO

CO-FOUNDER AND CTO CHIEF FINANCE OFFICER

CO-FOUNDER AND COO

MARKET RESEARCH

✓ Analysis of the unbanked and underserved population worldwide with a focus on Africa.

✓ Analysis of FinTech and cryptocurrency industry worldwide and in Africa with a focus on consumer demographics.

MARKET RESEARCH – FINANCIAL INCLUSION

WORLD’S MOST UNBANKED COUNTRIES: A study conducted by British research platform Merchant Machine in 2021 found that on a global level, the regions with the highest proportion of developing or emerging economies are the ones that have countries with the most unbanked/financially excluded population. The Middle East and Africa top that list where more than 50% of the population is financially excluded, followed by South and Central America with 38%, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics with 33%, and the Asia Pacific with 24%. The Middle East and Africa have one of the highest internet penetration rates in the world, and still, 50% of the region’s population is financially excluded, which is hindering the growth of people as well as the region’s economy. Moreover, several countries in Africa have internet penetration rates higher than 60%, such as Kenya 83%, Nigeria 70%, Morocco 62%, Romania 64%, Cabo Verde 62.7%, Libya 84.2%, Tunisia 68.4%.

The company with its platform and mobile app is perfectly positioned to provide financial services to the unbanked population in Africa and capture significant market share in the fintech industry in Africa.

GLOBAL UNBANKED POPULATION (REGION WISE)

MARKET RESEARCH – FINANCIAL INCLUSION WORLDWIDE

WORLD’S MOST UNBANKED COUNTRIES: A study conducted by British research platform Merchant Machine in 2021 found that Morocco, Vietnam, Egypt, the Philippines, and Mexico are the top 5 countries where the unbanked population is the largest. With over 70% of payments made in cash, Romania has been revealed as the country most reliant on physical cash. In the African continent, Kenya has the highest internet penetration rate of 83% and still, 44% of the population is unbanked. Similarly, the internet penetration rate in Nigeria is 70% and 60% of the population is unbanked. These statistics represent a huge potential for the FinTech companies to enter the market and penetrate a great share.

WORLD’S MOST UNBANKED COUNTRIES

MARKET RESEARCH – FINANCIAL INCLUSION WORLDWIDE

WORLD’S MOST UNBANKED COUNTRIES

MARKET RESEARCH – FINTECH IN AFRICA

THE AFRICAN FINTECH LANDSCAPE: The stage is set for the African continent to become a hive of financial innovation. Unbanked and underbanked people are abundant, many of whom have access to mobile devices but no formal banking services. Despite this, large numbers of these financially underserved citizens still have the opportunity to leapfrog several technologies that are operative in more commercially mature nations, such as the United States. This is because numerous African nations are home to some of the world's most highly anticipated mobile broadband networks and their population is already early adopter of innovative digital services, particularly on their phones. There is no more enticing or lucrative market for FinTech firms on the planet than Africa.

Africa is one of the world's most important regions, and it is home to one-sixth of humanity. With a total population of 1.37 billion people, Africa makes up 16% of the global human population, with most people being relatively young as compared to the worldwide average of 31 today.

GROWTH DRIVERS AND COMPANY’S OFFERINGS: Mobile penetration and internet penetration in the region were around 83% and 42% in 2020 respectively. The biggest macroeconomic advantage that the continent presents is young demography, as 67% of the population in the region is under 30. The continent also struggles with financial inclusion where around 63% of the population is unbanked which presents an excellent opportunity for the fintech industry. The company through its state-of-the-art digital solutions is perfectly positioned to get a hold of a major chunk of financial potential by boosting financial inclusion.

Sub-Saharan Africa is a major market for FinTech firms to enter into partnerships with local banks and assist them in extending their financial services to populations who lack access to traditional banking. The region accounted for almost half of the world's registered mobile money population, 72% of global mobile money transactions in 2020, and 81% growth in global e-commerce transactions facilitated by mobile money. The smartphone penetration is expected to rise to 67% by 2025 from 41% in 2020, which is around a 63.41% increase.

Adults in Africa are most likely to use digital payments technologies, particularly mobile money, which differentiates the African market from others. Around 22% of adults in the region have mobile money accounts, which is the greatest in the world.

$80 BILLION

Amount being saved annually under the mattress.

>60%

Over 60% of Kenyans rely on informal savings to grow their money.

1.14 BILLION

Sub-Saharan Africa’s population as of 2020 as compared to 1.1 billion in 2019.

800 MILLION

Number of people across SubSaharan Africa that don’t have access to financial services.

63%

Share of unbanked population in Africa out of total population of 1.37 billion.

22%

Share of adult population that has mobile money account in Africa, which is greatest in the world.

MARKET RESEARCH – FINTECH IN AFRICA

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FINTECH COMPANIES IN AFRICA: Africa's fintech market is a land of endless opportunities and is currently largely untapped. A survey conducted by arttha-unified fintech platform titled ‘Fintech in Africa: A 2021 market outlook’ reveals that 51.6% of the survey respondents (consisting of finance and technology executives) believe that digital payments and remittances are the biggest opportunities for Fintech companies in Africa. The region had around $48 billion in remittance inflows in 2020. 42.5% of the respondents believe that digital lending is the second biggest opportunity in the region. It is followed by agent banking as the third biggest opportunity in the region with 38.9% of respondents agreeing to that.

DIGITAL PAYMENT SCENARIO: The African continent has witnessed a huge splurge in digital payments use as well as adoption over the last decade. The success of platforms like M-Pesa is a testament to the fact which accounted for 11 billion transactions in 2020. This was more than the transactions done through bank cards and other modes of payments.

The growth of digital payment methods has been higher compared to cash and cheque over the past few years which is indicative of the fact that the African public is gradually shifting towards a digital way of paying money.

GROWTH IN WHITE-LABEL DIGITAL PAYMENTS: In the past few years, the highest growth has been seen in bank card payments, bank online payments, and bank app payments (54.2%, 46.3%, and 51.2% respectively).

GROWTH IN NOT WHITE-LABEL DIGITAL PAYMENTS: Payments through mobile money have grown by 29.5%, followed by non-bank e-wallets at 33.1%, and non-bank app online payments at 27.2% over the past few years.

GROWTH IN CASH AND CHEQUES: The growth of payments through cash and cheques has been extremely low and has been limited to 14.7% and 8.9% respectively.

All of the above-mentioned facts indicate that Africa provides great and high growth market opportunities for fintech companies to capitalise and the company with its stateof-the-art digital solutions is ready to take advantage of the same.

BIGGEST OPPORTUNITIES FOR FINTECH COMPANIES IN AFRICA

African startups raised $4.65 billion in 2021, about twice the sum raised in 2020 and 62% of total funding was towards fintech startups.

MARKET RESEARCH – FINTECH IN AFRICA

FINTECH TRANSACTION VALUE BY SEGMENT IN AFRICA (IN MILLIONS)

MARKET RESEARCH – FINTECH IN AFRICA

FINTECH TRANSACTION VALUE GROWTH BY SEGMENT IN AFRICA (IN %)

INSIGHTS: Neo banking, digital investment, and digital payments are the fastest growing market segments in the FinTech industry in Africa. Africans are very fast at accepting new technology products, services, and solutions (world’ highest mobile payments are made in Africa), which makes it a perfect location to launch new products and services in the tech segment. Considering the facts, it is the right time for XXXX to enter the market and capture the attention of the tech-savvy population by innovating unique FinTech solutions aimed at wealth creation.

MARKET RESEARCH – FINTECH IN AFRICA

FINTECH USERS BY SEGMENT IN AFRICA (IN MILLIONS)

MARKET RESEARCH – FINTECH IN AFRICA

AVERAGE

PER USER BY SEGMENT

MARKET RESEARCH – BURKINA FASO

DIGITAL

ECONOMY IN BURKINA FASO: The country’s efforts to develop its digital economy are currently focused on strengthening an enabling regulatory environment and supporting the private sector to further develop mass-market digital services in the financial sectors and telecommunications while building the necessary infrastructure.

The country’s digital inclusiveness score is relatively low, at 39%. Only 39% of Burkina Faso’s marginalised segments (rural population, women, youth, MSMEs, older people, refugees, migrants, and disabled people) are included in the digital economy excluding the rest 61% of the key population.

BURKINA FASO KEY FACTS

21.5 MILLION

Total population as of 2021.

31.2% Share of urban population in 2021.

39%

% of the adult population that do not use any financial services, formal or informal.

DIGITAL ECONOMY SCORE FOR BURKINA FASO, 2020

74%

Share of the adult population in urban areas that is being able to access formal financial services.

29%

Share of the adult population in rural areas that is being able to access formal financial services.

DIGITAL INCLUSIVENESS BY SEGMENT IN BURKINA FASO, 2020

25%

Share of the adult population in rural areas that exclusively use informal products/services.

Included Not included

The digital inclusiveness score of Burkina Faso is 39% and the gender inclusiveness score is 49%.

Total Rural Women Youth Elderly Refugees Migrants Disabled MSMEs

MARKET RESEARCH – YOUNG AFRICANS DEMOGRAPHICS

MARKET RESEARCH – GLOBAL CRYPTO MARKET

$802 BILLION BITCOIN MARKET CAP

$1.89 TRILLION GLOBAL CRYPTO MARKET

OVERVIEW: The global crypto market cap is $1.89 trillion. Bitcoin remains the biggest cryptocurrency but the momentum in other tokens is drawing increasing interest. As of now, Bitcoin accounts for about 42% of the total crypto market value, down from roughly 70% at the start of the year 2021.

Number of identity-verified crypto asset users by the end of 2021.

$345 BILLION ETHER MARKET CAP

$743 BILLION OTHERS

Ether is currently occupying the limelight. An upgrade of the affiliated Ethereum blockchain as well as the network’s popularity for financial services and cryptocollectibles are among the factors cited for the rally. Ether now makes up 18% of the global crypto market.

RETAIL CLIENTS: Latin America & the Caribbean, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa are the top three regions having the highest percentage of retail clients at 82%, 75%, and 75% respectively.

USER TYPE OF CRYPTOCURRENCY

MARKET RESEARCH – CRYPTO USERS WORLDWIDE

CRYPTO ADOPTION IN AFRICA: Cryptocurrency adoption in Africa grew 1200% between July 2020 and June 2021, making it the fastest adoption rate in the world. Africa amassed $105.6 billion worth of cryptocurrencies for the year ending June 2021, driven by peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions in key growth markets. Markets like Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania had some of the highest grass-roots adoptions in the world and ranked in the top 20 Global Crypto Adoption Index. The transactions volume made up of retail-sized transfers in Africa was 7%, against the global average of 5.5%. No region uses P2P platforms at a higher rate than African cryptocurrency users, as they account for 1.2% of all African transaction volume and 2.6% of all volume for Bitcoin specifically.

OWNERSHIP AND USE OF VIRTUAL CURRENCIES: According to a recent survey conducted by Statista, Nigerians reported the most common ownership and use of cryptocurrencies. 32% of Nigerians have owned or used crypto at some point in 2020, followed by Vietnamese people with 21%, and Filipino with 20%.

CRYPTO OWNERSHIP BY RESIDENTS

CRYPTO USERS WORLDWIDE BY REGION

Cross-region transfers also make up a bigger share of Africa’s cryptocurrency market than any other region at 96% of all transaction volume, versus 78% for all regions combined.

The global average of annual digital transactions per person is almost 100. Nigeria

In 2020, the total number of global digital payments crossed 700 billion, representing 14% growth over the previous year. This includes cryptocurrency, contactless payments, digital orders, and online payments.

79%

The top 10 crypto exchanges account for 79% of global daily trade volume.

70M

70 million people use a blockchain wallet worldwide.

NORTH AMERICA

$1.1 Billion (16%)

$0.9 Billion (14%)

NORTHERN AND WESTERN EUROPE

$1.5 Billion (23%)

$1.1 Billion (17%)

EASTERN EUROPE

$0.8 Billion (12%)

$0.7 Billion (11%)

MIDDLE EAST

$0.3 Billion (4%)

$0.3 Billion (4%)

EAST ASIA

$1.4 Billion (22%)

$1.9 Billion (31%)

LATIN AMERICA

$0.5 Billion (7%)

$0.4 Billion (6%)

AFRICA’S CRYPTOCURRENCY

INFLOWS

AND OUTFLOWS BY REGION

AFRICA

$0.3 Billion (5%)

$0.3 Billion (4%)

CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ASIA AND OCEANIA

$0.8 Billion (11%)

$0.8 Billion (12%)

MARKET RESEARCH – ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE MINING

GLOBAL ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE MINING (ASM) SECTOR: According to the report published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development in 2022, the global artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector is estimated to comprise nearly 45 million people worldwide. These women and men produce significant amounts of the world’s minerals, from 20% of the world’s gold to nearly 80% of colored gemstones.

ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE MINING IN AFRICA: According to the African Mining Vision (AMV), between 15 and 20% of the world’s nonfuel minerals, 18% of Africa’s gold and almost all African gemstones (except diamonds) are produced by ASM.

ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE MINING IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC): A significant proportion of global cobalt production originates from artisanal and small scale mining (ASM) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). An estimated 20-40% (Clowes and Kavanagh 2020) of the 100,000 metric tons of cobalt produced in DRC in 2019 (USGS 2020) came from ASM, providing an essential livelihood for nearly 200,000 people. The cobalt production is vital to the world and required to meet the growing demand for battery metals as part of the clean energy revolution.

The country produces 60% of the world’s supply for cobalt, of which 20-40% comes from ASM. The demand for cobalt is forecast to increase substantially as it is an essential material in electric vehicle batteries and accordingly demand for the same is forecast to increase a staggering 460% of 2018 levels by 2050 requiring 644,000 tons each year.

15% - 20%

% of world’s nonfuel minerals produced by artisanal and small scale miners.

18%

% of Africa’s gold that is produced by artisanal and small scale miners.

80%

Over 80% of the total workforce engaged in artisanal and smallscale mining is informal. 25%

Share of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in global diamond supply.

20%

Share of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in global gold supply.

45 MILLION

The number of people working in artisanal and small-scale mining worldwide.

10 MILLION

The number of people working in artisanal and small-scale mining in sub-Saharan Africa. 50%

Women are estimated to make up 50% of the ASM workforce globally.

80%

Share of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in global colored gemstones supply.

ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE MINING IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: In Sub-Saharan African countries, it is an important source of revenue for people living in rural contexts, where it is largely carried out as an informal and often illegal activity. In Ghana, around 40%-50% of small-scale miners work informally.

MINING IN BURKINA FASO: Because of rising prices of metals, the number of industrial mines in Burkina Faso has increased from 1 to 17 between 2007 and 2019, with 16 gold mines and one zinc mine (totaling 26 valid large-scale mining permits). There are also 26 valid operating permits for semi-mechanized gold mines, 28 artisanal gold mining authorizations, and 26 industrial quarries. A study mapping the main artisanal gold mining sites, produced in 2018 by the National Agency for the Supervision of Artisanal and SemiMechanized Mines (ANEEMAS), identified roughly 800 sites across the country.

Until 2008, mining was dominated by the use of artisanal, traditional methods or gold panning. Large-scale industrial mining and semi-mechanised has grown significantly since 2009, particularly as a result of the increase in the price of gold and the successive reforms made to the 2003 Mining Code.

PRESENT SITUATION OF FUNDING TO ARTISANAL MINERS

IN BURKINA FASO: The official financial system is disinclined to fund this type of activity, which increase the precariousness of artisanal mining. To fund the artisanal and small scale mining there are currently hidden intermediaries in the sector that captures over 80% of the revenues.

PRODUCTION BY TYPE OF OPERATION IN BURKINA FASO (IN TONES)

ARTISANAL

AND SMALL-SCALE

MINING

IN RWANDA: ASM activities currently dominate the mining sector in Rwanda accounting for 70% of the total production. Focused mainly on the extraction of tin, tungsten, and tantalum (3Ts) ores, total mineral exports from Rwanda were worth US$377 million in 2017-2018 (Lesser and Habyarimana 2019).

Burkina Faso has 800 artisanal mining sites in the country. Artisanal mining supports over 1 million people in Burkina Faso.

ASM produces around 28% of total gold production in Ghana.

Through an ambitious development program, the government intends to treble the sector’s economic contribution and to transform many of the country’s smallscale mines.

MARKET RESEARCH – ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE MINING

MARKET RESEARCH – TARGET MARKET

➢ Underserved

➢ Millennials

➢ Professional and sophisticated investors

➢ High-net worth individuals

➢ Users of all ranks and social statuses

➢ Customers already connected in the digital asset world

RETAIL BUSINESS

➢ Customers already connected in the digital asset world

➢ Institutional clients

➢ B2B clients matching key industry areas of focus namely: mining, agriculture, insurance and healthcare, real estate, energy, technology, etc.

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

A study of key players operating in the FinTech industry, including their strengths, weaknesses and key information.

MARKET RESEARCH – COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

REVOLUT: The company has built the world’s first truly global financial super app to help people get more from their money – from everyday spending to planning for the future. It provides a wide range of financial services to retail and business customers around the world.

It provides retail customers with services including electronic money and payments through a prepaid card via a free and tiered subscription model, peer-to-peer payments, foreign currency exchange services, junior accounts, exposure to precious metal commodity prices, the ability to buy and sell certain shares, and fractional shares in listed companies and cryptocurrencies through the group’s trading partners, savings products through its Vaults offering, insurance intermediary services, and rewards when shopping with the group’s partners.

Launched in 2017, Revolut Business provides similar electronic money and payments services, multicurrency exchange services, merchant acquiring, prepaid corporate cards, and international and domestic bank transfers for small and medium enterprises and freelancers.

KEY STATISTICS: Other company statistics are as follows:

❑ The company has recently raised series E funding of $800 million in 2021 to continue to build the first global financial super app.

❑ As of 2021, more than 18 million customers around the world used dozens of Revolut’s innovative products to make more than 150 million transactions a month.

❑ In 2020, it launched its bank in Poland and Lithuania through its Lithuanian incorporated banking subsidiary, Revolut Bank UAB. Recently in January 2022, it has operationalised its Lithuania-based European specialised banking license in 10 European markets namely Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden. With the entry into these 10 new markets, it now operates in 28 EU markets.

❑ It has recently entered into a new business vertical with the launch of pet insurance in February 2022.

❑ It introduced accessible, fast, low-cost cross-border payments with the launch of its US-Mexico remittance corridor in July 2021, enabling customers in the U.S. to easily transfer money to Mexico without any hidden fees, at the real exchange rate. It offers 10 free international transfers per month to any bank account in Mexico to its U.S. customers.

WEAKNESSES:

❑ A huge number of customers are complaining that they have been restricted while using their funds in the app and even in case of transfer to their bank account, the money is received after 2-3 weeks.

Founding Year: 2015

Founders: Nik Storonsky and Vlad Yatsenko

Personal Users: 18 million

Countries Supported: 35+

Business Users: 500K+

In-app Currencies: 30+

MARKET RESEARCH – COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

WIREX: Wirex is a digital payment platform that makes crypto and traditional currencies equal and accessible to everyone. Its innovative mobile app and next-gen Wirex card lets users buy, store, exchange, and spend a wide variety of conventional and digital currencies quickly and securely, with no hidden fees and zero fuss. With its simplified user interface, the Wirex app brings innovative features to the users more familiar with traditional online banking platforms.

The Wirex’s ecosystem creates optimal use cases for both the fiat and digital-first financial environments. It is focused on building products that simultaneously integrate both DeFi and traditional banking & payments, with an emphasis on mutually interoperable solutions.

KEY STATISTICS: Other company statistics are as follows:

❑ The company has launched the world’s first crypto-enabled debit card. In 2020, It became the only crypto-friendly company in the world to be awarded Principal Membership of both the Visa and Mastercard programs.

❑ The company wants to make the Wirex Wallet the world’s first non-custodial wallet designed for the mass market. Operating outside the existing Wirex app, this non-custodial wallet provides users with direct access to various DeFi protocols and platforms. It has access to multiple blockchains, including Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum (ERC-20), and L2 Networks, with Solana being added in early 2022.

❑ The company has specifically designed Wirex Pro for corporate entities and it also provides institutional access to DeFi. Wirex Pro is an all-in-one corporate banking platform that merges traditional fiat accounts and payment mechanisms with full cryptocurrency support. This allows institutions instant currency exchange between fiat and cryptocurrencies. Wirex Pro is fully licensed and regulated as an EMI agent.

❑ The company has also launched its own token named ‘The Wirex Token (WXT)’ to support several use cases specific to Wirex users. WXT powers X-tras, the world’s most cutting-edge rewards program. The company offers special offers and discounts to its users on making payments through WXT.

WEAKNESSES:

❑ The customers are not satisfied with the customer support team of the company, as the team has not been able to resolve their issues properly. Some customers are even complaining that they have not been able to connect with the customer support team at all even after multiple attempts.

❑ Customers are filling complaints with the ombudsman of money deducted from their bank account but not updated with Wirex and even after multiple requests to release the funds, they are not getting any resolution.

Founding Year: 2014

Founders: Pavel Matveev and Dmitry Lazarichev

Customers: 4.5 Million +

Presence: 130+ countries

Transactions: $3 Billion +

In-app Currencies: 150+

MARKET RESEARCH – COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

TYMEBANK: TymeBank is currently one of the world’s fastest-growing digital banks, with more than 4.3 million customers acquired since launching in February 2019. The bank is founded on simplicity, transparency, and affordability and is designed to make digital banking accessible and affordable to all South Africans across the economic spectrum.

Tyme Bank provides digital banking services to people in South Africa. It has embraced technology and partnerships to deliver innovative digital banking products to the market utilising the Pick ‘n Pay and Boxer stores as a distribution network. It offers a zero-monthly fee transactional account to consumers from the age of 16 and sole proprietors.

KEY STATISTICS: Other company statistics are as follows:

❑ It is the first majority black-owned retail bank in South Africa. Its majority shareholder is Dr. Patrice Motsepe’s African Rainbow Capital (ARC), a fully black-owned and controlled investment company.

❑ It primarily targets middle to lower-income segments with a focus on underserved consumers and small businesses.

❑ TymeBank is a member of the Tyme Group of companies with headquarters in Singapore. TymeBank and its sister company, Tyme, has recently raised $180 million, which is being deployed to enable growth both locally in South Africa and in the Philippines.

❑ TymeBank has no branches and its core banking system is hosted securely in the Cloud. It relies on its mobile app, debit card, internet banking site, and two retail stores (Pick’n Pay and Boxer, through distribution partnership) to host a national network of self-service kiosks.

❑ TymeBank has joined up with Hollard to offer its users a funeral policy. It also offers medical insurance under the name ‘TymeHealth’ that has three plans MediClub Connect, MediClub Premier, and Mediclub Elite.

STRENGTHS:

❑ A report issued by SOLIDARITY Research Institute in 2022 has noted that TymeBank’s transactions charges are significantly lower in the digital or online banking category.

❑ Tyme Bank has been rated as the third best bank in South Africa on the Forbes 2021 list of the world’s best banks.

WEAKNESSES:

❑ Users are not satisfied with the working of the customer support team as they are not getting any resolution for their queries.

Founding Year: 2015

Customers: 4.3 million +

Presence: South Africa

Small Business: 68K+

Services: Digital banking, medical insurance, and funeral insurance through collaboration

CEO: Tauriq Keraan

MARKET RESEARCH – COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

KUDA MICROFINANCE BANK: Kuda is a full-service, digital-only bank operating as a microfinance bank under the license from the Central Bank of Nigeria. The bank provides services through its suite of apps for Android phones, iPhones, and the web, allowing everyday Nigerians with internet access to operate a spending account, access instant credit, save money automatically and earn annual interest without the burden of traditional bank charges such as card maintenance fees, account maintenance fees, and excessive transfer fees. It also issues its free independent visa debit cards both physical and virtual, which are delivered across Nigeria at no cost.

KEY STATISTICS: Other company statistics are as follows:

❑ It offers its customers 25 free transfers to other banks every month on sign up through Bank Verification Number (BVN), otherwise 2 free transfers per month. Extra transfers to other banks cost ₦10 each.

❑ It has partnered with Payoneer, a global payments platform, to facilitate international business payments to Nigeria.

❑ It has entered into a partnership with Access Bank to offer its customers ATMs services. Accordingly, its customers can withdraw cash free of charge at over 3,000 Access Bank and Access Diamond Bank ATMs in Nigeria.

❑ Kuda offers short-term overdraft and charges interest daily at the rate of 0.3% on the amount overdrawn.

❑ Kuda is recently valued at $500 million and is emerging as the seventh most valuable bank in Nigeria. It has raised Series B funding of $55 million in 2021.

❑ It has won the coveted ‘Neobank of the Year’ award at the 2021 BusinessDay BAFI (Banking and Financial Institutions) Awards.

❑ Kuda secures all accounts with the same high-security encryption used by regular banks and deposits in the bank are insured by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).

STRENGTHS:

❑ Customers are finding the design and layout of the app very useful and easy to operate.

WEAKNESSES:

❑ The majority of the customers are complaining that the customer support team of the company is very slow and nonexistent, as it never picks a call and never revert-back with a solution to their problems. It has an average rating of 2.7 stars out of 5 on Facebook reviews.

Founding Year: 2019

Founders: Babs Ogundeyi and Musty Mustapha

Users: 2 million+

Presence: Nigeria

Employees: 300+

Services: Digital banking

MARKET RESEARCH – COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

CHAKA: Chaka is a technology solutions company that enables every business and person in Africa (presently focusing on Nigeria) to access borderless digital investment and wealth management opportunities. Its team combines investment expertise and best-in-class technology to provide reliable digital Investing, trading, and wealth management solutions that are easy-to-use and integrate.

Chaka has partnered with TradingView, the world’s leading online charting platform to spot investment opportunities in global markets. This partnership makes Chaka the first African broker to launch TradingView for retail investors and businesses in Africa. The benefits of this collaboration to Chaka’s clients include access to advanced tools for effective trading analysis, access to a wide trading community and real-time trading ideas, personalised onboarding, and account support. With the help of the platform, users can build a portfolio of dollar assets with unrestricted access to 11,000+ stocks and ETFs.

KEY STATISTICS: Other company statistics are as follows:

❑ Chaka is the first Nigerian Fintech to be licensed by the Securities & Exchange Commission of Nigeria (SEC). This enables the company to continue to power digital investing for Nigerian companies, retail investors, and institutional investors. Dollar assets are regulated by the U.S. FINRA and the U.S. SEC. Dollar deposits (up to $500,000) are SIPCinsured.

❑ All website traffic is encrypted and protected by using AES bank-level encryption. This provides security between users’ devices and Chaka’s servers ensuring that personal and transaction details are always kept private.

❑ In the case of international trade, it charges fees on 30 day trading period’s trade value. For trade value $0 - $200 fee is 1.5%, for $200 - $1,000 its 1%, for $1,000 - $10,000 its 0.85%, for $10,000 - $50,000 its 0.75%, and for $50,000+ its 0.69%. In the case of local trade, broker commission is 0.5% or N100.

❑ The company has raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding round in 2021 to accelerate its expansion to other markets within West Africa.

❑ All brokerage investments on Chaka’s platform are facilitated by Citi Investment Capital Limited, a duly licensed brokerage firm registered with the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS), and regulated by the Nigerian Securities Exchange Commission (SEC).

WEAKNESSES:

❑ Majority of customers are complaining of the poor user interface, slow platform working, and frequent bugs in the app.

Founding Year: 2019

Founders:

Users: 100,000+

Present Focus: Nigeria

Payment Methods: Bank cards including Visa, Mastercard, and Verve cards. Direct deposit in Chaka dollar wallet using $ or ₦

Currencies: USD & Naira

Tosin Osibodu and Olaolu Ajose

MARKET RESEARCH – COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

FOCUSED ON DIGITISING AFRICA

Modern Neo-Banks are predominantly built to solve 1st world (developed countries) problems because of the well-established infrastructure and smartphone penetration, leaving African and other 3rd world countries unable to access their services. On the other hand, Africa represents an untapped market and is full of great opportunities. Where no other platforms have focused their attention on capturing this untapped market, XXXX will be a first-of-its-kind platform built for everyone, including Africans and people in the rest of the world. The platform will open doors to opportunities that exist in Africa and abroad. XXXX will be a borderless platform focused on promoting African resources for a more inclusive, decentralised, and shared economy owned by people.

FOCUS ON WEALTH CREATION

While most of the FinTech solution companies focus on innovating ways to decrease the costs associated with providing remittances and payments services, XXXX will focus on wealth creation and providing innovative, and low to no-fees banking solutions. Where XXXX will design attractive and profitable investment opportunities for Africans, it will simultaneously contribute to the economic development of the region by supporting the local businesses. In addition to designing the investment opportunities, the platform will also provide investment advice to people allowing them to manage their wealth optimally.

ALL IN ONE PLATFORM

There is no platform currently in the market providing all financial services under one roof, including investment, wealth management, banking, payments, and commodities-backed investment opportunities to people in Africa, and that too at a reasonable cost. Although there is one platform named Crypterium, which is close to the offerings of XXXX, the pricing structure of the platform makes it far away from the reach of people living in Africa. On the other hand, XXXX will be a one-of-itskind platform offering multiple digital financial services under one roof at a value for money pricing, which will encourage people in Africa to adopt digital financial services, be a part of the platform, and contribute towards the economic development of the region.

EXCELLENT SERVICES AND HASSLE-FREE EXPERIENCE

Investors have to spend a lot of time searching for profitable investment opportunities, which ultimately result in a loss of time and money. Searching through multiple sources is usually a cumbersome process. Moreover, it is not guaranteed that the investors will find the right information and profitable opportunities by searching through multiple sources due to the lack of financial expertise. On the other hand, XXXX will spend a sufficient amount on research and development initiatives to identify profitable commodities which can be tokenized to provide attractive investment opportunities to the customers. This way, investors do not need to spend a lot of time searching through multiple sources.

USER-FRIENDLY AND INTUITIVE PLATFORM

The thought behind XXXX is the amalgamation of technology with financial planning expertise to help individuals meet their financial objectives. To achieve this objective, the founder has developed a user-friendly and intuitive platform allowing the first time as well as regular investors to easily understand the market and capitalise on the opportunities.

MARKET RESEARCH – SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS

▪ Experienced and knowledgeable founder.

▪ Strong team with years of expertise beyond just technology.

▪ First-of-its-kind platform focused on making banking assessable to the underserved and unbanked population.

▪ User-friendly interface and design of web and mobile portal.

▪ Low-cost digital financial solutions.

▪ Superior customer service.

▪ Honest and transparent adherence to internal policies.

▪ Highly successful go-to-market strategies.

▪ Well updated with the latest market trends and changing customer behaviour.

▪ Use of the latest technology (blockchain and AI) to enhance user experience and establish authenticity.

▪ Already established network of gold miners.

▪ Already applied for the license for gold trading.

▪ Government endorsements and support.

▪ A structural and strategic approach to service rendering.

WEAKNESSES

▪ Lack of financial resources for promotion, growth, support, and business expansion

▪ Getting started up and finding customers may be difficult initially.

▪ New company with no presence in the target market.

OPPORTUNITIES

▪ Opportunity to expand the market reach worldwide by penetrating the market in a phased manner.

SThe digital financial products and services industry is growing and evolving, and many new opportunities and threats come with that.

WSWOT

The industry can fluctuate depending on the local and national economies, although it remains somewhat consistent because of the growing interest of people in adoption of digital means to conduct transactions and make investments.

OT▪ Increasing number of smartphone users and growing internet penetration creating demand for digital financial services platforms.

▪ Increasing disposable income and corporate profits allowing people to spend on crypto assets and blockchain.

▪ African FinTech industry is one of the fastestgrowing industries worldwide but is still largely untapped.

▪ A growing number of the younger generation are interested in investing in the crypto market and Africa has the fast-growing millennial population, with 67% of the population under 30 years old.

▪ Advancements in machine learning and AI could create opportunities to expand customer relationships, deliver better advice, and lower the overall cost.

▪ As a majority of the population in Africa (more than 2/3rd) is currently unbanked and underserved, it is the right time to penetrate the market.

▪ Highest acceptance of mobile money transactions in Africa among adults (representing 72% of global money transactions in 2020.

THREATS

▪ Changes in government regulations can impact business performance in the future.

▪ Technological changes in the field of blockchain and AI may necessitate huge capital expenditure in the future.

MARKETING STRATEGY

A list of marketing strategies to be followed by the company to attract the target customers and grow the business beyond boundaries.

MARKET ANALYSIS – MARKETING STRATEGIES

WEBSITE

GAMIFICATION

VIDEO MARKETING

REFERRAL INCENTIVES

Having a website is equivalent to having a physical facility in every part of the world. According to research, 88% of customers search for products and services online before making a final decision, and 40% of them wind up visiting a competitor’s website when they face difficulty in accessing a company’s mobile site. In the light of these facts, the company will create a user-friendly, mobile-supported, eye-catching, and well-functioning website listing basic information regarding the types of financial services offered, pricing details, a list of investment opportunities available, contact details, and links to social media pages to inform customers of the latest discount offers or coupons. The company will engage with its clients through its website by posting relevant content in the form of informative blogs giving them more reasons to stay connected with the business. The website and regularly updated blog will serve as useful tools to share knowledgeable information regarding the latest developments in the FinTech industry.

Gamification is an ideal strategy for FinTech companies as it helps these businesses obtain much higher engagement numbers and enhanced awareness of their brand. Considering the facts, XXXX will design and develop multiple gamification strategies to encourage people to use the digital financial products and services designed by the platform. Some of these strategies are outlined as follows:

➢ Hold contests and give out prizes to the winners.

➢ Create puzzles, quizzes, and other games to help educate and engage consumers in a fun manner.

➢ Allow customers to earn points on purchases for future redemption. The primary goal of the company is to encourage consumers to interact with its products and service offerings, which will lead to higher conversion rates and increased revenue.

Financial literacy is essential in the FinTech world, but only 19% of millennials perceive themselves as financially literate, even though 51% of millennials are more likely to use mobile payment apps. This necessitates the appetite for different types of content to educate the users regarding the functionalities and usage of FinTech platforms. Considering the facts, XXXX will create bite-site videos and blogs to educate users regarding the platform functionalities, financial services, and investment opportunities available in the market, and upload these videos to its YouTube channels and other digital channels. Uploading the educational content will allow the company to establish credibility in the market.

XXXX understands that the best promotion comes from satisfied users or customers. The company will encourage its existing users to refer their friends, relatives, and colleagues and will incentivise them by providing discounts on their subscription packages or coupons for reduced transaction fees. This strategy will increase effectiveness after the business has already been established. Moreover, when an existing user refers someone from his/her network, the company will not have to go through the expensive lead generation process, which will ultimately save the biggest part of marketing cost. The company will regularly add new referral incentives to encourage and remind its present users to provide valuable leads. The exceptional level of customer service and modern features on its web and mobile platform will automatically establish credibility in the market.

MARKET ANALYSIS – MARKETING STRATEGIES

SOCIAL MEDIA

One of the most popular sales techniques for FinTech platforms is the use of social media. 54% of social media users rely on social platforms to research products or services of any kind and more than two-thirds of those who have a positive interaction with a brand on social media are likely to recommend it to friends and family. Considering the facts, XXXX will maintain a strong social media campaign with a guerrilla marketing strategy. The company will establish social media presence among its target customers through channels including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn. These social media channels will be used to approach potential customers, build a community around them, and share customer testimonials. The company will run influencers programs and paid ad campaigns, do social listening to understand the exact requirements of people, conduct polls and surveys to get a holistic view of customers’ preferences, and use customer testimonials to encourage people to try out the platform’s services. The company will run several paid marketing campaigns on its social media channels to engage more users to its platform. With an active social media presence, the content will appear closer to the top of the page in search results.

The detailed strategy to market through social media channels has been outlined as follows:

Facebook: With 2.6 billion monthly active users worldwide, Facebook has pretty much become a hub for all types of businesses. XXXX’s Facebook page will serve as a second website. The company will engage with its prospective clients by posting updates about the latest digital financial products and services introduced and the company’s most recent activities. The company will post once per day to its newsfeed with relevant content (a mix of videos and photos) to educate people about the working of the platform and encourage them to register on its platform to perform financial transactions and capitalise on the investment opportunities. The company will also run Facebook Live each week to engage with its customers, promote its service offerings and answer their queries regarding the FinTech market and its components.

LinkedIn: The LinkedIn audience wants a deeper understanding of digital platforms, and this drives the appetite for many different types of content. The company will display its complete information on its LinkedIn page and use its brand colors to highlight the relevant information to engage more people to the platform.

Twitter: Companies or platforms that are the most active on Twitter are benefiting from the community on Twitter, representing a very diverse, open-minded, and interested target group that likes to try out new products or services. The company will share information regarding new features of its web and mobile platform, products, and service updates with its existing users and prospects and continue growing its network through Twitter.

YouTube: Worldwide number of YouTube audience reached 2.24 billion viewers in 2021, up from 1.78 billion in 2020. XXXX will upload videos concerning the latest updates in the commodities and cryptocurrency market, and interviews with satisfied clients or investors. It will help to encourage more people to use the company’s platform.

MARKET ANALYSIS – MARKETING STRATEGIES

SEO

CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS

CONTENT MARKETING

INFLUENCERS MARKETING

Google is one of the most influential channels when it comes to helping digital customers find platforms offering financial services. Search engine optimisation (SEO) involves optimising website and app pages to rank higher in search results for specific keywords and phrases. The company will develop a well-crafted SEO strategy to drive more traffic to its web and mobile platform, as it will push the platform to the top of search engine rankings. It will develop appropriate keywords including ‘best AI-based financial services platforms for investors’, ‘digital financial services advisory platform’, ‘digital platform using AI to provide investor education’, ‘top AI advisory platforms’, etc., to rank its platform higher in search engine results, enabling it to drive more traffic. The company’s SEOfriendly platform will leave a lot of potential traffic and revenue on the table.

Despite fierce competition in the FinTech industry, there is still room for even the smallest service providers to earn revenue based on the differentiation in terms of features and unique product and service offerings. A great way to ensure growth is by talking to the present clients. The company will encourage its existing clients to share their feedback or testimonials on multiple social media and other digital channels. This feedback or customer reviews will help XXXX encourage potential clients to register on its platform. It will also help attract customers, who usually examine the customer reviews before procuring services of any kind.

The company will establish itself as an industry leader by posting valuable content on its website. Capturing the attention of readers and encouraging them to take action is one of the most effective ways of finding new customers online. Posting high-quality and unique blogs will improve the search engine rankings, and boost the online reputation of the company, helping to ensure that more people see and visit the website of the company. The company will create online content that will educate customers on vital financial topics and equip them with the tools necessary to manage their financial situation. The content to be posted will be about answering the common questions of people concerning investments, providing information regarding top-performing commodities, a list of points to be considered before investing, etc. Promotion of this content online will result in improvement of ranking on search engines and more people will stumble upon the articles and bookmark them, share them with friends, and get in touch to ask about the company’s platform.

XXXX will leverage the network of FinTech bloggers and influencers by connecting with them and getting them to share content related to the company. As the company is going to target the unbanked population in different African regions, it will hire micro and small influencers having a local presence. The company will negotiate a profitable deal with them considering the number of followers associated with each of them and give them additional incentives, such as discount coupons to be shared with their followers to get them to popularise the platform among people in their network. Partnering with these influencers will generate quality content that will be shared across the company’s social media and other digital channels, which, in turn, will bring in more leads to the business.

MARKET ANALYSIS – MARKETING STRATEGIES

E-MAIL MARKETING

E-mail marketing has proven to be an effective tool among other successful marketing strategies for directly communicating with the targeted customers. The company will collect the customers’ email addresses through various online and offline channels. It will create monthly newsletters including various sections such as existing and new products and services provided by the platform, as well as information regarding commodities market updates, which will be distributed to the existing and potential customers in their e-mail. The company will widen its portfolio of offerings in the future based on e-mails received from the users regarding the suggestions to add new categories of financial services to the platform. It will create a loyal customer base for the company.

RETARGETING

Retargeting is the practice of sending targeted ads to specific users who have already interacted with the web platform of the company. More than 90% of web traffic does not act on their first website visit. Retargeting will allow the company to encourage interested users to buy subscription plans and explore the services offered by the platform. The retargeting ads will recapture the traffic by showing ultra-targeted ads to people who have already visited or performed a specific action on the website, or other digital channels. The discounts or offers will be customised based on individual tastes and preferences.

EFFICIENT CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT

PPC marketing is an important part of the overall digital marketing plan in the highly competitive digital platforms industry. Three-quarters of people (75%) say that paid search ads make it easier for them to find the information they search for on a website or search engine. The company will run PPC ads to be micro granular in its targeting and serve the potential investors. The company will take the help of Google’s keyword suggestion tool to generate a list of keywords used in the financial services industry and update it frequently to take into account the changing customer trends.

XXXX will develop multiple channels through which the users can connect to the company, and it can answer the queries they may have about any products or services offered by the company or any problems that they are facing in choosing the subscription plans or implementing their investment decisions. It will try to resolve the customers’ issues as soon as possible. The customer care team at the company will be available 24/7 to provide support services. This will support the brand reputation and confirm long-term success for the company. Also, approaching potential customers through different marketing channels will assist the company to target a wide range of customers. Moreover, satisfied customers will further encourage people in their networks to use the company’s platform before making investment decisions or executing financial transactions.

MARKET ANALYSIS – MARKETING MIX

PRICE

The company will follow a competition-based pricing strategy to stay ahead of the competition and gain a substantial market share in the FinTech industry. The charges for different products and services have been fixed as follows:

➢ Administration Fee: $2.50 per transaction

➢ Management Fee: 2% (annual)

➢ Performance Fee: 22% (gross profit)

➢ Withdrawal Fee: 0.5% of transaction value

➢ Monthly Subscription Fee: $4.99 and $12.99 (will include benefits such as waving fees and others)

PROMOTION

XXXX’s promotional strategy will revolve around various online and offline channels, including social media, SEO, direct mailers, price discounts, paid marketing campaigns, word of mouth, and referral incentives. The company will also contact and engage with influencers and bloggers to drive traffic to the website and mobile app. In addition to this, the customer care personnel at the company will make every possible effort to resolve customers’ pain points swiftly and positively. The company will also focus on providing quality services and exceptional customer support through multiple online and offline channels to grow its loyal customer base.

PRODUCT

XXXX Ltd., known as XXXX, is a FinTech 2.0 holding company based in Singapore that aims to build a new digital bank with a focus on three core functions, namely: investments, banking, and payments. The company will offer these services to the entire African continent as well as the diaspora around the globe. It will revolutionise banking in underserved markets, help service providers and retail businesses increase their footprint and monetise offerings, and enable seamless and secured digital transactions. The primary focus of XXXX’s business model lies around the democratisation of investment opportunities from around the globe, bringing Africa to the world, and the world to Africa as well promoting crossborder investment opportunities amongst African regions.

PLACE

XXXX Ltd. will establish its business location in Africa and will target the unbanked and underserved population. Having studied the demographics of the area, the place is considered as an ideal location to set up a tech business due to FinTech start-ups overshadowing all other start-ups in funding gained, the availability of natural resources and top talent, tremendous growth in mobile payments, and growing millennials population. The region is also popular due to more democratic and accountable governments, a new generation of policy-makers and business leaders, innovative information and communication technologies, an emerging spirit of entrepreneurship, and a growing middle-class population having a taste for modern consumer goods and services. After having created a presence in the home market, the company will expand its operations worldwide in a phased manner starting initially with

MANAGEMENT SUMMARY

Position:

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

OVERVIEW:

SOURCES AND USAGE

The founder has already invested funds in the form of equity and will satisfy the additional funding requirements from investors’ funds.

SOURCES AND USAGE OF FUNDS

USAGE OF FUNDS

FINANCIAL PLAN

These are our financial projections for the first five years of operations, depending upon market conditions.

FINANCIAL PLAN – INCOME STATEMENT

FINANCIAL PLAN – CASH FLOW STATEMENT

FINANCIAL PLAN – BALANCE SHEET

FINANCIAL PLAN – BALANCE SHEET

FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT

$12,000,000,000

$10,000,000,000

$8,000,000,000

$6,000,000,000

$4,000,000,000

$2,000,000,000

STRUCTURE OF EXPENSES