• Latest
  • Trending
Sycamore, Nigerian fintech simplifies loans, investments

Sycamore, Nigerian fintech simplify loans, investments

February 24, 2023
Call of Duty movie: Paramount, Activision strike deal for live-action adaptation

Call of Duty movie: Paramount, Activision strike deal for live-action adaptation

September 5, 2025
Meta Brings Back Facebook Poke with Emojis and Streaks

Meta Brings Back Facebook Poke with Emojis and Streaks

September 5, 2025
Know why they’re calling: Truecaller launches AI-powered insights

Know why they’re calling: Truecaller launches AI-powered insights

September 5, 2025
Visa harnesses local partnerships to launch Visa Pay in DR Congo

Visa harnesses local partnerships to launch Visa Pay in DR Congo

September 5, 2025
Betika denies recent reports of security breach

Betika denies recent reports of security breach

September 5, 2025
10 things you can actually buy with crypto in Africa

10 things you can actually buy with crypto in Africa

September 5, 2025
CBE seals deal with Botim to enhance remittance services for Ethiopians living in UAE

CBE seals deal with Botim to enhance remittance services for Ethiopians living in UAE

September 5, 2025
Nigeria Senate, SIBAN push for crypto regulation to boost digital economy

Nigeria Senate, SIBAN push for crypto regulation to boost digital economy

September 5, 2025
Mamo Mihretu Resigns as Governor of Ethiopia’s Central Bank

Mamo Mihretu Resigns as Governor of Ethiopia’s Central Bank

September 5, 2025
Paratus Group introduces first private mobile network using LTE and 5G in Namibia

Paratus Group introduces first private mobile network using LTE and 5G in Namibia

September 5, 2025
Your one-stop tech hub! Get the latest updates on AI, cybersecurity, fintech, and emerging technologies.
  • Tech News
    • Africa Tech
    • Global Tech
    • Tech with Pelumy
    • Tech Careers
    • General News
    • How To
    • Reviews
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Fintech
  • Startups
  • Ai
No Result
View All Result
  • Tech News
    • Africa Tech
    • Global Tech
    • Tech with Pelumy
    • Tech Careers
    • General News
    • How To
    • Reviews
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Fintech
  • Startups
  • Ai
No Result
View All Result
Techpression
No Result
View All Result
Home Tech News Africa Tech News

Sycamore, Nigerian fintech simplify loans, investments

Okunloye Abiodun Segun by Okunloye Abiodun Segun
February 24, 2023
141 9
0
Sycamore, Nigerian fintech simplifies loans, investments
465
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterWhatsAppTelegram

In the African fintech space, digital lending has been one of the fast-growing sectors, which comes with a lot of challenges, from finding lenders to recovery issues and others. To change the narrative, Sycamore, a p2p platform, was established to connect lenders to borrowers by letting people access good investments and loans.

Speaking in an interview with Techpression, Babatunde Akin-Moses, the Sycamore founder/CEO, revealed that this is one of the problems they are currently solving with a product called Loan Friends. Basically, it enables people to lend and borrow money from their friends with a very high assurance of getting their money back. He explained that “a lot of people, you know, lend money to their friends, and it’s trouble to get it back, so Loan Friends is making that easy.”

Read also: Lulalend secures $35 million to serve SA business with loans

How does Sycamore come about?

The idea started in Lagos business school, where him and his friends were initially talking about the problems over lunch, the fact that it was so hard for the small business to get access to finance quickly. “And at the time, we didn’t think of it as a business. We were just talking about the problem, and then we inquired and did a case study and read about some companies and how a problem was being solved in China using technology.” 

RelatedPosts

PrimePay obtains data security certification

South Africa’s payment reform opens doors for stablecoins, blockchain innovation

Eaglelion unveils solutions to enable cross-border remittances for Ethiopians

This research gave them the idea that they could also replicate the same in Nigeria. The next thing they could think of was how they were going to get the funding to give out credit. However, in their research, they stumbled upon a peer-to-peer lending model. “Essentially, we could provide a platform for lenders and borrowers where we can serve as an intermediary platform and that’s what we became with a very huge focus on technology from the start.”

Speaking further, Babatunde explained that the name “Sycamore” was inspired by the Bible, from the story of Zacchaeus, a short guy who had to climb a Sycamore tree to see Jesus in a crowded place. “So that became like a metaphor of a running cry of an upliftment. So we want to uplift people financially, just the way the Sycamore uplifted Zacchaeus in the bible.” he added.

Sycamore plans and progress so far

According to the founder, in March, the startup will be four years old, and they hope to increase their presence in more states in Nigeria as they are looking to go to other African or possibly even European countries by 2024. “At the moment, we are only in like 10 states in Nigeria, and in 2024 we want to go beyond Nigeria like some African countries, Canada and the UK because we are targeting countries where a lot of Nigerians are based.”

Transactions over their platform last year were over 10 million dollars, and they are looking to triple that amount this year.

The fintech space in Nigeria is really growing. However, there is a need to develop global stability and solutions.

Challenges faced as a digital lender

Like every other entrepreneur, they have several challenges, from getting capital to starting and even building the platform. Another challenge initially was having access to good people to join and believe in their future because it’s really hard for talented people with low budgets, as most people would want to work for a big company. 

Moreover, the general issue of any credit space is dealing with borrowers, “thou it has improved, but a better credit culture is still needed, which involves recovering money using a lot of technology.” In terms of recovering funds back from people, he affirmed that one of the strategies that have helped them is doing things the right way and being patient. Their experienced team also make use of best industrial practices by not being in a hurry to get their funds back.

There is a system that is being worked on in the finance sector called “Open Banking”, basically it’s about the banks writing their APIs with common standards. “It’s going to be very easy for the banking system to communicate. It’s going to be very easy for people to build products that can do amazing stuff. So, for example, when the banks have common API standards, life will be a lot easier for lenders because if you don’t have money in Bank A, It will be easy to debit bank B as long as your BVN is the same.” It’s going to make lending and saving a lot easier. Making this work requires government support.

Safaricom Announces Reduction Of Loans’ Fee

Other issues from the Fintech space

Furthermore, on the government’s part, easy security would mean that startups can do business in more states freely when everywhere is safe, and then fintech can cover more states. Another is infrastructure, the sector spends a lot of money on power, transport and the like.

Also, on Cross-border collaboration with respect to the new African Free Trade Zone. Free trade legislation and agreement are good development in African countries, but there is a question of implementation. The system that is being worked on is called PAPSS Pan-African Payments Settlement Scheme. It will be easy to transact within African countries.

Political will and willingness to cooperate among the African countries to a common standard are the challenges that are needed to address.

Regarding regulation, he added that it is good as CBN tries to regulate the financial industries. However, he believes that the CBN shouldn’t be doing much business but should support the industry players’ products, and there should be more collaboration. If he was the CBN governor, his approach to things should be “more experimentation, less business, less banning, more studies, more empowerment, more embracing of ideas.”

What to know about Babatunde Akin-Moses, Sycamore CEO

As an economics graduate, he started his career in consulting at Shell as a Contracts NYSC staff, and later he went to KPMG and PwC, before he later went for his MBA at Lagos business school. 

Aside from being a writer, he is a Nigerian that is very passionate about Nigerian and Africa. He also likes to promote those ideas and encourage young people to do their best.

Tags: FintechinvestmentsLoansSycamore
Okunloye Abiodun Segun

Okunloye Abiodun Segun

A vibrant writer saddled with the chore of Informing the world with words.

No Result
View All Result

Quick Links

  • Tech News
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Fintech
  • Startups
  • Business

Follow Us:

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • Twitter(X)
  • Linkedin
  • YouTube
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2025 Techpression.com -Techpression Media Limited

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in .

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Tech News
    • Africa Tech
    • Global Tech
    • Tech with Pelumy
    • Tech Careers
    • Reviews
    • How To
    • General News
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Business
  • Fintech
  • Startups
  • Featured
  • Ai
  • Tech TV

© 2025 Techpression.com -Techpression Media Limited

techpression.com
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

3rd Party Cookies

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.