Cauris Finance on Sunday announced its third investment in Jetstream Africa to close the continent’s $120 billion trade finance gap.
This fresh funding will enhance Jetstream’s capacity to support small and medium-sized importers across West Africa, many of whom are excluded from traditional credit systems.
Expanding trade finance access for SMEs in West Africa
Jetstream Africa offers a digital platform that combines freight forwarding, customs brokerage, trade finance, and real-time cargo tracking.
This integration simplifies supply chain management for SMEs, enabling them to procure essential goods like fast-moving consumer goods, industrial equipment, and construction materials.
With less than 15% of SMEs in the region having access to formal financing, Jetstream’s transaction-based financing provides a crucial alternative to fuel business growth.
Jetstream CEO Miishe Addy-Asare highlighted the importance of the partnership: “Cauris has been a consistent, thoughtful partner in our journey. With this new investment, we’re able to serve more small and medium-sized businesses, more efficiently — providing capital and visibility tools that help them grow in competitive markets”.
How Cauris Finance supports Africa’s fintech and trade ecosystem
Cauris Finance, an impact credit fund focused on Africa, recently closed a $40 million debt facility to scale support for fintech startups addressing financial exclusion.
Founded in 2021, Cauris targets fintechs that provide credit to underserved markets, empowering small businesses and entrepreneurs key drivers of Africa’s economies.
Azer Songnaba, Cauris’s Chief Investment Officer, said, “We’re excited to expand our partnership with Jetstream, a company that is reshaping how African businesses move goods and access working capital. By combining flexible trade finance with end-to-end supply chain visibility, Jetstream is unlocking new efficiencies for Africa’s real economy”.
Cauris’s involvement with Jetstream is part of a broader strategy to back innovative solutions tackling Africa’s logistical and financial challenges.
The firm’s investments aim to increase affordable credit access for millions of small businesses, fostering economic growth and social impact across the continent.
This latest funding round reinforces the growing role of fintech and impact investors in transforming Africa’s trade finance landscape. It provides SMEs with the tools and capital needed to scale operations and compete regionally.
