Union54

Overview

Union54 is a Lusaka fintech founded in 2020 that built card issuing infrastructure for African software companies. Its API let businesses launch debit and virtual cards without a bank sponsor. The company was the first Zambian startup to join the Y Combinator programme.

Funding and backers

Total raised
$12M
1 round on record
Latest round
$12M
Seed · Apr 2022 · 4 yr ago
Backers
3
Y Combinator, Runa Capital
The money's age
Long since its last round
54 months since the last round · not hiring
Momentum
0/100
no fresh signals
Last sign of life
2 mo ago
a posting or a news item
The story so fareach stage dated by its source: the company's releases, the press, registers, filings
Apr 18, 2022 Raised a round Seed $12M · led by Tiger Global Management · TechCrunch Jun 2021 Went through Y Combinator 2020 Founded
Tractionpublic signals, read monthly
Web presence
top 7%
of 133.2M domains by links, Common Crawl
Funding rounds
RoundDateAmountInvestorsSource
Seed Apr 2022 $12M Tiger Global Management lead TechCrunch
Backed byfrom the funds' portfolios and accelerator catalogs
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Financials

Total raised
$12M
Latest round
Seed
Funding rounds
1
Funding rounds
Round Announced Amount
Seed 2022 $12M Details

Connections

List
Graph
Found in company registers, site code, DNS and hiring. Each connection shows how sure we are and the evidence, with its source and date.
Shared investors3
78 portfolio companies: Verto 2026, Wealth8, Wesabi™ and 75 more
Runa CapitalVia a fund
86 portfolio companies: Twenty, Ubitium, PM2 and 83 more
Y CombinatorVia a fund
6310 portfolio companies

News

Union54 Ventures into Africa's Super App Landscape with 'ChitChat' Launch
Union54, a provider of innovative digital financial solutions, and Mastercard, a global payments technology company, jointly announced...
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News YahooFinance 3 years ago
After chargeback fraud debacle, Union54 CEO says fintech in Africa
Last July, TechCrunch reported that customers of several fintech apps couldn't access the virtual dollar card services that these platforms provided. At the heart of this issue was chargeback fraud that Zambian startup Union54 was battling. The YC-backed
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News TechCrunch 3 years ago
After chargeback fraud debacle, Union54 CEO says fintech in Africa 'isn't child's play'
Nine months after Union54 encountered overwhelming chargeback fraud that made it shut down temporarily, its CEO shares some lessons.
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News TechCrunch 4 years ago
Union54 raises $12M led by Tiger Global
Zambian card-issuing fintech Union54 has raised $12 million in a seed extension round led by Tiger Global.
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Offices

Where the company hires and what each office is for
Cities
1
Hiring now
0
Countries
1
Lusaka Zambia
HQ