Verto Wins Big In Bid To Fuel B2B Payments For Global South

UK-based and Africa-focused fintech Verto has secured a USD 1 M boost after winning the Milken-Motsepe Prize in fintech, a prestigious award recognising companies advancing financial access for small businesses in underserved markets. The win adds to Verto’s growing credibility and firepower in an increasingly competitive cross-border payments landscape, especially in frontier economies.

Founded in 2018, Verto simplifies international B2B payments for businesses navigating fragmented and often overlooked currency corridors. With support for 49 currencies, many of them exotic or thinly traded, the platform eliminates intermediary fees and accelerates settlement times. This is a game-changer in markets where traditional banking infrastructure has lagged behind.

This latest prize win is both a symbolic and strategic milestone. Coming on the heels of earlier funding rounds, USD 2 M in seed funding (2019) and a USD 10 M Series A (2021), the new capital validates Verto’s market thesis: that small businesses in emerging economies are not just underserved but represent a scalable opportunity for financial innovation.

CEO Ola Oyetayo, who co-founded the company after firsthand experience with the friction of making international payments in Africa, called the prize “a validation of our mission” and a means to “accelerate our efforts.” With clients spanning Africa and beyond, Verto positions itself not merely as a fintech tool but as critical infrastructure for global trade at the small-business level.

The platform’s traction also points to a broader shift. As developed-market fintechs increasingly eye Africa for growth, Verto’s win highlights the value of building specifically for—and from within—emerging markets. The firm’s ability to support fast, low-cost payments in complex FX environments shows how fintechs born in the Global South can shape the next generation of financial services.

In winning the Milken-Motsepe Prize, selected from over 400 applicants globally, Verto joins a rare cohort of innovation-first companies solving for deep, systemic gaps in access to capital. As it looks to scale further, the startup is expected to channel the prize money into deepening market penetration, expanding its product set, and possibly preparing for future fundraising.