Grace Ashiru
Scale, an Issuer Orchestration Platform and pioneering payments enabler, has successfully raised $700,000 in Pre-Seed funding. The round was led by early-stage investors 54 Collective and First Circle Capital, with participation from Sunny Side Venture Partners and prominent industry angel investors.
As Scale marks its first anniversary this October, this significant funding milestone paves the way for its expansion into Kenya, Zambia, and Cote d’Ivoire, where it aims to revolutionize the payments landscape by enabling critical payment use cases with speed and efficiency.
In under a year, Scale has secured strategic partnerships with investors, banks, networks, and payment technology providers, positioning itself as a modern card-issuing orchestration and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) platform. Scale offers a seamless, sustainable solution tailored to the unique needs of businesses and customers across Africa.
Miranda Perumal, CEO of Scale, believes the investment reflects the value of their proposition and the company’s commitment to empowering African fintechs. “This is not just what we do; it’s embedded in the very core of our values. With the support of our esteemed investors and partners, we are well-positioned to accelerate ecosystem engagement, build trust with African businesses, and continue focusing on solving major challenges in enabling card rails by delivering unrivaled, world-class service,” said Perumal.
Hetal Patel, Chief Investment Officer at 54 Collective, emphasized Scale’s potential to unlock value by simplifying the card-issuing process and addressing key pain points, especially for clients serving underserved communities like women and youth. “At 54 Collective, we back ventures that disrupt industries and drive real impact across the continent, including expanding financial inclusion and enabling entrepreneurship. Scale’s team, led by an exceptional female founder, excites us with their deep sector expertise and bias toward action, and we look forward to seeing them become a critical enabler for fintechs,” said Patel.
Selma Ribica of First Circle Capital highlighted the challenges African fintechs face in launching card products, given the continent’s low payment card penetration. “Launching a card product can take up to 18 months, if possible at all. Scale offers fintechs and corporates a Card-as-a-Service platform that allows them to launch cards within weeks, significantly reducing time to revenue,” said Ribica. She added that Scale’s partnership-led approach is the best way to scale this business.
Sadaharu Saiki, Founder & GP of Sunny Side Venture Partners, described payment access and simplicity as one of Africa’s most pressing challenges, especially as cross-border transactions grow in importance. He praised Scale’s ease in tackling the complex task of card issuing across multiple countries, improving lives across the continent. “With their combined decades of experience in over 40 African nations, Scale is turning what was once an ambitious goal into an achievable reality,” Saiki said.
Scale continues to engage global investors and partners for future collaborations, with a focus on empowering businesses across Africa with payment and card solutions. Supported by its scheme and banking partnerships, Scale is emerging as a formidable player in the fintech space.
“We’re not just another startup; Scale is built on the foundation of passion and commitment to empowering Africa’s fintechs. We are more than a funded operation—Scale is a promise fulfilled,” concluded Perumal.
About Scale:
Scale is an African-founded, people-first company dedicated to breaking down fintech barriers across Africa. Specializing in card-issuing enablement, Scale helps fintechs execute their Go-To-Market and Speed-To-Revenue strategies using innovative technology to accelerate onboarding and product launches.
Scale’s secret weapon is SOIL—its Orchestration Issuing Layer, a lifeline that connects fintechs to the ecosystem they need to launch and thrive. By guiding fintechs through the complexities of launching and scaling payment products, Scale helps them navigate the fintech death curve and attract investment to the continent.
At Scale, it’s more than business—it’s a mission. The startup is committed to making a tangible impact, propelling African fintechs toward success with swift action and unwavering dedication.
